Kentucky kids access education in a variety of ways, including public schools, private schools, and homeschool settings. 

Over the past several years, the number of families choosing homeschool for their children has grown substantially. There are many reasons that families choose to homeschool their children, but whatever motivation the family has for initiating homeschool education, it is important to ensure that all Kentucky kids are in a safe learning environment where they receive a high quality education. 

Parental choice to homeschool their kids must complement the overall goal of preparing all kids for higher education in some cases and in all cases reaching their full potential within the workforce. However, because of the natural isolation that homeschool fosters unless intentionally disrupted, children that are homeschooled could be subject to child abuse or neglect or educational neglect. Without proper safeguards to identify and address these instances that are embedded within our public and private school systems, homeschooling malpractice could put kids in unsafe environments that evade detection. 

The General Assembly can enact policies to help ensure Kentucky children are in a safe and productive learning environment and that homeschool students have the best possible opportunities to succeed.

First, Kentucky should ensure that homeschool educators do not have a background of child abuse allegations.

  • Homeschool educators who have criminal child abuse offenses should be disqualified from homeschooling a child.  
  • If a parent or guardian is currently being investigated for abuse and neglect allegations, the initiation of homeschooling should be delayed until the investigation is complete.  

Second, Kentucky should require all homeschool educators to have a minimum education level of a high school diploma or an equivalent degree.

  • Children need an educator that understands the concepts in order to be as successful as possible.  
  • Kentucky can follow the lead of other states with minimum education level requirements in place, such as Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.   

By implementing these changes, Kentucky can ensure that our homeschooled students are receiving a high-quality education experience, while still allowing families the autonomy to educate their children in the most personalized way possible.

This blog post is part of a series on issues surrounding homeschooling in Kentucky, including the benefits, concerns, as well as discuss recommendations.