However, if one enters into a public school, this is a major change. Ben Evans, an eighth-grader at Jackson Middle School, experienced this change. As a past home-schooled student and now a public school student, he compares the benefits of both. However, in a public school, he said, there were more competitive sports and more social events. Overall, Evans feels that he has a better foundation because he was home-schooled.
Many people have the misconception that a parent needs to have a teaching certificate.
This is not the case. A proposal to require only certified teachers to teach their children at home was defeated last year. The only state that requires this is Michigan. The result is that any parent is able to educate their children at home if he or she follows certain guidelines to get started. First, one must obtain state notification and notify their local school superintendent, who must approve the hours, curriculum, classes and overall education plan for the year.