The state allows students to be taught by private tutors. Parents may hire tutors or teach children themselves if they have the appropriate teaching credentials. Some private schools offer an independent study program. Private schools are subject to minimal state requirements and do not require teachers to be credentialed. Some private schools simply keep records for home-schooled students, while others offer more guidance and help plan the course of study.
Parents can file affidavits with the county declaring that their home is a private school.
However, state officials say such families may be misinterpreting the law. These parents are required to keep records of attendance, faculty, children' s immunizations and courses of study, according to the HomeSchool Association of California. The state Department of Education says parents who use an affidavit to declare their home a private school have misinterpreted the law and are operating illegally, said Roger Wolfertz, deputy general counsel for the department. However, enforcement is uncommon. Home-schooling advocates say that the department is misreading state statutes and that the practice is legal.