With many schools publishing their Reopening Plans, there have been a surge of families looking into homeschooling, which will allow you to dictate your child’s education from any location you choose, including in your own home. While this is a feasible option for many families, it might not be the solution you think it is.

According to Maine State Law, you can withdraw your student from public school if you submit a letter of intent 10 days before you plan to withdraw your child. The letter of intent informs the local school district as well as the educational commissioner that your child will not be returning to the public school system, but you understand the schooling requirements and will adhere to them. While this is not necessarily a permanent decision, it should not be used as a temporary solution (to read more about homeschooling requirements, visit this website).

Many schools are also allowing for remote learning, which will allow your child to remain in the public school system, but you will be able to keep them at home until you feel it is safe for them to return to school. While there may be concern about how remote learning will look this year compared to traditional schooling, there are still opportunities you can take advantage of to help ensure a thorough education despite not being in the school facility. This is a good option for those families who are not looking for a permanent/long term removal. If you are only planning on homeschooling during the pandemic, I would encourage you to look at other options before submitting a letter of intent, because that letter will be completely removing your child from the school system.

No matter what you decide, The Study Hall can help supplement your child’s education. We have always worked on-on-one with students in whatever subject they needed help with for school, but many families do not know that we have qualified teachers that can take on the teacher role for you.

If you are doing remote learning, we can not only assist with school assignments, but we can create and implement lessons that will help bridge the learning gap you might see. Some students need that one-on-one instruction in order to really grasp the content they are trying to learn, and with the hybrid model most schools in Maine are adopting, your child may not get all the instruction that they need. We at The Study Hall can add to the instruction they get from their teacher and make sure your child truly understands the material they are working on. We can do this remotely via Zoom or in person at our facility, which will be cleaned and sanitized before and after every session and where all students and staff adhere to CDC guidelines.

If you choose homeschooling, but would like a teacher to reinforce/teach the subjects you or your child struggle with, we are able to help you, too. Whatever your needs are, The Study Hall can help. For more information about homeschooling options, I would encourage you to reach out to Homeschoolers Of Maine, but we at The Study Hall can also offer information and guidance when it comes to the requirements of homeschooling, and all of our services will include the information you need for your annual assessment.