We are seeing an increasing number of Maryland school districts ramping up homeschool portfolio reviews, sometimes in an aggressive manner, and even harassing families educating their children under an umbrella group:

  • We wrote last year about Allegany County making extra-legal demands of homeschool families when it comes to portfolio reviews. Since then, we’ve attended several portfolio reviews with HSLDA member families, and it seems that things have quieted down in western Maryland.
  • We just sent a letter to Baltimore City Public Schools in response to school personnel asking some families who educate their children under the supervision of a church umbrella for extra-legal information.
  • And now, Cecil County has joined in the fray, sending a letter containing inaccurate information about portfolio reviews to homeschool families. We just sent county officials a letter reminding them of what the law actually says.

Portfolio reviews are not the only option

As a homeschool graduate from Pennsylvania, and a homeschool dad in Virginia, I personally prefer to have as little contact as possible with the local school district. For families who share this preference, I always recommend joining an umbrella group.

One resource for finding an umbrella group is an online directory from our friends at the Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE). The Maryland Department of Education also maintains a list of nonpublic entities that have registered with the MDE to supervise home instruction.

What to expect in a portfolio review

Some families cannot afford an umbrella group, cannot find one that meets their needs, or have no issue with their students’ portfolios being reviewed by local public school officials. If you fall into this category, we encourage you to review the Maryland regulations prior to your next portfolio review.

In addition, if you are an HSLDA member, we encourage you to contact HSLDA to talk with our Maryland legal team in advance of any portfolio review, particularly if you live in one of the locations listed above, or if you have never been to a portfolio review before.

Conclusion

Defending your right to educate your children at home is personal to me. I look forward to working with our friends at MACHE and in the Maryland homeschool community to continue to defend, advance, and support you and your family, whether you educate your children under an umbrella group, or under the portfolio review option.