As of August 2025, Maryland has not enacted any new restrictions on homeschooling, but the atmosphere among parents suggests a growing sense of unease. With the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) conducting a broad regulatory review—including oversight rules for homeschoolers—families are asking: Is this a prelude to government overreach?
A Review That Sparks Alarm
The MSDE launched a regulatory review process earlier this year under COMAR 13A.10.01, inviting public feedback through August 15. Officials insist this is merely an effort to “clarify” and “streamline” existing rules. But homeschooling families know all too well how government reviews often work: promises of efficiency at the front end, mandates and restrictions on the back end.
A viral social media post touched off widespread concern by highlighting four rumored proposals that could drastically shift the homeschooling landscape:
- Requiring parents to hold a college degree or teaching credential
- Mandating state-approved curricula
- Implementing home visits by government officials
- Imposing mandatory standardized testing
None of these have been formally adopted, but the fact that they are even in circulation shows the direction some policymakers and activists would like to take. Families were alarmed enough to launch a letter-writing campaign, led by the Maryland Family Institute, demanding that the MSDE leave the current framework intact.
What the Law Requires Now
Maryland’s current system is relatively straightforward, and—by national standards—on the lighter side of regulation. Parents must:
- File a Notice of Intent 15 days before beginning instruction
- Teach eight core subjects (English, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education)
- Keep a portfolio for up to three annual reviews
Families can choose oversight through their local school district, a church-exempt umbrella school, or a state-approved nonpublic school. There are no teacher certification requirements, no mandated curriculum, and no standardized testing mandates. Instruction simply has to be “regular and thorough.”
This balance has worked for decades—providing accountability without stripping parents of autonomy.
Why Families Are Concerned
Homeschool advocates warn that once state officials open the door to regulatory “updates,” it is hard to close it. Groups like the Maryland Homeschool Association and Maryland Family Institute argue that even small changes—such as new paperwork burdens or forced testing—would erode parental rights and tilt authority toward bureaucrats.
More fundamentally, they argue that parents are the primary stakeholders in a child’s education, not the state. A push toward state-approved curricula or government-monitored home visits would shift that relationship dramatically.
The Larger Pattern
Parents in Maryland aren’t imagining the risk. Across the country, homeschooling has exploded since COVID-era school shutdowns, and the political establishment has noticed. Teachers’ unions and some progressive lawmakers have pushed for tighter controls, often under the banner of “equity” or “child protection.” Yet the timing is no accident: homeschooling now represents both a cultural and political movement away from state-run education.
If homeschooling families can teach their children effectively without taxpayer dollars, unionized teachers, or bloated bureaucracies, it undermines the argument that public schools should remain the monopoly provider of education. That’s why families fear the regulatory review may become a Trojan horse.
What Comes Next
The MSDE is expected to deliver its recommendations to Governor Wes Moore in early 2026. Until then, families remain in limbo, watching closely.
For now, no changes have been finalized. But vigilance is warranted. As history shows, government rarely loosens its grip—it usually tightens it.
Maryland’s homeschooling families have built a system of autonomy and accountability that works. They know that once those freedoms are ceded, they are nearly impossible to win back. The question is whether state leaders will respect that balance—or bend to the pressure of those who want the state to raise every child.
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