• Alabama alternative schooling optionsBooks image by explicitly from Fotolia.com
  
  Parents might choose to forgo traditional schooling for a number of reasons ranging from religious beliefs to dissatisfaction with available schools in the area. The state of Alabama permits parents to make alternate arrangements and state law gives parents two different options. Any parents who have questions about how to homeschool their children should contact the superintendent's office of their county Board of Education for information regarding the rules, requirements and paperwork.
  
  

Church Schools

• Churches and other religious organizations that choose to operate nonprofit schools that do not receive any sort of government funding fall under the "homeschooling" category in the state of Alabama. The law does not require any minimum qualifications for instructors.
  
  Children attending these schools do not have to comply with compulsory attendance laws but the school must keep track of attendance records and file them with the superintendent's office. The school must also notify this office if the child ever leaves the school. Under this provision, parents can enroll their children in the program, but teach them at home on their own. According to the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association, other than the attendance notification requirements, state law does not seem to have any provisions allowing or requiring local school authorities to regulate any aspect of these schools.
  
  

Private Tutors

• The private tutor option has more stringent requirements. The tutor must be a certified teacher in the state of Alabama and present a teaching plan to the Superintendent's office. He must teach at least three hours a day between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for at least 140 calendar days each year. The tutor must keep records of instruction time and attendance to show school authorities.
  
  

Testing

• The state does not require children receiving instruction under either option to take any standardized testing.