The Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators

Help for Supervising Teachers

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The supervising teacher option is considered one of the least restrictive means for a family to comply with the Iowa homeschooling law, and many home educating families use the supervising teacher option. This page is created to assist teachers. The information provided here will be pertinent to teachers planning to supervise children taught in the home under the supervising teacher option. There are limitations set by law for those wanting to provide instruction in a school setting or through a home school assistance program that are not provided here. For info mat ion about providing supervision in these areas, please consult the Chapter 31 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

Iowa Code Chapter 31.3 outlines the licensing requirements and duties of a teacher who provides supervision to a student under competent private instruction. Competent private instruction is the term applied to all students educated at home or in private non-accredited non-public schools. If you are considering supervision of a student under competent private instruction, you must possesses a valid Iowa teaching certificate or practitioner license which is appropriate to the age and grade level of the student under competent private instruction.

The supervising teacher is required to have contact with the student and the student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian at least twice per 45 days of instruction during which time the teacher practitioner fulfills the duties described below.

1. One of every two contacts shall be face-to-face with the student under competent private instruction.
2. Consulting with and advising the student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian with respect to the following during the course of the year's visits:
   1. Lesson plans
   2. Textbook and supplementary materials
   3. Setting educational goals and objectives
   4. Teaching and learning techniques
   5. Forms of assessment and evaluation of student learning
   6. Diagnosing student strengths and weaknesses
   7. Interpretation of test results
   8. Planning
   9. Record keeping
   10. Other duties as requested or agreed upon
3. Providing formal and informal assessments of the student's progress to the student and the student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
4. Annually maintaining a diary, record, or log of visitations and assistance provided.
5. Referring to the child's district of residence for evaluation a child who the practitioner has reason to believe may be in need of special education.

The supervising teacher is limited in that he or she cannot serve more that 25 families, or more than 50 children of compulsory attendance age in an academic year.

When a teacher agrees to supervise the home instruction program of a student, the teachers name, address, and some indication that the teacher holds a valid license to provide supervision, usually a folder number, is written on the Competent Private Instruction Reporting form (CPI) and submitted to the local school district.

The agreement between a teacher and the homeschooling family should be written down. It is best if there is a contract between both parties not to share information without the consent of each. In order to protect this relationship, NICHE and Home School Legal Defense Association have written a Supervising Teacher Contract that you may choose to use. This contract prevents anyone from obtaining the records of the teacher or student without the permission of the family.

We appreciate the willingness of teachers to assist home educators with the task of teaching their children. We recommend that our families read the article, "Using the Supervising Teacher Option" by supervising teacher & homeschooling mom, Terri Miller. A homeschooling mother and supervising teacher has developed a tool to assist you with documenting you visits. That form, the Log of Visits with Supervising Teacher, is available here.

Please let us know what we can do to better serve you and the families you supervise. If you are interested in placing your name on our referral list, please access the form below. By completing the form you agree to have your name and contact information released to those requesting a supervising teacher in your area. Please let us know immediately, if your contact information changes or you would like us to remove your name from our list.

Supervising Teacher Application Form

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