Homeschool parents must be prepared to defend their freedom.

Why homeschool parents must be their own guardians of freedom

Homeschoolers are entering a new era in the coming days and weeks, and should be vigilant to protect their rights as parents. In a confusing and alarming twist of events, many homeschoolers across the nation may soon find that their state or national homeschool organization is no longer protecting them on the front lines of this freedom. These parents may find that they are not being adequately informed of the true nature of legislation coming their way.

For the past several years, I have said that homeschoolers must become their own watchdogs. I cannot stress this statement strongly enough. There’s a new age coming; in fact it may already be in your state.

I used to believe that we should always be watchful that homeschooling would be outlawed. I think this is a real concern for any homeschooling parent. But as the years went on, nary a whisper was heard on such a thing. Even elected democrats pay lipservice to homeschoolers. I am not aware of any legislation in recent years that directly sought to outlaw home education. Recently, I learned why.

Why would any elected official alienate themselves from a growing segment of their constituency by blatantly taking away a freedom? That would be political suicide! But what if they could creep in through tiny regulations here and there while claiming to care about the educational rigor of homeschools?

My friends, this is precisely what is happening all over this nation. And homeschoolers everywhere are unwittingly stepping into this trap with the blessing and advice of local and national homeschool organizations.

In Texas, we are anticipating the introduction of ESAs (Educational Savings Accounts) in 2017, targeted to all parents looking for a “choice” in their child’s education. These ESAs are NOT like Health Savings Accounts (which are self-funded). They are taxpayer funded debit cards, with a promised amount of $5,000-$8,000 per child. The planned legislation looks like this so far: it is only available to children entering Kindergarten or first grade, or students currently enrolled in a public school. It would not be available for current homeschooled or private school students.

Think for a minute: when taxpayer dollars fund any program, is there freedom in that program? Or are there requirements? The money is not a gift. It always comes with strings. Don’t you just hate it when gifts come with strings?? Once you pay taxes, the dollars are no longer yours, and this is exactly how the government sees it.

Texas

In the case of Texas, anyone taking ESA funds would be required to use “approved” curriculum and services. These would include a list of accredited programs. Your favorite mom-and-pop homeschool curriculum? Probably not going to make that list unless they align with the national and state standards. And isn’t that what we left the public system for?? Approval would come from the Texas Comptroller. (And is that who we want approving our educational materials?) Further, all students would be required to take nationally normed standardized tests. As you probably know, there is no nationally normed test that does not align with Common Core. Standardized tests are not evil; however, this should be the choice of a homeschooling parent.

And this brings us to the subject of this post: The Texas Homeschool Coalition is actively supporting and lobbying for this legislation. As this became public, parents who oppose ESAs for homeschoolers commented on their public Facebook page, only to have their comments deleted and then be blocked from posting further on the page. The same thing happens to anyone opposing THSC in the comments section on their website. In short: opposition is not allowed, and the conversation is tightly controlled.

Indiana

I am so pleased to see the active role that the Indiana Association of Home Educators is playing in the education of their families and the prevention of this type of government intrusion. They are plainly defining what true home education is, while pointing out the dangers of any taxpayer funds. Debi Ketron of IAHE penned this straightforward article: An Oxymoron: Publicly Funded Homeschooling. In this article entitled The Unintended Consequences of ESAs, IAHE lays out the reasons homeschoolers should not accept this “help” from the state.

Nevada

Nevada’s plan (which did pass into law) is what Texas promoters say our plan is based on. What they fail to mention is that the Nevada School Choice plan is currently suspended by the Nevada Supreme Court. Barbara Dragon, Nevada Homeschool Network Officer Emeritus, has written a great article on the differences between Self-funded, Private Education vs. Government Funded School Choice. She has walked through this entire process in her state, and now warns other homeschoolers against “school choice.”

Nationwide

You are probably thinking, “Let’s see what HSLDA has to say about this.” Yes, let’s!

In an article from 2011 on the subject of tax credits for homeschoolers, Karen Braun (aka Spunky Homeschool) states:

William Estrada, director of HSLDA’s federal relations department, argued in support of a tax-credit in his article, “No Extra Rules Required.” Estrada included a definition for “qualifying educational expenses” for all parents — no matter where they educate their children. And to avoid regulation and prevent abuse he suggests,

“The I.R.S. could conduct an audit, and the parent or parent’s tax preparer could retain all the necessary documentation relating to the child’s education and the qualifying educational expense to show to the I.R.S. if necessary.

Wow! So not only will we be required to prove we’re educating through testing, we’ll be proving we’re not tax cheats too! Because you know those homeschoolers and our tendency toward abuse! Please HSLDA you can do better than this!”

I’m pretty sure I don’t want to submit to an IRS audit for my homeschooling expenses. What this illustrates, though, is that HSLDA is open to scrutiny from federal officials who have absolutely no business in education. Or healthcare, but that’s another story. : )

HSLDA is also on record supporting “School Choice Week” in Michigan. This term, “school choice,” has been absolutely hijacked to mean state subsidized private education. And the circle continues.

Update June 2018: Read about the 529 Education Savings Account introduced by Ted Cruz.

So now what?

What this means, moms and dads, is that you must be vigilant. YOU must know what legislation is being introduced (or has already passed). You must be aware of who is behind it, who is funding it, and where your state and national organization stands. You must ask the tough questions.

Trust me. In Texas, most people are rather shocked to find out that THSC might actually lobby for something that limits homeschool freedom. Those of us willing to speak out are looked at suspiciously by moms and dads who have trusted THSC for years. And even our state reps are shocked to think that we would disagree with the organization. Many refuse to look at the facts. This is dangerous. Blindly trusting someone else to safeguard your freedom is dangerous.

It’s much wiser to support principles, not people or parties or organizations.

It’s time to be our own watchmen again. It’s time to guard our homes from government intrusion. The sentries we thought were posted on the wall have let down their guard. WE must take on the burden ourselves. It’s a heavy burden, but our children are worth it.

why-homeschool-parents-must-be-their-own-guardians-of-freedom

Dig for the facts. Ask questions. Read articles. Do your own internet searches. Call and email HSLDA and your state organization. Ask them the tough questions. They have the ears of the elected officials; you want to be represented correctly or know the reason why.

Talk to your local homeschool group. Spread the word to them. Answer their questions or point them to the facts. Take the lead. We are talking about your rights as a parent to raise your children and instruct them in the way that you see fit.

Politics may be foreign or uncomfortable to you, but we must be clear: it is through politics that our freedoms are won or lost.

It is the ultimate right of parents to raise and instruct their children in their home without the “permission” or intrusion of government. Period. Education is not the government’s department. Period. If a government agency “allows” you to teach your children at home or use certain materials, they have already overstepped their bounds. Do not let them encroach further.

I have a very detailed post on this threat, with lots of links and live videos. In the coming days, I’ll separate this information into smaller, easy to understand segments, perfect for sharing with your friends.

If you want to keep up with this topic, there are several ways: