A new law had thousands standing in opposition as one blue state’s encroachment on homeschooling was viewed as a “direct assault on families.”
As school choice becomes a priority of the White House and state legislatures across the country work to expand opportunities for families, lawmakers in Illinois appear to be seeking creative ways to add regulations. As HB2827, the so-called Homeschool Act, heads to a committee hearing on Wednesday, over 40,000 witnesses have added their opposition to the bill that would mandate a “Homeschool Declaration Form” and accompanying penalties.
“[The bill] makes conforming and other changes in the Freedom of Information Act, the School Code, and the Illinois School Students Records Act, including requiring (rather than allowing) nonpublic schools to register with the State Board of Education,” detailed the summary of the legislation that would consider those who hadn’t filled out the form “truant, with penalties applying.”
Further issues with the legislation included requiring record tracks be provided and oversight from a regional office of education that could demand an “education portfolio” be submitted to ensure education requirements are being met, a requirement not placed upon government-run schools.
“[If a] child in a homeschool program seeks to enroll part-time in a public school or participate in any public school activities taking place on or off of school grounds, the homeschool administrator must submit proof that the child has received all required immunizations and health examinations or a signed Certificate of Religious Exemption,” the summary also stated.
Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson (R) and state Rep. Chris Miller promoted the filing of witness slips in opposition to the legislation ahead of the House Education Policy Committee meeting as the bill was considered “an attack on our private and home schools.”
“As a father of 7 homeschooled children, I find this bill to be a direct assault on families across Illinois!” wrote Miller as the less than 1,000 in favor of the bill were far surpassed by over 40,000 witness slips filed against it.
“My colleagues on the other side of the aisle that would say homeschooling is growing, and that’s how we need to regulate it. I totally reject that,” Illinois state Rep. Travis Weaver (R) told NPR. “That’s a false, (mis)nomer of a lot of Illinois politicians that when things are good, it’s time for the government to step in. Homeschooling is a massive success.”
Even Democratic Party members have voiced concern as Illinois state Rep La Shawn Ford expressed to The Center Square, “From the constituents that I’ve gotten calls from, I’m understanding why they don’t like it. The loss of their autonomy, that’s a major concern that they lose the autonomy over their children, which is why they choose homeschooling. They want to have control over their children’s education, including the curriculum, how they teach, and the philosophy.”
Those in favor of the bill, like the Coalition of Responsible Home Education’s Research Director Jonah Stewart, argued they were attempting to address neglect and abuse.
Stewart told NPR, “In all 50 states, it’s legal for a caregiver to withdraw a child from school to homeschool during or directly after a social services investigation. And we have incidences where parents pull their child out of school to homeschool, not for educational intent, but because they know they can exploit the cover of homeschool in order to isolate children.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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