On January 13, 2025, Classical Conversations® hosted Choose Education Independence’s first live webinar event in partnership with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). This pivotal event, which discussed and advocated against the Make Homeschool Safe Act, brought together parents, leaders, and advocates from the homeschooling community. It emphasized the homeschooling movement’s resilience, solidarity, and commitment to parental autonomy in education.
Classical Conversations has long championed the principle that education is the sacred responsibility of families, and this event reaffirmed that commitment through advocacy and education. An inspiring lineup of speakers, including HSLDA’s senior legal counsel, led by HSLDA President Jim Mason, and prominent homeschooling advocates Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, and Lauren Gideon, Director of Government Relations, Classical Conversations, shared their insights into the implications of the Make Homeschool Safe Act and the urgent need for continued vigilance and action.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Community Engagement: Hundreds of families joined the live online webinar to hear expert analysis of the Make Homeschool Safe Act.
- Parental Empowerment: This event aimed to raise awareness of the diligence needed to preserve the homeschooling freedoms so many of us have enjoyed in the past. It gave parents the knowledge and tools to understand and oppose overreaching legislation.
- Homeschool Advocacy Success: Amid the serious discussions, there was also time to celebrate the incredible success stories of HSLDA’s historical advocacy.
Understanding the Threat of the Make Homeschool Safe Act
This draft legislation, produced by the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CHRE), is one of the most critical threats to homeschool freedom over the last year. It seeks to impose stringent regulations on homeschooling families under the guise of child safety.
The legislation assumes that children are not safe with their parents and that the state has jurisdiction over children that supersedes parental rights. The legislation operates on the premise that parents are unfit to homeschool until proven otherwise, undermining the presumption of innocence. Enforcing a “guilty until proven innocent” framework places unnecessary burdens on homeschooling families, undermines their autonomy, and creates barriers to education independence.
This bill has not yet been introduced in its totality; however, legislators have scavenged pieces of the draft legislation and added them to other bills, which have been introduced in some states, including Colorado, Oklahoma, and Michigan.
Key Provisions of the Act
Government Oversight of Homeschooling
The bill mandates annual notifications, evaluations, and assessments of homeschooled children, with decisions about compliance resting with state-certified professionals. State officials would oversee homeschooling programs, potentially rejecting assessments and placing families on homeschool probation.
Forced Alignment with Public School Standards
Homeschool curricula would need to align with public school requirements, limiting the flexibility and individuality of homeschooling that make homeschooling so effective.
Intrusive Recordkeeping Requirements
Parents would be mandated to submit birth certificates, immunization records, and health assessments, placing private family information under government scrutiny and creating significant privacy concerns.
Disqualifications for Homeschooling
The bill gives broad authority to disqualify parents from homeschooling based on Child Protective Services investigations or other subjective determinations, ignoring the presumption of innocence. Parents with CPS investigations or criminal convictions, even without proven abuse, could be barred from homeschooling.
The Bigger Picture
This legislation is part of a broader worldview shift that challenges the foundational principle of parental rights. Organizations like CHRE advocate for increased government intervention in homeschooling, framing it as a loophole that enables neglect and abuse. However, this narrative ignores critical facts:
- Existing laws already provide safeguards for children while respecting parental autonomy.
- Parents have historically been the primary educators of their children, a right enshrined in both tradition and law.
- Homeschoolers consistently perform well academically, regardless of their parents’ educational backgrounds.
Call to Action
The homeschooling community must remain vigilant and united in the face of such legislative threats. Here’s how you can join the effort to protect and preserve our education independence and homeschooling freedoms:
1. Join the Education Independence Network
Classical Conversations’ Education Independence Network provides breaking updates on legislative developments, actionable advocacy strategies, and a community of like-minded individuals committed to education independence. Sign up here to stay informed and get involved!
2. Spread Awareness
Share this blog and link to this website, attend local homeschool advocacy events, and educate others about the importance of protecting homeschooling freedoms.
3. Contact Your Legislators
Reach out to your state representatives before an issue arises. Consider creating a strategy of planned, ongoing communication with them.
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Send emails to celebrate when they support something you support.
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Let them know which of their social media you have widely shared.
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Make calls or send emails of encouragement when they seem defeated in an area.
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Send notes of appreciation.
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Let them know you are praying for them (whether or not they agree on policy).
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When they aren’t in session, visit the local office to say hello and let them know that privately funded, parent-directed homeschooling, parental autonomy, and religious freedom are important issues to you, your friends, and your family. Consider taking a friend or two with you.
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Express your concerns about the implications of the Make Homeschool Safe Act and let them know you oppose policies that infringe on parental rights
Together, we can protect parental rights and ensure that homeschooling remains a viable and flourishing option for future generations. Join the movement today and stand with us as we choose education independence.