homeschool

The Anti-Homeschool Movement Wants Control of Our Children

President Reagan rightly stated, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Today’s ominous version is, “Pass this legislation to protect children.”

Government is using emotionally charged language, yet again, “help” and “protect,” as keys to quietly unlock the Constitutional doors that safeguard us from government intrusion. Much like in Reagan’s era, homeschooling, along with parental and religious rights, are at a tipping point. As Daily Citizen has previously reported, Illinois is next.

Historically, Illinois has been one of the most homeschool friendly states in the country. Home education has flourished in Illinois under a 1950 Illinois Supreme Court decision, People v. Levisen, which affirmed that a home could legally be a private school and free from government interference, so long as basic subjects were taught in English.

Illinois House Bill 2827 (HB 2827), introduced by Rep. Terra Costa Howard, would dismantle this 70-year legal precedent by requiring parents to sign a “homeschool declaration form” – or face jail time

Jeff Lewis, President of the Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE), says,

Those agencies are given the ability to adopt regulations and create rules … that would further restrict homeschooling and what parents are doing — but those people aren’t elected … This bill is laying a foundation for something beyond what’s actually written in the bill by giving the authority to these regulators to do more.

Upon its introduction, Rep. Howard’s opening statements referred to the bill as a “…minimal step to provide accountability.” What she didn’t acknowledge is that opens the door for criminal charges.

Section 20 of HB 2827 lays out the required information for a new “Homeschool Declaration Form”:

The form shall include, but not be limited to: the name, birth date, grade level, and home address of the child; the name, birth date, contact information, and home address of the homeschool administrator; and assurance that the homeschool administrator has received a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. The State Board of Education shall create the template.

This isn’t an update to “protect children” as claimed. Illinois is fundamentally shifting who holds authority over them, and it’s not their parents.

HB 2827 asserts the government — not the parent — is the ultimate authority, and protector of a child’s life.

It also assumes all parents are potential abusers, to be monitored by the state, otherwise children are at risk.

How could this happen in a state like Illinois?

In July 2024, a relatively unknown advocacy group called the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), not based in Illinois, released a fill-in-the-blank proposal called the Make Homeschool Safe Act.

Framed as a child-protection measure, this model legislation includes sweeping regulations: mandatory homeschool registration, state-approved curriculum standards, annual assessments, proof of parental qualifications, and submission of health records. In essence, giving local authorities unprecedented access into homeschooling.

At first glance, this proposed bill was just another draft with no traction. But something more strategic was underway; their goal was to set precedent and encourage other states to follow suit. With a Democratic supermajority in the Illinois House, Senate and Governor’s office, Illinois became the first test case.

Make Homeschool Safe Act states in section II:

  • “There are a number of children being homeschooled in [STATE]. The true number of homeschooled children is likely to remain unknown without adequate notification and oversight.
  • “The laws of [STATE] do not currently provide adequate protection for homeschooled children, leaving them vulnerable to child abuse and educational neglect.
  • “It is in the interest of the Legislature to ensure homeschooled children are safe and receive a sufficient education.
  • The purpose of this legislation is “to affirm and protect homeschooled children’s right to comprehensive education and a safe home environment.”

But this is where legislators get it wrong; homeschoolers are not more likely to be abused, nor fall behind academically. In fact, homeschooled students consistently outperform their peers and experience high levels of well-being.

At its core, it’s not about test scores or curriculum; it’s about control.

Once that foundation is laid, other states will have a precedent to point to. And they will want to pass similar legislation.

This fight matters, and far beyond Illinois. It is a turning point in the national conversation about educational freedom, parental rights and the future of homeschooling in America.

It’s about what kind of nation we’re becoming. One that trusts parents, or one that replaces them.

Image from Shutterstock.

‘Land of Lincoln’ Looks to Bully Homeschool Families

Homeschool families in Illinois are currently pushing back on a bill that threatens their parental autonomy and rights.

As currently proposed, the “Homeschool Act” or HB 2827, requires parents who want to educate their children outside of the traditional system to sign a “homeschool declaration form” – or face jail time. It would also demand that parents doing the teaching have a high school diploma or GED. State officials would reserve the right to inspect and critique curriculum. 

The “Land of Lincoln” is one of a dozen states known for steering clear of any meddling with homeschool families. While 38 other states do require parents to sign a declaration to educate in their homes, none of them have criminalized those who do not. Illinois would be the first.

Those behind the bill claim oversight is necessary to ensure the proper education and personal protection of the state’s students.

“It is an empirical reality that abuse and neglect occurs in homeschool settings, and that abusive caregivers can deliberately exploit the cover of homeschooling to isolate children — not educate them,” claimed Jonah Stewart, interim executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CFRHE).

“While research has yet to settle the question in terms of rates of abuse by school status, all children deserve protections from abuse,” he added.

There is actually no evidence that children being homeschooled are at any elevated risk of abuse. 

And if homeschooling is so detrimental to a student’s academic success, why do studies show that those who are educated at home regularly achieve higher scores and outperform their traditionally schooled counterparts?

The Illinois legislation is either an ignorant attempt to solve a problem that doesn’t exist or an aggressive power grab by government officials to control what students, who are otherwise outside their reach, are being taught.

Illinois state Representative Travis Weaver strongly opposes the onerous and invasive legislation.

“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,” Weaver said. “That’s a false, misnomer 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.”

While educating children in the home dates back thousands of years, the modern-day movement took off in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In fact, Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson is often credited for popularizing and normalizing the practice in Christian families by talking with advocates for it on the Focus daily radio program.

Like many Christian parents then and now, Dr. Dobson believed that mothers and fathers were best equipped to teach their children, and also equipped to pass along the values and principles of their faith, especially if a local school system was hostile to fundamental truths being shared in the home.

Homeschooling exploded during the COVID pandemic, and while many of those children have returned to traditional classrooms, it’s estimated that 3.7 million students (or 6.7%) are currently being educated at home.

Will Estrada, who serves as senior counsel with the Home School Legal Defense Association, calls the Illinois legislation a form of harassment.  

“Our single goal is to defeat this bill,” Estrada told National Review.

“It would be the first state where homeschool freedom has gone backwards. It would disproportionately harm vulnerable communities, low-income families, single parents who are homeschooling their children, minority communities.”

Because of Illinois’ liberal legislature, opponents of the bill face an uphill climb to defeat it. But last month, over 8,000 homeschool supporters descended on the state capitol to protest the proposal. Despite the avalanche of opposition, HB 2827 was voted out of committee by an 8-4 margin. 

Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Illinois for 31 years beginning in 1830 right up until the presidency, attended formal school for only a year. The rest of his education was self-directed and based in the home. It’s a shame that many of the same legislators who rightly hail the 16th president are failing to acknowledge that his greatness was fueled by the very type of education they now seem to want to discourage and make more difficult for families and their children.