The good news is that lobbyists and home school organizations are following legislation and reporting to their constituency on its progress. The bad news is that, once again, homeschoolers are in a position to fight to maintain parental rights and maintain their freedoms of educational choice.
Again, it is debatable that the outcome of last year’s battle actually turned into a favorable, advantage for homeschoolers. Homeschoolers are now regulated more than in the past as it relates to curriculum/credit hour tracking and compulsory school age is a more complicated issue. The bigger question is: Are you willing to have any more of your freedoms “compromised” away?
Homeschooling is regulated by laws that require sufficient accountability. Politics as usual has always been to reach across the aisle and work with the opposition to find a solution. In many situations, in life, that is not a bad answer. However, when thinking of your individual rights to make parenting decisions for your children, in your own family, do you want to compromise what you know is right for your child? Perhaps in areas of legislation that deal with parental rights, as education does, we need the government to keep its nose out of our business and not make compromises. Individual parenting choices should not be influenced by a system that has developed a philosophy of going along to get along.
When your home school representatives use words like “compromise,” take heed. Homeschooling works. Perhaps it works best because it is without large government influence and regulation. It is not unreasonable to ask that homeschooling be segregated from all other educational issues as they arise in the legislative sessions. As certain elected representatives attempt to slowly chip away at your liberties, be vigilant in reminding your legislators and home school leaders/lobbyists that the fight is to maintain ALL of your freedoms to home school and make parenting decisions for your children. Compromise only weakens those liberties. It is time for leadership to leave the mindset of “compromise,” think outside the box, and stand for a ‘no tolerance’ of infringement on personal liberties.
Applaud the home school leadership for encouraging you to contact your representatives. Your voices have meaning and power. The message you communicate to them is critically important, however. Encourage them to abandon a “go along to get along” philosophy and stand strong for maintaining the rights you now enjoy, without further weakening the structure, already in place. Homeschoolers do not need NEW legislation. Ask them to leave you the heck alone!
Unfortunately you are right, last years compromise left us with more paperwork and regulation. It also, as you noted earlier, has sadly left some division in the homeschool community. Different messages are coming from different groups. With the NEA and the progressives more determined than ever to regulate us, it is important that we stand together as one united front. Just as we are doing on the national front, we must do on the state level – keep contacting those legislators! Make your voices heard. We don’t want to loose any more of our freedoms.