The Liberated Learner – Column by Suzanne Kearney
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” – C.S. Lewis
Children need to be protected from their parents, don’t you know? Without the help of Big Brother, kids raised by the unsupervised moms and dads of Oceania may be “unsafe.” Because the government always has your best interests at heart.
If you support liberated learning, take note: the movement to capture and hyper-regulate homeschooling continues to grow, under the premise that “homeschooling without oversight can lead to abuse.” It does beg the question: can the “oversight” itself be its own form of abuse?
In July 2024, the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a “nonprofit organization founded by homeschool alumni to advocate for the interests of homeschooled children,” released a document called the “Make Homeschool Safe Act.” This model legislation helps states implement laws to “ensure children can get a quality education, access healthcare services, and be protected from abuse.” What could go wrong?
Here are a few of the “benefits” the proposed legislation would provide:
- Mandatory annual reporting to superintendents of personal information, identity documents, and immunization records or exemptions; failure to comply triggers a CPS investigation and compulsory enrollment in public or private school.
- Parents “under investigation” for specific crimes would not be allowed to homeschool for a minimum of three years.
- Homeschooled children must learn the “same subjects” as public school students.
- Mandatory annual reporting to superintendents and “in-person assessment” of academic records and progress. Portfolios submitted must be reviewed by a “qualified educational professional.” Homeschools deemed unsatisfactory will be placed on probation; failure results in student(s) being forcibly enrolled in public or private school.
- Parents without “sufficient qualifications” would require weekly to monthly in-person meetings from a “qualified educational professional” to “assist… plan… oversee… and review;” academic progress deemed unsatisfactory would trigger a formal assessment and consideration for probation.
- Parents who fail to comply with assessments will be reported to CPS and investigated.
- Children with disabilities will be evaluated, categorized, tracked, and assigned a “services plan team” to determine if the specialized education plan is sufficient. Specialized education plans must be submitted and approved annually.
- Homeschoolers will be subject to the same immunization laws as public school students. Homeschool status should be removed as a qualifying exemption.
- Homeschoolers will be required to receive the same “age-appropriate health assessments, medical tests, or screenings” that a public school student would receive. Medical records must be submitted to the superintendent.
If this sounds like a nightmare to you, you’re not alone. The magnitude of government overreach is breathtaking. Why homeschool at all when the state has virtually declared residency in your living room? But privacy rights are not the only casualty. All the benefits of homeschooling – the freedom to explore interests in depth, be spontaneous, take learning more slowly or quickly when appropriate – will drown in a cesspool of bloated bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all mandates. Imagine the pressure on a student who has been evaluated by a “qualified educational professional” and found to be “lacking” – her love of learning will perish, her unique interests sacrificed at the altar of “safety.” Don’t think a lack of funding will be a problem – they already have that figured out too. By counting homeschoolers as members of the school district, the state will have all the cash they need. That means if you want to hold your school accountable by pulling your kids out – thus decimating their funding – too bad. Money talks, but your school board won’t need to listen.
Of course, no one bothers to ask if public school kids fare better than homeschoolers in terms of academics and well-being. I’ll need to save those details for another column – but overall, the numbers show that homeschoolers are doing quite well without Big Brother’s help.
If this wolf in sheep’s clothing ever comes to Idaho, you have been informed and have the responsibility to resist. You’re welcome.
