Maryland Homeschool Freedom Webinar
Join us live Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:30 pm Eastern
FREE OF CHARGE
During the annual State of the Nation address at the HSLDA National Leaders’ Conference earlier this fall, we discussed in broad strokes the Make Homeschool Safe Act, a model bill put out by CRHE. As you may be aware, this bill calls for an increase in government oversight and regulation.
Please join Will Estrada and other HSLDA attorneys for a webinar on Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 pm Eastern to look at some recent, specific examples of how this worldview and the impact of the CRHE philosophy is playing out around the county.
CAUSE FOR NATIONAL CONCERN
In September, CRHE testified in an interim study hearing before the Oklahoma legislature at the invitation of a local representative and encouraged a constitutional change intended to increase governmental oversight of homeschooling.
This summer, CRHE was quoted in the Utah media because of the case of child abuse allegation against a homeschool parent. There was specific mention of the Make Homeschool Safe Act.
In West Virginia, after another child abuse case came to light less than a month ago, there continue to be increase in calls for regulation and mandatory check-ins for homeschool children.
WHAT WE CAN DO
HSLDA values our partnership in defense and advocacy of homeschool freedoms in Maryland and across the nation. The homeschooling movement would not be where it is today without the steadfast and courageous work of the state organizations like MACHE over the past decades.
Our hope is that this webinar will provide meaningful discussion and insight of the trends and issues affecting us all.
Standing together for homeschool freedom.
About the Make Homeschool Safe Act
According to HSLDA, among other provisions, here are some of the restrictions and regulations proposed by the Make Homeschool Safe Act:
1. Require every homeschooling parent to have a high school diploma or GED. Parents without a diploma or GED would only be allowed to homeschool under the supervision of a “qualified educational professional,” who would have the authority to oversee curriculum and review the child’s academic progress.
2. Prevent a parent who is even investigated for abuse or neglect from withdrawing their child to homeschool for three years, unless they undergo an initial risk assessment by child protective services and participate in ongoing risk assessments thereafter. It’s worth repeating that the restrictions would apply after any abuse investigation, no matter its outcome—including investigations that are “unsubstantiated” because there is no evidence to support them.
3. Require annual notification at the beginning of the school year, or a waiting period of 30 days before beginning to homeschool. The waiting period does not include an exception for the health and safety of the child—common precipitating issues for parents deciding to homeschool midyear—and failure to wait 30 days to withdraw would trigger a notice of violation from the superintendent, followed by a report to child protective services. (At that point, the restriction described in the paragraph above would kick in.)
4. Require annual evaluations (state tests, norm-referenced achievement tests, or portfolios). Almost a quarter of the model bill is dedicated to these assessments, which must be reviewed by a “qualified educational professional” in person with the child. After the reviewer has signed off, the evaluation goes next to the superintendent for review. And the superintendent can reject the reviewer’s signoff—even though the list of eligible reviewers is created by the superintendent—which can place families on “probation,” or even result in the termination of their homeschool program.
5. Require all homeschooling children to receive the full schedule of immunizations required of children in public school. At the beginning of the school year or within 30 days of beginning to homeschool, parents must submit documentation from their state department of health or a licensed medical professional that the child has been immunized or received an exemption.
If even a few provisions of this model legislation were passed into law in any state, it would signal a seismic shift from the understanding, rooted in our nation’s history and traditions, that the responsibility of caring for, raising, and educating children is a fundamental right entrusted to parents by God. Such legislation would indicate a shift toward the belief that children belong to the state—and that parents’ rights are granted or taken away at the state’s discretion.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
Sign up here and we will send you the webinar link about a week before the live webinar.
NOTE: This webinar will not be recorded and is only available to those who are able to watch live on February 13, 2025.
REGISTER FOR HOMESCHOOL DAY AT THE CAPITOL
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Make plans to join us for MACHE’s Maryland Homeschool Day at the Capitol as we gather together to celebrate homeschool freedom at the Maryland State Capitol. Bring your family for this interactive, in-person event.
Free of charge to attend, but registration is required.