School Choice Under Attack: Illinois' Dangerous Homeschool Law
Schoolchildren
The freedom to choose how our children are educated is under assault in Illinois. This frontal attack on home schooling should alarm every parent who values educational options beyond the failing government-run system.
Despite Illinois spending more per student than almost any other state, the educational outcomes are dismal. In Chicago, the majority of students cannot read at grade level. Yet instead of embracing innovation and choice, Illinois politicians are doubling down on protecting the failed status quo.
The tactics are revealing. In 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker, following teachers union directives, refused to renew the modest Invest in Kids program that offered several thousand low-income children an escape route from underperforming schools. Now, the legislature is advancing the deceptively named "Homeschool Act" - legislation designed to suffocate home education through bureaucratic strangulation.
This law would force homeschool parents to submit annual "Homeschool Declaration Forms" that effectively enroll their children in the nearest public school - despite not attending. Parents would be required to provide children's names, birthdates, grade levels and home addresses. Failure to comply could result in 30 days imprisonment. Additionally, parents must submit an "education portfolio" with writing samples, workbooks and other materials to prove they're following the state's School Code, along with assessments of each child's progress.
The irony is staggering. The same bureaucracy presiding over Illinois' educational collapse now wants to "oversee" homeschooling, despite abundant research showing homeschooled students excel academically. Parents choose home education precisely to provide quality instruction in an environment aligned with their values - something increasingly absent in government schools.
What's happening in Illinois exemplifies modern socialism's playbook. Today's Marxists don't seize businesses outright; they control them through suffocating regulations. In education, where government already holds a near-monopoly, they fight vigorously against parental attempts to find alternatives that better serve their children's needs.
Meanwhile, American students continue falling behind their international peers in reading and math. This educational failure is precisely why school choice has gained impressive momentum nationwide.
The pandemic gave parents unprecedented visibility into classroom instruction - or lack thereof - and revealed how teachers unions prioritized their interests over students' education. As a result, 20 states have enacted programs giving parents control over educational funding, with more joining the movement.
Homeschooling has likewise surged, growing dramatically during the pandemic, receding slightly as schools reopened, but now expanding again as parents seek better alternatives.
Illinois stands as a warning of the battles ahead. The educational establishment will not surrender its power without a fight. For parents who value their right to direct their children's education, vigilance is essential. The freedom to choose may depend on it.
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