Free Republic

A longtime champion of homeschooling rights around the globe, Home School Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel and Director of State and International Relations Christopher J. Klicka was called home by his Lord on October 12, 2009, at age 48, following a 15-year battle with multiple sclerosis. An attorney, spokesman, lobbyist, and homeschooling husband and father, Chris is survived by his wife, Tracy, their seven children (ages 11–21), and his parents, Ardath and George Klicka. “Chris was both a people person and a goal person. He cared deeply about people, but was also driven to always do more!” says HSLDA President...

“Homeschooling is the sleeping giant of the American education system,” is the opening line of a recent article by Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews. He’s right. He’s also right when he says, “All surveys of home-schooled students so far indicate they have higher achievement rates on average than regular students,” and when he dismisses the claim that homeschoolers might not be properly socialized by saying, “Homeschoolers go outside often and get just as big a dose of pain and joy and ignorance and wisdom as regular school kids.” Where Mathews goes wrong is his support for a recommendation by...

Following is an email I received this afternoon from the HSLDA: Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Monday in a Harlem middle school, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told a group of 120 students that administration officials are actively discussing “when and how it might be possible to join” (that is, ratify) the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As before, she also communicated what a disgrace it is that the U.S. would stand with only Somalia against such a widely accepted treaty. This is the first direct public statement by the Obama administration that...

A British plan to allow local authorities "the right of access to the home" and "the right to speak with each child alone" in order to evaluate homeschooling families and make certain they do what the government wants is a warning about what could happen in the United States, according to the world's largest homeschool advocacy organization. "On June 11, 2009, a report on home education in England by Graham Badman, a former Managing Director of Children, Families and Education in the County of Kent, was accepted in full by the British Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families,"...

On May 28, 2009 USA Today published a story based on a report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is part of the Federal Department of Education, titled “The Condition of Education 2009.” The headline of the USA Today story was “Profound shift in kind of families who are homeschooling their children.” A few days later the title was changed to “More higher-income families are homeschooling their children.” Regrettably, among other problems with the article, USA Today made one blatant error and one very misleading claim. The blatant error is USA Today’s statement that homeschoolers are increasingly...

Supporters of a plan to amend the U.S. Constitution to include parental rights are warning moms and dads across the United States they already are losing their rights to make decisions regarding their children's health, education, welfare, finances, sex education, access to abortion and even leisure time. "The erosion is upon us," said Michael Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association, a college and a church and now a dedicated leader in the effort to change the U.S. Constitution through the amendment process to restore and protect parental rights. Eighty years ago, the amendment website notes, "the Supreme...

To no one’s surprise, President Obama plans to ask Congress to spend billions of dollars on public education. As he stated in his presidential agenda on education, the country cannot afford four more years of neglect and indifference. This neglect and indifference, according to the president, occurred despite the fact that in the last four years, the federal government and the states have spent more money on public education than at any other time in the history of our nation. What is surprising about Mr. Obama’s education initiative is his priority on early childhood education. His “Zero to Five Plan”...

Sixteen-year old Helen (named changed to protect privacy) felt humiliated when she was subjected to a degrading physical examination by multiple people after an anonymous report of abuse. When a second anonymous report was called in only a few months later, she put her foot down. She refused to go through that again. Her parents, members of Home School Legal Defense Association in South Jersey, called HSLDA attorney Scott Woodruff for help. Woodruff explained to the social worker and her supervisor that Helen had a right to refuse to submit to another physical exam because the report was anonymous, and...

In September, an HSLDA member family in Sinton was visited by a social worker who had a list of allegations an anonymous tipster had called in. The list included that the family homeschools, that the children are sent to bed “really early” and do not play with neighbor kids, and that there are firearms in the home. The family knew better than to let the social worker into their home and called Home School Legal Defense Association for help. Senior Counsel Chris Klicka took the call and advised the family to let the social worker see the children, so she...

HOME-SCHOOLING: U.N. treaty might weaken families Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (Courtesy of hslda.org) One of the issues American families could face this year is the ramifications from a treaty called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). You may ask, "How could a treaty directly affect internal decision-making by American families?" We generally think of treaties as agreements affecting international relations between countries. The U.N., however, has initiated treaties that not only affect international relations, but also the domestic relations of member nations as well. These treaties, sometimes called "conventions,"...

Missouri’s homeschool law takes the sensible approach that paperwork is of little value to anyone, so families can start homeschooling without filing anything. But if you live in St. Joseph, watch out. In March, Shari Egarta told the elementary school teachers for her four children that she would be homeschooling them the following year. In May, she followed up with a letter to the principal. On the last day of school, a school counselor told Mrs. Egarta to fill out certain forms so she could homeschool. Mrs. Egarta patiently explained that she had already given school notice, and was not...

PURCELLVILLE, Virginia, Nov. 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A homeschooling family who recently fled Germany has filed for political asylum in the United States. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike formerly of Bissingen, Germany, along with their five children made it to the United States in August of this year. The family has settled in Eastern Tennessee where they have been warmly welcomed by local homeschool supporters and are being assisted by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). "The persecution of homeschoolers in Germany has dramatically intensified," said HSLDA staff attorney Michael P. Donnelly. "They are regularly fined thousands of dollars, sent...

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is helping a family with an unusual, first-of-its-kind application: political asylum in the United States from Germany's oppressive homeschooling laws. The Uwe and Hannelore Romeike family fled their native Bissingen, Germany , to escape persecution under a Nazi-era law requiring all children to attend public school to avoid "the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions" that could be taught by parents at home. WND reported two years ago on the day police knocked on the Romeike's door and forcibly escorted their children to public school. The family fled Germany and this summer...

Commentary by Michael Smith, President, Homeschool Legal Defense Association Since the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, HSLDA has received more than a few calls from both members and nonmembers. Some are quite concerned about the future of homeschooling under an Obama presidency. First of all, let us always remember that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). He also instructs us to be wise, plan, and be prepared in everything we do. Despite HSLDA's efforts prior to the election to get an official statement from...

The Smiths (named changed to protect privacy), an HSLDA member family in Miami, received an unexpected note on their front door from a social worker asking them to call the number on an attached business card. Little did they know, this was the beginning a nightmare they would not soon forget. The father, a doctor, telephoned as requested. The social worker to whom he spoke asked to meet the family. Dr. Smith requested that the meeting be at a neutral site at a time that would minimize interruptions in his busy work schedule at a medical clinic. The social worker...

NPR.org, October 22, 2008 · The ferociously conservative Christian right may be an unfashionable bunch this political season, but when it comes to the notion of a need for change, there are no truer or more fervently motivated believers. In fact, the recently founded Patrick Henry College is churning out these family-values crusaders in force.Inspired by journalist Hanna Rosin's 2005 New Yorker article about Purcellville, Va.'s so-called "Harvard For Homeschoolers" (subsequently expanded in the book God's Harvard), photographer Jona Frank put aside her own lefty leanings and set out — with Right: Portraits from the Evangelical Ivy League — to...

This coming Monday, September 29, homeschool parents will be able to pick up a complimentary tall size (12 fl. oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast from Starbucks. This promotion is part of Starbucks “Great Start for Great Teachers� promotion, and is now open to all teachers. HSLDA intervened when we were alerted that homeschool parents were not included in the promotion. We are pleased that Starbucks is recognizing the contribution of homeschool parents by extending their program to us. In order to pick up your free cup of Pike Place Roast you will need to present evidence that you are...

A judge in California has ended juvenile court jurisdiction over two children in a family case that prompted an appeals court at one point to declare that parents had no right to homeschool their children in the state. The opinion in the Rachel L. case when WND broke the story in February rocked the foundations of homeschooling in the state and across the nation, because of its implications that without such rights, parents could be liable for civil and criminal penalties simply for teaching their own children at home. It especially outraged those who opposed California's mandated advocacy for homosexual...

On Wednesday, June 18, a district court in the German state of Hesse sentenced Jurgen and Rosemary Dudek each to three months in prison simply because they homeschool their seven children. HSLDA condemns this court ruling in the strongest possible terms. Good parents who love and care for their children should never be sentenced to prison for doing what is best for their children. Germany is a Western nation and should know better. HSLDA will be helping the Dudeks with their appeals, but German courts have so far consistently ruled against homeschoolers. More information will be forthcoming as this story...

Subway apologizes for homeschool snub.

From HSLDA -- Action Requested: 1) Attend the House Education Committee hearing on S.B. 337, which will be held on Wednesday, April 2, at 10:30 a.m., in Legislative Office Building 207. CheNH and other pro-homeschooling representatives will be attending the hearing as well. When you arrive, please sign up to oppose the bill. Signing in does not obligate you to testify; however, if you would like to testify, you may. A talking points memo will be distributed in the next few days to assist you in preparing for your testimony. 2) Call or email the members of the House Education...

National and California home-schooling advocates are banding together to fight a state court ruling they say could essentially outlaw the practice of allowing parents to teach their children at home. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and the Home School Association of California (HSC) say the court decision, which said home-schooling parents must have a valid state teaching license and they have no constitutional right to home-school, takes aim at the education programs many families use to get exemption from the public school system. "We're kind of in shock," said Mike Smith, HSLDA president. The Los Angeles-based case began...

Weekdays in the Perry household start like those in any other. The kids brush their teeth, dress, grab a quick breakfast. Then, they make their way to school — at the dining room table. *snip* The Perrys are part of a growing home-school movement. In 1999, according to federal statistics, there were 850,000 home-schooled children in the United States. In 2003, that number rose to 1.1 million. Some estimates put the figure today as high as 2.4 million. *snip* Education authorities say they worry that, because home-schooled students aren't required to take statewide achievement tests in many states, including Missouri...

A Missouri mom who was facing an investigation after school officials complained she was homeschooling two of her children has been cleared for now, but lawyers say they will be watching the situation there closely. WND earlier reported on the case against Anita Nicoli, which was closed as a result of a meeting she and her lawyer had with a representative of the government's social services agency in Moberly, officials said, but statements the juvenile officer made during the meeting are triggering additional concern. "We are concerned, based on statements during that meeting, that officials may be arbitrarily launching investigations...

Once again, homeschoolers across the country are facing the threat of daytime curfews. Within the last year, city councils in California, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas have considered such curfews. Daytime curfews are unnecessary for good order. They are often touted as a way to reduce truancy and juvenile crime, but there is little or no evidence to support this. The impact on law-abiding youth, however, is undisputed: restricting a young person’s freedom to move about during the day creates an atmosphere of fear reminiscent of totalitarian states, and often leads to harassment of homeschoolers. Daytime curfews can be...

A three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal has determined parents in that state have no legal right to home school. A Christian attorney in Sacramento says unless the ruling is reversed, literally thousands of students in the Golden State will be subject to criminal sanctions. (click here for special webcast starting at 2 p.m. CST) California Justice H. Walter Croskey has stated in an opinion that "parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order...

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Thousands of homeschoolers in California are left in legal limbo by an appeals court ruling that homeschooling is not a legal option in the state and that a family who has homeschooled all their children for years must enrol their two youngest in state or private schools. Justice H. Walter Croskey in a written opinion said, "California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children."The sweeping February 29th ruling says that California law requires "persons between the ages of...

As many of you know, the Second Appellate District Court of Los Angeles handed down a very bad decision regarding a case involving a homeschool family. Home School Legal Defense Association was not involved with this case, and the family are not members, which is why we only heard about this case when the opinion was released on February 28, 2008. Since legal cases have many facets, and we are starting from scratch, it takes time to investigate and fully absorb all the facts which led up to a particular decision. We are in the middle of that process, but...

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: How would you like to save up to $2,000 on your state income taxes each year for your homeschool expenses? Or, how would you like to have scholarships available to homeschoolers for their educational costs? If either of these sounds like a good idea, take a moment to put a call or email in January 24 or early January 25 to the members of Virginia House Finance Subcommittee 3. The subcommittee will meet tomorrow, January 25 at 7:30 a.m. We urge you to call and email to support House Bill 1164 and HouseBill 420. House...

Huckabee Not the Best for Homeschoolers This is something new for me. For the last 22 years, my family has served the homeschooling movement without ever uttering a single word (in print OR behind the scenes) regarding national or state politics. But now that one particular candidate-former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee-is experiencing a surge in popularity that the mainstream press attributes to the homeschool movement, I feel the need to say a few words. Acccording to a December 17 Washington Post story, "It was the endorsement by prominent national home-school advocate Michael Farris that helped propel Huckabee to a surprising...

Home Schoolers Lose Ground with New Law The enactment of House Bill 1724 on April 5, 1999, gives Arkansas the unique distinction of becoming the first state in the nation to add restrictions to its existing home school law. Sponsored by Representative Jim Magnus (R-55), a home schooling father from Little Rock, the new law, among other things, establishes notification deadlines and imposes a 14-day waiting period before parents are allowed to withdraw their children from public school to begin home schooling mid-semester. Why Was H.B. 1724 Introduced? The public school lobby had been working overtime to convince the...

The Home School Legal Defense Association and evangelical leader Michael Farris have endorsed Mike Huckabee. I believe this to be a mistake. I cannot support Mike Huckabee for the reasons listed below. I implore you to weigh the facts objectively and come to a conclusion besides one fueled by popular opinion. Please try to take on the mentality of objectivity and at the very least, do it so you know what you are supporting. This election is too important to make uninformed decisions. - Huckabee supported the SCHIP bill that Bush vetoed twice. This bill was the Democrat’s attempt at...

A homeschooling mom who fled her Carbon County, Utah, home because of a judge's threat to take away her children if they were not enrolled in the local public school district is preparing to answer the counts that accuse her of failing to submit last year's homeschool paperwork. Officials with the Home School Legal Defense Association have confirmed they will work on the case involving homeschooling mom Denise Mafi. The Home School Legal Defense Association, in association with prominent Utah attorney, Frank Mylar, has agreed to represent homeschooling mom, Denise Mafi, in her upcoming truancy prosecution in Utah's Carbon County...

Dear HSLDA, I told you so.

OPEN LETTER TO DR. MICHAEL FARRIS AND THE HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION Dear Dr. Farris, Michael Smith, and the HSLDA, My name is **** ******* and I am an 18 year old home educated student from *************. I have been home schooled my entire educational career, and am preparing to graduate this coming May. During my time as a home schooler I have been impressed with your organization and its tireless work to defend home schooling. I know your organization to be a true friend to families who want to have the ability to raise their children in their...

Please pass along. OPEN LETTER TO DR. MICHAEL FARRIS AND THE HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION Dear Dr. Farris, Michael Smith, and the HSLDA, My name is *SK Johnson and I am an 18 year old home educated student from *************. I have been home schooled my entire educational career, and am preparing to graduate this coming May. During my time as a home schooler I have been impressed with your organization and its tireless work to defend home schooling. I know your organization to be a true friend to families who want to have the ability to raise their...

CLICK HERE....FOR PDF of this letter. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PRESIDENTIAL RACE 2008 & HSLDA PAC RE: (Home School Legal Defense Association Political Action Committee) By: FReeper David C. Osborne 25 October 2007 Greetings ! The purpose of this open letter is to respond to the recent news that HSLDA has come out early this primary season and has publicly endorsed Gov. Mike Huckabee. As a home schooling parent I am asking HSLDA to reconsider this decision at endorse Duncan Hunter instead, or maybe even consider a DUAL endorsement. I admire Gov. Huckabee for his Christian values, and I acknowledge his...

A Missouri public school is taking a mother to court for withdrawing her son and daughter from the school and teaching them at home, after an apparent threat to the daughter's life at the school. The case involves Moberly, Mo., mother Anita Nicoli, who withdrew her daughter and a son from Moberly Middle School recently after what she has described as a two-year campaign of intimidation by other students. The breaking point came when another student, who allegedly had harassed and assaulted her daughter, drew a picture of herself holding a gun and pointing it directly at Nicoli's daughter. The...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007 POLICE STATE, GERMANY American missionaries targeted for deportation Government says such Christians don't give children to state schools Posted: September 26, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Bob Unruh © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com The German government is targeting an American family of Baptist missionaries for deportation because they belong to a group that refuses "to give their children over to the state school system," according to an international homeschool support organization. The Home School Legal Defense Association works worldwide for the benefit of those who wish to teach their own children themselves. Officials there, and at several other...

“Every child should experience a bloody nose in the school yard. This is simply part of growing up and part of the socialization process.” This statement was made in a legal brief many years ago by an attorney representing the State of North Dakota. He was arguing that education is more than academics. Ignoring the fact that North Dakota’s homeschooled children were doing very well academically, the state took the position that children need to be “properly socialized”—and that proper socialization can only take place in a traditional school setting. The universal need for a bloody nose experience claim would...

Recently released statistics show the 2006 average ACT composite score for homeschooled students was 22.4, compared to the national average composite of 21.1! Now homeschoolers have an unbroken record for the last 10 years—since 1996, when testing officials started tracking them—of scoring higher on the ACT than the national average. For example, the 2005 average ACT composite score for homeschooled students was 22.5, compared to the national average of 20.9. The 8,075 homeschool graduates who took the ACT in 2005 comprised about 1 percent of all those who took the college entrance exam. The 1996 ACT results showed that in...

Everyone knows that social conservatives will come out in droves on the night of the Iowa caucuses. But a growing group of overlooked foot soldiers in this movement will also shape its outcome without even casting a vote. They can’t—they’re teenagers. But they are being trained to wage the political battles of the future for the Christian right. And it all starts in the classroom, which is also their home. Generation Joshua, a division of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), provides Christian youth (those 11 to 19 years old) various opportunities to become active in the political arena....

====================================================================== >From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Florida: Legislature Poses Danger for Homeschoolers Dear HSLDA members and friends: March 6, 2007, begins this year's legislative session. Many bills have been pre-filed over the past few months, some of which pose a danger to homeschoolers. The purpose of this email is to inform you that these bills exist and to prepare you to respond if a future call to action is needed. We are hoping to stop some of these bills or amend them, but if they are scheduled for a hearing, we will immediately send you an e-lert. > >...

German authorities who sent 15 uniformed police officers to take custody of a 15-year-old girl who committed the crime of being homeschooled now have suggested a solution that, in their minds, would "resolve" the situation: the parents should give up custody of their other five children. The situation involving Melissa Busekros has been in the headlines ever since the beginning of this month, when the officers arrived at her parents' home with a court order allowing them to take her into custody, "if necessary by force." She had fallen behind in math and Latin, and was being tutored at home....

For years, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education had in place a policy that applied to all homeschool graduates who were seeking admission into any Colorado state college. This policy was reported to the Home School Legal Defense Association by homeschoolers who believed it was discriminatory. The policy required all state colleges in Colorado to automatically give every homeschool applicants a 3.0 grade point average—no exceptions. It didn’t even matter if a homeschooler’s high school transcript had a grade point average higher than a 3.0; the homeschool student’s high school transcript always showed a 3.0. This automatic designation of a...

Home School Legal Defense Association has launched a new site, HSLDA’s Curriculum Market, for the sale of new and used curriculum and materials specifically related to homeschooling. HSLDA created this site in response to our members’ concerns about the policies of other auction sites that do not allow the sale of teacher or instructor materials (e.g., anything with an answer key). The new site is at http://market.hslda.org. Anyone can sell materials on this site. Vendors can sell through auctions, multiple item auctions, bartering, and fixed price sales. If vendors have a lot to sell, they can upload the auction listings...

European Human Rights Court Denies Appeal of German Homeschooling Family By Peter J. Smith BRUSSELS, September 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The European Court of Human Rights gave another setback to German homeschoolers by affirming that the interests of the State trump the rights of parents to educate their children. Yesterday, the Court denied a request from the parents of Joshua and Rebekka Konrad to rule Germany’s ban on homeschooling violates their human rights as parents to educate their own children under the European Convention on Human Rights. Fritz and Marianna Konrad filed the human rights complaint in November 2003...

The Romanian Homeschool Association was established a few years ago by a homeschool father and pastor, Gabriel Curcubet. Gabriel is often referred to by those who support the association as “Gabor.” Gabor has worked tirelessly with Chris Klicka, Senior Counsel of HSLDA, to find a way that homeschoolers in Romania can homeschool legally. Currently, the law does not specifically allow for homeschooling. However, homeschoolers have united with Gabor’s national homeschool association to have a “legal covering.” At this point, the homeschoolers have been left alone since the authorities believe they have accountability with Gabor’s homeschool association. Gabor’s Romanian Homeschool Association...

A few weeks ago an Illinois member received a visit from school officials in the Franklin/Williamson District. They stated that they were visiting all the homeschoolers in the area, requesting that each homeschool family fill out a form to register their homeschool with the state. Our member knew better then to fill out the form and sent the officials away. Apparently, however, the school officials were not satisfied with our member’s response to their first visit. They came back after having consulted with the school’s attorney on the matter, but this time with a truant officer. The truant officer stated...