Education
Parents, Advocates Push Back Against Efforts to Have More Oversight on Homeschooling in Illinois
New efforts to regulate homeschooling in Illinois have touched off a heated debate.
Illinois is currently one of 12 states without any homeschooling regulations. A new bill aims to change that by requiring families to register with their local school district if they plan to homeschool their children.
Families would need to fill out a “Homeschool Declaration Form” to submit information to confirm that a child is enrolled in a homeschool program. The bill would require that parents or guardians have a high school diploma or equivalent credential to teach their children. The proposal also sets forth reporting requirements for homeschooled students.
One of the most contested parts of the bill is that it allows for school administrators to ask for proof of educational materials if they suspect a child is not getting taught.
Supporters say it’s aimed at ensuring kids are getting the education they need — and are better protected from potential neglect. Opponents are concerned that the bill would be government overreach and could criminalize homeschooling parents who have problems filling out the form.
State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Lombard) introduced the bill as an effort to have accountability on homeschool providers — something many other states already have.
“We have laws on the books that require anyone that comes in contact with children in our setting to have a criminal background check,” Costa Howard said. “If you are being homeschooled, there’s nothing. You are not subject to any laws. Thirty-eight states have this requirement on the books to declare that you are homeschooling.”
The measure drew strong pushback from homeschool advocates and parents, many of whom came to protest at a General Assembly committee meeting last week. More than 42,000 witness slips were submitted in opposition of the bill, while 1,000 were submitted in support.
Latasha Fields has been homeschooling her children for 18 years after pulling her oldest daughter out of public school in Louisiana. After moving to Chicago 14 years ago, Fields continued homeschooling her other children and created a community of other homeschooled students.
She said the bill is an infringement on families’ freedom to teach their children how they prefer.
“I disagree that this is just about the formality of submitting a form,” Fields said. “You don’t have to know what I’m teaching my children because you have no jurisdiction. You have no right. They’re my children. I don’t agree that we need a form because it’s not going to protect any child from abuse.”
Costa Howard said regulation is needed to safeguard against abuse and educational neglect, which are harder to investigate when children don’t have access to teachers and counselors in a typical school setting.
“We don’t know how many homeschooled students there actually are here in the state of Illinois because they don’t have to declare anything and so we have no data,” Costa Howard said. “What we do know is that we have children who have passed away, who have died at the hands of abusive parents. That is what we want to protect.”
Fields said abuse and neglect cases should be the responsibility of the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS.
“They need to leave these families alone,” Fields said. “Let them teach their children in the manner they see fit. Illinois has a robust system for dealing with DCFS cases. They have a robust system for dealing with child protective services. They already have the mechanisms in place.”
