Families to rally for homeschool freedoms Tuesday at State Capitol

Some of the homeschool students at Capitol Day 2023

Oklahoma is the only state in the union that explicitly protects home education in the state's Constition. Homeschool freedom is unparalleled here.

Tomorrow is the 39th annual Homeschool Capitol Day, where homeschool families from across the state come to the State Capitol to lobby legislators to protect existing homeschool freedoms, learn about legislation, network with other groups and families, and hold various educational and informational workshops and activities for all ages.

Keeping Homeschool Freedoms in Oklahoma

Homeschool students at Capitol Day 2023

Oklahoma is the only state in the union that explicitly protects home education in the state's Constition. Homeschool freedom is unparalleled here.

Today was the 38th annual Homeschool Capitol Day, where homeschool families from across the state come to the State Capitol to lobby legislators to protect existing homeschool freedoms, learn about legislation, network with other groups and families, and hold various educational and informational workshops and activities for all ages.

Why homeschoolers across the country are wary of the snare of "school choice" funding

State Senate President Greg Treat continues to press for passage of his school choice measure, Senate Bill 1647, the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, in spite of it failing on the Senate floor. SB 1647 (see more posts here) would give eligible students approved to participate in the Oklahoma Empowerment Account Program state aid to access educational services. Eligible students not participating in the public school system would have a government account with $3,500 to over $17,000 in annual deposits to use for qualified education expenses.

Some of the strongest opposition Treat's bill received has come from the homeschooling community. Treat and his school choice allies seem to have been blindsided by this, which is remarkable given that homeschool advocates have been extremely consistent over the years on the issue of directing state funds or public school activities to homeschoolers. This was entirely predictable.

The aftermath has been ugly, as the school choice lobby has turned on homeschoolers with some vindictive and visceral attacks.

I wanted to do another article with views from the homeschool community to demonstrate why we oppose measures like Treat's, so here we go. This will be a bit lengthy, but it's important, and it's vital for legislators to understand for the future. 

Oklahoma is not the only state going through this fad. Further down, I'll cover a little bit from Alabama and Utah, just two states with similar measures working through their state legislatures.

While SB 1647 did fail on the Senate floor, Treat vows that the measure is not dead. He intends to find some way to revive it this year, setting up for a spat with the State House, where Speaker Charles McCall has said the measure is dead on arrival and will not receive a hearing. It is likely that Treat will hold some House measure(s) hostage, with the ransom price being a bill along the lines of his SB 1647.

I've posted numerous times with the homeschool perspective on this and related measures:

• Prominent Oklahoma homeschool organizations oppose Treat's school choice bill
• Op-ed: Homeschooling community does not want “Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts”
• Homeschool dad: Public funding of private education is harmful to freedom
• School choice lobby turns on homeschoolers in fight over Treat bill

Oklahoma is the most free state in the union when it comes to home education freedoms, and as such those of us in the homeschool community have jealously guarded against the government nose coming under the tent.

Homeschoolers in Oklahoma have traditionally been extremely wary when faced with proposed measures that would direct tax dollars their way for education purposes, and for good reason. The freedom to home educate in this state is simply unparalleled in the entire nation. Generally speaking, where government funds go, government regulation follows.

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is probably the most important and influential home education organization in the country, advocating and defending homeschool rights since 1983. They continuously analyze state legislation and provide resources on state laws regarding homeschooling. Homeschoolers and state groups oftentimes lean on the legal expertise of HSLDA in examining legislation that could affect home education.

I reached out to HSLDA to get their take on Senate Bill 1647, and here is what one of their staff attorneys came back with:

Here is how I would like to summarize our concerns/comments with Senate Bill 1647:

Homeschooling in Oklahoma, described as providing “other means of education” in both state constitution and statute, has always been understood to be privately funded and parent directed. The concerns with Senate Bill 1647 is that the text of the bill says “nothing in this act shall be construed to require that an empowerment student be enrolled full time or part time in a private school or a nonpublic online school.” Since there is no clear distinction on how Oklahoma Empowerment Account Students would be classified under Oklahoma compulsory attendance law, the homeschool community wants to avoid any potential confusion as there will be regulation with how these public funds can be spent.

HSLDA doesn’t believe the homeschool community wants to prevent anyone from attempting to apply for an Oklahoma Empowerment Account. However, we do want to ensure that those who do apply are not considered to be educating their children at home. There have been numerous examples of publicly funded programs facing increased regulation of how the money can be spent. HSLDA does not object to that regulation, only that homeschool parents not be confused with those who choose to participate in these programs. Other states have created a specific compulsory school exemption for those who choose this option.  

I think the amendments to Senate Bill 1647 are only halfway to where the homeschool community would like them to be. But even then, HSLDA would likely be neutral on this program as we are generally opposed to government funding of education because it must, by its very nature, be regulated. Homeschooling as been so successful because it is parent directed and individually designed to meet the needs of the child and family.

HSLDA has furthermore put together a legislative action center alert on SB 1647, which reads as follows:

As some of you may know, there is a bill in the Oklahoma Senate that would create Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts to publicly fund private education. While parents who have considered transferring their children from public school to private school may find this proposal appealing, they should also recall that any publicly funded program must have state oversight.

As originally written, the money attached to Senate Bill 1647 could have ensnared parents providing other means of education—namely, homeschooling. 

Even though the bill has been amended in an attempt to prevent it from applying to homeschoolers, there is still confusion regarding the educational category that Oklahoma Empowerment Students would be in. We believe that students who receive funding from this program should be in a separate category, so it is clear under the law that they are separate and distinct from privately funded homeschool students. 

We believe this is necessary to avoid confusion, and possible regulation, in the future for families who desire to privately educate their children at home. 

ACTION REQUESTED

Please contact your Oklahoma state senator and urge them to oppose Senate Bill 1647 as currently written. Let your senator know that you don’t want public funds for educating your children at home because you are aware that accepting government money will inevitably entail additional regulations. 

I also contacted Homeschool Oklahoma, the state's largest and most influential homeschool group, for their comments.

SB 1647, the Oklahoma Empowerment Act (OEA), is simply about “let the money follow the child” for school choice.  But it is equally as simple as “when you receive money from the State, it now has an interest in your child and by default becomes a co-parent”.

Homeschool Oklahoma, formerly known as OCHEC (hsok.org), has been tracking education laws on home education in Oklahoma for over 35 years.  We also follow education laws in the other 50 states that affect home education.  We have seen many bills that want to put “Private” or “Other means of education (this is a State constitutional phrase)” under more State regulation.  We have also watched legislation like the OEA enacted in other states.  So why does HSOK oppose this bill and others like it?

Again, simply put, when the State gives you money to educate your child, they now have an interest in your child and how you spend that money.  That simple act of receiving the State’s money brings them in as a co-parent.  Don’t believe me?  Try taking the lead on how your public school teaches your child.  Will you, the parent, be permitted to determine their curriculum, their reading list, their hours of instruction, their style of education, the discussion (or lack of discussion) on current events, and how your faith or the faith of others may view personal and public events?  You will not.  This is also true of Private schools, except you are using your own money to pay for your child’s education.  If you don’t like what they are doing, you can use your financial influence to get your way or go elsewhere.  But if Private schools take the State’s money, the state will now have an interest in what and how a Private school teaches.  It looks like school choice, but now the government has intervened.  The OEA will establish the who, what, where, and how of the funds you use.  Be assured, the State’s choices will be tailored to political and statist ideals, not yours.

Currently, homeschooling, via the constitutional term “other means of education,” has been removed from OEA eligibility.  Why do we then continue to oppose it?  First, we believe parents should be able to make educational choices.  Second, when possible, those choices should be parent-directed and privately-funded.  And of course, we think the best place for most of the learning to happen is in the home.  But the OEA moves the line of State money and control from Public Schools only to now include Private Schools.  We believe this is a dangerous move for Private schools and for homeschoolers in the future.  Remember, the government mostly expands and rarely contracts.  It is logical (not fantastical) to believe that once Private schools take State money, then all students should take State money, and that would include those who provide “other means of education”.

So, if this bill passes and other bills expand its reach, we will have 1) a publicly-funded Public School system administered by the Department of Education, 2) publicly-funded Private Schools administered by the Legislature and Treasury Department, 3) privately-funded Private Schools administered by parents, 4) publicly-funded Home Educators administered by the Legislature and Treasury Department, and 5) privately-funded Home Educators directed by the parents.  We have seen this necessary division in other states and it is a mess we do not want.

-- Paul M Rose, Trustee and Board President

Oklahoma is not the only state being targeted by national school choice groups with legislation like SB 1647. Politics is all about fads and peer pressure, and this legislation is sweeping into legislative chambers across the nation. One such state is Alabama:

Government Funding for Homeschooling Has a High Cost

by Daniel Beasley, Esq. (February 17, 2022)

Eric Mackey, Alabama’s state superintendent of education, made this observation recently while sharing his concerns about a newly proposed Parent’s Choice Program that would funnel state education dollars from public schools to the private sector, including homeschools.

In his testimony before the Senate Education Policy Committee, Mackey argued that government funding requires government monitoring. And when he says accountability, we don’t have to guess at what he thinks is reasonable.

“I’m not calling for the accountability of homeschool,” he said, “but most states require homeschoolers to register with the state, and they do home visits. That’s the minimum that most states require.”

Setting the Record Straight

Well, he got one out of two points partially correct.

It is true that a majority of states require homeschoolers to file some kind of notification with either their state department of education or a local school district. But home visits? Nope.

No state in America requires a home visit to homeschool.

In fact, exactly every state that has previously attempted to enforce some kind of home visit requirement as a precondition to homeschooling has seen the requirement struck down by courts or abolished by lawmakers, amid constitutional concerns.

Still, Mackey’s intent was clear. He supports ramping up government regulations on homeschooling families if the government starts funding homeschool programs. This position is not entirely unreasonable. We expect government to ensure some level of accountability for programs funded by taxpayers, which is precisely why we do not advocate for the government funding of homeschooling.

At HSLDA, we advocate for homeschool policy that preserves liberty because freedom and flexibility are essential to the continued success of homeschooling. Government money, however, is not. In fact, it is the failure of the government-funded school system that has contributed to an increasing number of parents looking for alternative educational options outside the government-funded system.

Freedom is Still the Best Policy

Kids have been thriving through homeschooling for decades without government funding and oversight.

We can understand why school-choice proponents are seeking educational options for students whose only feasible choice is an underperforming school because the importance of education can hardly be overstated. But the solution for these students must not undermine the liberty of homeschool families who have been spending their own time and money to ensure their child receives a custom-tailored education at home.

What’s the solution? Preserve liberty while providing choice. Legislators who want to empower more choice in education should respect the freedom to homeschool and create policy proposals that ensure parents have the option to homeschool without government money flowing into homeschooling.

Specifically, we would like to see the introduction of tax credits that let homeschool parents keep more of their own hard-earned money.

Homeschooling parents and advocates in Alabama have been actively opposing the Parent’s Choice Program because it fails to preserve liberty. It makes no distinction between parent-directed, privately funded homeschooling and government-funded alternatives. But drafters of the Parent’s Choice Act have indicated a willingness to amend the bill to fix this flaw, though doing so is easier said than done, given the fact that homeschooling operates as a home program of a church or private school.

Hopefully, Alabama lawmakers will listen to their constituents and preserve homeschool freedom.

The Alabama Superintendent of Education had more to say:

[Alabama Superintendent of Education Eric] Mackey on Tuesday said he and the department of education weren’t consulted on the bill. But he met with [Senate Bill 140 author State Sen. Del] Marsh earlier in the week to ask for multiple changes to it, including an annual performance testing requirement for students outside of public schools.

He said Alabama has among the most lax homeschool regulations in the country. He said many parents do an excellent job educating their children. 

“But there may be people out there who are not really teaching anything to children and we don’t have any way of knowing that,” he said. “…If we include homeschool (in this bill), then we set up a mechanism so we at least have a registry of who those students are, what curriculum they are using — not choosing the curriculum for them, but a registry of what curriculum they’re using — and annual testing of homeschool students.

“… If they’re going to be getting over $5,000 per child in state funds, the state should at least have that information.”

Government funds will come with government strings, and homeschoolers in every state generally have the same response:

Op-ed: Homeschooling community does not want “Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts”

As promised, I'm publishing another op-ed on SB 1647, this time coming from a homeschool perspective.

SB 1647, the "school choice" bill authored by Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-OKC), would give parents who choose to not utilize the public school system a portion of their childrens' education dollars (around $3,600 per child) toward educating them by other private means, be that private, parochial, or home schools. 

You can read more posts about the measure here, ranging from press releases from Treat and supporting organizations to other, more critical perspectives.

Since this is shaping up to be one of the more heated issues of the 2022 legislative session, I'll have much more to post on this topic from both sides as the legislative session progresses. If you have an op-ed you'd like to submit on this subject, you can contact me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

Many thanks to Jonathan Bartlett for submitting the following piece to add to the conversation:

The Homeschooling Community Does Not Want “Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts”

by Jonathan Bartlett -- Vice President, Homeschool Oklahoma

Currently under consideration in the Oklahoma legislature is SB-1647, which creates “Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts” to allow parents who do not utilize the public school system to have access to some of the money that would otherwise have been used for their education in the public school system.  While this may sound like a great deal for parents, experience has taught us in the homeschooling movement to be wary of government offers of its money.

Homeschool Oklahoma (formerly called OCHEC) is the primary state organization for homeschooling in Oklahoma.  Every year we organize a Capitol Day event, where we go to the state capitol, bring cookies for every legislator, and say, “please, please, please don’t give us anything.”

That may seem strange—why would an advocacy group not want anything?  Because we really want the freedom to educate our kids in the way that makes the most sense for our families. Every government favor eventually comes with strings.  In fact, government favors should come with strings.  Spending other people’s money means that you ought to be accountable to them for how the money is spent.  Whether or not there are strings attached now, be certain that any money that you receive from the government will have strings attached in the future.

Take, for instance, The Little Light House, a private Christian tuition-free special needs preschool.  When the state first required public schools to provide preschooling services for kids with special needs many years ago, the schools were not equipped to handle it.  So, they turned to The Little Light House for help.  The Little Light House said that they would be willing, but that they were unwilling to compromise anything about their program to do so.  The government agreed, and The Little Light House expanded their operation.  However, soon, people started to complain about The Little Light House.  It was too Christian.  It wasn’t structured the way some parents wanted.  So, while the money was originally string-free, the government soon clamped down and made demands.  To its credit, The Little Light House rejected both the strings and the money, but, because they had expanded their staff and building to meet the need, they faced budget shortfalls and nearly lost their institution over it.

Homeschool Capitol Day

Oklahoma Home Educators' Capitol Day - Feb. 10, 2009

From OCHEC:

All Oklahoma home educators are invited to exercise vigilance as we stand together to protect our freedoms at the state capitol on February 10, 2009. We cannot over-emphasize the importance that positive, face-to-face communication with legislators has on protecting our liberties. A polite, articulate parent or child can go a long way toward persuading legislators that homeschoolers are worthy of their freedom. You and your family can be an integral part of putting a “face” on home education for our state legislators.

This year it is our goal to have Every District Represented. Each year we hear from legislators that they attended the luncheon but no one was there to meet with them, therefore they get the impression that if it is not important enough for us to attend, then the legislators don't want to waste their time coming to the luncheon. Let's pull out all the stops this year and let our legislators know how important our homeschooling freedoms are to us. Make your plans now to attend Capitol Day 2009!

The objectives for Capitol Day are:

1. To protect the right, granted in the Oklahoma constitution, of parents to home educate their children;
2. To bring home education to the legislature, demonstrating that it is a viable option for providing an excellent education and that regulation is not necessary; and
3. To build positive relationships with our lawmakers, allowing them to meet and visit with homeschooling families and students.

You can view more about Capitol Day here. This is the most important event at the State Capitol for homeschoolers; if you homeschool, please try to come.