Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

This week, as Home School Legal Defense Association celebrates its 20th Anniversary, Mike Farris takes a look at how HSLDA got started and the future of the home education movement.

Mike:


In the spring of 1982, I traveled from my home state of Washington to Utah to tape a program with Tim and Beverly LaHaye. Raymond Moore, also a guest on one of the episodes of the program, was there to discuss homeschooling. By the end of the day, Dr. Moore had convinced me to homeschool!


When I returned home, I told my wife, Vickie, that I thought we should homeschool our oldest daughter, Christy, who would be entering the second grade that fall. What I didn't know was how fervently Vickie had been praying that I would be led to homeschool. She had heard of homeschooling on a Focus on the Family broadcast, but she didn't think I would be in favor of it.


Well, we started homeschooling in the fall of 1982. Not too long after that, my father, who's a public school principal, was sent on a mission by his superintendant to tell a family who was also homeschooling that they were illegal for taking their kids out of the public schools and teaching them out home. My dad knocked on their door and said, "My superintendant sent me here to tell you that you're illegally homeschooling your kids. My son helps homeschoolers defend themselves. Here's his card. Give him a call."


Through this and other early cases, my career defending homeschooling families began. Join me next time as we continue to look back at the early days of homeschooling--and the founding of Home School Legal Defense Association. I'm Mike Farris.