Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

State homeschool organizations are vitally important to maintaining a favorable legal climate for home instruction. Today, Mike Smith talks about how state homeschooling organizations are important to the great freedom home education enjoys in America.

Mike:


In our recent survey, HSLDA asked its members the following question: "What activity of state organizations is the most important?" Eighty-five percent of the respondents answered, "Working with the state legislatures."


In fact, many state homeschooling organizations were organized in the 1980s and early 1990s to fight bad homeschooling laws and to help draft and implement favorable legislation.


For many years I have viewed HSLDA as the Air Force and state homeschooling organizations as the Army. The Air Force can take out particular targets and can support the ground attack. State organizations are the forces that "occupy the land" allowing freedom to be sustained.


During the 2002 legislative session, homeschoolers in South Carolina were blindsided by a bill that threatened to nullify the diplomas earned by homeschooling graduates. This bill had the potential to prohibit homeschool graduates from attending state colleges, holding state jobs, or running for state offices. HSLDA worked alongside state leaders to help defeat this threatening legislation by activating HSLDA e-lerts and by traveling to South Carolina to testify before the Senate Education Committee.


Yet State organizations cannot effectively lobby on behalf of and serve homeschoolers unless individuals support them. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.