Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Two decades ago, pioneering homeschoolers risked the threat of legal action. Michael Farris talks with an HSLDA member about her family's landmark case today on Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Farris:


It's a real privilege today to talk with a Michigan mother who spent eight long years battling for the right to educate her children at home. Chris DeJonge, welcome to the program.


Chris DeJonge:


Well, thank you, Mike. Good to be here.


Mike:


Chris, I'd like you to tell us what happened when you first started homeschooling.


Chris:


We were very dissatisfied with the public school system, so in 1984 we started to homeschool. And two weeks into the year we had a knock on the door from social services, and they were threatening to take our children away or we could be put in jail.


Mike:


Because you were not a certified teacher, the court held that you were illegally homeschooling your kids and sentenced you to stop. How did God finally turn this situation around for good?


Chris:


Well, at the Supreme Court level, we got a ruling after about a year or more that we had the freedom and the right to teach our children without getting involved with state certification, and we just thank God. We know He can change the hearts of men.


Mike:


Indeed. We found out later that God had changed one of the judge's hearts at the last second and a 4-3 victory became the outcome rather than a 4-3 defeat.