Topic: Lobbying Title: Homeschooling and Washington, D.C.—Perspectives from the Front Lines Speaker: William A. Estrada Length: 30 minutes Type: Workshop Topic: Lobbying, Political Audience: All Description: Will shares what issues homeschoolers face on Capitol Hill, the political environment, what HSLDA is doing at the federal level, and what it is like for a Christian in our nation’s capitol. Title: Parents’ Rights—A Crisis Is Coming Speaker: Michael Donnelly Length: 45 minutes Type: General Session Topic: Education, Encouragement, History, Legal, Legislative, Lobbying, Motivational, Parenting, Political, Why Homeschool Audience: All Description: In 1923, the United States Supreme Court ruled that parents have the fundamental right to direct the education and upbringing of their children. So why are parental rights suddenly endangered? Come hear HSLDA attorney and homeschooling father Michael Donnelly discuss the next biggest threat to homeschool freedom and what you can do about it. Title: Parental Rights: The Next Great Battle for Homeschoolers Speaker: J. Michael Smith Length: 45-60 minutes Type: General Session, Keynote, Q & A, Workshop Topic: Encouragement, Legal, Legislative, Lobbying, Motivational Audience: All, New Homeschoolers, Veteran Homeschoolers Description: Parental rights and religious freedom have been the two foundations to establish a constitutional right for parents to teach their children at home. The U.S. Supreme Court some years back weakened the free exercise of religion claim as a foundation for homeschooling so that in order for homeschoolers to claim a fundamental right to homeschool, they must be able to combine the free exercise right with the parental rights claim. In other words, both rights have to co-exist. Currently, this is not a problem, but because of the fragile nature of freedom, moral decay, complacency and apathy, homeschooling freedoms are in jeopardy. Additionally, since the parental rights foundational claim is an “implicit” right, not an “explicit” right—meaning parental rights is not specifically spelled out in the Constitution—parental rights as we know it today is teetering and could be in trouble in the future. Mike will explain why parental rights are under attack and provide a solution on how we can maintain the current freedoms we have to teach our children at home.

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Topic: Child Protective Services College Dealing with Social Workers Education Encouragement History Homeschool Sports Legal Legislative Lobbying Marriage Media Motivational Parenting Political Special Needs Spiritual Teens Why Homeschool Speaker: Michael P. Farris J. Michael Smith Dewitt T. Black Scott Somerville Scott Woodruff Thomas J. Schmidt Michael Donnelly James R. Mason Darren Jones Ian Slatter Betty Statnick Dianne Craft Becky Cooke Diane Kummer Vicki Bentley Vickie Farris William A. Estrada Marcia Somerville Tom Sanders Audience: All Fathers Junior and Senior High Parents Mothers New Homeschoolers Parents Support Group Leaders Teens Veteran Homeschoolers