Laurie Higgins says this is not the first attempt to impede homeschooling in the "Land of Lincoln." She says homeschoolers have been able to defeat previous attempts, but with a supermajority of Democrats in Springfield, she says this time she's not so sure.
"I think there's a good chance it could pass, and I think there's a chance that they can stop it. I mean, I don't think that's a pie in the sky hope, because they have stopped it before."
Higgins claims this proposal from legislators Terra Costa Howard and Kelly Cassidy is an attempt to encroach on homeschooling step by step until the state controls homeschooling curricula.
The bill would require homeschool families to submit documentation to the local school or school district indicating a child is enrolled in a homeschool program. If documentation isn’t submitted, the child would be considered truant with penalties applying.
It would allow “regional office of education or intermedia service” to request an educational portfolio to include information about curricula, writing samples, worksheets, creative materials and more.
It would require the child to submit proof of all required immunizations and health examinations or a signed certificate of religious exemption to participate in any public school activities on or off school grounds.
This should concern more than just homeschool families, Higgins said.
"Other people should care about this, even if their kids are in public schools. They should care about how intrusive Leftists in Springfield are into the business of family life. So, this is not a group that we should entrust with more oversight of education in any context."
