By Kathy Kennedy
State Rep., R-119
Kathy Kennedy
The school year has officially begun for us in Milford and Orange. But for some, the school year doesn’t have a set timeline. For the many hardworking homeschooling families, the typical school year, curriculum and teaching style can easily fall out of line with what many of us are familiar with in public, private and charter schools. Sadly, this choice to educate from home is at risk in Hartford.
Last May, roughly 2,000 homeschooling parents, children and advocates rallied at the state Capitol in response to proposed regulations on homeschoolers from the Office of the Child Advocate. Some say these regulations, recommended by the advocate in her report, were formulated in connection to the story of a young man in Waterbury who was allegedly held captive for over two decades.
As a mother, safety for our children is paramount, but intrusive government regulations on deciding what is best for our kids’ education is unnecessary. While some of the advocate’s recommendations were inspired by safety, other regulations would have forced homeschoolers to adopt standards upheld in public schools. That means the same parents who choose not to send their children to public schools would have to abide by similar educational expectations. Sounds unfair to me.
That’s why homeschoolers came to Hartford and shared their voice. Educating children at home is a choice thousands of good families make every year for a multitude of reasons. Some believe that homeschooling helps their children avoid bullying. For others it could be a financial choice, or even because some schools might not meet quality expectations for certain parents.
Another great argument for homeschooling is that there are schools that follow a curriculum which may not reflect the best interests of some youth. For example, if a child struggles in math but excels in a certain language, art or machine work, many schools either don’t offer such programs, or instead push students to prioritize the math before other interests, arguably creating more academic challenges down the road.
Opponents who fight back, primarily of the majority party, have stated that a lack of homeschooling safety regulations endangers our youth. However, their solutions to regulating homeschoolers are aimed at creating mini public schools within homeschoolers’ homes, not just keeping kids safe.
After meeting with several parents and students who have made the choice to educate at home, I was moved by their passion and was introduced to their academic success stories. I may not have chosen the homeschooling route for my own children, but I believe in what these parents are doing. It’s simple: they’re trying to provide the best education for their children.
Although legislation for new homeschooling regulations fell through last session, many in the majority party will consider revisiting these changes next session. If you are a homeschooling parent who wants to share your voice, I highly encourage you to contact me with your questions and concerns so that I can continue being a voice for you and for all in Hartford.
As always, please never hesitate to contact me with your questions, ideas and concerns at Kathy.Kennedy@housegop.ct.gov or at 860-240-8700. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and to subscribe to my brief email updates at RepKennedy.com.