A Virginia Senator has gone on the attack against homeschooling. What began as an intention to remove one legal option for educating one’s own children, quickly devolved into the attempt to rewrite the entire legal framework for homeschooling in Virginia. Please support the natural rights of parents to oversee the education of their children and contact this committee. There is also a petition available.

Here is my response:
Author Louis L’amour wrote, “Actually, all education is self-education. A teacher is only a guide, to point out the way, and no school, no matter how excellent, can give you education. What you receive is like the outlines in a child’s coloring book. You must fill in the colors yourself.” It is the parent’s duty to ensure the child is flourishing under the chosen method of education. No law can secure that for the child. Restricting options will not guarantee outcomes. Testing does not guarantee outcomes.

Human beings are unique among species, in that we are born under-developed, some even say prematurely, in comparison to most mammals. Most mammals will reach adulthood within a year or two. Our young do not reach adulthood until late adolescence. Because of the vulnerability of our young, nature has given parents an obligation and responsibility to raise that child for many years.

A human person consists of body, mind and soul. Parents have the responsibility to develop each of these aspects of their children. Under their responsibility, they must make decisions about how to feed the child, how to educate the child, and how to form relationships with fellow men and God.

Our society recognizes that nature has given the parents the right to choose how to nourish the child. Right from the beginning, the parents may choose breastfeeding or bottlefeeding. They may choose a kosher diet, or a vegetarian diet, or any diet that suits them.

Likewise, society recognizes the parental right to raise children in a religion of their choosing, or no religion.

But for some reason, society has decided that educating that child belongs to the state. Why should that be? It is true that the state has a vested interest in having a population that meets a standard of educational competence. But, does it not also have a vested interest in having a healthy, well-nourished population? Yet, we do not require parents to submit their progress in growth and nourishment of their children to the state.

It is good that the state provides a minimal educational opportunity to children whose parents choose to place their children in that system. That is beneficial to society generally, for parents who feel, for whatever reason, that they cannot provide direct supervision for their children’s education or cannot afford the cost of a private system of education. This is how public education began, as a help to parents and an assurance that all children were offered a minimum standard. This is a charitable act to support parents in this way.

But it is not right for the government to presume that it is their right to enforce a certain system of education on parents, and look at other choices as optional. The standard ought to be to default to parental decisions first, and supplement with a public system when necessary.

I have raised, or am in the process of raising, 9 children. Over the course of our many years of parenting, we have made all the decisions available to educate our children. We began by homeschooling our children. After 7 or 8 years, we used virtual charter public schooling. When our oldest was in 6th grade, we chose private school. When he reached high school, they all went to public school. When Covid happened and virtual schooling was being proposed, I returned to homeschooling. Out of all of our experiences with schooling, virtual schooling was the worst. I continue to homeschool our 4 youngest children still living at home. Every year, I am galled to receive a letter of “permission” from the school board allowing me to educate my own children.

All of the options that are provided under current Virginia law are necessary to ensure the rights of parents to enact their responsibility to educate their children. Children are all unique and have unique needs. I have gifted children. I also have diagnosed learning disabled children. Homeschooling allows each to thrive to the greatest extent of their innate abilities, by allowing customized programs for each to support their strengths and build up their weaknesses. Not all of my children will be able to meet the same bar of testing in each subject. Even in the public schools, testing can be opted out of by the parents.

To remove any of the options available under current law is an affront to the natural rights of parents to educate their children. It is the parents decision for each child, what best suits their needs. Each child may need a different measure of progress according to their abilities. Testing is only a guide, and only a moment in time. It cannot guarantee outcomes. If it could, all public school kids would be excelling. Do not vote to further infringe parental rights in this proposed bill. Recognize that all children and families are individuals and all have the right to meet their own educational needs as well as other needs each family faces.