This week offered a remarkable contrast in homeschool policy between two neighboring New England states.
In New Hampshire, the House passed H.B. 1268, legislation that would remove nearly all mandatory administrative requirements currently imposed on homeschool families. If enacted, the bill would eliminate requirements such as notification to the state, portfolios of student work, and annual evaluations. The proposal reflects a simple reality: homeschooling families do not need layers of bureaucracy to educate their children successfully.
Just a few hours away in Connecticut, however, lawmakers were considering the opposite approach.
“One legislature is stepping back and recognizing that parents are capable of directing their children’s education,” said HSLDA Associate Attorney Ralph Rodriguez. “Another is considering new mechanisms for government oversight of families who choose to homeschool.”
On Wednesday, the Connecticut Joint Education Committee held a 19-hour public hearing on H.B. 5468, a bill that would impose new regulatory burdens on homeschooling families in a state that has historically respected homeschool freedom. Rodriguez has been monitoring developments in both states and was in Hartford on Wednesday to stand with Connecticut homeschooling families as they spoke out against H.B. 5468.
The proposal would make sweeping changes to the Connecticut homeschool law. It require significant additional oversight when parents withdraw their children from public school. Families would be required to submit annual notification paperwork and education portfolios, and the government would collect and record data on homeschool families.
Most shocking of all the proposals, the bill would also require parents to obtain permission to homeschool from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in certain circumstances.
“One of the most troubling aspects of the proposal is the idea that parents could need permission from a child welfare agency before teaching their own children at home,” noted Rodriguez. “That represents a significant shift in how homeschooling families are treated under the law.”
The response from Connecticut’s homeschooling community was overwhelming. Thousands of written testimonies were submitted to the committee in opposition to the bill. Hundreds of parents, students, and supporters filled the hearing room in Hartford to make their voices heard. Many waited hours for the opportunity to testify, speaking passionately about the freedom parents have long enjoyed in Connecticut to direct their children’s education. Rodriguez gave his testimony on the bill at 4:45 a.m. on Thursday.
“What stood out most in Hartford was the courage of parents and students who were willing to speak publicly about their experiences,” Rodriguez said. “Their testimony reminded lawmakers that homeschooling is not an abstract policy issue but it’s about real families and real children.”
Taken together, the events of this week highlight a striking contrast. While New Hampshire lawmakers are moving to remove regulations and expand homeschool freedom, Connecticut lawmakers are considering imposing new oversight requirements on families for the first time.
Two nearby states, yet two very different visions for homeschool policy.
The contrast is clear. One vision presumes guilt, imposes burdensome bureaucracy on homeschool families, and gives educational authority over to the state. The other vision, and the one HSLDA supports, stands by families as the first and fiercest advocates for their children. Homeschooling works best when parents are empowered to make the best decisions for their children, free from government interference. This is the vision of homeschooling that we will fight for.