September 20, 2026

Homeschool Watch

31 States Now Opting Into Trump’s Federal School Choice Program – RedState redstate.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

School choice is still a hot topic for parents, even parents in some deep blue districts who are caught between the teachers’ unions and the local anti-school choice Democrats who are the teacher’s union pets. The Trump administration, thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, has now created a federal school choice program, and 31 states have opted in.

That’s what we call a good start.

Thirty-one states have opted in to the federal Education Freedom Scholarship Program, while 19 states and Washington, D.C. have not done so, ahead of the January 2027 deadline.

The Trump administration launched the school choice initiative in 2025 through the One Big Beautiful Bill ActThis created a federal income tax credit of up to $1,700 annually for individuals who donate to certified Scholarship Granting Organizations.

News Source
EXCERPT:

School choice is better for students and families, but teacher unions stand in the way.

FOX News reports:

Arkansas students outperform national average after universal school choice expansion, governor says

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders pointed to emerging results as evidence that the state’s universal school choice program is bolstering student outcomes after a new report indicated students participating in the program scored above the national average in math and English following the overhaul.

“In every single subject, last year we saw a 20% increase for our student performance,” Sanders said Tuesday.

“Arkansas is investing in education where it matters, and it’s paying off, and we’re seeing a big difference.”

Discussing the initiative on “Fox & Friends,” the Republican governor credited Arkansas’ Education Freedom Account program with giving families more control over their children’s education while pairing universal school choice with increased investments in public schools, teacher pay and literacy programs.

Sanders said that under the program, eligible families receive roughly $8,000 per student each school year to help pay for private school tuition, charter schools or homeschooling, while the state simultaneously increased funding for public schools and salaries for more than 12,000 educators.

Blurb:

 

Over 100,000 students have already applied after the explosive launch of Texas School Choice — which Gov. Greg Abbott (R) calls “the biggest and best rollout of school choice in the history of the United States of America.”

“And it’s really a gamechanger for education in our state. You know, one thing about school choice is it provides school competition,” Abbott tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program.”

Blurb:

(LifeSiteNews) — President Donald Trump made countless parents, teachers, and school officials happy this past Wednesday when he issued an inspiring proclamation celebrating National School Choice Week.

Published on January 28, the declaration not only commemorates the 250th anniversary of American independence but also reaffirms the core principle that parents, not school bureaucrats or far left activists, have the natural right to shape their children’s destinies.

National School Choice Week was started in the early 2010s to raise awareness for parental choice in education. It runs from January 25-31. Homeschooling, charter schools, voucher programs, education savings accounts, and other individualized initiatives are some of the goals of the movement, which has grown from a grassroots to a nationwide community.

As Colorado continues to plunge into anti-American leftist dogma, its schools continue to harass American children and their families, especially whites and Christians. As a result, more and more families are pulling their kids out of the child terrorizing schools. In just one year, the schools saw almost a 2% drop in enrollment as parents continue to pull their kids from the government schools.

Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova claimed, “Colorado continues to experience enrollment trends shaped by a declining school-aged population, increasing racial and ethnic diversity, and shifts toward part-time and online learning. These changes require thoughtful adaptation, and our schools are working diligently to continue serving students effectively across the state.”

Blurb:

Public schools are simply not producing the results they once did. How can you blame parents for this?

FOX News reports:

Colorado public school enrollment drops by 10,000 while homeschooling increases statewide

More Colorado parents are opting for homeschooling, pulling their children from public schools, state data shows.

The Colorado Department of Education on Tuesday released state data based on fall’s student count. The state reported a 1.2% drop in enrollment compared to last fall, with a total of 870,793 pre-K-12th grade students enrolled.

Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova attributed the enrollment drop to several factors, including a decline in the school-aged population.

Homeschooling Multiple Ages: 5 Tips from a Homeschool Mom

Homeschooling Multiple Ages: 5 Tips from a Homeschool Mom

A new bill in the Jersey legislature would force parents to teach children to think like anti-Americanist, anti-human DNC woke activists think.

New Jersey bills would force homeschooling families to teach DEI [Video] – AOL.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A new bill in New Jersey could require homeschooling parents to teach their kids about controversial topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The proposal, which is still under review, would force homeschooling parents to submit a curriculum in line with state learning standards. That includes subjects like gender identity, sexual orientation, DEI and climate studies.

It would also add more oversight to homeschooling, requiring families to submit a portfolio of student work every year to be evaluated by either a teacher or a licensed psychologist.

Some parents say they won’t comply even if the bill passes.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Fc2.staticflickr.com%2F8%2F7143%2F6721513707_fc053218b9_b.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f9260a258e8007de4a0d2084d725d360420c66588de364808e09f121e08f1983&ipo=images

Illinois is considering changing its homeschooling regulation landscape. The lawmakers are preparing a step towards greater homeschool regulation with a bill that would require parents to notify teachers when they’ve pulled their child from school, a regulation most homeschoolers would support.

The danger is not in this initial bill that might become a law, but in the type of discourse happening in the state, especially from the left, looking to take advantage of a “blank slate” to regulate homeschooling beyond assuring children are at least getting some form of education during the school year.

Illinois homeschool bill would require parents to register with the state – Axios
Source Link
Excerpt:

Illinois lawmakers are considering a new bill that would require parents to tell the state when they choose to home school their children.

Why it matters: Illinois does not require parents and guardians to notify schools when they pull kids from the district, leaving no mechanism to monitor if students are meeting necessary benchmarks.

  • Supporters of the bill say it will prevent kids from slipping through the cracks.

State of play: Current required subjects for home school students, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), are: Language arts, math, biological and physical science, social studies, fine arts and physical development and health.

  • There are no specific classes or duration of study required in those subjects.
  • There is no requirement to administer tests, projects or grades or mandate to report any student assessment to the state.
  • Parents or guardians do not need a high school diploma or GED to homeschool.