Hundreds of home schoolers stand up for their rights

If there's one thing home schoolers understand, it's government. Parents teach their children American history, geography, and government. Home schooled students are encouraged to participate in volunteering for campaigns even before they are old enough to vote ... and then they are encouraged to register to vote as soon as they turn 18.

New Hampshire's legislature has proposed passing a stronger bill that would hold home schooling families to twice as much reporting to the state government as before. At a time when most states are loosening the restrictions, NH is threatening the freedom and liberties of school choice advocates.

What happened in NH? A thousand home schoolers turned out to protest HB 367:

If passed, the bill would require home schoolers to double the amount of reporting currently required and would allow a school superintendant or principal to determine if the home school program should continue or be terminated.

The legislation has angered many home schoolers who showed up in record numbers when the bill was being debated in Concord.

"There were about a thousand home schoolers there. It was a record-breaking crowd, never been that many home schoolers," [HSLDA lawyer Mike] Donnelly notes. "In fact some of the people at the state house said that they've never seen such a large crowd inside ever."

Donnelly says he and about 100 home schoolers were able to give testimony. "Well if it passed, this would become one of the most restrictive [home school] laws in the country," he adds. He states New Hampshire's situation is in stark contrast to the trend in other parts of the country where states are reducing the regulations placed on home schoolers. Donnelly says that the legislation will come up for a vote in early- to mid-March.

More proposed laws ... more people standing up for their rights....