Legal Organizations

The following is borrowed with permission from Homeschool Skills (http://homeschoolskills.com/). Learning at Home - Home School Guide is seeking guest posts to publish as Saturday features. If you're interested in providing guest posts, please leave a comment below! Thanks!

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On March 28, Homeschool Skills featured an article about a New Hampshire homeschool student who was ordered to attend public school. While this case was certainly unique in many cases, it is nonetheless alarming.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. However, state laws vary in complexity and, just because it is legal, doesn't always mean that homeschooling is easy. Although there is a brief overview of each state's homeschooling law on the Laws page of this website, the laws for some states are extremely complex.

While this may seem overwhelming, it doesn't need to be. Several different organizations exist to help homeschoolers with the legal aspects of homeschooling.

The two most prominent of these organizations are HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) and HLA (Homeschool Legal Advantage). Both of these organizations are dedicated to defending homeschooling.

Below is a brief overview of each organization for your consideration.


Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) (http://www.hslda.org/)

HSLDA is a nonprofit that defends and advances homeschooling. Tens of thousands of homeschool families maintain membership in this organization. Membership is paid for in one year, two year, five year, lifetime or monthly increments.

As a nonprofit, all of the membership fees are directed toward operational expenses. HSLDA uses the fees to directly defend homeschool members in legal cases, monitor and influence federal legislation, assist state legislatures in creating homeschool-friendly environments, advocate in the media, research and present information about homeschooling.

The cost of membership is the only price that members pay. If a legal situation arises and the family seeks help from HSLDA, there are no further charges. All attorneys fees, travel expenses, and other related charges are paid by HSLDA. Legal advice is available 24/7 via telephone.

HSLDA membership also offers additional benefits, such as access to an Online Curriculum Market, HSLDA PerX program, and access to coordinators that specialize in high school homeschooling, homeschooling struggling learners, and homeschooling younger children (preschool to middle school).

HSLDA does not accept families who use charter schools, public school independent study programs, or similar distance-learning courses as members. Membership discounts are available to discount groups, full-time pastors, full-time missionaries, or active/retired/disabled military service members. Special membership offers are available here: http://www.hslda.org/join/offers.asp



Homeschool Legal Advantage (HLA) (http://homeschoollegaladvantage.com/)

HLA has defended more than 8,000 cases and maintains a network of full-time and affiliated attorneys throughout the United States. As an outreach of the Christian Law Association, HLA offers its members free legal representation in cases that involve religious liberty but are not directly affiliated with homeschooling (such as workplace discrimination).

Membership fees for HLA are based on suggested donations instead of flat fees. The suggested donation for membership is $65 for the first year and $51 per year after that. Would-be members who cannot afford the full suggested donation are welcome to pay less. According to the HLA website, "If you cannot afford any donation at this time, but would still like to join, please contact us and we'll be glad to provide you with a complimentary membership. Whatever your circumstance, we want to be of service and will never let finances stand in the way." (Widows and widowers can enter "James 1:27" in the registration code field for a complimentary membership at any time.)

HLA members also receive a last will and testament drafted by an attorney, a 20% discount on resources from the Christian Law Association and 10% off admission to the Creation Museum (near the Cincinnati airport). HLA also operates a 24-hour emergency legal help line.

Spontaneous Teaching Moments

Teaching in the moment is the most powerful tool in a home school family’s arsenal. Because you learn together, play together and live together, homeschooling parents and children have countless opportunities for impromptu lessons about anything and everything. For example:

·         Cooking dinner can become more than a chore—it can become a lesson in home economics.

·         Going grocery shopping can be more than an errand—it can be math practice.

·         A trip to the playground can become a crash course in gravity (pun intended).

Children learn best when they are taught in the context of their interests. As natural learners, teaching children in the moment helps them absorb and remember the lessons. When learning is fun, there’s no limit to what your children will do.

What are the best spontaneous teaching moments you've had? Please share your experiences below.

3 Most Common Reasons to Home School

There are countless reasons to home school, but there are three that are cited more often than others. These are discussed below.

School Environment

In 2003, 85 percent of parents surveyed by the National Center for Education Statistics cited concerns about the school environment as a major factor in their decision to home school. These concerns include the student’s safety, exposure to drugs, and peer pressure.  

These concerns are very legitimate. Recent studies have shown that there are significant detrimental influences in schools. Consider the following statistics:

·         Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than a third (37%) have done so by eighth grade.NIDA

·         In 2009, 11.1% of youth in grades 9-12 reported being in a physical fight.CDC

·         Five percent (5%) of students did not go to school on one or more occasions during the past month because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.CDC

·         One in five (19.9%) students reported being bullied on school property during the past year.CDC

·         In 2009, 46% of high school students had sexual intercourse and 13.8% had four or more sex partners during their life.  Prior to the sexual activity, 21.6% drank alcohol or used drugs.  Only 38.9% used a condom.CDC

·         In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse.CDC

Schools are becoming dangerous places for our children. Learning at home gives children the opportunity to learn in an environment where they do not need to be afraid for their safety or be pressured to make bad decisions.

Religious or Moral Instruction

The desire to provide religious or moral instruction is listed as the second most common home schooling motivator. As schools become increasingly agnostic, parents feel that their religious viewpoints are belittled and demeaned. They prefer to instruct their children in an environment where other ideas are discussed and explored, but within the context of a religious or moral setting.

Consider the case of Chad Farnan and his history teacher, James Corbett. Farnan sued Corbett over 22 statements that Corbett made while teaching his history class that were offensive to Farnan’s Christianity. These statements included calling creationism “religious, superstitious nonsense” and “When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.” Although this case was dismissed by the appeals court, it proves that students often face animosity instead of support for their religious preferences.

Academic Quality

There can be no argument that academic achievement in America is failing. We frequently hear stories of cheating in schools, on behalf of the students and the teachers. Class sizes are increasing. There are many barriers to a quality education in the confines of the school system.

Homeschoolers capitalize on the freedom to learn what they want, when they want. Parents organize the curriculum and work independently with each child, or with all of their children together in a small group setting. They are able to focus on the subjects that interest them and customize the child’s education to the child’s needs and interests.

·         Between 75% and 98% of college students who confessed to cheating reported that they set such a personal standard in high school (The Ad Council and Educational Testing Service)

·         SchoolSucks.com founder Kenneth Sahr states that his website receives around 8,000 hits a day. (http://oedb.org/library/features/8-astonishing-stats-on-academic-cheating)

Why do you homeschool? Feel free to share your comments below!

Welcome to Easy Homeschool Guide!

Homeschool is a rising trend with 1.5 million students currently homeschooled in the United States.
This blog has been created to address homeschooling topics, such as:

• How to homeschool
• Reasons to homeschool
• Homeschool lesson ideas
• Homeschool laws
• And more!

If you have questions/comments/concerns/ideas, please contact me by posting a comment below.