LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A 2022 Detroit Free Press article sparked debate over whether stricter homeschool regulations could curb child abuse by parents who claimed to be educating their children at home. At the time, \the state Senate Education Committee chair Lana Theis said, “I see no need to create hurdles within our homeschool law that has served thousands of Michigan families who have demonstrated excellence over decades.”
In response to a similar article by the Washington Post, some Michigan lawmakers want to tighten homeschool regulations.
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“Michigan is one of only 11 states that doesn’t count or register homeschooled children, and abusive parents are taking advantage of that to avoid being found out,” said Matt Koleszar, the state House Education chair (D-Livonia). “Michigan cannot allow this loophole to continue.”
Parents in Michigan are not required to notify the state that they are homeschooling their children. They must cover certain subject areas, but there are no requirements for how often or at what grade levels the subjects must be taught. There are also no requirements for regular assessments or immunizations.
Israel Wayne, vice president of the Michigan Christian Homeschool Network, said a better way to solve the problem of child abuse would be to reform Child Protective Services and improve the quality of public schools.
“We have fought long and hard in both the courts and the legislature to secure our current Michigan homeschool laws,” Wayne said in a statement. “Homeschool families should not be burdened with additional regulations because of a few bad parents who break the law and abuse their children.”
Data from a Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey indicates since the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has been on the rise. The survey found more than 5% of students are homeschooled, with more than 1 in 10 Black and Hispanic students in the U.S. either homeschooled or enrolled in private schools.
A Washington Post-Schar School survey found that parents’ top reasons for choosing homeschooling included concerns about school environment, concern about school shootings, and concerns about school bullying. Only 34% of parents surveyed said they chose homeschooling to provide religious instruction for their children, which is a sharp decline from previous years.
“We’re going to talk about the Bible, and we’re going to talk about religion,” Elizabeth Hotard, a post-pandemic homeschooling mom, told the Washington Post. “But I don’t need it to be in your reading lesson. I don’t need it in your math lesson.”
Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond) said that restricting parents’ ability to homeschool their children would set a precedent of excessive state control.
“[Koleszar’s] homeschool registration proposal not only disregards parental rights but also misguidedly focuses on regulating a successful and legitimate educational choice, diverting attention and resources away from addressing systemic problems within government agencies,” Greene said.
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