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Need a step-by-step guide on how to advocate for private homeschooling? Read and download FPM’s Effective Advocacy book at the link below!
Let us know how your contacts with your legislators went!
Template for writing a letter of introduction to your legislator.
Template for writing a follow-up thank you letter after a meeting.
Research Facts on Homeschooling for your reference, by Dr. Brian Ray.
Legislator Packet Contents
- Homeschooling in California: Legal Requirements.
- Why We Don’t Need New Homeschool Laws
- NHERI: Home Education Reason and Research
- NHERI: The Relationship Between the Degree of State Regulation of Homeschooling and the Abuse of Homeschool Children (Students)
- NHERI: Homeschool SAT Scores for 2014 Higher Than National Average
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Frequently Asked Questions from Legislators
Prepare yourself with these FAQs from legislators and their staff!
- How many home educators are in my district?
- A recent U.S. Department of Education survey estimates that approximately 3.4% of all school-aged children in America are privately home educated. In 2018, there were about 200,000 home-based private school students in California. There are approximately 5,000 homeschoolers in each Senator’s district, and approximately 2,500 homeschoolers in each Assembly member’s district.
- Whom do you represent?
- We are here to advocate the rights of parents who choose private home education. Officially, we are here as individuals sharing our own concerns and enthusiasm about home education in California. (If you are a leader of a homeschool group, you can mention that fact.)
- Are home educators accountable to the state school system?
- Those who homeschool privately, like us, follow the same laws and rules that govern all private schools. (Should your legislator press this issue further, you can tell him that you will ask Nathan Pierce to call to talk with him.)
- Do homeschoolers in California have an official lobbying organization?
- There are several organizations in California representing a diverse population. The largest statewide organization is CHEA (Christian Home Educators Association of California), which provides information, support and training to the home education community throughout the state.
- Full-time legislative consultants, Roy Hanson and Nathan Pierce, keep us informed about legislation that is of concern to home educators.
- We are primarily a large group of civically involved private home educators.
- Questions about “school choice” or vouchers
- If you have an opinion on an issue he brings up, it’s ok to briefly express it in a friendly, non-confrontational way. Do not be drawn into a debate. You could say something like “I am in favor of school choice in that I believe parents should have the option of choosing where their children are educated. But I’m opposed to the voucher system because I am opposed to any taxpayer funding of private education.”
- What do you like about homeschooling?
- You might share one or two ways that your children have benefited from home education. (It’s usually best to use academic or social examples). Avoid conversations about how bad the public schools are – instead talk about how great it is to have the option of homeschooling available.
If you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer, simply explain that you need more time to study the issue or question before commenting on it, and then contact them again later. You can also tell Nathan Pierce, and he will try to contact the legislator’s office.
If the legislator wants more information, you can direct them to Nathan Pierce at contact@pheofca.org, (916) 415-9480
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