politics – Page 2 – Chicagoland Homeschool Network

Potential changes to Illinois law

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From the HSLDA E-lert Service…
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Illinois: Contact Senator Maloney to Stop Homeschool Registration

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

Senator Edward Maloney has filed a bill that would force all Illinois
homeschoolers to register. The bill, SB 136, gives the Department of
Education blanket authority to mandate what information families must
submit. SB 136 threatens to expand government power into the realm of
private education on an unprecedented scale.

ACTION REQUESTED

1. If you live in his district (Senate District 18, which includes
parts of Lyons, Palos, Worth, Chicago, and Orland Townships in Cook
County) contact Senator Maloney and ask him to withdraw his bill. You
can also use our legislative toolbox at http://hslda.org/toolbox/ to
find your Senate district. Personal visits and phone calls have the
most impact. Letters and emails are useful as well. Your firm but
courteous message can be as simple as:

“Please withdraw SB 136. Studies show that private education prepares
students for college better than public schools. There is no need for
government to expand into an area that is already so successful.
Existing mandates on private education are sufficient.”

Springfield Office:
Senator 18th District
119A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-5145
(217) 557-3930 FAX

District Office:
10400 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 881-4180
(773) 881-4243 FAX

Additional District Office:
6965 W. 111th Street
Worth, IL 60482
(708) 448-3518
(708) 448-3535 FAX

Home:
Edward D. Maloney
2808 West 11th Street
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 233-6638

2. After you contact him, call or email us to confirm so we can keep a
tally of how many people have contacted him.

3. Pass this message on to other homeschoolers in Senator Maloney’s
district.

BACKGROUND

Right now, Illinois homeschools are not required to register because
they are classified as “non-public” schools. Many other states
likewise do not require homeschoolers to register, including New
Jersey, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, etc.

There is a common myth that Illinois homeschools are unregulated.
While Illinois homeschools don’t waste time processing bureaucratic
red tape, they must comply with significant substantive mandates,
including the requirement that they teach the branches of education
taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
schools, that they teach in the English language, and, if challenged,
meet the burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an
adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning.
This sensible combination of no red tape plus meaningful mandates has
protected freedom in Illinois and produced outstanding academic
results.

SB 136 would give the Illinois Department of Education literally
unlimited power to dictate what information homeschoolers must submit.
Since the Department is composed exclusively of staff who are
appointed or hired, rather than elected, they have little or no
incentive to respond to the voice of citizens. In other states, when
education departments have been given power to act against citizens’
wishes, they have sometimes brushed aside overwhelming opposition and
done as they pleased to homeschoolers.

SB 136 is the greatest threat to Illinois homeschoolers in more than a
decade. HSLDA and Illinois Christian Home Educators are united in
opposing the bill and are committed to protect your freedom. This
fight belongs to every Illinois homeschool family.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom!

Sincerely yours,

Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Senior Counsel

Fourth of July special

Special free download in celebration of the Fourth of July. Also, a special sale on Marilyn Boyer’s new book.

Great reminders to focus on more than barbecues and fireworks this weekend.

Happy Fourth of July!

FREE Download to Celebrate Independence Day
Uncle Rick’s Tribute to America
no purchase necessary

Use Promo Code: TRIBUTE
Paul Revere`s Ride, The Declaration of Independence, Concord Hymn,
The Mayflower Compact, The Star Spangled Banner. (All 4 verses!)

For You They Signed: $35

Special Offer- All July

Revisionist history is exploded as Marilyn chronicles the lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.

By reading about one of the 56 Signers per week, you can give your family more than a year`s worth of exciting “family times.”

Learn together about the sacrifices made by these great men for our freedom.

Inspire your children to become citizens who will reclaim the Christian heritage of America

A code inside the book gives you free access to a companion ebook containing coloring pages for little hands to complete and hang on the refrigerator to learn to identify the Signers, character quality definitions and Scripture verses to learn (one per week,) and Family Fun Quizzes to use every other week to review the information and make it stick.

All Month

Regular Price: $49.95
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“More than 2.000 years ago, Nehemiah undertook the rebuilding of his nation. As part of the process, he constructed a “House of Heroes” (Neh. 3:16) by which those in his generation could learn of the courage and sacrifices made by previous ones. Through For You They Signed , Marilyn has created a much-needed inspirational “House of Heroes” for this generation. “

David Barton

Wallbuilders

A word on taxes

If you have yet to file your taxes, you might find this tidbit helpful from the HSLDA:

From the HSLDA E-lert Service…
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Illinois–Tax Credit for Homeschools

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

If you homeschool in Illinois, you may be eligible for a state tax
credit of up to $500 for homeschool education expenses.

Naturally, there are rules that must be followed. But a very quick
summary is that you may be eligible for a tax credit of 25% of what
you spent above and beyond the first $250 for certain types of
homeschool expenses.

Check out http://www.revenue.state.il.us/Publications/Pubs/PUB-119.pdf
for an explanation.

Keep in mind that a tax credit isn’t a government aid program. A tax
credit simply allows you to keep more of your own money. “Voucher”
programs often come with many strings attached, or soon produce
strings. But tax credits are different. They do not create an
opportunity for the government to control your homeschool program.
Homeschoolers can confidently and safely use the tax credit to help
their family finances.

Governments tend to abolish programs that people do not take advantage
of. By claiming a homeschool education tax credit as allowed under
the rules, you send a message to lawmakers that this helpful program
should continue.

Since the average homeschool family spends roughly $500 per student per year, you can likely take advantage of this information. More record keeping, I know, but this one might have some financial benefit!

Election Day

As homeschoolers, we often have an extra interest in our elected officials as we hold our freedoms a little dearer than the average American might.

You most likely already know that this coming Tuesday, February 2nd, is election day in Illinois.

You may also have spent some time researching who to vote for, you may have even already voted! Either way, the electoral process is an important one for our kids to understand.

Here are some links to help in talking to or teaching your child about elections and the road to a political seat in our state and country:

– Illinois board of elections

– Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government offers some lesson ideas for various ages about elections and a variety of other government related topics.

– Education World has some election day ideas. Many of these center around the presidential election, but some are applicable to any election.

Also, if you are still researching, some conservative organizations publish survey and voting results for various candidates to help you in this important decision.

– A general listing of who is running along with basic background information from Congress.org
– Illinois Federation for Right to Life

– Illinois Family Institute

HSLDA membership giveaway

Every homeschooler in the US, and many international ones as well, owe a debt of gratitude to the HomeSchool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They have worked passionately to maintain and advance the freedom of homeschoolers nationwide.

If you are not already familiar with HSLDA I would encourage you to take some time and look over their site. They work on a national and local level defending and communicating for and to homeschoolers.

They offer a variety of resources including speakers, books, and online resources that can benefit the homeschool family.

My interaction with HSLDA has been very positive. They are there to help. They stand behind homeschoolers with a passionate determination and want to assist you in any way possible. I have not needed their legal assistance, but have heard many stories of their willingness to serve and defend families in need. They are an incredible resource and defense that all homeschoolers should tap into.

Parental Rights

A parent’s right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights, which 8 of the 9 justices abandoned. At the same time, a growing body of international law fuels activist judges to legislate foreign standards from the American bench, while treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would subject parental decisions to government oversight and international review.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) has proposed HJR-42, the Parental Rights Amendment, to stop the erosion of parental rights in American courts while simultaneously defending our laws from international invasion. Please, visit parentalrights.org to learn more about the Amendment, and to join their email network by signing the petition to protect parental rights.

Category: politics