Eye On Illinois: Expect pushback on any proposal to enhance homeschool regulations

There are two primary challenges to legislative plans to regulate homeschooling in Illinois.

Capitol News Illinois Tuesday reported on its interview with state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, a follow-up to its investigation with ProPublica, which “revealed little accountability for parents who pull their kids from school and then fail to ensure they receive an education. In the worst cases, the investigation found, parents isolated and mistreated their children.”

Costa Howard is “a lawyer with extensive experience in juvenile court,” according to CNI, so she likely understands the obstacles.

First, legislation will only advance by surmounting strong opposition from multiple fronts that don’t always align politically. People remove their children from public schools for a variety of reasons. Those who choose to educate at home versus enroll in a private school – religious or otherwise – are likewise not ideologically lock-stepped. And some people just don’t want to bother with school in any form, which is their right as parents.

Private school backers might be inclined to join opposition out of general grievance toward public schools or more specifically lawmakers’ decision to sunset the popular Invest in Kids tax-incentive program. Democrats’ supermajorities will not simply carry the day.

CNI acknowledged opposition in Tuesday’s piece, sharing quotes from people who chose homeschooling because they felt the public education their tax dollars fund to be inadequate, as well as remarks from past reform advocates who have seen both organized opposition and a lack of enthusiasm from state officials.

“Homeschooling is the third rail of politics in Illinois. The legislature, the Illinois State Board of Education, which are all politically appointed, will not do anything,” said Michael Mobley, who retired in 2018 after eight years as a downstate truancy officer. “I hope that this renewed attention to this problem brings change. But I can tell you first-hand that any legislative attempt to regulate homeschooling will be met with swift and certain opposition.”

Second, even if lawmakers catch this car, they’ll just reach the next stage of government shortcomings.

The Department of Children & Family Services is already deeply broken, so adding responsibilities seems ill-timed at best. Public school advocates are always asking lawmakers to beef up already significant investments, so more tasks could come at a cost to other initiatives.

Even if the only goal is using homeschool registration as a means of keeping track of potential abuse victims, the likeliest outcome is extra paperwork for people already inclined to comply with a new requirement and further resistance from the the sort of people whose neglect and abuse already overloads our protective services dragnet.

Quality public education is vital for society, but tampering with the ability to opt out is a risky political proposition.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. Follow him on X @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.