What could make a homeschool mom get up at 4 a.m., dress in professional clothing, and drive two and a half hours to an 8 a.m. meeting in the next time zone? If you guessed a bad legislative proposal, you are correct!

I recently had the opportunity to speak in the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education about HB 621. The bill appeared on my radar a few weeks prior but didn’t seem to be making progress through the various committee assignments. Then things moved very quickly, and it had two readings and was on the agenda for the Committee for Wednesday, March 5.

The language in the bill that was objectionable was the following, “If a child of compulsory school age who is alleged to be a habitual truant or to be dependent, neglected, or abused seeks to withdraw from a public school to enroll in an at-home private school, the transfer shall not be effective until the proceedings for those allegations have concluded.”

Obviously, the homeschool community is opposed to the abuse and neglect of children. However, it must be noted that in 2023, 89% of cases in Kentucky referred to child protective services were ultimately unsubstantiated. It can sometimes take months to resolve allegations. Telling those parents they cannot withdraw their children to private, at-home education would rob them of the right to homeschool without due process.

Parents have a fundamental right to choose the learning environment that is the best fit for their children. That right sometimes comes under attack by well-intended child advocates or political leaders, and sometimes by those who just think they know better than parents. Homeschooling families must vigilantly defend the right to educate their children according to their own values and methods.

This brings us back to that 4 a.m. wake up, dress up, and drive up to Frankfort. I met with another homeschool mom who has experience navigating the legislature and a lawyer from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. I tentatively placed my name on the list to speak to the committee.

As it turns out, my prepared notes and impassioned speech were not needed. Rep. Savannah Maddox made a plea in a statewide homeschool group on Facebook, and a flood of emails were sent to the Committee. Rep. Emily Callaway offered a substitute bill with the language referring to homeschooling removed, and the bill was approved by the committee. I was presented with the opportunity to instead thank the committee for changing the bill and expressed that there were no objections from the homeschool community moving forward.

After the successful outcome in the committee, my new friend took the time to introduce me to several legislators, including Rep. Maddox.

It was totally worth getting up at 4 a.m.! I would do it again to let my voice be heard advocating for something I am passionate about. And guess what? You can too!

— Patti Sawyer is a homeschooling mother with more than 17 years of experience.