New Jersey’s legislative efforts to regulate homeschooling raise concerns over educational freedoms

The New Jersey Legislature is considering two bills by Democrat lawmakers to “heavily regulate homeschooling and restrict parents’ and students’ educational freedom,” warns a Reason news article.

The first item, Assembly Bill 5825, requires homeschool parents to notify local school districts annually of their students’ name and age, the name of the instructor administering homeschool programs, and the curriculum used, which must align with public-school ones.

“In addition to setting requirements for mathematics and science, state learning standards require lesson plans to cover issues such as climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 classrooms,” the article explained.

The second, A.B. 5796, mandates homeschool families to meet with public school officials for a child welfare check each year.

Such inspections “would be an extra burden on public schools,” said Will Estrada, senior counsel at the Home School Legal Defense Association, noting the legislation doesn’t include funding for additional staff to be hired.

“Public schools are there to educate children enrolled in the public school, not to do health and wellness checks on children in the community at large,” he added. 

‘Harassing parents’

Both bills demonstrate a misunderstanding of parental rights and governmental boundaries, according to Reason.

“There are a million reasons why parents would want to homeschool their children, none of which should need government approval,” Sophia Mandt wrote.

“Rather than harassing parents who wish to have more of a say in what their children are taught, New Jersey lawmakers could better serve the public by looking for ways to increase educational freedom in the state.”

The Garden State had an estimated 94,500 homeschool students in 2022, according to data from the National Home Education Research Institute. Families are not required to notify officials or get government approval for homeschooling.

No other state currently directs homeschool curricula to align with public-school ones, Estrada said.

“The bill would also require supervisors of the homeschooling program to maintain a portfolio of student records, such as writing samples, worksheets, and reading lists,” the article noted.

“The portfolio, which is to be submitted to the district superintendent annually, must also include a written evaluation of the student’s educational progress by a qualified evaluator. That person can be a licensed psychologist or teacher but not the student’s parent or guardian.”

Meanwhile, mandating welfare checks appears “misguided” as homeschooled children do not face higher abuse and neglect rates than conventionally schooled children, according to journalists.

“A 2022 peer-reviewed study … found that the type of school students go to ‘is a non-issue’ in determining the likelihood of abuse ‘after considering the role played by demographics’ such as family structure, years in foster care, large family size, and household poverty.”

Another study in 2017 concluded “legally homeschooled students are 40% less likely to die by child abuse or neglect than the average student nationally,” Mandt noted.