A bill that would tighten homeschooling regulations in Illinois missed a key deadline on Friday. But its sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, said it’s still alive — and she’s working on changes recommended by fellow lawmakers to get it passed.
“We recognize that there’s some more changes that need to be made and so we want to be respectful of the process,” Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, told Capitol News Illinois. “I want to pass a bill that we can be proud of. And even though I’m proud of the bill now, I want to be able to take into consideration some of the other suggestions that have been made.”
The proposal, amended twice in recent weeks, would require parents to file a declaration of intent with their regional office of education. If a truancy investigation arises, officials could ask for schoolwork or lesson plans.
Costa Howard introduced the bill after a Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica investigation last summer revealed Illinois’ lack of oversight in cases where children weren’t receiving an education. Illinois has some of the loosest homeschooling laws in the country, and multiple truancy officers told reporters that when they investigated a truancy case and parents claimed they were homeschooling, the investigation came to a grinding halt, even if concerns remained.
In the worst cases, children disappeared from school and endured abuse or neglect at home for years before authorities became aware.
The bill has become one of the most divisive issues at the Capitol this session, drawing thousands of opponents led by two Christian homeschooling organizations: Illinois Christian Home Educators and the Home School Legal Defense Association.
On Thursday, Will Estrada, in an upbeat message on the Home School Legal Defense Association’s Facebook page, shared news that the bill’s sponsors “did not have the votes currently on the floor to move the bill.” The organization’s chief legal counsel called it “hard to overstate how significant this news is.” Estrada congratulated homeschooling families for their efforts, adding, “The good news is your phone calls, your efforts, your talking to your friends, your continuing to get the word out to the legislators in Springfield, your voices are being heard.”
However, Estrada cautioned that the stall “doesn’t mean the battle is over.”
On Saturday, Estrada joined Illinois Christian Home Educators Executive Director Kirk Smith in a Facebook video message from a homeschooling conference in Peoria. They urged their followers to tone down their efforts during the legislative break that coincides with Passover and Easter.
“We have kind of a change of strategy,” Estrada said.
“We want to limit the activity politically this week,” Smith added. “We encourage those who may have friends who are representatives to reach out to them lovingly during this time. But let’s give the legislature a little time to catch their breath.”
Though both organizations have stressed their members to communicate their opposition politely with lawmakers, Costa Howard says these organizations have stoked fear, amplifying fringe voices.
Since introducing the bill, Costa Howard said she’s been inundated with hostile calls and emails, even including a letter she perceived as a death threat. The anonymous letter, addressed to Costa Howard at her legislative office in Lombard, referenced HB2827 — the Homeschool Act — contained five lines:
It’s all over the country. We all know.
It starts here and must end here.
If we have to break the 6th Commandment, so be it.
God said “Do Not Kill,” but also said “Smite thine enemy.”
We’re watching ….
Costa Howard turned the letter over to police, who she says are investigating it in her home district.
The bill has also drawn opposition from minority communities. Pastor Chris Butler testified against the bill last week when the amended version came before the House Education Policy Committee.
“I am here today as somebody who grew up in Chicago public schools,” Butler said. “I am here today sitting next to somebody who taught in Chicago’s public schools. And we too have grown up, and we too have something to say about the education that we received, and it is why people in our generation have stepped up and said, we must do something different.”
He argued that any regulation would impede minority families from homeschooling to escape failing public schools and encouraged opponents to continue filing witness slips opposing the bill and speaking out against it.
Editorial boards at The Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal have also opposed the bill. The Tribune said the bill “overreaches,” while the Journal raised privacy concerns about the information homeschool families could be required to provide on the forms.
The anonymous letter to Costa Howard was postmarked from a mail distribution site in Kearny, New Jersey, on March 24 — three days after the editorial appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The return address was listed simply as The Rancher, East Coast.
Under Illinois law, threatening a public official is a Class 3 felony. The Lombard Police Department declined to comment, but did provide, under a Freedom of Information Act request, a copy of the report that contained the typewritten, unsigned letter.
Costa Howard also alerted the Illinois State Police regarding the letter. An ISP spokesman said the agency assesses potential threats and determines needed actions based on the findings of the assessment, which may include further consultation and, if necessary, makes recommendations to enhance security.
Despite the vitriolic communication, Costa Howard said she is pressing forward because of those who’ve also reached out to say they were victims of inadequate homeschooling and want more protections in the law.
The bill missed a procedural deadline on Friday for non-budget bills to clear their chamber of origin. But lawmakers can request an extension, which Costa Howard has done.
“The one thing I’ve learned about Springfield is don’t ever count something out,” she said.
Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, disagreed.
“This bill was doomed from the beginning,” Elik said from the House floor Friday after Costa Howard made a brief speech about the bill.
Costa Howard says changes to the bill have already been made to address concerns, and that she’s working on more. The amendment that passed a House committee on Wednesday, April 9, provided more specific details for the declaration form, ensured that an online version would be available, and clarified that a truancy investigation would be required to compel families to turn over homeschooling portfolios.
Another change addresses concerns from private schools, which had opposed having to provide a list of students to the Illinois State Board of Education. Under the change, private schools would only need to verify a student’s attendance record if asked in a truancy investigation.
Costa Howard said she remains open to negotiations on the bill’s finer details but believes passing new safeguards is critical to protect children from parents who claim they are homeschooling, but don’t follow through.
“I do not back down from bullies,” Costa Howard said. “And there are victims that have reached out to me constantly thanking me because it has also allowed them to raise their voices and feel that they could speak out about the experiences they’ve had as well.”