Carry the Torch

Carry the Torch: Why New Homeschoolers Must Guard the Freedom to Teach at Home

📬 Homeschooling hasn’t always been legal. The freedom you enjoy today was won through great sacrifice. Don’t take it for granted—protect it.

Dear Homeschooler,

You may not realize it, but you’re standing on the shoulders of giants.

You’re enjoying the fruit of hard-fought battles, waged just a few decades ago by courageous families who believed that the right to educate their children was worth risking everything for—even their freedom.

Now, I want to challenge you to carry the torch.
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states today, but that liberty must be protected and preserved—especially as new threats emerge.

🕯 A Look Back: The Fight for Freedom

In the 1980s and ’90s, homeschooling was not broadly accepted—or even legal in many states. Families felt called by God to teach their children at home, only to be met with hostility. Some were:

Arrested for truancy violations
Reported to child protective services
Forced to hide during school hours to avoid detection
Dragged into court and threatened with jail time

These stories are not distant history—they happened in our lifetimes.

Thankfully, brave pioneers stood firm. Chris Klicka, along with the dedicated team at the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), came alongside these families to fight for their rights. Their sacrifices helped make homeschooling legal and accessible for us today.

Klicka’s book, Homeschool Heroes (also called The Right to Teach) shares powerful accounts of these early warriors. Another inspiring voice is Zan Tyler, a homeschool mom who battled the courts and won, through God’s help and a lot of courage. She and her husband tell their story HERE and HERE. Her episode on the Zan Tyler Podcast is both eye-opening and encouraging. In this episode she talks about a recent threat to homeschool freedom in Illinois.

🌍 Why This Still Matters: What’s Happening Around the World

In many countries, homeschooling is still illegal or severely restricted. Germany, for example, has laws that prevent families from homeschooling for religious or philosophical reasons. It’s only allowed in rare cases for medical exemptions.

Despite constitutional language that affirms the rights of parents, German homeschoolers face legal action, heavy fines, and sometimes even the threat of losing custody. Some families have been forced to flee the country just to teach their children at home. (Source: HSLDA)

⚠️ Today’s Threats: Subtle but Dangerous

Even in the United States, our freedom to homeschool is not secure. Here’s why:

State and federal lawmakers continue to introduce bills that would increase regulation or require teaching credentials.
Some school districts overstep their authority and demand more than the law requires.
There’s a growing push for “accountability” that sounds reasonable—but could open the door to government overreach.

As homeschoolers, we must remain watchful. The generation before us did not fight so hard for us to become complacent.

🛡 What You Can Do: Protect the Torch

Know your state’s laws. Learn what’s required—and what’s not. Don’t hand over more to school officials than the law demands.
Join HSLDA or a similar organization that monitors legislation and offers legal protection.
Stay connected to local and state homeschool support groups. These communities are often the first to know about proposed changes.
Educate yourself on homeschool history. Read Homeschool Heroes. Listen to pioneer stories like Zan Tyler’s.
Teach your children about the freedom they now enjoy—and the responsibility to preserve it.

🙏 Final Word: Homeschooling Is a Gift

Please don’t take this privilege for granted. Homeschooling is not just a lifestyle choice—it is a God-given opportunity to raise your children according to His ways.

But with that gift comes a duty: to be vigilant.
To know your rights.
To stand together.
To carry the torch.

For freedom,
Penney M. Douglas
Safe Haven Homeschooling