LegallySpeaking
Antony Barone Kolenc
The
Politics
of Homeschooling
. . . Now is a timely moment to reflect on the role of
politics and lobbying in the home education movement.
This election season, criticism of the political process has reachedfever pitch. A virtually unlimited flood of campaign
cash has poured into the coffers of so-called “Super PACs” and political parties. Many people believe the influence of
the average citizen is disappearing as Big
Business and Big Labor “buy” themselves
political power. In this climate, lobbyist is
a very dirty word indeed. For that reason,
now is a timely moment to reflect on the
role of politics and lobbying in the home
education movement. The fact is that
many homeschooling freedoms have
come only after the efforts of lobbyists.
Yet, critics question whether the homeschooling lobby has grown too powerful.
The Need for Lobbying
As long as there have been politics, there
have been lobbyists of one form or an-
other. Napoleon Bonaparte noted, “Ten
people who speak make more noise than
ten thousand who are silent.”
1 In politics,
the vocal minority will make more prog-
ress than the silent majority. Thus, in the
best and most ideal situations, a lobbyist
speaks to politicians on behalf of those
with shared interests who otherwise
might not have their voices heard.
. . . Few would deny that
the success of the home
education movement
has been, in great
part, due to effective
lobbying.
states tolerated the practice, but homeschooling families needed more legal recognition to avoid prosecution,
2 and that
could not happen unless politicians got
engaged in the process. Enter the lobbyists.
State-Level Lobbying
Historically, the most important lobby-
ing on behalf of homeschoolers has oc-
curred at the state level. In Florida, for
instance, Brenda and Craig Dickinson—
founders of the Home Education Foun-
dation (HEF)—were instrumental in
passing that state’s homeschool-friendly
law back in the 1980s. They believed a
full-time paid staff was essential to the
success of homeschooling in the state.
The Foundation explains on its website
that a full-time lobbyist ( 1) “develops
relationships with legislators and people
in state agencies who may impact home
education”; ( 2) “cultivates trust of legisla-
tors over time, by visiting, assisting with
information, answering questions and
resolving concerns”; ( 3) “monitors ap-
proximately 1,800 bills each Legislative
Session to protect home education”; ( 4)
“seeks alternative solutions to issues af-
fecting home educators as they arise in
the Legislature, thus preventing further
restrictive legislation”; and ( 5) “serves on
advisory boards to create respect, oppor-
tunities and to protect home educators.”
3
These are important duties that will not
occur without an engaged staff.
