Register Homeschooler Law

A bill (HB 5912) was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday, March 19, 2008 to force homeschool parents to register their children with the local school district. Here is the crucial language in the bill:

THE EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL EXISTS ONLY IF THE CHILD'S ATTENDANCE IS APPROPRIATELY REPORTED TO PUBLIC SCHOOL OFFICIALS AS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION 1578.

THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A CHILD BEING EDUCATED AT THE CHILD'S HOME BY HIS OR HER PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 1561(3)(F) SHALL AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR FURNISH ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THE CHILD'S HOME IS SITUATED OR THE INTERMEDIATE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THE CHILD'S HOME IS SITUATED:

(A) THE NAME AND AGE OF EACH CHILD WHO IS BEING EDUCATED AT THE HOME.

(B) THE NUMBER OR NAME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OR TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY IN WHICH THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN RESIDES.

Talking Points:

Registration is not needed unless the government is anticipating building on this preliminary proposed legislation, with additional requirements in the future.
Registration places additional work onto the staff of the superintendants around the state. This could, in some areas, require additional workers to be hired to handle this task. Adding staff, at taxpayers’ expense, is unnecessary when the homeschool system is not broken and not, therefore, in need of any repair.
Our current law enables homeschoolers to excel in academics, as well as in extra-curricular activities. Burdening the already overworked, state-funded staff by requiring them to handle, as well as safely and securely manage all of this additional documentation, is unwarranted.
Simply registering serves absolutely no purpose. It is, however, eerily reminiscent of historical regimes which required certain ‘undesirable’ elements to register their existence with local government agencies. There is no tax to collect, the proposed legislation does not allow for any use of this data, so simply compiling a data base of the existence of homeschooled families and their children serves absolutely no legitimate purpose. The Federal and State Governments are already aware that these children exist, via the IRS, State Tax forms and the Census.

Please:

Choose your representative from the provided list. If you don't know your district or your representative's name, you can use the link at the left side of the page to look that up.
Copies of this email will automatically be sent to the members of the Education Committee.
Enter your subject. It is important that everyone not use the same subject.
Using the talking points provided above, compose an email in your own words.
Click on "Send Email"

Please remember several important things: We are striving to stay very polite and positive. Take just a moment and re-read the text of your email to ensure that it is both. It is unnecessary for anyone to identify himself as a homeschooler. You are a taxpayer and a citizen, and this legislation is impacting you as such. All of us probably know at least one non-homeschooler who is friendly to our cause. If you could forward this email, and a link to the HELM website, to anyone who would also write a letter to his Representative opposing this proposed legislation, it would be extremely beneficial.

A copy of your email will be sent to the House Education Committee.

Thank you