Colorado Gov Comes Out Against Homeschooling

“Government should do what individual people can’t do or can’t do well themselves. You know, educating our young people…” said Governor John Hickenlooper at the December 16, 2014 Denver Forum.

However, research shows otherwise. The HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association)

Web site highlights a 1997 study that found that homeschoolers out-performed their public schools peers “by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects.” The HSLDA points out additional studies with similar findings.

In response to Hickenlooper’s comments, HSLDA staff attorney Michael P. Donnelly wrote in an e-lert:

“Governor Hickenlooper needs to understand that there are tens of thousands of Colorado students who are receiving a very fine education from their parents. It would be irresponsible to suggest that the government needs to take over these students’ educations. We see the long-range consequences of that mindset when we look at countries like Sweden and Germany, which ban home education and treat harshly families who try to homeschool. It is hard to believe this is what the governor meant—but sadly, there are many leading public policy voices who say that homeschooling should be banned in the U.S. too.”

Hickenlooper, the current chair of the National Governors Association, is an avid supporter of the fed led Race To the Top education reforms which include the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, invasive student data mining, and excessive standardized testing. As the NGA chair and governor of Colorado, will Hickenlooper set a new agenda that forces home schools to align to the Common Core standards and require homeschooling students to take the aligned PARCC exams? Time will tell.