Everywhere I turn on the internet homeschooling circuit, I come across folks who think that the President elect is poised to rip away the hard won rights of homeschoolers. I have been homeschooling now for 7 years, and I have read many books and blogs and histories about homeschooling and unschooling and I understand that it was not an easy road for the pioneers. I am very grateful to them for securing our rights state by state.  No homeschooler wants to see those rights eroded. I don’t believe that Obama has ever indicated a desire to do so either, although his lack of focus on the topic has often been misconstrued as being opposed to it. Still, there is some evidence that he supports us: on his website he is quoted in his book as ‘honoring” the decision to homeschool.

I hope that this post will encourage respectful repartee on the matter instead of clashing because the relations between secular homeschoolers and conservative homeschoolers have sometimes been strained but more often been polite and fruitful.

In my community alone, there is much crossover between the groups as we share resources and friendships. We have usually maintained this calm by celebrating our differences and focusing on our similarities. This is a strategy Obama seems to be in favor of the whole nation doing on most matters.

In light of that, I have emailed Obama and his people in hopes that he will publicly state his opinions on homeschooilng and put some fears to rest. I know he has more than enough work on his table for a 4 year stint to distract him from my email, but reaching out is my way of resolving the confusion. I hope it comes to something. Here is that letter.

An open letter to the Obama administration:

Hello Obama Administration Folks,
I am a supporter who has been homeschooling my kids for the past seven years and we were all very excited to be in Grant Park on the night of the election!

I do an online radio show and podcast and write several blogs about homeschooling and I thought I might be able to speak to someone in Obama’s administration about his take on homeschooling. There are many rumors flying around the internet mostly by conservative homeschoolers claiming that Obama will sweep away all of the rights homeschoolers have worked so hard to secure over the years.

I am from a growing population of secular liberal homeschoolers who feel differently about the issue. The only information we have from Obama directly is from his book in which he appears to support homeschooling. I have been sharing this information with the public but it seems there is a need for a stronger statement from the President Elect.

I would like to invite Obama or a member of his staff to join me on my radio show Relaxed Homeschooler to clear up the matter once and for all.

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Kim