HB2827

ILGA, LEAVE Illinois Homeschools ALONE.  Why not attend to your own significant failures as noted below.

Randy's Note: The Illinois government cannot tolerate a free-thinking, better educated student than what it is able to produce.

As a United States Marine of over 22 years, one of my main reasons for joining the service was to fight for our freedom of speech and religion as protected under the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution.

However, under the Illinois Department of Education there is an attack on those guaranteed rights.

Under Section 10-7, it states:
A notification process and investigation of educational neglect only after there is reasonable cause to believe a student is suffering from educational neglect is the least restrictive way for the State to protect vulnerable students removed from the presence of mandatory reporters under the false pretense of homeschool.

Let's see who needs more investigation of educational neglect, Home School educated students or Publicly educated students:  Click on the Author's info below for more information.

1. Homeschooling Population: Approximately 3.7 million students in the U.S. are homeschooled in 2024, representing about 6.73% of all school-age children.
2. Public School Enrollment: Around 49.4 million students are enrolled in public schools across the United States.
3. Academic Performance: Homeschooled students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized tests.
4. SAT Scores: On average, homeschooled students score 1190 on the SAT, compared to 1060 for public school students.
5. College Graduation Rates: About 67% of homeschooled students graduate from college, compared to 59% of public-school graduates.
6. High School Graduation Rates: Public school students have a high school graduation rate of 91%, while the rate for homeschooled students is approximately 66.7%.

Randy's Note:  Of those 91%, how many are better prepared than the Home School Student?

7. Standardized Test Performance: Over 78% of peer-reviewed studies indicate that homeschooled students perform statistically significantly better than their public-school counterparts.
8. Higher Education Pursuit: Approximately 74% of homeschooled students go on to attend college, compared to only 44% of public-school students.
9. Average Daily Learning Time: Homeschooled students typically spend about 3-5 hours per day on formal education, while public school students spend around 6-8 hours in school.
10. Cost of Education: The average cost of homeschooling ranges from $700 to $1,800 per child annually, whereas public school costs approximately $12,612 per student per year.

Randy's Note:  Doing more with significantly less.  Public School are always demanding more money be spent.  How about demanding more quality for the money that is being currently spent.  Tax payers ought to be HORRIBLY OUTRAGED at the money being spent to achieve such poor results with the public schools.  Let the Home Schools be the model for public schools.

7. Student-Teacher Ratio: Public schools have an average student-teacher ratio of about 16:1, while homeschool settings often have a ratio closer to 1:1 or 2:1.
8. Parental Education Levels: About 64% of homeschool parents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 58% of public-school teachers who possess a master’s degree or higher.

Randy's Note:  And yet Homeschool parents are having demonstrably better results!

7. Special Needs Representation: Approximately 24% of homeschool families have at least one child with special needs, while about 14% of public-school students receive special education services.
8. Socialization Opportunities: Research indicates that homeschooled students often have higher levels of socialization and positive peer interactions compared to their public-school peers.
9. Extracurricular Participation: Public schools offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, with about 80% of students participating in sports, clubs, and music programs.
10. Parental Involvement Impact: Students whose parents are actively involved in their education tend to score significantly higher on standardized tests like the ACT compared to those with less parental involvement.
11. Math Performance Gap: Studies suggest that homeschooled students may perform lower in math compared to their public-school counterparts, particularly in unstructured learning environments.
12. College Admission Expectations: About 78% of college admission officers expect homeschool graduates to perform as well or better than traditional high school graduates during their first year in college.
13. Peer-reviewed Study Outcomes: Research shows that homeschoolers generally perform well above the national average on standardized tests, often scoring between the 65th and 80th percentiles.
14. Growth Rate in Homeschooling: The homeschooling population has been growing at an estimated annual rate between 2% and 8%, with significant increases noted during the COVID-19 pandemic when the rate doubled from March 2020 to March 2021.
15. Demographic Characteristics: The average homeschool family has about 3.5 children, while the average American family has approximately 1.93 children.
16. Income Levels: About 32% of homeschool families report an annual income under $50,000, while a significant portion (52%) of public school students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs due to low family income levels.
17. Psychological Development: Research indicates that homeschooled students typically exhibit better psychological well-being and self-esteem compared to their peers in conventional schools.
18. Educational Flexibility: Homeschooling allows for tailored educational experiences that can adapt to individual learning styles and interests, contrasting with the standardized curricula required in public schools.