HSLDA is closely watching several pieces of federal legislation that would vastly improve legal protections for homeschooling families.

As you may know, we’ve been working with lawmakers on the Home School Graduation Recognition Act and the COMPASS Act. The Home School Graduation Recognition Act seeks to ensure that homeschool high school diplomas are treated the same as public and private high school diplomas, and the COMPASS Act will safeguard military homeschooling families when they move to various states on military orders.

Standing up for Graduates

The need to affirm the validity of homeschool diplomas arises from a long history of battling discrimination.

As homeschooling became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s, there were many questions about whether homeschool graduates could access federal student aid and attend colleges and universities.

To protect homeschool graduates from unfair treatment, HSLDA worked with our friends in Congress to amend the Higher Education Act in 1998. This groundbreaking amendment made it clear that homeschool high school graduates are eligible for federal student aid.

But there was a wrinkle: homeschooling was still viewed with suspicion even in 1998, and Congress placed the eligibility language for homeschool students under a heading intended for students “Who Are Not High School Graduates.” This header language has caused confusion for decades, even though the underlying law and guidance from the US Department of Education make clear that homeschool high school graduates are eligible for federal student aid.

We have seen instances where institutions of higher education—most notably trade schools, cosmetology schools, and the University of Phoenix—refuse to accept homeschool high school graduates, most often motivated by fear that homeschool graduates are not technically high school graduates under federal law.

The bill now before the Senate will simply change the header to “From Non-Traditional Settings” and clarify that homeschool graduates are high school graduates, deserving of the same treatment as graduates from public or private schools.

Easing Hardships for Our Nation’s Defenders 

Likewise, the COMPASS Act seeks to alleviate some of the obstacles military families face when it comes to educating their children.

Our men and women in uniform move frequently, and with these moves come additional challenges. For military members with families, one of these complications is switching schools. Military homeschooling families must learn the homeschool laws of each new state while also setting up a new house and managing everything else that comes with a move.

The COMPASS Act would allow homeschooling families moving on military orders to choose whether to follow the homeschool laws of their state of permanent residence or those of the state they are moving to. This is optional, and families choosing to participate in classes or sports in their local district will likely need to comply with the homeschool laws of their new state.

For more information, check out this op-ed from HSLDA Director of Legal and Legislative Advocacy Kevin Boden, who is also a lieutenant colonel in the Alaska Air National Guard.

Where Things Stand

The Home School Graduation Recognition Act (H.R. 6392/S. 3747) has unanimously passed the US House of Representatives and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. All that remains is final passage by the full Senate before it is sent to the president to be signed into law.

The COMPASS Act (H.R. 9351/S. 4783) has been introduced in the House of Representatives and the US Senate but has not yet been attached to the annual military spending and policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act.

We encourage advocates of homeschool freedom to contact their US senators to help advance these bills. Now is a good time to try to reach your senators in your state, as the Senate is in recess until mid-September.

Earlier this summer, my family was privileged to go to Kentucky. We accompanied my husband on a work trip and extended the excursion to include some family time at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it. The reality of God’s justice and mercy are emotionally overwhelming when you are next to the scale model Ark and consider the events surrounding the great flood of Genesis 6-9.

My husband and I stood in awe with silent tears streaming down our faces. My kids, on the other hand, were more or less unimpressed by the whole of it. They enjoyed their time and were surprised by the size, but it was hard not to get frustrated that some of the highlights from the day included the charter bus from the parking lot to the site, the petting zoo, and the playground. I was annoyed that we had spent good money for them to touch animals we have at home and swing.

While there is a sense that they are just kids and don’t appreciate what they have, I also realized that the information they digested while in the exhibits of the ark is not new to them because our homeschooling utilizes curriculum from the scientists behind the Ark Encounter. My kids weren’t being ungrateful; they had just been well catechized. The material provided in the scientific explanations of the Flood were not unimpressive to them; it was just what they had been taught to believe. The Ark Encounter didn’t have to undo evolutionary thinking; my kids had been taught Biblically from the onset. Our Christian education had been a tool to prevent misconstrued thinking about the world and, in a sense, provide preventative counseling to answer the necessary life questions that arise because of false worldviews.

Here are some of the theological lessons and preventative counseling ideals my family considered when we saw the Ark:

• Hearing about the justice of God in the flood is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and warns against the danger of dismissing sinful acts in our lives. Even rolled eyes and “white lies” are the kinds of sins that led to the destruction of the whole world. This helps us to take seriously the ramifications of our own sinful choices and should cause us to pause before they are committed.
• Considering the kindness of God to spare Noah and his family reminded us of the graciousness of God’s saving grace that is found solely in the character of God. Because it is His work alone, we must be intentional about thanksgiving and watchful against discontentment with where He has placed us.
• Watching the reestablishment of the world after the Flood is an amazing reminder of the beauty of God’s plan. Even when sin – our own or the impact of others – has destroyed everything we know and love, God’s plan of recreation continues. He brings life from death and hope from chaos. Even when my world seems nearly unrecognizable from the effects of sin, I can trust that His power is continually at work to bring beauty and color to my otherwise grey and rainy world.

These were the kinds of conversations we could have with our children because of their intentionally Christian education. These are the kinds of lessons that my counseling clients often learn the hard way when God uses the circumstances of their own lives to bring about these same ideas.

But I’m thankful that I get to have these conversations with my kids before they even need them. I get to utilize their education as a sort of preventative counseling to their young souls. It takes work to step beyond teaching the subjects to consideration of their lives. But we homeschool not just for learning academics but for learning how to live life in God’s world.

It’s easy to be excited or to be worried about starting that new curriculum or textbook, but my encouragement to you in this new school year is to be intentional about the worldview and life lessons while you teach all the subjects. Be mindful about opportunities to do preventative counseling by having hard conversations now. Help your children see the lessons God is teaching them about the world while they are still in the greenhouse of your home.

Yes, I was disappointed that my kids were not in awe of the majesty of the Ark that we had spent money for them to see. But I am so thankful because that means the life lessons of the Ark are already implanted deep enough to be reflexive to their thinking. They were not emotionally unmoved because of indifference; they had already been trained to see how the Lord works all things together for good, and they were good with that.

As most of us know, teaching one’s children at home is as old as humankind. Parents oversaw most of their children’s learning during the colonial period and the 1800s in America. By the mid 1800s, a shift was occurring. The “common school” began to be the center of a child’s education rather than the home, and this movement developed into the public school system that we have today.

With the public school movement, a more humanistic curriculum arose, as did the concern of parents who hoped to influence their children with their values and faith. Some parents began using a private school hoping to instill a Judeo-Christian foundation for their children. Others began to explore another option for their children. Though homeschooling was virtually unheard of in 1970, some thought that more individualized instruction might be a more effective way to educate their children. A few Christians (and some with other world views) took the home education route.

As that small homeschool movement grew in the Lancaster, PA area in 1986, a small group of Christian homeschooling parents formed a support group named Lancaster County Home Education, known by the acronym, L’CHEA. To remind us from whence we came, here are some of those early pioneer parents who gathered for this group: Kim and Larry Huber, Ken and Terry Nitchman, Don and Fran Owens and Dan and Cindy Smith. They gathered in homes and in store-front/church buildings in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania. It was their goal to support each other and others who desired to join them through activities like “Park Day,” field trips, or simply a time of social gathering.

L’CHEA also began to think about ways to support homeschooling parents as they searched for teaching material.

With a few curriculum providers on hand, they launched a “Come and See” what is available event in the Lancaster Farm and Home Center in 1986. This is now remembered as the first annual CHAP Convention. Much to the board members’ surprise, over 200 people showed up, and they were ecstatic.

As the years rolled on, the desire to encourage and equip homeschoolers prevailed as the L’CHEA (eventually the CHAP) Convention grew in size and moved into larger facilities: Lancaster Mennonite Highschool, Lancaster Bible College, Elizabethtown College, and ultimately in 1993, the Farm Show Complex, hosting as many as 5,000 to 9,000 attendees and often over 200 vendors in some years. Well known and locally respected speakers were also invited to share at these conventions.

As responsibilities expanded, so did the need to incorporate as a non-profit. So, in 1991, L’CHEA moved to that status.

In 1994 the name was changed from L’CHEA to CHAP to reflect the wider influence that CHAP now represented.

Throughout CHAP’s history, support groups were allowed to affiliate with CHAP so more people could find a support group in their area.

After 24 years at the Farm Show building, the 2017 CHAP Convention was hosted in the beautiful Lancaster Convention Center in downtown Lancaster, PA.

There was time off for COVID, and the Convention moved to Spruce Lake in 2021, Woodcrest Retreat in 2022, and York Fair Grounds in 2023.

Since 2024, the CHAP Convention has been held at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, with the same goals and services abounding.

When you begin balancing academics alongside language study, sports, music practice, and other enrichment activities, it can quickly start to feel like everything is competing for priority. Even with the best intentions, the days can become crowded, and what once felt purposeful can start to feel scattered or constantly a juggle. It’s easy in those moments to question whether you’re doing too much or not doing any one thing well enough.

Then, when you add in the fact that you actually want to raise more than just a decent human being, it can begin to feel overwhelming. This tension is common in well-rounded learning environments, where the goal isn’t just academic progress, but also the development of skills, interests, and character.

But in the context of homeschooling, when character, virtue, and the fruits of the Spirit are intentionally woven into daily lessons, conversations, discipline, and rhythms of home learning, they transform the classroom into a discipleship space where academic growth and spiritual maturity develop side by side. Virtues become especially powerful, moving education beyond worksheets, test scores, and subject mastery into something far more enduring: the formation of who a child is becoming.

Rather than treating education as a purely intellectual pursuit, this approach recognizes that learning is inseparable from character formation.

A math lesson can cultivate patience.

A literature discussion can nurture empathy and kindness.

A difficult moment of correction can become an opportunity to practice self-control and gentleness.

Over time, these consistent, intentional practices shape an atmosphere where virtue is not merely taught but lived. The result is not only academic progress, but also the steady formation of compassionate, grounded, and well-rounded individuals who are learning how to think well and live well in equal measure.

The key often lies in thoughtful pacing and intentional trade-offs—recognizing that not everything can hold equal weight every season, and that focus sometimes means letting certain areas breathe while others take the lead.

So, for all the parents trying to hold it all together—feeling the weight of a well-rounded education, the pull of everything competing for priority, and the challenge of raising whole humans in a full and demanding world—this is for you. Forming character in the middle of the juggle is no small task.

We say all this to say: here’s a virtual hug as you keep showing up, holding it all together, and doing your best to fit in all the things.

I stole this title from Jon Tyson’s book of the same name. His book challenged me to rethink how I influenced my own children. But now the tables are turned, and you are in the hot seat.

The reality is this: Influence happens not by accident, but by intention.

If you have ideas about how you want your child to be as an adult, you’ve got to have a plan to get there.

The problem is, children do not necessarily want to go where you want them to go…they want to go where they want to go. Our responsibility is to affect their “want to,” because we cannot just drop them off at adulthood.

Be a hero, show a hero, or find a hero!

Children, young or old, do not want to be told how to change, they want to see how to change. So, we must use words strategically.

My hero was the best catcher in the world, Johnny Bench, of the Cincinnati Reds. I knew his history, his stats, his techniques, how many baseballs he could hold in his right hand. His methods became my methods, regardless of what my coaches told me. I was inspired!

Help your child find a hero worth copying. Tell them about your hero, and what it is about him that inspires you.

Heroes fan the flame of our “want to.” They can be found in the neighborhood, in the media, in books, or in YOUR STORIES! Be intentional to find a way to tell about a hero, and listen when they tell you about theirs.

Treat your child like they are bigger than they are.

Children will stretch to reach your high estimation of them, or stoop to confirm your low expectation. You get to choose the path…choose well.

One day, we sent our 13-year-old, long-haired, pimple-faced son into the bank with a large stack of cash to make a deposit from our laundromat. Without hesitation, he proceeded to complete the task despite the dismay of the bank teller (who thought he should not be in possession of such a large wad of bills). He was rather offended at her concern because he believed that we believed he could, and should, be doing that task. And he did!

Part of our intention was training him to do it first so he could be successful when it came time to do it himself. You can do similar things with your children IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, and have a plan.

Plan significant moments of interaction.

Recently, I was visiting with one of my closest friends. He described some intentional conversations he had with his grandchildren. He called the group of them around a table to “talk to them about something.” It was then that he told about things that were of great importance in his life after his many years of living. Then he invited them to tell him something significant they had learned recently.

My friend told me that each one who spoke treated the interaction with great dignity and showed outward signs of pride and honor to tell how they were changing and growing. Though the time was brief, it was memorable. . . and inspirational.

How do you want your children to remember you?

Describe what you want them to say at your funeral, then find little ways repeatedly for them to see you live like that. Our words matter, but our actions matter more.

I’m not a believer in the instruction to “fake it ‘til you make it,” but sometimes we must practice a character trait until we believe it to be true about ourselves. Anytime we do something new, and INTENTIONAL, we at first may feel like an imposter. But don’t let that stop you from doing what is right, and good, and wise.

Be Intentional!

In 1969, my parents’ generation sat enraptured in front of the television screen one fateful July day watching expectantly as Neil Armstrong took his first steps out of the lunar lander onto the surface of the moon.  In 1970, they prayed and lit candles for Jim Lovell and the crew of Apollo 13 and waited to see if they would return home.  In 1986, they felt astonished and confused as the Challenger shuttle unexpectedly exploded.  Needless to say, their youth was marked by a time of great interest in space travel and the stars.

Although I vaguely remember space shuttles, I think the great interest in space had started to wane by the time I was a child old enough to remember—and space exploration does not seem to have been a significant feature of American life for many years.

Recently, however, manned missions have brought space back into the collective experience of many Americans.  These launches are marked by public-private partnerships bringing new names to our commercial conscience and new opportunities to our state.

We recently stumbled across a free event at the Moonshot Museum and decided to check it out.  The museum is a room within space robotic company Astrobotic Technologies’ building on the north side of Pittsburgh. The museum’s current operating hours are Thursdays through Sundays from 10 am – 5 pm, but you should check before visiting because they may close for business needs or due to city events.

One wall of the museum is entirely glass, providing an interesting opportunity for your family to watch the assembly of an actual spacecraft in a clean room (during business hours).  A docent informed us that the workers often notice and wave to the children watching them.

Although there were a few models on display, the overwhelming majority of exhibits in the museum were digital displays.  These included a brief movie about the history of space exploration and about Astrobotic’s particular interests and contributions to the field.  Multiple interactive screen exhibits included an X-box game about flying a spacecraft, learning about mission patch design and space-related mythology, a virtual reality exhibit, and an electronic cosmic political survey (including questions such as whether there should be armed security forces on the moon).

If you are learning about space, are a family of space enthusiasts, or want something resembling a factory tour, this museum might be a good fit for you.  However, if you are a screen-limiting family, this museum may be one to think carefully about before attending.

My family remarked that the Moonshot Museum is small and screen-focused.  However, they recommended it if you have an hour or two to fill in Pittsburgh (and of course, your family might spend even more time there![i]).  If you have children who are really excited about the space missions or are interested in careers in space and manufacturing, a weekday visit here could be influential and inspiring.  And if you would like to see the assembly of a real spacecraft, then of course the Moonshot Museum is absolutely a must-see.

If you love astronomy but are not as interested in space exploration, another great opportunity is to find a local observatory[ii] or astronomy club near you and attend one or more of their meetings.  In western Pennsylvania, there is the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh,which provides dozens of public star parties at local sites and observatories in the greater Pittsburgh area.

We attended a star party near the city itself and were surprised by how much we could see through the dozens of telescopes that members brought.  Some star parties like the one we attended include presentations; the ones at Mingo Creek Park Observatory include planetarium shows.

After the presentation (when applicable), amateur astronomers sit with their telescopes aimed at various stars, galaxies, or other features in the night sky.  Visitors wander between astronomers to see the stars and talk to them—most are there because they want to share their passion for the stars with your family!  Although these events start late in the evening, the great part is that your family can leave whenever it is suitable to you and to your children’s bedtimes.

If you’re passionate about space and the night sky, these are just a couple opportunities in southwestern Pennsylvania[iii] for you to get out and marvel at how the heavens declare the glory of God!

[i] If you have more time in the city, the museum is very close (even walking distance) to some other Pittsburgh north side attractions such as the National Aviary, Children’s Museum, and Kamin (formerly Carnegie) Science Center.

[ii] In Pittsburgh, there is the Allegheny Observatory which offers seasonal presentations and public tours by advance registration; they generally recommend that children under seven be left at home.

[iii] I hope to bring you an article about light pollution and the Dark Sky Park in Cherry Springs, PA in the future—but if that is closer to you, I bet that experience would be even more amazing.

As homeschool families, we must ask ourselves an honest question: why do we choose freedom? Why do we insist on leading our families, shaping our homes, and directing our children’s paths ourselves?

Is it to recreate systems we’ve already watched fail—just within our own four walls?
To let government, culture, or convenience quietly redefine what’s “best” for our children?
To exchange one system of oversight for another?

Or is it to claim the freedom and flexibility to educate our children in ways that genuinely serve them?

For me, the answer is clear: we homeschool because parents have a God-given right and responsibility to direct their children’s education—without interference or external control.

It is reclaiming authority over the shaping of our children’s hearts, minds, and souls.
It is choosing stewardship over surrender.
Leadership over compliance.
Freedom over fear.

True freedom requires responsibility. It requires parents willing to stand in the gap for their children rather than outsourcing their education to institutions that do not share their values—or their vision for human flourishing.

Freedom is not created by man; it is given by God. And with that gift comes both privilege and accountability. Parents are called to steward what has been entrusted to them, remaining vigilant against systems that neither understand nor honor their convictions.

Freedom is never passive. Thomas Jefferson warned us plainly: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” That means watching. Guarding. Praying.

Ronald Reagan captured this reality with piercing clarity when he said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” History reminds us that systems promising to “help” often end up controlling. Dependency—no matter how well-intentioned—slowly erodes dignity. It begins with convenience and ends with compliance.

History reminds us that systems promising to “help” often end up controlling. Dependency—no matter how well-intentioned—slowly erodes dignity. It begins with convenience and ends with compliance.

Freedom, by contrast, begins in the heart.

It is the courage to question what others accept.
The willingness to wrestle with Truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
And the humility to recognize that security without sovereignty is not freedom at all.

In 2024, the United States of America elected its 47th President, and in 2025, the states of New Jersey and Virginia chose their Governors. As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, I invite you to pause and reflect with me on the meaning of independence and the enduring gift of freedom.

As homeschool families, why do we choose freedom? Why do we insist on leading our families, shaping our homes, and directing our children’s paths ourselves? Is it so that we can simply recreate systems we’ve already seen fail? So that someone else—whether the government, culture, or convenience—can define what’s “best” for us? Or is it because deep down, we know that freedom was given to us by God, and with it comes both privilege and responsibility?

For me, the answer is simple. Freedom is not man-made—it is God-given. It’s the divine right and responsibility of every parent, family, and believer to steward what has been entrusted to us without interference or oversight from those who neither understand nor share our convictions.

Freedom, though, is not without cost. As Thomas Jefferson reminds us, “The weight of freedom is eternal vigilance.” We must watch, guard, and pray—because the same systems that promise to “help” often end up controlling. As Ronald Reagan wisely warned, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,” are nine of the most dangerous words in the English language. Dependency, no matter how well-intentioned, can quietly erode dignity. It begins with convenience and ends with control.

My family decided years ago to step away from the world’s expectations and follow the vision God gave us for our home and our children. Living on one income has reminded us that everything else is a resource, but God alone is the Source. Since we began this journey in 2022, we have never missed a mortgage payment, never gone hungry, and never been forsaken. Time and again, provision has met obedience.

Before this season of my life, I never questioned the formula I was taught to follow: earn degrees, get married, have children, keep climbing the career ladder, and move to a “good” neighborhood with “better” public schools. I never paused to ask what “better” even meant—or for whom. But when God interrupted my checklist, He invited me to see life differently.

Freedom begins in the heart. It’s the courage to question what everyone else accepts. It’s the willingness to wrestle with Truth even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s the humility to admit that security without sovereignty isn’t freedom at all.

This understanding has required me to unlearn the traditional methods I once trusted. True learning—true living—is not about performance or checklists. It’s about cultivating wonder. It’s about curiosity, character, and the lifelong pursuit of wisdom.

Over time, I’ve found that freedom is both exhilarating and weighty. It asks us to stay awake—to think deeply, pray fervently, and guard our hearts against complacency. Neil Postman once said that our culture is “amusing itself to death.” How true that feels today. With every scroll, click, and clip, the temptation is to think less, feel less, and trust less. But we were not created for passivity. We were created for depth, meaning, and divine purpose.

In a world where artificial intelligence threatens to replace human thought, where headlines and opinions are louder than truth, and where convenience often trumps conviction, we must return to what is real. We must return to God.

Freedom is not something we win once—it’s something we must steward daily. And stewardship requires vigilance. We must be alert to the subtle ways our independence can be bought, distracted, or quietly surrendered.

Sometimes freedom doesn’t look like fireworks or sweeping reforms. Sometimes freedom looks like restraint. It looks like laws not being passed. It looks like space—space for families to breathe, lead, and live according to their convictions without unnecessary interference.

May we never grow weary of defending it.

May we never trade it for ease or approval.

And may we never forget that the Author of freedom still reigns—powerful, faithful, and true.