Hello Friends! As a parent of young kids and someone who cherishes our freedoms, I want to talk about an important issue. Lately, there has been talk of new rules for homeschooling families in Michigan.
These potential changes come after a tragic child abuse case in the foster care system.1 Because of this, there’s a false idea spreading that such abuse is happening among homeschooling families.
LET ME BE CLEAR: child abuse is abhorrent and must be addressed to the fullest extent of the law. However, it’s unfair to penalize the many families who chose homeschooling for their kids without any evidence.
I urge everyone in Michigan to contact their state representative to support homeschooling families. The person suggesting these regulations, Representative Kimberly Edwards, is on the Education Committee. Please consider sharing your thoughts to Rep. Edwards as well, to show your support for the homeschooling community. I’ve provided a sample letter to get you started in drafting something to send to your representatives. Please feel free to download these, make them your own, and send.
Representative Kimberly Edwards: Phone: (517) 373-0852; Email: KimberlyEdwards@house.mi.gov
For those who think this doesn’t matter to them…
I’d like to share a story about King Hezekiah who became seriously ill and was close to dying. During his sickness, the prophet Isaiah visited him and at first told Hezekiah that he would not recover. This prompted the king to desperately pray to God for help. God responded to his prayers, saying, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. In three days, you will go to the temple of the Lord.” (2 Kings 20:5b LSB) Furthermore, God promised to extend Hezekiah’s life by 15 years.
After Hezekiah was healed, envoys from the Babylonian king came to see him. Hezekiah showed them all the wealth stored in his palace. Following this, Isaiah questioned the king about the visit. Hezekiah admitted that he had shown the Babylonian envoys everything. Isaiah then foretold what would happen because of this event:
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh. 17 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have treasured up to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says Yahweh. 18 ‘And some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”
2 Kings 20:16-18 LSB
And the king’s response:
19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good.” For he said, “Will it not be good, if there will be peace and truth in my days?”
2 Kings 20:19 LSB
Hezekiah acted without considering the future impact on his descendants; he was only concerned with avoiding consequences within his lifetime.
This mindset is relevant to us today. I urge you to empathize with our situation. Do not disregard our struggle. Increased regulations on homeschooling could endanger our right to educate our children as we choose, and eventually, your rights could be threatened too. Writing a letter may seem insignificant, but it’s a simple way to show support. Even if you’re not homeschooling, you likely know someone who is—a friend or relative. Since you’re here reading this, there is at least one homeschooling family you know and can help with this simple action. Write and submit a letter today!
- https://www.michn.org/resources/69097/legislative-update-12-05-23?source=blog ↩︎
