'Most shocking': State insists it needs 'surveillance state' for homeschoolers

[rangerrebew]

'Most shocking': State insists it needs 'surveillance state' for homeschoolers
'A significant shift in how homeschooling families are treated under the law'

By
WND Staff

March 23, 2026
 
A lawyer for the Home School Legal Defense Association has posted a column at the Federalist that essentially describes how lawmakers in Connecticut are pursuing a "surveillance state" for homeschool families.

It's because lawmakers there are calling for vast new restrictions on homeschool families, new demands for them to meet, and much more.

Ralph Rodriguez of the HSLDA described how the state would force families to provide annual notification paperwork, education portfolios, and data that the government would collect and record.

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"Most shocking of all the proposals, the bill would also require parents to obtain permission to homeschool from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in certain circumstances," he warned in a statement at the association's web page.

https://www.wnd.com/2026/03/most-shocking-state-insists-it-needs-surveillance-state/

[rangerrebew]

Will that apply to Muslims or will they be exempted?

[verga]

 

[PeteS in CA]

Striking: CT Moves to Increase Regs While NH Removes Them

https://hslda.org/post/striking-ct-moves-to-increase-regs-while-nh-removes-them

In New Hampshire, the House passed H.B. 1268, legislation that would remove nearly all mandatory administrative requirements currently imposed on homeschool families. If enacted, the bill would eliminate requirements such as notification to the state, portfolios of student work, and annual evaluations. The proposal reflects a simple reality: homeschooling families do not need layers of bureaucracy to educate their children successfully.

Just a few hours away in Connecticut, however, lawmakers were considering the opposite approach.
...
On Wednesday, the Connecticut Joint Education Committee held a 19-hour public hearing on H.B. 5468, a bill that would impose new regulatory burdens on homeschooling families in a state that has historically respected homeschool freedom. Rodriguez has been monitoring developments in both states and was in Hartford on Wednesday to stand with Connecticut homeschooling families as they spoke out against H.B. 5468.

The proposal would make sweeping changes to the Connecticut homeschool law. It require significant additional oversight when parents withdraw their children from public school. Families would be required to submit annual notification paperwork and education portfolios, and the government would collect and record data on homeschool families.

Most shocking of all the proposals, the bill would also require parents to obtain permission to homeschool from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in certain circumstances.

“One of the most troubling aspects of the proposal is the idea that parents could need permission from a child welfare agency before teaching their own children at home,” noted Rodriguez. “That represents a significant shift in how homeschooling families are treated under the law.”

That last mentioned provision may be contrary to existing USSC decisions.

In the real world, on average homeschooled students do better academically than PS students. This has been shown in years past with homeschooled students doing better on the ACT, and many universities welcome (= not just admit) homeschooled students. All the extra oversight would be useless, burdening bureaucrats, accomplishing zero, burdening homeschooling parents, and intimidating and discouraging parents considering homeschooling. IMO, those last two are the true intent of the legislation, suppressing homeschooling.

I have had a horse in this race in years past. My wife and I homeschooled our munchkins "K-12" and we started and for several years led a homeschooling support group that grew to 120 families in our last year of leadership. Between the support group, various activities for homeschooled students, and volunteering at conventions, we were acquainted with over a thousand homeschooling families.

[DB]

Just trying to shield the teacher's union from competition. It is always about power and money, not the students.

[Mod2]

Moved to Education category.

[MeganC]

Just trying to shield the teacher's union from competition. It is always about power and money, not the students.

This. 

[Fishrrman]

These new restrictions will pass EASILY here in Connecticut -- Republicans are hopelessly outnumbered in the state legislature.

The new law will probably survive court challenges, as well.

CT has one of the most restrictive gun laws yet (since the Sandy Hook shootings in 2012).
No one has succeeded in overturning them...

[libertybele]

“One of the most troubling aspects of the proposal is the idea that parents could need permission from a child welfare agency before teaching their own children at home,” noted Rodriguez. “That represents a significant shift in how homeschooling families are treated under the law.”

 

[verga]

Just trying to shield the teacher's union from competition. It is always about power and money, not the students.

@MeganC , @DB  Maybe for some, not for all of us. I am in favor of whatever works best for the student. For some it is public Schools , others it is homeschooling, still others would benefit from parochial schools, and others from a Military Academy.  will tell you exactly what i told the homescrewing Nazis over on TOS: "You think homeschooling is perfect, great i have a list of about 12 kids right off the top of my head that you can test your theories out on".
I have  been teaching for 30 years. I have taught at alternative schools (Either coming from or going to jail), Urban, suburban and rural schools. I have taught in regular schools and vocational schools. I have taught in Maryland, New york and currently in Virginia.
In everyone of those schools for some of those kids the 6-7 hours they are with us are literally the best part of their day.
They are not getting their @$$ kicked by a drunk off his @$$ father. They are not getting molested by Mom's latest boyfriend. They don't have to worry about he next door Neighbor selling them Meth or Bath salts.
Would every kid benefit from smaller classes and more attention, absolutely, but not everyone (and by that I mean most) can afford to have one parent staying at home to do this.
I can't tell you the number of parents that came up to me personally, after COVID, and said "None of you are paid nearly enough."
This little diatribe of mine is not meant as in insult or an attack on either of you, and i apologize if you have taken it that way.

[DB]

@MeganC , @DB  Maybe for some, not for all of us. I am in favor of whatever works best for the student. For some it is public Schools , others it is homeschooling, still others would benefit from parochial schools, and others from a Military Academy.  will tell you exactly what i told the homescrewing Nazis over on TOS: "You think homeschooling is perfect, great i have a list of about 12 kids right off the top of my head that you can test your theories out on".
I have  been teaching for 30 years. I have taught at alternative schools (Either coming from or going to jail), Urban, suburban and rural schools. I have taught in regular schools and vocational schools. I have taught in Maryland, New york and currently in Virginia.
In everyone of those schools for some of those kids the 6-7 hours they are with us are literally the best part of their day.
They are not getting their @$$ kicked by a drunk off his @$$ father. They are not getting molested by Mom's latest boyfriend. They don't have to worry about he next door Neighbor selling them Meth or Bath salts.
Would every kid benefit from smaller classes and more attention, absolutely, but not everyone (and by that I mean most) can afford to have one parent staying at home to do this.
I can't tell you the number of parents that came up to me personally, after COVID, and said "None of you are paid nearly enough."
This little diatribe of mine is not meant as in insult or an attack on either of you, and i apologize if you have taken it that way.

One size does not fit all. No argument there. But the national teachers union is about the teachers union and not much else. The state politicians want money from them so they do their bidding. That means putting up whatever barriers they can against home schooling and charter schools. I'm for letting the parents decide.

I'm sure you are an excellent teacher.

[PeteS in CA]

Just trying to shield the teacher's union from competition. It is always about power and money, not the students.

The unions and too many educrat administrators are about $$$$, not students or individual teachers. Districts and schools within districts get $$$$ based on Average Daily Attendance. One homeschooled kid is one less kid in the ADA. Dem pols get much of their campaign $$$$ from the unions, so when the ubiob says, "Jump!" they probably will and ask, "How high?" on their way up.

I know I'm broad-brushing, and there certainly are good teachers and even some good educrats (we worked some with a now-long-retired lady at our local county office of education), but legislators, educrats, and the unions burn gobs of $$$$ attacking, and often losing to, homeschoolers and HSLDA. They appear to view the wasted $$$$ as an "investment" in getting homeschooled kids back in desk seats and the resulting increased ADA $$$$.

[MeganC]

@DB

@MeganC , @DB  Maybe for some, not for all of us. I am in favor of whatever works best for the student. For some it is public Schools , others it is homeschooling, still others would benefit from parochial schools, and others from a Military Academy.  will tell you exactly what i told the homescrewing Nazis over on TOS: "You think homeschooling is perfect, great i have a list of about 12 kids right off the top of my head that you can test your theories out on".
I have  been teaching for 30 years. I have taught at alternative schools (Either coming from or going to jail), Urban, suburban and rural schools. I have taught in regular schools and vocational schools. I have taught in Maryland, New york and currently in Virginia.
In everyone of those schools for some of those kids the 6-7 hours they are with us are literally the best part of their day.
They are not getting their @$$ kicked by a drunk off his @$$ father. They are not getting molested by Mom's latest boyfriend. They don't have to worry about he next door Neighbor selling them Meth or Bath salts.
Would every kid benefit from smaller classes and more attention, absolutely, but not everyone (and by that I mean most) can afford to have one parent staying at home to do this.
I can't tell you the number of parents that came up to me personally, after COVID, and said "None of you are paid nearly enough."

Uh-huh.

This little diatribe of mine is not meant as in insult or an attack on either of you, and i apologize if you have taken it that way.

If your little diatribe was not meant as an attack on either of us then why were we singled out to receive it? Seems to me you could have posted the first part of your comment (above) without specifying a recipient.

Yet you chose to specify a recipient.

Fine.

So I am happy for you with your experiences. Yay.

My parents were a horror show and I chose not to let that define me.

I did public school (which was also a horror show) and graduated high school mostly by showing up and fogging a mirror. After I got married I retook high school as a home school curriculum and graduated a second time. That turned out pretty good IMHO. I can read and do math now. In my head. I even memorized my (gasp!) multiplication tables. Crazy.

I have nine children and they're all homeschooled. My twins are the oldest and they're almost sixteen. One of them starts Hillsdale College in the fall.

All of my kids speak at least Spanish as a second language. A couple of them speak some-to-a-lot of Shoshone, and the girl going to college in the fall speaks French, German, and Italian in addition to Spanish, Shoshone, and English. She wants to work in the White House someday. I believe she will.

Not all homeschooling families do well with this. But we have the freedom to try or to fail. The public schools? I know what they do and I went to public schools. You can have them.

I will end here because I keep editing my posts and deleting things. Myst will surely appreciate my edits and discretion.

Have a nice night.

[libertybele]

@MeganC , @DB  Maybe for some, not for all of us. I am in favor of whatever works best for the student. For some it is public Schools , others it is homeschooling, still others would benefit from parochial schools, and others from a Military Academy.  will tell you exactly what i told the homescrewing Nazis over on TOS: "You think homeschooling is perfect, great i have a list of about 12 kids right off the top of my head that you can test your theories out on".
I have  been teaching for 30 years. I have taught at alternative schools (Either coming from or going to jail), Urban, suburban and rural schools. I have taught in regular schools and vocational schools. I have taught in Maryland, New york and currently in Virginia.
In everyone of those schools for some of those kids the 6-7 hours they are with us are literally the best part of their day.
They are not getting their @$$ kicked by a drunk off his @$$ father. They are not getting molested by Mom's latest boyfriend. They don't have to worry about he next door Neighbor selling them Meth or Bath salts.
Would every kid benefit from smaller classes and more attention, absolutely, but not everyone (and by that I mean most) can afford to have one parent staying at home to do this.
I can't tell you the number of parents that came up to me personally, after COVID, and said "None of you are paid nearly enough."
This little diatribe of mine is not meant as in insult or an attack on either of you, and i apologize if you have taken it that way.

@verga  You bring up a point that I hadn't thought of; the children who come from an abusive family and their only escape is during the day at school.  I would think that it would be difficult for those kids to learn simply because they would be worried about what faces them when they get home while they are in school.  Sad.  Thanks for the reminder that not all children have a stable environment in which to learn or a loving home life.

I am an advocate of homeschooling for the simple fact of avoiding the 'brainwashing' or indoctrination of liberalism in our youths in public schools.

Homeschooling has become popular and I know several families that have done so and  those homeschooled have done very well; some even exceptionally well.  It takes a lot of dedication and time on the side of the parents and yes, some families don't have that kind of time nor money and some parents just don't have the patience.

There is no one size fits all in this case, but I believe the parents should be making the decision of how to educate their children ... and then there are parents that don't give a damn about the kids and those kids don't make it to class on a regular basis, and then the 'school system' is needed to step in.

[roamer_1]

The unions and too many educrat administrators are about $$$$, not students or individual teachers.

That is the nature of any organization - And the bigger the organization, the more the money matters. It is the nature of the thing.

[Smokin Joe]

Just trying to shield the teacher's union from competition. It is always about power and money, not the students.

Ultimately, there will be 'standards' that force compliance with the narratives the NEA, et. al. are pushing.