Petition Against Additional Regulations on Homeschooling in Connecticut

To: Connecticut State Legislature
From: Concerned Parents and Citizens of Connecticut

Subject: Oppose Regulations on Homeschooling in Connecticut

We, the undersigned residents of the State of Connecticut, strongly oppose the implementation of new or increased regulations on homeschooling families.

Homeschooling is a vital educational choice for thousands of Connecticut families. It allows parents to tailor education to the individual needs, values, learning styles, and interests of their children. Homeschooling is a protected right and has been the historical norm for much of our nation's history.

Additional laws and regulation are unnecessarily expensive and burdensome for both home educators and for the state.  Current laws already provide a framework that ensures educational responsibility without infringing on parental rights or placing undue burdens on families.  Educational neglect and child abuse enforcement are not limited by a family's choice to homeschool, and incurring oversight costs at the local or state level to oversee regulations of thousands of families will tax an already overstretched bureaucracy. 

Efforts to expand regulatory oversight—including mandatory registration, curriculum approval, or intrusive assessments—represent a threat to educational freedom and parental rights. These measures are unnecessary and could disproportionately impact families who have chosen homeschooling for deeply personal, pedagogical, religious, or health-related reasons.

Connecticut homeschoolers have consistently demonstrated strong academic outcomes and civic involvement without excessive government interference. Instead of imposing burdensome rules, the state should recognize and support the success of home education as an alternative pathway to academic excellence and responsible citizenship.

We respectfully urge Connecticut lawmakers to:

1.    Reject proposed legislation that would increase state control or monitoring of homeschooling families.

2.    Acknowledge the rights of parents as the primary educators of their children.

3.    Engage with homeschooling communities to understand their proven methods and successes and look to implement changes to public institutions to imitate that success, not impose failed policies on those who are succeeding.

Protect freedom in education. Support Connecticut’s homeschooling families.

Signed,