Minority spokesperson on the House Education Policy Committee Amy Elik (R-Alton) led the fight against the burdensome Homeschool Act. This act would have mandated an unnecessary annual registration scheme for homeschool families.
“Parents should have the ability to choose the learning environment that best fits their child’s learning,” said Rep. Amy Elik. “Bureaucrats in Springfield have bigger problems to solve than adding burdensome and unnecessary mandates on home and private school families.”
State Representative Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville), vocal advocate for homeschool families, was a strong voice for the over 130,000 Illinoisans who filed witness slips against the Homeschool Act.
“House Republicans, with the help of 130,000 advocates across Illinois, were able to stand up for homeschool families and make their voices heard,” said Rep. Schweizer. “It’s a slippery slope from regulations to making homeschooling an impossible option in Illinois. I will continue to stand for homeschool freedom and ensure all students get the opportunity to succeed, no matter how they learn, and that parents are included in their child’s education.”
State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur), who also serves on the Mt. Zion Community Unit School District’s school board and has volunteered as the Chair of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation, talked about some of the real issues affecting education in Illinois.
“If we are going to talk about fixing problems with education, let’s zoom out on education as a whole: from unprecedented teacher shortages, intense levels of bullying and violence, and not enough students learning at grade level,” said Rep. Regan Deering. “Public education is full of government mandates and plenty of dollars, yet our kids are still not always getting the education they deserve. Those are real issues that merit solutions.”
State Representative Travis Weaver (R-Peoria) said he was proud to stand up and protect Illinois children from woke gender policies.
“Times are changing,” stated Rep. Weaver. “Our children not only have to compete globally, but they also have to compete with increasingly efficient technology. Meanwhile, Illinois Democrats prioritizing the wrong things, like letting boys play in girls’ sports. House Republicans will continue to hold them accountable and focus on teaching kids the skills they need to be prosperous in this new world."