New to Home Education
Are you new to homeschooling or considering Christian home education for your child/children? Here are a few resources we highly recommend:
HSLDA is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Through annual memberships, HSLDA is tens of thousands of families united in service together, providing a strong voice when and where needed.
The Teaching Home- This article is a great resource if you are just getting started or thinking about starting your journey of homeschooling.
Connecticut Education Laws
The State of Connecticut views homeschoolers as being covered by the Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-184 and Section 10-220. In addition, P.A. 94-245, An Act Concerning Revisions to the Education Statutes, was passed in 1994. The revisions, which concern special education and affect homeschoolers, took effect on July 1, 1994.
Several years ago, the State Board of Education issued guidelines for homeschoolers and local school districts to follow. While these guidelines do not carry the force of law, they are viewed by the state as reasonable and the state expects homeschoolers to follow them. If a homeschooler could not in good conscience follow the guidelines because of their religious convictions, or if the state changed the guidelines, P.A. 93-252 could be used by the homeschooler as a defense. The courts would then have to decide whether the guidelines are the "least restrictive means" of ensuring compliance with Section 10-184.
Connecticut Religious Liberty Laws
The Connecticut Constitution guarantees the right of religious liberty. In many states, a guarantee of religious liberty has been successfully used to defend the right of Christians to homeschool. In addition, the Connecticut legislature passed Public Act 93-252, An Act Concerning Religious Freedom in 1993. This statute forbids any governmental agency from burdening "a person's exercise of religion" without a compelling government interest. If there is a compelling interest, the government must use the "least restrictive means" available to further that compelling interest.
There has not been a challenge to a parents right to homeschool in Connecticut recently. Therefore, there is no Connecticut case law that directly relates to homeschooling. However, similar laws in other states have been used to protect the rights of homeschoolers who are instructing their children because of their religious convictions.
If you have further questions, please contact Lisa.