For Immediate Release:
Alabama Homeschool Alliance applauds the actions of Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl in securing a statement from the Alabama Education Association that they do not intend to seek any new regulations of homeschooling families at this time.
Their recent comments in a news article indicating that they were in favor of such regulations (link here) were highly concerning to many homeschooling families across the state.
We at Alabama Homeschool Alliance are pleased to hear the AEA affirm they are not seeking changes to reporting requirements for homeschoolers, but we also remain vigilant in our commitment to defend homeschool freedom. As taxpayers and members of the community we fully support their work to improve public education, but we dutifully will hold them accountable to their statements that they seek no changes to current homeschooling policy.
With the advent of school choice programs across the country and interest groups that are dedicated to bringing more regulations to homeschoolers, we have noted that there are increasing legislative and regulatory threats to the freedom of homeschoolers across the country. We stand ready to defend the freedom of all homeschoolers, and we appreciate the cooperation of leaders in our state, leaders in the homeschool community, and parental rights advocates.
As we continue to advocate for homeschool freedom, we encourage the homeschooling families of Alabama to be well-acquainted with the laws that pertain to homeschooling and to complete any records that pertain to their family’s enrollment status. For more information, please visit the ALHSA page on homeschooling laws in Alabama at https://alhsa.net/page/laws.
What we have been warning about is now hitting the headlines here in Alabama. We want you to be fully informed. In fact, to INFORM you is our first mission here at Alabama Homeschool Alliance (ALHSA).
The most recent piece of journalism is not the first we have seen to quote our current State Superintendent, Eric Mackey, on the subject of “missing” students in Alabama. The first article was written in 2020, after students left school in mass exodus with various reasons due to the covid pandemic, closures, and other policies. Mackey cited that there were around 5,000 students that were “just missing” at that time.
So, it should be no surprise to us, now, when he continues to do his job to account for students in his state. As of late, Mackey reports that around 5,000 students have left the public school system, with approximately 3,000 of them accounted for through the CHOOSE Act program and funding. That leaves the remaining 2,800 students unaccounted. Mackey believes that they are homeschooling, but not properly enrolled.
In light of these recent headlines, we want to also encourage you to be sure you have submitted proper enrollment paperwork for your homeschooled children, according to our current state laws. (You can see them here or here. This is one way you can stay empowered, as you exercise your responsibility first, and, thus, keep your authority.
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Here at ALHSA, we want to fulfill our mission, which is our dedication to YOU.
Our mission is to:
INFORM – EMPOWER – ENCOURAGE – UNIFY
We want you to be informed of all headlines and happenings in the legislative branch of our government, along with local happenings.
We want to empower you to take—and keep—the responsibility for your own child(ren)’s education, and to not let anyone take that responsibility (and thus, authority) from you.
We want to encourage you along your journey, and to provide resources which will be helpful to you.
Finally, we aim to unify. Homeschoolers in our state have been divided on various issues, such as which math curriculum to use, which co-op is the best, and even the laws. The ONE thing upon which we are unified, and on which we must be unified, is parental rights regarding education. While we may educate our children differently, we must be for one another’s right to educate as each sees fit. These are rights for which families fought in the 1980’s, and these are rights for which we, in 2025, must fight to uphold. We will only achieve this as a united front.
Do you believe in parental rights in regard to education? Perhaps you will want to join us as we come together with specific purposes to Inform, Empower, and Encourage Alabama homeschool parents, and with a goal of unity, for the sake of homeschool freedom. Contact us today to join our team and efforts!
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You may also wish to preemptively contact your legislators. To do so, CLICK HERE to find and contact your legislator!
