The Coalition for Responsible Home Education, the only national nonprofit advocating for homeschooled children, rejects the Jan. 23, 2025 proposed changes to Virginia SB 1031, which would have significantly and disastrously altered the assessment requirements in the state’s homeschool statute, Va. Code § 22.1-254.1.
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, a substitute was offered for SB 1031, which would have altered the homeschool assessment requirements. CRHE acted immediately against this proposal and notified the bill’s sponsor that it would have to withdraw its support for the bill unless the changes to the assessment requirements were removed. The proposal has now been withdrawn, and the bill’s former language has been restored.
CRHE has been supporting Sen. Pekarsky, a former homeschooling mom and SB 1031’s sponsor, to remedy the current loophole in Virginia’s religious-exemption statute. That loophole makes it completely legal for parents homeschooling under that statute not to teach their children at all. The proposed alterations to the assessment provision were not proposed by Sen. Pekarsky – but by a senator acting without her knowledge and without the input of key stakeholders, including CRHE. As explained in her statement, Sen. Pekarsky immediately understood the dangers posed by the proposed alterations to the assessment requirements and acted swiftly to have the proposed alterations withdrawn. CRHE and Sen. Pekarsky remain in alignment with our shared goals to protect homeschooled kids.
“CRHE emphatically rejects assessment requirements that rely solely on standardized testing,” said CRHE board chair Carmen Longoria-Green. “CRHE’s model legislation, the Make Homeschool Safe Act, represents the gold standard for homeschool legislation based upon the real-world experiences of formerly homeschooled adults. The model statute embraces holistic assessment requirements so that students have a variety of methods to demonstrate their academic progress. CRHE does not endorse alterations to existing homeschool laws that run contrary to the policy positions adopted in the Make Homeschool Safe Act.”
There is significant misinformation circulating about SB 1031 and the Jan. 23 proposal to alter the assessment provisions. Opponents to SB 1031, who want the religious-exemption loophole to remain in place, are using this confusion to their advantage. The language of SB 1031 has been restored to its original purpose: removing the religious-exemption loophole that legalizes extreme educational neglect.
“We at CRHE ask all Virginia residents to join us in supporting Sen. Pekarsky’s efforts to remove this loophole,” said Longoria-Green. “This is a vital opportunity to make homeschool safe for every child in Virginia.”
About: The Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) is the only organization in the country founded and run by homeschooled adults that advocates for laws and policies that protect homeschooled children. CRHE exists to ensure that homeschooling is an educational tool used to lovingly prepare children for an open future.
CRHE Rejects Proposed Changes To Virginia Homeschool Assessment Requirements
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education, the only national nonprofit advocating for homeschooled children, rejects the Jan. 23, 2025 proposed changes to Virginia SB 1031, which would have significantly and disastrously altered the assessment requirements in the state’s homeschool statute, Va. Code § 22.1-254.1.
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, a substitute was offered for SB 1031, which would have altered the homeschool assessment requirements. CRHE acted immediately against this proposal and notified the bill’s sponsor that it would have to withdraw its support for the bill unless the changes to the assessment requirements were removed. The proposal has now been withdrawn, and the bill’s former language has been restored.
CRHE has been supporting Sen. Pekarsky, a former homeschooling mom and SB 1031’s sponsor, to remedy the current loophole in Virginia’s religious-exemption statute. That loophole makes it completely legal for parents homeschooling under that statute not to teach their children at all. The proposed alterations to the assessment provision were not proposed by Sen. Pekarsky – but by a senator acting without her knowledge and without the input of key stakeholders, including CRHE. As explained in her statement, Sen. Pekarsky immediately understood the dangers posed by the proposed alterations to the assessment requirements and acted swiftly to have the proposed alterations withdrawn. CRHE and Sen. Pekarsky remain in alignment with our shared goals to protect homeschooled kids.
“CRHE emphatically rejects assessment requirements that rely solely on standardized testing,” said CRHE board chair Carmen Longoria-Green. “CRHE’s model legislation, the Make Homeschool Safe Act, represents the gold standard for homeschool legislation based upon the real-world experiences of formerly homeschooled adults. The model statute embraces holistic assessment requirements so that students have a variety of methods to demonstrate their academic progress. CRHE does not endorse alterations to existing homeschool laws that run contrary to the policy positions adopted in the Make Homeschool Safe Act.”
There is significant misinformation circulating about SB 1031 and the Jan. 23 proposal to alter the assessment provisions. Opponents to SB 1031, who want the religious-exemption loophole to remain in place, are using this confusion to their advantage. The language of SB 1031 has been restored to its original purpose: removing the religious-exemption loophole that legalizes extreme educational neglect.
“We at CRHE ask all Virginia residents to join us in supporting Sen. Pekarsky’s efforts to remove this loophole,” said Longoria-Green. “This is a vital opportunity to make homeschool safe for every child in Virginia.”
About: The Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) is the only organization in the country founded and run by homeschooled adults that advocates for laws and policies that protect homeschooled children. CRHE exists to ensure that homeschooling is an educational tool used to lovingly prepare children for an open future.