Child advocacy group opposes Iowa’s proposed rollback of health and education standards
[Washington, DC]: The Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), the only organization in the nation that advocates for homeschooled children’s rights, strongly opposes Iowa’s proposed legislation, House File 88, which would erode the state’s already fragile laws that protect homeschooled children’s health, safety, and access to a basic education.
If passed into law, House File 88 would:
- Exempt homeschooling families from proving that their children have received required vaccinations
- Exempt elementary-age homeschooled children from taking the state-required blood lead test designed to prevent lead poisoning
- Remove a requirement that home educators teach elementary-age students social studies and science
Moreover, House File 88 would allow homeschooling families to educate children outside the household, and charge tuition. This bill would allow anyone to establish a private school under the state’s highly deregulated homeschool statute, which does not require educators to have any training in subjects they teach, or even require having a high school diploma (or equivalent). It would also prohibit all teachers, in homeschool settings and in public and private schools, from using gender-neutral language while teaching world languages.
“House File 88 represents an aggressive attempt to erode public education and, in doing so, violates a child’s basic right to a comprehensive education in a safe home,” said CRHE Executive Director Angela Grimberg. “We urge lawmakers to vote no on House File 88.”
In 2024, CRHE released the Make Homeschool Safe Act, model legislation that protects homeschooled children’s right to be safe, to learn, and to access resources.
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About CRHE: 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 every homeschooled child is educated in a safe home.
Iowa House File 88 Would Endanger Homeschooled Children’s Health and Safety
Child advocacy group opposes Iowa’s proposed rollback of health and education standards
[Washington, DC]: The Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), the only organization in the nation that advocates for homeschooled children’s rights, strongly opposes Iowa’s proposed legislation, House File 88, which would erode the state’s already fragile laws that protect homeschooled children’s health, safety, and access to a basic education.
If passed into law, House File 88 would:
Moreover, House File 88 would allow homeschooling families to educate children outside the household, and charge tuition. This bill would allow anyone to establish a private school under the state’s highly deregulated homeschool statute, which does not require educators to have any training in subjects they teach, or even require having a high school diploma (or equivalent). It would also prohibit all teachers, in homeschool settings and in public and private schools, from using gender-neutral language while teaching world languages.
“House File 88 represents an aggressive attempt to erode public education and, in doing so, violates a child’s basic right to a comprehensive education in a safe home,” said CRHE Executive Director Angela Grimberg. “We urge lawmakers to vote no on House File 88.”
In 2024, CRHE released the Make Homeschool Safe Act, model legislation that protects homeschooled children’s right to be safe, to learn, and to access resources.
###
About CRHE: 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 every homeschooled child is educated in a safe home.