Don’t Trade Discipleship for a Government-Funded School at Home

Your state either has already passed legislation that allows homeschoolers to use government funds for curriculum, or they are working very hard to do so at this moment. “School choice” legislation includes vouchers, ESAs (education savings accounts) or some form of “money follows the child.” It is sweeping the nation. 

This is not a good thing. 

In this article, I will lay out the reasons that Christian parents should avoid these funds, but even more, why we must fight to prevent this from becoming law in every state. For ease, I will refer to all forms of “school choice” legislation as vouchers.

We already have school choice

One of the most dishonest parts of “school choice” campaigns is that promoters bewail the lack of options for parents. But every state in America has the option of free government school, private school, and homeschooling. Those are choices.

The word choice has been increasing blurred with the word funds. We have choices. What we don’t have is a check from the government to pay for each choice.

Who is behind vouchers?

Many well-meaning voters believe that this is a grass-roots effort. Parents want choices, so the push seems to be coming from parents. While there are many parents who support vouchers, the idea did not originate with them. It is a politically-right (as in Republican) movement by large organizations like Heritage Foundation, Friedman Foundation, etc. If you’re a conservative or Republican voter, you might be thinking, “Well, that’s not bad!”

Stay with me.

Republicans are not always conservative, and this is one of those cases. Many years ago, I did a deep dive into the roots of vouchers in Texas. What I found was not just specific to my state.

Case in point: When given a clear choice, voters across the United States have consistently opposed school vouchers. Between 1966 and 2000, state ballot initiatives to allow public funding for private schools were rejected 24 out of 25 times. This dismal record led the pro-voucher strategists to rebrand the movement as “school choice” and as beneficial to public schools. In 2002, Dick DeVos suggested to a Heritage Foundation audience that the school choice movement should conceal its conservative roots. He advised that “properly communicated, properly constructed, [school choice] can cut across a lot of historic boundaries, be they partisan, ethnic, or otherwise.” 

He continued: “We need to be cautious about talking too much about these activities. Many of the activities and the political work that needs to go on will go on at the grass roots. It will go on quietly and it will go on in the form that often politics is done—one person at a time, speaking to another person in privacy.”

Dick and Betsy DeVos followed through. By 2009, the media packet of the DeVos-founded All Children Matter promoted the multiple “successes.”

Fast forward to 2023. A well-funded lobby is taking vouchers mainstream by (correctly) pointing out the multiple issues with public schools. Lack of academics, dismal test scores, graduates who can’t read, and sexual grooming are great reasons to want out of the government schools. And because of this, parents are desperate for anything that appears to be a better option.

In every state, the same organizations are lobbying for what masquerades as a grass roots effort. The American Federation for Children and Heritage Foundation are just a couple of names to watch for. One name you won’t see proudly displayed is the United Nations, specifically UNESCO. Corey DeAngelis, of UNESCO and American Federation for Children, meets with governors across the nation promoting vouchers. He gets priority access to legislators and hobnobs with governors while concerned parents are ignored. Corey’s Twitter feed is an eye-opening illustration of how lobbying works. (He is not a parent. He is, however, an atheist. Don’t be fooled into believing he is a friend of Christian home education.)

I took this screenshot of his Facebook profile several years ago:

And this used to be on the UNESCO site. Both have since been scrubbed.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Lisa Logan has much, much more if you want to follow her research. What she shares is an in-depth look at the goals of UNESCO and government education, all wrapped up in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and how that will undermine parental rights through vouchers.

This is huge. It’s not grass roots at all. The end goal is to create one seamless education system that blurs the lines between public and private.

Vouchers are government programs

Remember “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”? How did that work out? On that note, can you think of a government program that actually grants more freedom? 

While people erroneously believe that they are getting their tax dollars back in the form of a voucher, they are being handed a check with rules. 

Oh, I know. Some states don’t start with rules. Except for yearly testing. Or meeting with a certified teacher. Or submitting a portfolio. Or an approved list of curriculum. 

Newsflash: those are rules. 

If you live in a state with homeschool regulations already in place, this may not seem worrisome. But there are many states (like mine) with zero regulation. Zero. These programs will implement homeschool requirements that did not previously exist. 

State and federal requirements are the trap you will be lured into by the carrot of vouchers. Often, the legislation is passed with minimum requirements to give the appearance of freedom. “No strings!” is what parents are promised, so they enthusiastically sign up for their “fair share” of education tax dollars. 

Remember: anything required to receive the voucher is a string. 

Government never shrinks itself. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Once government gains a foothold, it never backs down. Just think of some government regulations that have been implemented in your lifetime: 

• Common core standards

• Vehicle registration

• Hunting licenses

Can you think of others? In each case, grass roots voters saw the overreach and tried to stop these regulations from becoming law. They petitioned, voted, called their legislators, and failed. Now, these are just a normal part of everyday life. American citizens are so far from free that it’s depressing. But with gradual encroachment by government, we hardly notice it’s happening.

Vouchers will not limit government overreach. They invite government chains. What the government funds, the government runs. Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you paid those taxes, you’ll have complete freedom to spend your voucher as you wish.

The regulations implemented in original legislation will be minimal, of course. Who would willingly sign up for more rules? But over time, the noose strings will tighten, and likely it will be so slow that you’ll hardly notice.

This leads me to my next point.

Vouchers will slowly erode homeschool freedom

One comment that is very common from voucher supporters is, “You don’t have to use the vouchers, but don’t limit everyone else’s choices!” Sure, I won’t be choosing to use vouchers, but as a student of history, I know it’s not that simple. There will come a day when all homeschoolers are affected by vouchers.

In fact, it’s already happening.

In my experience, vouchers are popular with politicians, lobbyists, and mostly non-homeschoolers. This illustrates a very important point: the people groups who are most supportive of vouchers don’t understand home education. They believe the cost to homeschool is similar to what public schools receive, or private school tuition. They believe homeschooling is a home-copy of public or private school.

This bears repeating: the people groups most supportive of vouchers don’t understand home education. Their legislation is not going to favor the experienced homeschooler. Their legislation is not going to favor the unschooler, the special needs parent, and especially not the Christian home educator. The variety of educational methods used in homes across America don’t fit the “norm.” They are not standard. Their success cannot be measured on a state test or by a certified overseer.

And therein lies the problem.

Inviting government into the homeschool world is going to change homeschooling forever. Parents who never asked for government funds will be compared to their voucher peers, who will naturally be compared to the (failing) public school system.

God Provides

Dear friends, homeschooling is not expensive. The amazing array of curriculum options provides something for every family and every budget. You just need a few good books, a handful of school supplies, and your conviction that all education is discipleship. The small amount that a voucher provides is not worth the risk of government oversight in the long run.

Life choices are sometimes necessary in order to bring our children home from public school. And while promises are made by voucher lobbyists that vouchers provide “choice,” these funds will not replace a second household income or come close to paying for most private school tuition.

If you have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to remove your children from government education, you can count on God’s faithfulness to provide. Let Him! I know it’s tempting to see these vouchers as a blessing, but “the blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22) “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Take that step of faith. Trust God to provide. Listen to the wise counsel of veteran homeschoolers. We’ve been doing this for decades without a check from the government, and we can help you, too. Our calling as homeschooling parents is about so much more than “school at home.” It’s discipleship. It’s raising our children with a biblical worldview. And if you haven’t noticed, the government only funds a secular worldview.

Don’t trade this precious biblical discipleship for a government check. Government doesn’t give us choices; it limits them.

For more, read “Let’s Talk About Money and Homeschooling.” And if you’re interested in ways to help families without the government’s intrusion, read “Five Ways to Help Someone Else Homeschool.”