THSC would like to congratulate Junior American Citizen Laurel Robinson, a home school sophomore, on winning first place in the state of Texas for the Christopher Columbus Essay Contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)! The title of the essay is, “How Did the Faith…
Dewhurst Rescues Parental Rights Bill After Senator West repeatedly declined to meet with us after he denied our bill a hearing, we knew the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act was in trouble. Then Lt. Governor David Dewhurst heard about our dilemma. Now Senator West has scheduled SB 1194, the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act, for…
This week I followed up with Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, chairman of the House Public Education Committee. He had previously expressed his support for HB 1374, the “Tim Tebow Bill,” which would allow Texas home schoolers to participate in UIL activities. He told me that he would not allow a vote on the bill in…
Yesterday dozens of home schoolers came to the Texas Capitol to give their support for restoring parental rights by registering in favor of the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA) (HB 2547) and against HB 393, a bill that would expand lawsuits against fit parents by vindictive in-laws. During the testimony on the bills several…
On Monday, April 15, 2013, the Texas House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence will be presented two very different bills regarding amending the Grandparent Access Statute. This bill has been abused over the years to take children from fit parents and bring financial ruin to children and families simply because a grandparent disagrees with…
The fight is not over yet for parental rights. H.B. 393 will be heard on Monday, April 15, in the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. This bill is the companion bill of S.B. 1148, which thousands of phone calls helped pull from the Senate Jurisprudence Committee last month. In other words, S.B. 1148 is back–in…
Texas home schoolers brought home top honors from the National High School Moot Court Competition once again. They competed against public and private school students from all across the country in simulated appellate court proceedings. Moot court tests students’ reasoning and oral advocacy skills, as well as their understanding of the judicial system and Constitutional…
In the 1980s in Texas the modern home school movement was in its infancy. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) had declared that home schools were not private schools and therefore were in violation of the compulsory attendance laws. The TEA encouraged school districts to prosecute home school families. More than 100 families in Texas were…
For the Tebow Bill, kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. If the Tebow Bill wins, home schooled students who live within a public school’s district will be allowed to try out for that public school’s interscholastic activities. Sports and other extracurricular events like music and academic competitions will become accessible to…
Occasionally, a home schooler comes to us concerned about the Tebow Bill, the bill that would allow home schoolers to participate in UIL activities. “Will government start to regulate home schoolers because of this bill?” they ask. Others are just curious and want to know how their home schooled students would participate in public school…
