As a Boy Scout for almost 13 years, I have taken part in many camping trips. I have learned that to have fun while camping, you must be miserable—at least part of the time. If you go camping to be comfortable, you’re missing the point: to have an adventure!
Late last April, THSC member Jennifer Darnell reached out to us because the local school district was pressing truancy charges against Jennifer and her daughter, Kathryn Payne. Even though Jennifer had already withdrawn her daughter from public school via the proper paperwork, the school was still pressing charges for missed days of school due to medical issues. Despite the many times in the past where the school allowed Kathryn’s absences for the exact same medical issue, once she chose to home school, the district pressed charges for truancy.
Hard-Won Freedom
What does home school freedom mean to you?
Home school laws in Texas provide freedom that few in the world experience. Texas leads the fight for parents maintaining control of the education of their children.
In the 14 years my family has home educated I have had the honor of knowing many home school families. Each of these unique families “do school” differently. For many, the summer months include some type of formal schooling. Whether it is defined by writing intensives, unit studies, or simply a book report, they each require progress from their students. I, on the other hand, view the summer months as a time to decompress, get a plan together, and prepare for the new school year while recovering from the last one. I say that with a smile, but you know exactly what I mean!
Have you been following THSC’s battle with the Texas Ethics Commission over our free speech and our ability to protect home schoolers? We have had some exciting developments recently. THSC recently filed a brief with the 3rd Court of Appeals explaining how the TEC has blatantly disregarded the dictates of the Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Texas law.
Have you noticed the exciting new changes for home school groups on the THSC website this year? We listened to you and went to work to better meet the needs of home school group leaders!
Dictionary.com defines independence as “freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.”
What a great idea! Being free from the influence or control of others.
Having just celebrated the 4th of July, we’ve heard a lot about freedom and control these days. From choosing your gender to bearing arms, everyone has an opinion about what our freedoms should look like. We look at each situation, opportunity, or crisis through the lens of our own values, assigning a preferred outcome based on our beliefs.
It all started with complaints about a wandering child. A Child Protective Services (CPS) agent responded by investigating only to find that there was no issue.
However without warning, CPS soon after entered Christina Tutt’s home and seized her seven biological, adopted, and foster children without an explanation. Little did Christina know that three years later she would still be in court fighting alongside THSC for her parental rights, with the hopes of bringing the last of her seven children back home. This case has been described by family law attorney Cecilia Wood as the most egregious case she has ever seen in almost 30 years of family law practice.
