Question about HSLDA

[BobVigneault]

Several homeschoolers have recommended joining the HSLDA because it is well worth the price in benefits. What are those benefits to the average homeschool? What are the resources available other than advocacy if the state gets after you? Thank you.

 

[Kevin]

Think of it as insurance. IF you have legal trouble then they will defend you. We are members of HSLDA-Canada (a seperate although cooperating organisation) & have never had to call them. However I have several times had occasion to refer people to them. Most problems HSers encounter are simple and can be resolved with a phone call from "your" lawyer.

BTW if you think you can join after you have problem...you can't. At least not in Canada. They will not represent you in any matter that started before you joined.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

Think of it as insurance. IF you have legal trouble then they will defend you. We are members of HSLDA-Canada (a seperate although cooperating organisation) & have never had to call them. However I have several times had occasion to refer people to them. Most problems HSers encounter are simple and can be resolved with a phone call from "your" lawyer.

BTW if you think you can join after you have problem...you can't. At least not in Canada. They will not represent you in any matter that started before you joined.

It is the same way in the U. S. They will not get involved in anything that started prior to your becoming a member.

We had some minor objections from our local school board when we notified them we would be homeschooling under Virginia's Religious Exemption statutes. However, one letter referencing "our" lawyers at HSLDA silenced them. That was 11 years ago. Both our kids have graduated and moved on to college without incident.

I highly recommend them!

 

[BobVigneault]

Yeah but, we home schooled our daughters over ten years ago in WI and never had any problems or objections except from family and church. Now, it's 2007 and homeschooling is a lot more accepted. Even the unsaved are turning to homeschooling. So why do I need insurance with my younger children now?

 

[LadyFlynt]

Because you always have one person that think that by calling CPS, they are "saving" your children. Had a so called "friend" do that to us once. He was a public school teacher and didn't like the fact that I didn't have a college degree.

 

[BobVigneault]

My lawyer goes to my church and he's a home schooler. So that's it, it's just about advocacy?

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

...it's just about advocacy?

That, and clout.

HSLDA has a national (and international) reputation. It is known that they are not to be trifled with. They can bring the "big guns" to bear on a situation if needed. And they can deal with situations beyond your local school board - i.e. on the state and national level.

That being said, I would think that a homeschooling lawyer should be able to give good counsel as well. He would certainly be familiar with your local situation. Our experience has been that the local attitude toward homeschoolers is the most important. (But I wouldn't ignore what's going on at the state level either, and HSLDA will keep you appraised of those type situations.)

 

[JBaldwin]

I would agree with what has been said already. HSLDA is a great resource for its members as they keep you posted on what is going on around the country regarding homeschooling. If anything is going on in your state regarding homeschooling, they let you know via emails and their monthly mailing.

As some have already said, it only takes one incident. My sister who homeschooled in Illinois for years got surprise visit from social services because of an "informant". HSLDA was able to quickly get social services off her back.

We go through our homeschool group and get a discount on the price and then pay two years at a time to get an even better price. So it's around $80 a year, which is a good deal when you consider what it might cost for one office visit to a lawyer.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

My lawyer goes to my church and he's a home schooler. So that's it, it's just about advocacy?

There are also discounts on materials sold by HSLDA, and having an HSLDA membership enables members to receive discounts, at least in some states, if you join a state homeschool organization. Other benefits are mentioned here.

 

[Kevin]

All the homeschooling lawyers I know (4) are members of HSLDA.

 

[Mushroom]

We've been members for 3 or so years. Their offices are near here and I've known a couple of the attorneys there (one was an elder at my old Church for awhile). We had kinda thought it unnecessary since we're in a pretty homeschool friendly area, but decided to join (after putting it off) mainly for the "just-in-case" insurance.

Well, it turned out to be the best investment I've made for sometime. My unbelieving bipolar leftist sister, who'd been living in my rental home and not paying the rent for a year (typical lib - decry the evils of capitalism while milking it for every penny), suffered a fit of rage after realizing her signature on an agreement to vacate meant she actually had to get out. In retaliation, and as she was being detained on a temporary detention order and sent to a mental hospital after a suicide attempt (?), called the town social services and accused us of illegally home-schooling, socially isolating, and beating our children. We had a head's up since my brother heard her loudly proclaiming she was going to do so as she was being taken away.

I called HSLDA and spoke with an atty there, Scott Woodruff, who advised us to make sure the house was acceptably clean, homeschool documents in order, etc. Next day, as I was walking out to my truck to go do a job, I spotted a city car prowling the neighborhood, and soon there were two social workers walking up to my door. One from the school district to check our compliance with VA law, and the other from child protective services to investigate the abuse charges.

I asked them to wait outside while I called HSLDA, and was connected to Scott again. He spoke to the school person and they were quickly satisfied and walked back to the car. The other lady refused to talk to him, so I put him on speaker phone and she soon saw the futility of her refusal, and we all had a pleasant conversation about VA law and what it required of us. We determined that a visual evaluation was the most she could ask, and agreed to have my children parade out on the front porch so she could see they were not hurt or unhealthy.

It was a frightening and humiliating ordeal for us, but without having an attorney well-versed in the applicable law on the phone right then (which HSLDA guarantees) it could have been much worse. This wicked unregenerate was attempting to retaliate for my unwillingness to continue to support her drug-addled existence by having my children taken away from their parents and home. Had she succeeded, say if one had fallen and bruised themselves they day before, they would have gone through a horrifying experience, and my family's hearts would have been crushed. I thank God for the providence of HSLDA, and would recommend it to all homeschoolers.

The case was determined (by many witnesses) to be a false charge that did not warrant investigation. I never dreamed this would happen to us, but now I know that there is nothing a pagan is above doing, especially one that is being cut-off from the family nipple at age 46. There's a lot of swine around, be careful with your pearls.

Blessings,

Brad

 

[BobVigneault]

Brad,
first off, welcome to the board, I'm so glad you are here.
Thank you especially for your testimony regarding your experience with the HSLDA. I'm so sorry for what you endured. I do know exactly what that feels like. You have reminded me that there are reasons within my family for having the kind of advocacy you benefited from. Thank you everyone for your advice, as soon as the state of Wisconsin gives us the go ahead to homeschool, we will join HSLDA. Blessings.

 

[Theoretical]

...it's just about advocacy?

That, and clout.

HSLDA has a national (and international) reputation. It is known that they are not to be trifled with. They can bring the "big guns" to bear on a situation if needed. And they can deal with situations beyond your local school board - i.e. on the state and national level.

That being said, I would think that a homeschooling lawyer should be able to give good counsel as well. He would certainly be familiar with your local situation. Our experience has been that the local attitude toward homeschoolers is the most important. (But I wouldn't ignore what's going on at the state level either, and HSLDA will keep you appraised of those type situations.)

Yes, HSLDA has serious clout. In 1993, 80,000 HSLDA members shut down the Capitol phone system calling their representatives concerning a proposed law that would have required any teacher (homeschool included) to be a certified teacher. The bill failed 420-1, after it had originally been slated to pass.

Crazier thing is that one of my professors in my freshman year was working for a House Democrat as a staffer back in 1993 and he happened mention that particular incident as being one of the more memorable and frustrating times in his tenure .

 

[Kevin]

Wow Brad, that is some story. I am glad it turned out well.

And welcome to the PB.

 

[javajedi]

We have been members of HSLDA for some years. 2 kids (twins) at A&M and 2 more to go. We have never needed them but our membership has given us peace of mind.
I also look at it as supporting a ministry that can help others if not ourselves. Pooling resources to help each other.

 

[SouthernHero]

HSLDA is an amazing institution, join today.