Latasha Fields

Latasha Fields is a mom of four and homeschool advocate on the South Side of Chicago. She founded a homeschool co-op and a microschool to help other South Side families teach their children independently. She is one of hundreds of parents who rallied at the Statehouse in opposition to House Bill 2827, which intends to regulate homeschooling.

“My husband and I have been homeschooling for 18 years. The first day I dropped my oldest daughter off at school, I felt an overwhelming conviction from God  – go back and get her.”

“For me and my husband, we see this bill as religious persecution, because people homeschool for various reasons, but for us we’re homeschooling because of our faith. It’s not just academic, it’s a life decision.”

“Something I learned is God deals with us all individually. He knows just what it takes to teach us. With homeschooling, parents can teach their kids in the same way – completely personalized.”

“This bill takes away our autonomy, our freedom to educate our children as we see fit. It’s an invasion of our privacy.”

“It’s an attempt to say, ‘You can exit government schools, but not from under government control. We’re still in charge of your kids.’”

“One of the most powerful statements from the current homeschooling movement is ‘We don’t co-parent with the government.’ This bill is a direct attack on that idea. It’s the government saying, ‘Yes you will. Even at home.’”

“We will be forced to register with our local school districts. For us, on the South Side of Chicago, that’s the Chicago Public Schools system. And the irony is that we know that system of education is broken. It really is.”

“The proficiency levels are unconscionably low, but this law would have that broken system govern our educational portfolio.”

“The provision of the bill that says we would have to satisfy their standard is illogical, because those schools are failing. Yet data from across the country shows that homeschoolers excel.”

“When you look at the trajectory for Illinois homeschoolers, it’s often the last arm of parental choice that parents have to remove their families from a broken governmental system. These babies are not safe in this school system, they’re not learning. It’s just not a good environment.

“The reason homeschooling is so prevalent now is because there was already an overreach of the government into families. Many parents oppose the curriculum currently in favor in public schools. Many want an opportunity to teach their children their faith.”

“On top of that, COVID opened a lot of eyes – not only to some of the educational shortcomings in public schools, but also to the idea that you can actually do it – you can homeschool.”

“This bill is a direct attack on people recognizing that. It’s an attempt to say, ‘You can never really leave. We’re still in charge of your kids.’”

“They’re losing bodies, and bodies bring money. But children are not political footballs. Their lives are not to be played with.”

Latasha Fields
Founder, Christian Home Educators Support System
Chicago, Illinois