On February 22, 2022, Arundel Homeschoolers Support Group hosted a zoom meeting, where MDHSA and the Home School Legal Defense Association discussed the pros and cons of HB 832, a bill that would create a Homeschool Advisory Council.

Timestamped questions are listed below, so you can fast forward to select portions.

• 2:22 – What are specific ways that the homeschool council can help homeschool families? (MDHSA) 
• 6:12 – What are some pitfalls of the advisory council? (MDHSA)
• 8:01 – What are specific ways that the homeschool council can help homeschool families? (MDHSA)
• 9:23 – What are some pitfalls for homeschool families? (HSLDA)
• 10:33 – What’s the need for the council? (HSLDA)
• 11:50 – What’s the need for the council? (MDHSA)
• 17:55 – What alternatives are there to this legislated council? (HSLDA)
• 20:58 – Addressing criticisms on why more people weren’t involved in drafting the bill (MDHSA)
• 23:59 – Other 2022 homeschool bills in the General Assembly (MDHSA)
• 26:30 – Other 2022 homeschool bills response (HSLDA)
• 30:55 – Membership cost for HSLDA
• 34:30 – Who would make up the council? (MDHSA)
• 36:00 – Cost of the Homeschool Advisory Council for individual parents (MDHSA)
• 36:48 – Open meeting laws and the council (MDHSA)
• 37:45 – Reintroduction of Alessa Keener (MDHSA)
• 39:05 – How can families get connected to other homeschoolers? (HSLDA)
• 39:50 – Would the council have access to homeschoolers’ contact information? (MDHSA)
• 41:55 – What interest does the state have in promoting homeschooling? (MDHSA)
• 40:42 – Proposed amendments to the bill (MDHSA)
• 45:40 – What interest does the state have in promoting homeschooling? (MDHSA)
• 48:30 – What interest does the state have in promoting homeschooling? (HSLDA)
• 49:41 – Is the council just adding a layer of bureaucracy to an existing system? (MDHSA)
• 52:17 – Is the council just adding a layer of bureaucracy to an existing system? (HSLDA)
• 53:17 – Why is there a need for diversity representation? (HSLDA)
• 54:42 – Why is there a need for diversity representation? (MDHSA)
• 56:40 – Why is there a need for diversity representation? (Deborah Mackall)
• 58:40 – Outside of a legislative solution, what are other solutions for homeschoolers to know that is happening at MSDE? (HSLDA)
• 1:00:20 – How would council members be selected? How can we ensure that method is truly diverse? (MDHSA)
• 1:05:47 – If there is no council, where can homeschoolers go if they want to see change in homeschooling? (HSLDA)
• 1:11:25 – If there is no council, where can homeschoolers go if they want to see change in homeschooling? (MDHSA)
• 1:13:54 – What accountability will the council have to homeschoolers? What recourses will homeschoolers have if things start to work against homeschool interests? (MDHSA)
• 1:18:07 – Why can’t homeschoolers vote for council members? What are term limits for council members? (MDHSA)
• 1:20:15 – What recourse would homeschoolers have if council goes rogue? (HSLDA)
• 1:21:33 – How can the homeschool community remove an individual council member who may “go rogue”? (MDHSA)
• 1:23:20 – Wendy Bush commentary on the bill on how we can accomplish the goals of the council non-legislatively
• 1:31:42 – Response to Wendy’s statements (MDHSA)
• 1:32:28 – Response to Wendy’s statements (HSLDA)
• 1:33:00 – Call for better connections between homeschool leaders
• 1:37:18 – Closing and thanks