Incumbent state rep Michael Moffett (R, Merrimack-4) participated in a bi-partisan candidates’ forum on Oct 24, 2024 and in response to a question about the Education Freedom Account (EFA) (see video mark 47:10), he answered (mark 53:54) that homeschoolers are “falling through the cracks” and need more accountability. He needlessly dragged independent home ed families into the EFA issue.
When candidates make off-hand, casual remarks like this, it creates a dangerous narrative and easily leads to hostile legislation.
Backwards Logic
Rep Moffett was contacted by two GSHE members and responded to both with something to the effect that he doesn’t want the “10% of homeschoolers who are not doing the right thing to ruin it for the other 90%.” This is totally backwards thinking.
- There is no evidence to support that 10% of families in New Hampshire, or Berlin specifically, are “not doing the right thing.”
- Who determines what “the right thing” is?
- It is sloppy and dangerous to regulate 100% of a population out of fear that some made-up number might not be satisfying their responsibilities.
In this correspondence, Rep Moffett said his remarks are based on discussion with Rep Corinne Cascadden, former district superintendent of Berlin, and prime sponsor of HB 1610, the over-reaching bill re mandatory testing participation that was defeated just months ago. She was also the person who initiated HB 1263 (2018) that tried to reinstate the home ed reporting requirements that were eliminated in 2012.
She makes claims that homeschoolers are not educating their children yet has not presented any evidence in a public forum. Instead, she spews unsubstantiated and chilling assertions that equate homeschooling with child abuse.
There is no correlation of child abuse with homeschooling. All child abuse is tragic, and the vast majority of these horrible instances involve children in the public school known to Child Protective Services. In some cases, the abusers compound their crimes by fraudulently saying they are homeschooling. CPS is responsible for tracking these families, but instead they are too frequently used as a threat against all home education families.
In New Hampshire, every adult is a “mandatory reporter” of suspected child abuse. RSA 169-C requires any person who suspects child abuse or neglect to report it to authorities. This is not limited to the long list of professionals who encounter children on a regular basis – physicians, dentists, healthcare workers, and school personnel. The law expressly says “any other person.” This extends the responsibility to coaches, friends, neighbors, tutors, play-group parents, and anyone else who might encounter a child who may be endangered. (Unfortunately, this also means that anyone who wants to hurt a family or dislikes homeschooling can report anonymously, like swatting.)
Rep Moffett also based his claims on his own education experience, which apparently was as a professor at Plymouth State University with his degree in Education. We have seen many teachers and administrators over the years who maintain an irrational, entrenched bias against home education and even parents in general. It is an unfortunate part of their indoctrination.
It stands to reason that public schools encounter the homeschoolers who struggled and return to public ed, but it is the sampling bias fallacy to ascribe this to other families. This is the equivalent to students leaving public schools and being behind at private schools or the many thousands who chose home education.
Baseless generalizations ignite witch hunts against homeschoolers.
If Rep Cascadden is aware of children who are abused or neglected, there are laws and resources available to investigate and protect these children. Instead, she is perpetuating the kind of inflammatory accusations that were behind recent bills like HB 1664 (2022) and HB 628 (2023) that tried to require background checks of parents.
Letting these accusations go unchallenged is how hostile legislation gains momentum.
We anticipate a difficult year ahead, regardless of how the upcoming election swings. Homeschoolers and supporters need to be vigilant and engaged if they value the hard-won freedoms we enjoy today. Nothing is secure or guaranteed.
Take Action
Rep Mike Moffett’s contact information is below. He serves the communities of Loudon and Canterbury and is seeking re-election.
email: michael.moffett@leg.state.nh.us
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMoffett4NH/
X/Twitter: @Mofmichael
Contact Rep Moffett today!
- Clearly indicate you are a traditional, self-funded, unfunded, independent home education family (use a term you prefer)
- Perhaps you believe that traditional, self-funded, independent home educating families should not be subject to more government intrusion.
- Maybe you withdrew your child from your local public school (or somewhere else) because they were “falling through the cracks” and now your child is thriving.
- Maybe you think additional “accountability” is a “solution in search of a problem” because home educated children already must do an annual assessment and demonstrate “progress commensurate with age, ability, and or disability” per RSA 193-A.
- Maybe you think the state has better things to do regarding publicly-funded education such as having more accountability and transparency for the Education Freedom Account (EFA) — the NH DOE found numerous problems in a spot-check review and the state is still unable to complete the 2023 mandatory audit.
- Maybe it’s worth pointing out that public schools are struggling academically according to the state assessment averages.
2023 Overall State Averages
Ø ELA 52
Ø Math 42
Ø Science 37
- Maybe ask where does the legislature’s authority to reject parental rights end? Why are new parents allowed to teach babies to eat, talk, walk, and go to the bathroom? They are not trained professional early childhood experts. What is the compelling state interest when a child is school-aged?
- Remind him that the House Education Committee ITL’d HB 1610 (2024) re mandatory participation in the statewide assessments with a 20-0 (unanimous) recommendation, and the bill was killed in the NH House just this past spring. Roughly 500 families showed up against this egregious bill.
GSHE has resources and tools to help members be effective advocates. Go to our website, www.gshenh.org, create a free account, and find the how-to guide on Making a Difference.
Read more about Rep Cascadden’s past efforts to further regulate home education with HB 1263 (2018).
Update on HB 1263 re Homeschool Evaluations – 2/12/2018
Needless Homeschool Regulation – 2/1/2018
Homeschoolers Flood the State House – 1/26/2018
Homeschool Freedom Threatened – 1/10/2018
Homeschool Evaluation Bill – 11/19/2017
