Some people believe that as long as there are no definitions in law for things, it means you can do whatever you want.
But the reality is, you only have a legal defense for your rights and freedoms insofar as there are laws to stand on to defend them.
This issue is at the heart of the bills we're working on this Legislative Session, and especially the language we've written to define "home education instructional programs" (HEIPs) in statute.
Why does this matter?
If HEIPs are not defined and protected in statute, then there is no protection for these legacy programs who have--for decades--been serving home education families. There is no statute to point to, to say "This is what we are, and we have the right to operate as such."
The HEIP definition, currently, lives only in SUFS' Purchasing Guide, and can be changed at their discretion, at any moment. (In fact, it already has been changed from the original--see below.)
We are fighting to restore the original definition for "Home Education Instructional Programs" and get it preserved in statute because:
HEIPs are not schools, and should not be lumped in with school-like programs.
We need to protect these legacy Home Education Instructional Programs (HEIPs) and ensure they continue to have the rights and freedoms to operate as they have been -- as parent-chosen classes used to augment their children's home education programs.
We need to protect HEIPs (and the "Home Education" community in general) from any fallback or future regulation that may come upon the school-like residential programs that want to use the PEP scholarship funds.
We do not want to restrict options for families. We want parents to have as many educational options as possible to choose from, so they can choose what works best for their own children.
However...
We also want to fiercely protect the term "Home Education" and these legacy Home Education Instructional Programs.
What Can Parents Do to Help?
It's been an uphill battle this year getting legislators, the SFOs, and other involved parties to understand why having this definition in statute matters so greatly.
Please feel free to share this post with your local Representatives & Senators to let them know why this issue matters to you!
Not sure who the Representatives/Senators are for your home district? You can find your Representative & Senator using the links on the "Information" drop-down menu here on our site.
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Want further info on the original definition of HEIPs and why it matters? Keep reading!
The definition of HEIP in SUFS' Purchasing Guide has already been changed from the original definition that was created over months by Brenda Dickinson, HEIP leaders, and members of the Step Up team, with a lot of thought and intention, when PEP was first established. In fact, it was changed within the first year of PEP.
Here is the original definition of a Home Education Instructional Program, as listed in the original SUFS FTC/PEP Purchasing Guide from July 2023:
And here is the current definition as listed in the latest (as of the date of this posting) Step Up For Students FTC/PEP Purchasing Guide:
The definition was changed within year one of PEP from only part-time to include full time, and from "must be in a non-residential physical location (cannot be in a home)" to "must be operated in a physical location (cannot be online)." This is a massive change, and opens up the "Home Education Instructional Program" definition to include programs that were not originally intended to fit in that category.
There is a core difference between a program where a parent chooses a la carte classes to augment their child's home education, and an instructor-led drop-off program that operates like a mini-school (even one operating out of a residential home).
HEIPs and these more school-like, residential programs are categorically two separate approaches, and should be treated as such.
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You can also watch the Monday Livestream from 3/17/25 for a more in-depth discussion on this topic! https://www.facebook.com/FLHEF1985/videos/571797309249772
Is HEF hoping to cement the definition of an HEIP to one that is part-time or part-time and only in commercial locations? I agree with the part-time change. Full time classes would need an instructor who qualifies as a full-time tutor or simply be the same as a private school. I do not agree with ensuring it is in a commercial space. Even if it is not commercial - let's say a public park or a church, as those are not commercial - many churches in my area are moving away from allowing any renters to use their facilities outside of their own members and one time usage. The reason is liability, loss of freedom over using their space as needed for their own services, and even not wanting their building/furniture/etc to degrade from others using the space. Some counties or cities require prior notification and approval for any organization to use their parks, even if the organization is non-profit or a large group that is not a business. HEIPs going to commercial spaces is almost impossible. The cost of commercial space is too high for many HEIPs simply due to the nature of the part-time format. It's not a revenue building program. If someone has space in their home or on their property for an HEIP, I think it should be up to the parents to decide if that program works best. It may be all that is available in their area, especially some of the very rural parts of the state.