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Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Overview[edit]

The Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) is a Texas-based nonprofit organization led by THSC President Tim Lambert[7] that influences Texas elections and Texas law related to homeschooling and parental rights. President Lambert is considered the authority on homeschooling in the state of Texas..[1]

THSC began defending homeschool rights during the landmark 1987 Leeper v. Arlington case that affirmed that homeschooling was legal as a form of private schooling in Texas and should be allowed to continue. The organization has since expanded to connect Texas homeschooling families, promote homeschooling and family rights through legislative activities and advocacy, and provide information, resources, legal assistance, and benefits to THSC members and the homeschooling community.

Division Summary[edit]

THSC is composed of three separate entities: the 501(c)(3) THSC Inc., the 501(c)(4) nonprofit THSC Association, and the political action committee THSC PAC. All three entities operate out of the West Texas THSC office, located in the city of Lubbock, Texas.

THSC Inc.[edit]

Texas Home School Coalition, Inc. is a prominent homeschool advocacy organization in the state of Texas. The organization’s mission is informing and inspiring homeschool families and promoting homeschooling in Texas.

THSC Association[edit]

Texas Home School Coalition Association, a 501(c)(4) organization, advocates for Texas homeschool families’ right to homeschool.

THSC PAC[edit]

Texas Home School Coalition Political Action Committee (THSC PAC) is a statewide political action committee which seeks out and endorses pro-homeschooling candidates for Texas government. The PAC works to: Endorse pro-homeschooling and pro-family rights candidates for public office and encourage homeschool families to actively support the election of such candidates.[2] Educate candidates and public officials about homeschooling and family rights through the political campaign process.

History[edit]

The Texas Home School Coalition was established in 1986 as a political action committee (PAC) by Kirk McCord of Hearth and Home Ministries and the late Brad Chamberlain.[3] Because of the numerous lawsuits against homeschoolers across the state and potentially harmful legislation being introduced in Austin, they saw a need for a statewide political organization to work for the rights of homeschoolers in the state of Texas. The founders also believed that government restriction could not be justified academically or socially.

The THSC PAC focused its efforts on the Leeper v. Arlington case that drew statewide attention because of a divide over the legality of homeschooling[4]. While the Leeper decision was pending, THSC argued against the State Board of Education attempting to adopt rules restricting home education. The court then ruled in favor of homeschooling and THSC increased its efforts to advocate for Texas homeschoolers.[5] In 1991, THSC began lobbying efforts after the Leeper decision to continue protecting and expanding the rights of Texas home school families. In 1994, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the Leeper case via unanimous decision.

In 1995, THSC incorporated as an educational non-profit organization. Tim Lambert became the executive director.

In 1998, homeschooling group HOPE for Texas merged with THSC. THSC also became responsible for helping new home schoolers across the state by maintaining a network of information and communication among leaders in regional home school organizations, local support groups and individual homeschooling families.

In 2000, the Texas Home School Coalition Association incorporated as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization for Texas home school families. Its stated mission is to serve and protect homeschooling families in Texas.

In 2001, THSC launched Called to Teach THSC Convention, a gathering of homeschool families. Called to Teach now meets annually in Arlington and The Woodlands, TX. Speakers have included prominent home schoolers, influencers, and advocates offering encouragement to homeschool parents and students.

In 2013, the THSC Watchmen program launched as a function of the THSC Association. THSC Watchmen, composed of recent Texas homeschool graduates, are a pro-family lobbying presence at the Texas Capitol during each legislative session.[6]

As the national rate of homeschooling continues to rise[7], THSC President Tim Lambert has become a prominent voice in the homeschool community[8] and continues to support homeschool families across Texas.[9]

Board Structure[edit]

The THSC Inc. Board of Directors is comprised of Christian homeschool leaders from across the state, including business people, regional leaders, former support group leaders, curriculum suppliers, and activists. Texas House of Representatives member James Frank currently serves on the board.[10]

An Advisory Committee consisting of regional and local leaders provides two-way communication between the Coalition and the leadership of the homeschool community around the state concerning the activities and direction of THSC.

Advocacy[edit]

THSC has a history of advocacy on behalf of homeschoolers. The organization writes letters to officials, intervenes on behalf of members with officials and agencies, interacts with CPS, courts, and other government institutions, offers detailed information on how to legally and properly withdraw children from public school, and refers members of the Association to legal counsel when necessary.

THSC has helped homeschooling students gain admittance to Texas colleges and universities by writing letters advocating for students to be considered. In 2016 and 2017, THSC successfully advocated for a family of home school students to be admitted to Sam Houston State University after originally being denied access.[11]

THSC has also worked with the Social Security Administration to restore benefits to homeschool families[12] and developed strategies to help families during homeschool interventions.

In total in 2015 and 2016, THSC intervened on behalf of member families in more than 220 situations[13] through letters, emails, phone conversations, in-person meetings, legal representation, and legal action.

Immediately following the 2018 Parkland school shooting, THSC received over 1000 phone calls inquiring about home education, more than double their estimated normal amount[14]. THSC continues to promote homeschooling as a safer alternative to public schools.

Events & Education[edit]

THSC provides educational resources and experiences for members, group leaders, officials, and educators to promote homeschooling laws, opportunities and benefits. These include a variety of social exchanges, educational opportunities, awards ceremonies, and fundraising events.

Capitol Days[edit]

THSC Capitol Days is a coordinated grassroots lobbying event held regularly at the Texas Capitol in Austin, allowing homeschooling participants to meet with and lobby their representatives and senators. This allows the homeschooling community to directly interact with the Texas government.[15]

THSC Conventions[edit]

THSC hosts two annual conventions gathering together Texas homeschoolers — one in The Woodlands outside of Houston and the other in Arlington outside of Dallas. These events are a popular meeting place for homeschoolers, education providers, and vendors.[16]

Annual Gala[edit]

THSC’s annual fundraising event includes speeches by respected officials, authors and lecturers. The event also features the only statewide recognition ceremony for excellence in home education.

Continuing Legal Education[edit]

Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)manages a network of attorneys who help homeschool families with legal defense when faced with allegations from organizations such as Child Protective Services (CPS). The correlating Continuing Legal Education Seminar is held annually and fulfills six Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) hours.

Group Texas Leaders’ Conference[edit]

The THSC Leaders’ Conference is part of the THSC Convention offering workshops for homeschool group leaders from across Texas. The conference includes lectures, panel discussions and resources.

Legislative Watchdog Activities[edit]

The THSC PAC was created to affect change on the legislative front. Initially, PAC activity was limited to endorsing officials who supported homeschool-friendly legislation. However, as government agencies changed, particularly CPS, THSC expanded into advocacy for parental rights in 2010.

An example is the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA). In 2007, recently widowed homeschool father Jim Loose was denied custody of his daughter because of his family’s commitment to homeschooling. In 2010 and 2011, THSC defended Loose in Tarrant County (TX) Family Law Court and won both cases.[17]

TPRRA Bill[edit]

During the 2015 Texas Legislative session, THSC opposed the Grandparents Access Statute.[18] This statute allows in-laws to take possession of a single parent’s child without having to present evidence that (a) the parent is unfit or (b) the in-laws are better suited to provide for the needs of the child.[19]

Also in 2015, a bill called the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA) sought to implement proper due process requirements via SB 414 and HB 524.[20] In-laws seeking to take possession of or gain access to a single parent’s child would be required to prove the parent is not fit, the grandparent is more fit to care for the child, and/or that not having access would harm the child. Other requirements include measures to discourage frivolous lawsuits to ensure that a child is only removed from a home with just and proper cause.

History of “Grandparent Access Statutes”[edit]

Prior to 1965, grandparent access laws did not exist. Today, all 50 U.S. states have a statute that allows in-laws to sue for court-ordered access or possession of a child, even when a “fit” parent objects. Grandparent access disputes usually involve conflict over the parent’s wishes on the child’s upbringing. Since June 2000 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Troxel v. Granville involving a grandparent access dispute, Texas courts have seen a significant increase in these type of cases. THSC recognizes that these laws can be easily abused if grandparents do not agree with a family’s decision to homeschool, and monitor the usage of such laws to prevent unjust interventions.

Statute Loopholes[edit]

THSC specifically opposed on the court’s “temporary order,” which can be granted by a judge to transfer control of a child to the in-laws, even without legal cause against a “fit” parent. Once the temporary order is granted, in-laws have a history of prolonging litigation in order to legally keep the children for a period of time before the court hears actual evidence in the case.

Motives Behind Access/Possession Lawsuits[edit]

In-laws often file litigation because they disagree with a parent’s choices, they want to spend more time with their grandchildren than the parent will allow, and/or they disagree with the parameters for visitation that are established by the parent. THSC became involved in Grandparent Access Litigation when a homeschool parent lost his children because the grandparents strongly disagreed with the decision to homeschool. The statute allowed them to obtain a “temporary order” to obtain custody of the children.

Tim Tebow Bill[edit]

In the Texas legislatures of 2013[21], 2015[22], and 2017[23], THSC lobbied for the “Tim Tebow Bill,” which called for homeschool students to be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, competitions, and sports offered at public schools.[24] In the 2017 Texas legislature, these bills were filed in the Senate as SB 640[25] and the House of Representatives as HB 1323[26]

THSC rebranded the bill for submission during Texas legislative sessions[27]. The bill was named after Tim Tebow, a homeschooled student who became a successful college and professional football player.

The Watchmen[edit]

The THSC Watchmen is a group of volunteer interns who represent homeschoolers at the Texas Legislature by researching, writing and amending legislation to advocate for family rights and homeschooling. THSC Watchmen lobby legislators and their staffs, raise public awareness[28], and encourage homeschoolers' participation in the political process. The Watchmen have also been quoted by national publications like CBS News[29] and the Associated Press[30] defending homeschooling in Texas.

Watchmen History[edit]

In 2011, THSC Public Policy Director Paul Hastings coordinated with current THSC President Tim Lambert to monitor and testify on behalf of various pieces of legislation in the Texas Legislative session.[31]

In 2012, THSC learned that one of its lead opponents was planning to introduce legislation to expand the reach of the Grandparent Access Statute. THSC expanded its legislative capabilities by recruiting homeschool graduates to join Paul Hastings advocating for homeschooling freedoms and parental rights. David Huber, Nathan Exley, Trent Williams, Jeremy Newman and Ben Snodgrass joined Hastings to form the first group of THSC Watchmen.

The Watchmen reviewed every bill filed during the 2013 Texas Legislature[32] to find bills that affected the homeschool community or family rights, either positively or negatively. They testified and registered THSC’s response for or against numerous bills.

The Watchmen also contacted and procured witnesses for key hearings, in addition to attending networking events hosted by other activists. The first six Watchmen worked over 5,000 hours during the 2013 Session and were described by legislators as “the most effective lobby team of the 83rd Legislative Session.”[33] The Watchmen were also recognized by local[34] and national publications[35] for their efforts to influence Texas homeschool law. Since then, a group of THSC Watchmen has been active at each legislative session at the Texas Capitol.

Significant Court Cases[edit]

THSC and/or THSC members have been involved in or referenced by mainstream press during the following court cases involving homeschooling families, family rights, and CPS:

Leeper v. Arlington ISD Case[36]

Alex Brace[37] Family Custody Case [38]

In Re: Chassidie L. Russell[39]

Heather Moody[40] Divorce Case[41]

In Re: James W. Loose (Tarrant County, TX)[42]

Theresa Allen vs. CPS Case[43]

In Re: C.T. and T.T.[44], the Tutt Family Custody Case (Dallas County, TX)[45]

McIntyres v. El Paso ISD[46]Case[47]

Publications[edit]

THSC distributes information, resources, legal news, and other updates about homeschooling via three main publications.

Home Educator Quarterly (HEQ) Magazine[edit]

Formerly known as Review, Home Educator Quarterly is a free, quarterly magazine delivered to homeschoolers throughout the state of Texas. The magazine was first published in 1996. In 2017, circulation was approximately 58,000 households. HEQ is also published online and is accessible via THSC.org.

HomeEducator.org[edit]

HomeEducator.org is THSC's nationwide website-under-construction, providing information and resources applicable to homeschooling families across America rather than only in Texas. The website launched on July 7, 2018.

THSC.org[edit]

THSC.org includes resources on starting homeschooling, forming homeschool groups, and many other homeschool topics, as well as the history of homeschooling in Texas. THSC also regularly publishes blog posts for homeschoolers, updates on THSC’s legislative work, and videos on THSC’s YouTube page.

FrontPage Newsletter[edit]

FrontPage is a bi-weekly digital newsletter sent to more than 19,000 opt-in subscribers offering homeschooling resources, articles, events, and other updates.

References[edit]


This article "Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Texas Home School Coalition (THSC). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

  1. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/11/06/texas-homeschool-laws-trashed-regulation-crusading-mainstream-media/
  2. http://setexasrecord.com/stories/510662609-war-chests-fatten-as-texas-sc-candidates-near-primary
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnhKe4w99Q
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnhKe4w99Q
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9ZYMrsm91Q
  6. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-home-schooling-divided/
  7. http://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/klbk-news/the-texas-home-school-coalition-reports-a-national-increase-in-home-schooling
  8. http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/texas-family-battles-judge-over-homeschooling/
  9. http://www.kcbd.com/story/19389347/critics-say-grandparent-access-law-threatens-parental-rights
  10. https://www.thsc.org/about-thsc/board-of-directors/
  11. http://www.thsc.org/2017/04/texas-home-school-interventions-shsu/
  12. http://www.thsc.org/2017/01/thsc-intervenes-on-behalf-of-member-for-social-security-benefits-25822/
  13. http://www.thsc.org/2017/04/home-school-interventions/
  14. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/30/homeschooling-surges-parents-seek-escape-shootings/
  15. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/03/17/bill-would-close-parental-rights-loophole-affecting-texas-homeschoolers/
  16. https://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/american-school-to-attend-thsc-convention-in-the-woodlands-2
  17. https://www.thsc.org/what-we-do/defend-parental-rights/jim-loose-case/
  18. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.153.htm#153.432
  19. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/SB00640I.pdf#navpanes=0
  20. http://www.thsc.org/about-thsc/lobby-the-texas-legislature/2013-legislative-wrap-up/
  21. http://www.northsidefalcons.com/tebow-bill.htm
  22. https://www.thsc.org/2015/02/tim-tebow-bill-update-1-18762/
  23. https://www.thsc.org/2017/02/will-the-tebow-bill-interfere-with-4-h/
  24. http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/what_you_need_to_know_about_th_1.html
  25. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/SB00640I.pdf#navpanes=0
  26. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/pdf/HB01323I.pdf#navpanes=0
  27. http://www.hsaa.org/Tebow_UIL_Bill_2015.htm
  28. http://sanangelolive.com/news/texas/2017-01-18/more-4000-expected-rally-state-capitol-school-choice
  29. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-home-schooling-case-mcintyre-national-implications-learning/
  30. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ad9b4a63083a4bd29503f7a66909eaed/texas-supreme-court-sidesteps-key-home-school-learning
  31. http://www.patriotacademy.com/now-paul-hastings/
  32. https://www.thsc.org/2015/06/keep-informed-2015-legislative-session-summary-20217/
  33. http://www.thsc.org/review_magazine/201411/files/assets/basic-html/page8.html
  34. http://gtownview.com/2014/02/watchman-on-the-wall/
  35. https://world.wng.org/2013/02/watching_the_walls_of_texas
  36. https://www.thsc.org/homeschooling-in-texas/the-history-of-home-education-in-texas/explanation-of-the-leeper-decision/
  37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHl4xMG7Qp4
  38. https://www.thsc.org/what-we-do/defend-parental-rights/alex-brace-case/
  39. http://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-appeals/1536590.html
  40. https://www.thsc.org/what-we-do/defend-parental-rights/heather-moody-case/
  41. http://www.tdtnews.com/news/the_latest/article_ebe9edb3-7103-5974-b9a1-06ef73f0767e.html/
  42. https://www.thsc.org/what-we-do/defend-parental-rights/jim-loose-case/
  43. https://www.thsc.org/what-we-do/defend-parental-rights/theresa-allen-case/
  44. https://www.thsc.org/cps-attack-texas-homeschool/
  45. http://www.inquisitr.com/1096364/texas-homeschooling-family-forced-to-enroll-children-in-public-school/
  46. http://huffingtonpost.olanola.com/blog/43901251795/Lawsuit:-Should-Texas-Home-school-Students-Have-To-Prove-That-T
  47. http://www.mystatesman.com/news/texas-supreme-court-takes-home-schooling-case/09cQk3ET9xnOrS1ylvPjpI/