South West Illinois News

Ed McLean, chairman of the Monroe County Republicans, has urged legislators to oppose House Bill 2827, citing concerns over parental rights and homeschooling freedoms that he says Illinois has upheld for more than 70 years. McLean made his statement to SW Illinois News on February 18.

"Legislators cannot allow House Bill 2827 to trample on parental rights and restrict education freedom," said McLean. "Since 1950, Illinois has upheld strong protections for homeschool families, and we cannot let those be dismantled. If Illinois does not stop this bill now, what freedoms will be compromised next? Parents know what's best for their children—not government agencies pushing unnecessary regulations."

According to a post on the Illinois General Assembly website, HB2827, known as The Homeschool Act, would require a Homeschool Declaration Form to be submitted by homeschool administrators. This form would indicate that a child is enrolled in a homeschool program. The post states that if a student is enrolled in such a program without notifying the public school or district with this form, they would be considered truant and face penalties. The act also outlines requirements for homeschool administrators and programs, as well as reporting obligations.

Awake Illinois expressed opposition to the bill in a February 9 post on social media platform X. They said: "We need you to help us oppose IL #HB2827 filed Feb 7 by woke radical democrats. It will override education freedom that has been in place for homeschoolers since 1950. This IL bill is an attack on homeschool freedom."

The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) reported that homeschooled students tend to score between 15 and 25 percentile points higher on standardized tests compared to their public school counterparts. NHERI also noted that homeschooled students' academic success does not significantly correlate with parental education level or household income. Additionally, these students perform above average on college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, which enhances their college recruitment prospects.

McLean was first elected chairman in 2016 and has focused on advocating for conservative values within the Republican Party while strengthening Monroe County as a community. A retired engineer and business leader, McLean resides with his wife on a small horse farm in rural Monroe County. He is active in civic organizations, having been involved with the Masonic Shrine Organization for 44 years and the Rotary Club since 1987.