South West Illinois News

Ed McLean, chairman of the Monroe County Republicans, has urged legislators to oppose House Bill 2827, emphasizing the need to protect parental rights and homeschooling freedoms that have been upheld in Illinois for over 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. This form is intended for homeschool administrators to submit information indicating that a child is enrolled in a homeschool program. The post further explains that students enrolled in such programs without notifying the public school or district using this form would be considered truant and subject to penalties. Additionally, the act outlines requirements for homeschool administrators and programs, as well as reporting obligations.

Awake Illinois expressed opposition to HB2827 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 outperform their public school counterparts on standardized tests by 15–25 percentile points. NHERI also noted that homeschooled students' academic success does not significantly correlate with parental education level or household income. These students reportedly perform above average on college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT, leading to increased recruitment by colleges.

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