Wyoming Freedom in Education is a battle born organization. WFE was born as a result of Common Core, our purpose: To Stop Common Core in Wyoming!
But Common Core wasn’t the only educational issue plaguing Wyoming at the time.
By the end of our first year as an organization, we co-wrote legislation to Stop Common Core Initiatives in Wyoming (2014’s HB168) –which unfortunately failed introduction- and were able to help victims of the Wheatland truancy prosecutions.
Within the next few months into our second year, we were one of less than a handful of organizations that successfully fought Natrona County School District’s attempt (through a special election) for a Bond of an additional $33 Million dollars on top of what was already appropriated to them.
A few months after that, we were able to convince the Casper Star Tribune to allow third party candidates to participate in the gubernatorial debates that were held at Casper College.
The next fight came during the 2015 legislative session with HB221 Education: Parental Rights. The bill was introduced, but “shelved” until time ran out. The bill was never voted on, but our members made the Chairman of the Education Committee’s (Rep. Patton) life miserable.
You kept his phone ringing off the hook and inundated his inbox. He actually went to the bill sponsor and asked if he could make the phone calls and e-mails stop!
Our bill died, but the education committee, and most of the House knew how Wyoming’s parents feel about Parental Rights in Education, and that Rep. Patton willingly went against what the majority of Wyoming Parents wanted.
Our bill dying was not a win, but now our legislature knows that the voters want parental rights in education, and if they vote against it, there will be consequences during the 2016 elections. It isn’t the win we were looking for, but it is a win nonetheless.
None of our wins would have been possible without you!
Why we fight
By now, it is no secret that Wyoming Freedom in Education Vice President Kristy Tyrney and I are both homeschool moms.
We got into this fight not only to protect our homeschooling freedoms, but to protect the educational freedoms of all parents and children, no matter where the children receive their education.
A Slight Change in Direction
That being said, Wyoming Freedom in Education is currently undergoing a slight change in direction.
Rest assured, we are still fighting for parental rights in education.
However, we will be focusing on adding families to the growing Homeschool Revolution.
First, Common Core and all the testing are tied to federal funding. Your child’s public education is not about your child’s education, it is about money.
Since the majority of our legislature still supports Common Core, the best way to fight Common Core is by hitting the school districts where it counts: In the pocket.
Once the school districts lose enough money and put 2 and 2 together (which sadly may take them a while if they are using Common Core math) and realize that they are losing enrolled students as a direct result of Common Core, they too will be pushing to Stop Common Core in Wyoming.
We want to encourage you to homeschool (or find a Private school that has not sold out to Common Core) and we want to support you as you begin your journey.
Kristy and I will each begin blogging about our homeschooling journeys (the good, the bad, and the ugly) in hopes to encourage you as you hit bumps, twists, turns, dead ends, and forks in the road of your homeschooling journey.
Kristy will offer the perspective of a homeschool mom of a child with special needs and preschooler.
I will offer perspective as a homeschool mom of four children that range from 10th grader to 1st grade. I will give insight on my school days with two girls and two boys each with different learning styles and interests.
Why would we do this?
Because, unfortunately most of your family and friends will not be supportive.
We want to be there for you to encourage and support you… And most importantly to fight for you!
Homeschooling is slowly coming under attack, as school districts begin to feel more and more threatened –Remember they are losing money as more students are pulled out of their schools-.
But some schools and districts are changing their tune, because they do not want to face the wrath of our members!
We called on behalf on a family in Cheyenne who was being told to jump through hoops in order to homeschool their child.
We called the school, and let them know they were out of line, and now, when parents pull their children out of Cheyenne Schools, the district gives them WFE’s phone number so we can help them get started on the homeschooling journey.
And it is because of you that we can help these families!
Your donations, your responses to our calls to action, your support, you are what make us effective.
The Homeschool Revolution
That is why I am asking you to consider joining the Homeschool Revolution today.
By joining the Homeschool Revolution, you can help us maximize the pain necessary to effect change in Wyoming’s public schools.
If you cannot homeschool at this time, we encourage you to look into private schools in your area that DO NOT use the Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards or curriculum aligned with them. –Many Private schools offer scholarships–
If you want to win this fight, if you want educational freedom, if you want parental rights in education, you have got to starve the beast!
Remember money talks. Make them hear you! *Them: Our state legislature, our Common Core loving Governor, the Common Core loving State Board of Education he appointed, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the school districts, the schools…
You have the freedom to choose how you want your children to receive their education, the question is, are you willing to put principle before convenience?
It is not always convenient to take a stand for your principles. But if anything is worth a little inconvenience, it is your children.
Homeschooling is amazing, but it isn’t always unicorns and rainbows, you will have bad days, but they are worth it. I would not trade being home with my children and watching them learn and grow (and learning with them) for the world.
On our facebook fan page we often share freebies or great deals on unit studies, lapbooks, online classes, etc… If you want a taste of homeschooling before taking the plunge, be sure to take advantage of those.
Remember to check out our list of homeschool resources that can help you as you begin your homeschooling journey.
We are here to support and encourage you, you can email us about homeschooling at homescholrevolution@wyomingfreedomineducation.org with questions, thoughts, concerns, doubts, and fears. Whatever you need to talk about, we are here to listen.
Sadly, some of you will find that your family and friends may not be supportive or understanding of your decision to homeschool. Not only is it none of their business, it is the main reason we are available to support you. You do not have to begin this journey alone.
Not only will you be starving the beast that is robbing your children of an education, by choosing to homeschool you will embark on an adventure with your children that you will never regret.