"Pastors Partner with Homeschool Iowa" Wouldn’t it be nice if your pastor and church came alongside you in your calling to homeschool your children? Many homeschoolers see home education as the means to carry out our Biblical vocation to raise our children in the Lord. We often find, too, that many pastors answer affirmatively when asked if they support homeschooling. However, when pressed as to what this support provided to Christian families within their churches looks like, pastors are often unable to define it clearly. Too often, it just means they don’t pass judgment upon the decision ..read more

Advocacy efforts for 2024 are already underway! Our Homeschool Iowa Advocacy Team is dedicated to protecting and enhancing your rights and freedoms to homeschool in Iowa. Meet Our Lobbyist,  Who Leads Our Advocacy Team Jeremy Vos, our Homeschool Iowa Lobbyist, has been communicating with lawmakers, even before the Iowa Legislature convened on January 8, 2024. The Iowa Legislative General Assembly runs for two consecutive years, starting the second Monday in January, and working for at least 100 days in each session. This year’s legislative session will be the second half of the 90th ..read more

Fueling for the Future is your opportunity to join in Homeschool Iowa's efforts to support and protect Iowa homeschooling families. You are an important part! PARTNER WITH US! The Story Behind Fueling for the Future Let's hear from HI President, Joe Bailey: I was recently reminded of this verse by a coworker. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Luke 12:48 Those words, spoken by Jesus and recorded for us by Dr. Luke roughly 2000 years ago, are so applicable to my life now. From where I stand, I am overflowing with abundant gifts. As some of you may k ..read more

Homeschool pioneers Ron and Nancy Shuler blazed a trail for Iowa home educators like us. They were among the parents who started teaching their children at home in Iowa in the 1970s and 1980s when the idea of homeschooling was novel and viewed by most authorities as illegal. Ron and Nancy’s “pioneer” adventures in Iowa homeschooling were highlighted in the now-yellowed pages of the February 19, 1984 Picture magazine, a supplement to The Des Moines Sunday Register. The photograph on the publication's front page showed the family standing in the wood-framed doorway to the schoolroom of their ..read more

Adding quiet time to your homeschool routine just might become one of the key components in your homeschooling success. Why should you consider adding quiet time to your homeschool routine? Homeschooling Parents Some homeschooling parents honestly share with us that they feel overwhelmed and worn out at times. It’s challenging being the primary adult in our children’s lives throughout the day. Then add in being the primary teacher, along with marriage and household roles, and it can feel like a deluge. For you, as a homeschooling parent, adding quiet time devotes time and space to nurture ..read more

Are homeschool student records at public schools secure? You should consider this question, especially if you’ve chosen to file paperwork to access public school services. Homeschool Iowa's advocacy roles,  championing homeschooling freedoms and helping families  respond to public school overreach, are crucially related to this issue. In Iowa, homeschooling parents must file a Competent Private Instruction (CPI) Form A to request dual enrollment access to public school classes, extracurricular activities, and/or services. If a school district offers a Home School Assistance Progr ..read more

Be a Page in the Iowa Legislature! Iowa homeschooled teens  can learn about this incredible service opportunity  and find all the details on how to apply. Maybe you didn't know that homeschooled students can apply to be a Page in the Iowa Legislature. Perhaps you're unsure whether this option is the right fit for you. Let Abigail Gustoff, an Iowa homeschooled teen who served as a Page in the Iowa Statehouse during the last legislative session, share her experience with you.  My Story: Abigail Gustoff I served as a Page in the Iowa House of Representatives during the 2023 ..read more

Why I'm Thankful to Be Homeschooled That's a great topic! One of our Homeschool Iowa teen volunteers, Karli Roth, offered to address it from her point of view. I’m so thankful to be homeschooled! If you are a homeschooling parent, you know that teaching your children is hard work. It’s tiring. Sometimes it’s discouraging. There are days that teaching your children about percentages or encouraging them to serve others seems like rocket science. I want to remind you that homeschooling is worth all the hard work you put into it. How my parents teach me has blessed me abundantly. In my life ..read more

Congratulations! If you are a working parent and you’ve just completed your first year homeschooling, you may have figured out a balance between your homeschool and work responsibilities. Now, the question is: How will you get your work done this summer? You have work to do, and the kids have nothing but free time! Are you already sweating how you are going to get your tasks completed this summer? Let’s talk about three keys to keeping the peace and getting your work done this summer. Homeschooling is on the rise among, especially among working parents. They are discovering the flexibility h ..read more

"Teach the Child"  is advice offered to you by our Homeschool Iowa Conference Speaker, Sonya Shafer. A popular author and speaker with Simply Charlotte Mason, Sonya offers some encouragement on "recipe adaptations" for homeschool curriculum.  When it comes to cooking, it seems that there are two kinds of people: those who follow the recipe exactly and those who tweak it. Those who tend to stick to the recipe probably like the security of doing what they're told to do. "Someone has already figured this out, so I don't have to" can be a comforting thought. But sometimes the recipe ..read more