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About WHPA

Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association is a state-wide, inclusive, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the right and freedom of parents to provide an education to their children according to their own principles and beliefs.

“The essence of homeschooling is in the freedom to make our own choices, the freedom from any state regulation telling us when, where, how, or what in particular we must learn. Protecting this freedom is absolutely essential for us to realize the full benefits of homeschooling. Anything that diminishes that freedom, however slightly, turns me, to that extent, into an unpaid agent of the state, carrying out someone else’s directives as to how my children should learn.”

—ROY UNDERHILL’S OPENING REMARKS, 2002 WPA CONFERENCE

WHPA’s Ten Principles

Here are things we can do to maintain our freedoms. They require understanding and a strong commitment, but except in the time of a crisis, they do not require much time or money. They provide important learning opportunities for us and our children. And they help us discover how to maintain freedoms in other areas of our lives as well.

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one

Know what Wisconsin’s homeschooling law says, what it does and does not require, and how it is interpreted and enforced.

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two

Do only the minimum required by statute or regulation. Doing otherwise will reduce freedoms you and other homeschoolers enjoy.

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three

Maintain the distinction between homeschooling and other “school at home” options.

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four

Do not ignore violations of your rights, even when they seem too small to matter or it takes time and effort to protest.

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five

Learn to work with your legislators, regardless of their political party.

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six

Do not seek or accept benefits from the government.

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seven

Do not push for new homeschooling legislation.

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eight

Stay out of court if at all possible.

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nine

Understand and apply the distinction between compulsory school attendance and compulsory education.

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ten

Work with other homeschoolers on the grassroots level.

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Name Changed in 2020

On August 19, 2020, Wisconsin Parents Association Board of Directors announced the change of our name to  Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association (WHPA).

The announcement read:

We feel this change respects our organization’s history, while also acknowledging the contemporary needs of homeschoolers in Wisconsin. We believe it will help homeschoolers find us, as the addition of “homeschooling” to our name makes us more searchable online. We believe the addition of “homeschooling” will also make it easier for legislators to recognize our important role in Wisconsin as the only state-wide grassroots homeschool organization, and the very same group that helped write and originate our homeschooling laws in 1984.

WHPA continues to be steadfast in our mission, vision, principals, and goals as we serve our statewide homeschooling community.

The name change will gradually be reflected in WHPA’s website, documents, and other communications in the coming months. We look forward to an exciting and challenging year serving all Wisconsin homeschooling families under our new banner: Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association.

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How Can You Help?

It’s up to all of us: We are all ambassadors for our very reasonable hard-won homeschool law. Here are six concrete, actionable steps YOU can take to be a good ambassador.

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