New Jersey Democrats have unveiled a power grab that threatens the very foundation of parental rights.
Assembly Bill 5825, introduced by Democrat Sterley Stanley, would mandate that homeschool families align their curricula with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements newly infused into curricula from history to health.
Parents who’ve chosen to educate children independently often do so to avoid the heavily political worldviews imposed in government classrooms. By effectively compelling homeschooling families to parrot political narratives on race, gender, and identity, such mandates confirm the odd ownership many Democrats feel over people’s kids.
When Stanley was endorsed by the New Jersey Education Association in 2023, he gushed: “Their collaboration and partnership has been vital to my success as a legislator and I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the years to come.” What teachers unions and their allies want to “accomplish” should concern us.
Families across New Jersey are abandoning public schools in droves, disillusioned by the radical (often anti-science) ideologies infiltrating classrooms. Homeschooling has surged in New Jersey since 2019. This jump reflects parents’ rejection of curricula that prioritize social engineering over core academics.
Instead of addressing these failures, Democrats now seek to drag homeschoolers into the same ideological quagmire they sought to avoid. The bill demands that parents submit an annual letter to their local public school superintendent, including the child’s name, birth date, grade level, and instructor, essentially begging for permission to raise their own children at home. These tyrants think government school administrators, not parents, hold ultimate authority over a child’s upbringing.
New Jersey Democrats also introduced The Homeschool Act, Senate Bill 4589, mandating an annual “general health and wellness check” for every homeschool child with a school official. The Democrats are inserting the government as a wedge between children and their families.
Authoritarian regimes have often sought total control over education, and history reminds us these moves are ominous. In 1938, the Nazi regime banned homeschooling to ensure all children were indoctrinated in state ideology. New Jersey’s bill follows a similar path, forcing families to conform or face penalties.
At its core, A5825 violates the First Amendment by compelling government speech. Homeschool parents would be forced to teach state-mandated DEI content, even if it contradicts their values or beliefs (and often causes harm).
The Supreme Court has long rejected such government overreach. In Meyer v. Nebraska (1923), the Court struck down a ban on teaching foreign languages, affirming parents’ right to direct their children’s education without undue state interference. Two years later, Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925) upheld the right to choose private or home education, declaring that “the child is not the mere creature of the state.” And in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), the Court exempted Amish families from compulsory schooling laws that clashed with their religious convictions, emphasizing that parents, not the government, bear primary responsibility for a child’s moral and intellectual development. These precedents make clear that New Jersey’s attempt to dictate homeschool curricula is unconstitutional.
The hypocrisy of wanting to dictate what should be learned outside school is remarkable, considering what is (not) learned inside public schools they defend so fiercely. In Camden, for instance, only five percent of students are proficient in math, despite $30,000 invested per student each year. Across the state, failing scores plague many districts, yet lawmakers target homeschooling as if it might fail children? Government school fanatics should focus on cleaning up their own house before meddling in families’ private choices.
The real motive here is monopoly protection. The Democratic Party functions as a wholly owned subsidiary of the teachers unions, which view homeschooling as a direct competitor.
Unions like the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and the American Federation of Teachers’ state affiliate (AFTNJ) thrive on trapping kids in underperforming systems. Public schools receive funding based on enrollment, so every child who opts out means lost dollars, even as homeschool parents continue paying taxes for a service they don’t use. Regulations aim to make homeschooling more burdensome, slowing the exodus and propping up unions on the backs of children.
The NJEA president, Sean Spiller, poured $40 million from union dues into his campaign, only to flame out in the Democratic primary with about 10 percent of the vote. Spiller’s bid exemplified the unions’ grip on state politics. Now, the Democratic nominee, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, must answer before Election Day whether she would support this anti-parent bill and sign it into law. After all, AFTNJ endorsed her, and they stand to gain from hobbling their competition.
Parents deserve the freedom to educate their children without government intrusion. New Jersey Democrats must abandon this unconstitutional scheme and respect that children belong to their families, not the state.