Freedom Requires Vigilance | An Interview with Callie Chaplow

Homeschool freedom came under threat in Virginia earlier this year, and hundreds of families quickly stepped up to defend it—proving that the price of freedom is constant vigilance. In this episode of Homeschool Talks, Callie Chaplow, Director of Government Affairs for the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) joins Jim Mason, President of HSLDA, to discuss how families rallied at the Virginia statehouse to defend homeschool rights during an active legislative season, particularly families new to homeschooling! Join the conversation on how Virginia's homeschool community made their voices heard—and what we can all learn from their advocacy. "[This bill] was an attack on all homeschoolers. It [attempted to] change the homeschooling process and it added a whole bunch of requirements. [Homeschool families] rallied. In Virginia, about 40% of homeschoolers in Virginia were not homeschooling pre-COVID. That's a gravitational shift in culture of people who have never had to defend their homeschool freedom. This was an opportunity for all these new homeschoolers to really value what we have. And they did. People who had never been involved in the political process, never have come down to the Capitol, never written or called a legislator—they [rose up]."—Callie Chaplow