Christian Home Educators of KY Blog

President Obama's Race to the Top/Common Core National Education Standards Most states have already adopted it without the legislatures even discussing or voting. It must be stopped. They have a 4-year start on the citizenry, but it can be done. Indiana has done it. Texas did, but replaced it with something just as bad. So, be on the alert. Contact your state legislators now. Why the uproar? Highly sensitive and personal information of your school children (public, private, and homeschooled) will be gathered in Common Core's "Educational Data Mining" according to the Department of Education's draft report released in February. The data tracking of your child from kindergarten through high school graduation will consist of psychological, neurological, and behavioral testing including the use of magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ), skin and brain sensors , mood meters, and facial expression cameras. "[E]motional experiences, physic

Thank you for calling, emailing, and writing your Representatives and Senators!  HB 279 –The Religious Freedom Restoration Act – had its veto over-ridden!  The voting was:  House vote 79-15; Senate vote 32-6. Religious freedom and homeschooling freedom goes hand-in-hand and by working together we can ensure that we and future generations have the right to homeschool! Please send a thank you note to your Representatives and Senators today! You can use the link provided here by the American Family Association of Kentucky to do so now! http://www.votervoice.net/ Groups/AFAKY/Advocacy/? IssueID=31292&SiteID=-1 Thank you, CHEK Christian Home Educators of Kentucky

CHEK is forwarding this information on behalf of AFA: 3/26/2013 We have only one day left!  We know if Kentucky House Bill 279 – The Religious Freedom Restoration Act – is heard on the floor of the House, it will pass! The House Democrat Caucus voted last night 27 to 26 to allow an override vote today.  This is GOOD, but legislators still need our support  now! Therefore, please: 1) Call and get others calling 2) Come to the solemn gathering at the Capitol tomorrow at 11:00 am. 3) Click on the take action link at the bottom of the page to send an email to your state legislators and also to Gov Beshear expressing your disappointment with  his veto of HB 279. 4) Pray for the success of this bill.       #1 Call the Legislative Message Line AGAIN Tuesday 1-800-372-7181 and leave this encouraging message with the secretary “ for all the legislators in my county and to House and Senate Leadership .” (The operator will know who all these are.  The two L

Did you know ... that CHEK is run completely by volunteers? Board members, social media, blogging, yahoogroup liaisons, Conference Team, legal counsel and more are all homeschooling parents just like you, giving their time and energy to keep you informed!  If you're waiting on updates, email responses, or other information from CHEK keep in mind no one is ignoring you... we're doing our very best! Additional job descriptions and volunteers are being added, so be patient with us. Over the course of the last year, CHEK volunteers have donated well over 2100 hours !  What CHEK is working on right now:   A response to the Senat e Bill re: Compulsory Educatio n CHEK Conference, 2013 Common Core Standar d s and their impact on homeschooling Relig ious Freedom Restoration Act response and sharing of information Ongoing updates to our social media ministry pages: Facebook, Twitter, Googleplus to keep you informed. a growing number of co

Opening Hearts and Homes Sheila Campbell I sat on the porch and looked into the starry night sky. The beauty and the solitude were usually comforting, but on that night it just seemed to magnify my loneliness and the weight of the burden that I carried for my children, particularly my boys. We had just returned from the “Back-to-School” party hosted by our local support group, and although I loved the families in our home school group and was excited about the large crowd that had attended the event, I felt isolated and alone.  The event was a time of sweet fellowship among home school families, at which parents and children alike were encouraged and edified by one another, but I was hungry for the more intimate fellowship of a smaller group. I also had a very heavy burden for my teenage boys, and as I watched them visit with the other teens, I noticed that they had little interaction with the men. I was blessed to see men attend the fa

If you use Twitter, please use the following: @GovSteveBeshear #NOtoVeto #HB279 #protectreligousfreedom How to get involved: Please make the call listed below because the Governor will need encouragement — remember, this is the Governor who tried to change the state “Christmas Tree” to “Holiday Tree” in 2009.    Read below to see how HB 279 is nothing more than the  FEDERAL  law applied to our state. The groups asking the Governor to veto the bill are the ACLU and various Gay/Lesbian groups that push “sexual politics” over religious freedom.  They’ve successfully seduced several Human Rights groups to jump on their band wagon. Here is where  YOU   come in – YOU   really could make the difference. Call the Governor’s message line   and leave this   kind, but firm message with a secretary . . . Call  502-564-2611  and say . . . “Sign HB 279 - The Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” Call ASAP. The Governor’s Message Line is open Mon thru Fri from 8:00

Dear Friend –          The Governor is considering a VETO for House Bill 279 –  The Religious Freedom Restoration Act!    The General Assembly voted 82 to 7 in the House and 29 to 6 in the Senate to pass House Bill 279 in order to restore the “strict scrutiny” standard for the Commonwealth.  This needed to happen this year because the Kentucky Supreme Court watered down the state’s judicial standard last Oct. 25 when it introduced “rational basis” – implying that government only needs “a reason” to infringe on religious liberties. Please make the call listed below because the Governor will need encouragement — remember, this is the Governor who tried to change the state “Christmas Tree” to “Holiday Tree” in 2009.    Read below to see how HB 279 is nothing more than the  FEDERAL  law applied to our state. The groups asking the Governor to veto the bill are the ACLU and various Gay/Lesbian groups that push “sexual politics” over religious freedom.  They’ve succes

Three Things Every Child Needs From His Dad The Apostle Paul was a great one to use illustrations in explaining the Christian life to his children in Christ.   One of the most fascinating examples of this gives us insight not only into spiritual parenthood but also speaks volumes about the role of us earthly fathers.   It is from Paul’s words in I Thessalonians 2:11 that I draw the following article, which I call Three Things Every Child Needs From His Dad The text says, “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.”   There are three fatherly functions in a nutshell.   To exhort, to comfort, and to charge.   Paul reminds his spiritual children how he has ministered to them and uses a natural father as an illustration. So what can we dads learn from that will help us in the trenches?   Let’s look at each point in the job description: First, Paul says that a dad exhorts his children.

Marilyn Boyer along with her husband Rick Boyer of Take Back the Land are scheduled Key Note Speakers for the 2013 CHEK Family and Homeschool Conference June 14-15 in Louisville, KY. Here is the promo for Marilyn's Book, "For You They Signed."  Book description: In 1776, 56 men signed their names on a document that they knew might well mean their certain deaths as traitors to England. Standing on principles of faith and liberty, these men forged a powerful call for freedom and human dignity still resonating today in America. Yet, historical revisionists have distorted or attempted to wipe away every trace of this nation's Christian heritage, including the heartfelt faith of these founding fathers. More than simply facts and figures, For You They Signed provides an abundance of resources within one volume, including: A full year of life-changing, challenging family or group devotional character studies, over 90 illustrations, biographical summaries, insight

This Bill will affect Homeschoolers !!!!!! SB 97 - Local option for increasing compulsory school age The "usual" annual bill for this one is dead for this session, but here's another sneaky one that is going through the House Education Committee tomorrow morning, so call as early as possible. Lines Open 8 am to 11 pm. Call as EARLY AS POSSIBLE! Call 1-800-372-7181 Tell the operator you would like to leave a message for: 1) all members of the House Education Committee 2) all House leadership (Rep & Dem) and 3) YOUR Representative. Message: "Please vote NO on SB97. Kentucky cannot afford it."

A successful ministry has many hands to make light work.  CHEK needs YOU! Do you have gifts and talents that you would like to put to good use? Would you like to partner with a homeschool ministry that is making a difference?  CHEK needs YOU! Did you know that a successful homeschool conference depends upon hundreds of volunteer hours? CHEK needs YOU! Do you enjoy people? Do you love Social Media? Do you like organizing? CHEK needs YOU! Are Parental Rights important to you? CHEK needs YOU! Now is the time. CHEK needs YOU! If you would like to volunteer your time and talent to the ministry of CHEK, please send an email to info@chek.org   Be on the "look out" for specific volunteer needs CHEK will make known in the next couple of weeks.  But don't wait for us...if you have a leading to volunteer, CHEK needs YOU! About CHEK: Christian Home Educators of Kentucky (CHEK) is a statewide homeschooling educational and informational organization established to a