More than a dozen parents have emailed me in the last week or so about articles written by two activists regarding US Senate bill 306. I’m tired of repeating myself in email, so I decided to write this article. For the record, those two activists are Anita Hoge and Alice Linahan.
I had quite a lot of respect for these two ladies. They fight the good fight and there is usually something useful in their observations. However, in the last month, that respect has been wiped out.
It’s not just that they are attacking Ted Cruz, whom I openly support, but I’m weary of their constant ranting all over Facebook and Twitter about something that just isn’t so. If going for the level of saturation that makes those who follow you want to unfollow you was your goal — you made it!
The flavor of these articles is that there is some malicious conspiracy being led by two of the leading defenders of homschooling and school choice to prostrate homeschoolers before the altar of big government. These articles are unhelpful, inflammatory and frankly, wrong.
You Have The Right To Your Opinion, But Not Your Own Facts
Let me say first that this is a bill is effectively dead right now. There has been no new activity on it.
What S306 does is allow homeschoolers to take advantage of Coverdell education savings accounts and amends IRS rules to do so. Here’s the synopsis:
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow a state educational agency to allocate grant funds among local educational agencies based on the number of eligible children (children age 5 to 17 from a family with an income below the poverty level) enrolled in the public schools and the state-accredited private schools within each local agency’s geographic jurisdiction.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts; (2) remove the dollar limitation on contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts and require such accounts to provide adequate safeguards to prevent contributions from exceeding the amount necessary to provide for the qualified education expenses of the account beneficiary; and (3) allow tax-exempt qualified tuition programs (529 tuition programs) to pay qualified pre-kindergarten, elementary, and secondary education expenses.
The IRS covers savings plans of all kinds, including Coverdells. Every American’s financial dealings crosses paths with the IRS and homeschoolers are no different. They file tax returns just like everyone else.
S. 306 doesn’t change anything other than giving families who want the added financial ability to extend their homeschooling abilities.
Currently there are fourteen states which play out and define homeschooling as being the equal to that of a public K-12 education. That leaves thirty-six states that don’t and S. 306 is aimed at those states. S. 306 still allows states the freedom to define what is a private school and what is the equivalent of a public k-12.
In other words, the federal government cannot define who you are, Homeschoolers — the state still does that, as well as your own choices in using a Coverdell in your state or not.
Homeschoolers who think this is a big conspiracy to control them and do not wish to engage in these Coverdell plans are free to NOT ENGAGE in using such savings accounts.
Just as homeschoolers have operated financially on their own for decades, they are free to CONTINUE operating that way.
Shorter: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO DO ANYTHING.
Q & A
To these two women writing these articles, I’d also ask a question or two.
If your attacks aren’t at least partly politically motivated, then why aren’t either of you addressing Mike Lee with your ‘the fed is trying to define homeschools’ diatribes? You know, Sen. Mike Lee? The SPONSOR of the bill?
In an article at RedState, Cruz responds; clearly aware of these accusations. Cruz accurately calls them politically motivated, which sends the comments section into a total sputtering freak out. Boo-freaking-hoo.
Anita Hoge has demonstrated her dislike for Ted Cruz all over Twitter; she clearly has no idea what a margin loan is. Hoge has even beclowned herself by painting Cruz to be the same as Jeb Bush on Common Core:
Jeb & Cruz=same Ed plan-Common Core 4 ALL CHILDREN thru FEDERAL (no)CHOICEhttps://t.co/3RVPUsaBrc@realDonaldTrump @EricTrump @olliepopkin
— Anita Hoge (@HogeAnita) January 19, 2016
Linahan makes regular pleas to Trump as well.
I agree @realDonaldTrump #WeHaveNoChoice We are either a Country or we are NOT!! #WeHaveNoChoice #GOPDebate
— Alice Linahan (@AliceLinahan) November 11, 2015
However on Trump’s Common Core ‘untweet’ in South Carolina, Hoge is silent. So is Linahan. Gee, where are our big Common Core Warriors now?
Ladies, what Donald Trump knows about education could fit on the head of a pin — and what he knows about Common Core is even less. What he does say about education appears to just be parroting other campaigns.
What Trump does seem to know is to yell 
out the words “Common Core” at a rally and people cheer.
As a mom fighting Common Core at the state and national level, I find being made the cheer line of rally talking point on some note card more than a little insulting.
Having said that, for what reason are you attacking the ONE candidate in this race that actually has fought for parental rights, actually knows what Common Core is and wants the US Department of Ed on the chopping block?
Calling This What It is: Rank Dishonesty and pig-ignorance
Also at RedState, there is an article responding to this over-hyped nonsense. In that RedState article, this line of attack by these two activists is brutally, yet accurately summarized:
“What is circulating now is a story that Ted Cruz supports the federal regulation of homeschooling. There are two underlying causes of this story: rank dishonesty and pig-ignorance.”
I await the incoming comments which will likely be littered with tons of links to websites I’ve never heard of and topic totally unrelated as ‘proof’ that what I just said is wrong and that I have no idea what I’m talking about.
None of them will be published. This pig-ignorance ends here.
Related Reading:
Your handy dandy Cruz v Trump comparison chart
Ted Cruz, Homeschooling, S.306, Dishonesty and Pig-Ignorance
LL1885 
Hey, I have a BRILLIANT idea…let’s ALL vote for TRUMP because of this dead in the water bill S306. Let’s ALL ignore Trump’s blatant lack of Constitutional knowledge, his sexist remarks / views on women in which he uses words like slut, whore, bimbo, dog. We’ll ignore all his flip flopping on issues and his support of abortion and his own admittance that he’s not a conservative. We’ll look the other way when he encourages and repeats vulgar disparaging words like pu$$* and drops the f-bomb. We’ll accept it when he says he can change into anything he wants to (because that’s not scary). Let’s completely ignore the fact that Cruz has been a staunch supporter of parental sovereignty and has been fighting for states rights and the upholding of our Constitution for several decades now. We’ll all vote for Trump because he says what we want to hear (like what Obama supporters did in 2008). Hey, I have a great idea to get Trump to win… let’s ALL use s306 against Cruz because that’s all we have against him to use. (Insert sarcasm)
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Dear AP
One small story on how government takes over, regardless of political will or “good intentions”. My father sent me to a Christian College in Iowa in the early 60’s. Dad said he wanted me to go to a school which would never allow the government to give them money, no matter the pretense, to retain their independence. Well this college, now ‘university’, accepted government funds and there is no longer any reference to it being a Christian College. It had Al Gore and George Soros as commencement speakers. Does that not make the case for NO MORE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PLEASE! Today, only Hillsdale is an independent college NOT taking government funds.
Cruz cannot control the sausage- making bill process any more than any other politician. Parents MUST decide, do they want Statist Indoctrination Centers or the liberty to educate children with their values? Families who find inexpensive private schools or homeschool,find great resources now available, and see the benefits of reconnecting with their children by their time invested in them. Where there is a will….THERE IS A WAY! But government must not be the solution, it is the PROBLEM.
Bonnie Dougherty
CDR USN Ret.
Psalm 127
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Dear A.P.
Attack issues please, not people and you will be more helpful to our common cause. I am an old prayer warrior with Concerned Women for America and a retired Navy Commander. I understand the battle we face and attacking one another’s motives is not helpful. Anita Hoge and Alice Linehan are trail blazers for unmasking the deadly humanist philosophy killing the souls of our children in federalized schools. Beverly LeHaye and Phyllis Schfafly stopped the Equal Rights Amendment but radical leftists never quit. Our side does. There IMHO is no hope for schools to remain free from government dictates EXCEPT for parents to remove their kids and find home remedies. There is a price tag on each child’s head who attends these Indoctrination centers. Remove the $$$$$ and we regain control. I do not trust anyone in government to do the right thing. There are too many snakes in the legislating and budgeting process who control the levers of the sausage production of legislation. Neither Ted Cruz nor Trump can control this…..EXCEPT to starve the beast with NO FUNDING. Parents must return to being parents and raise up their children in the way they should go, and it is our job as concerned women to raise the alarm and help! The government is our enemy! Our Founders knew that and vigorously attempted to put road blocks to keep it under control. Unfortunately, most are gone. So we return to the one who CAN make a difference. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”
Psalm 127!
Most sincerely,
Bonnie Dougherty
Commander, USN Ret
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Thank you for your service and with all due respect, attacking the issue is exactly what I did.
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Dear A.P. What is unfortunate is that as long as I was fighting the biggest battles to stop ESSA, Common Core, and psyche abuse, you were all aboard. As soon as documentation is revealed that Sen. Cruz’s bill is not what it seems, everyone is an enemy who disagrees. You, as well, as others, know that I have written against Title I portability all along the ESSA battle, and you know it.
It was Sen. Cruz who put his name on this legislation. It is Sen. Cruz who is running for President, not Sen. Lee or Rep. Messner. If we are not linking ESSA and Title I to S 306, we would be foolish. FEDERAL CHOICE IS FEDERAL CHOICE. And by the way, Jebbie is for FEDERAL CHOICE. All that Cruz Crew people can do is throw personal bombs, scream, and rant without documentation.
My documentation is solid on the impact of S 306.
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Dear Anita,
First — Do not assume anything about me. Ever. You don’t know me. You don’t know what battles I’ve fought.
Second — Your documentation on 306 has more holes than swiss cheese. Correlation does not equal causation and you’ve drawn conclusions that are IN YOUR HEAD.
Third — Your attacks are very clearly politically motivated and from reading your Twitter timeline this morning, it’s clear you are Cruz obsessed.
Fourth — You’ve taken what respect I had for you and flushed it down the toilet by using people’s trust in what you write to convince them of non-existant malicious intent of Mike Lee and Ted Cruz.
YOU SHOULD BE DAN ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.
Now get off my blog, you’re an academically dishonest hack.
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I believe your emotional attachment to Cruz has clouded your ability to be objective. And that is nkt a good. These two women ARE NOT attacking Cruz. They are attacking the fact that while he claims to be a Constitutiinal conservative he continues to support unconstitutional legislation. Given the impact ESSA will have on private education S306 is an extremely bad piece iof legislation. I know several people that have talked to Cruz about ESSA and S306. He knows they are bad bills and unconstutiona but he failed to show up for the final vote on ESSA (please no excuses) and although he said he would pull his support for S306 he has not. Anita Hoge has forgotten more about education than you and many other new education bloggers will ever know. She has been there. Anita has been in DC fighting for our kids for decades. She is fighting for our kids not against Cruz.
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Really Karen?
I spent the better part of the last half hour going over their twitter timelines and yours too.
YOU ALL are obsessed with smearing Cruz. Literally nearly every tweet of Hoge’s is about smearing Cruz. Same with Linahan and I found a lot in your timeline too, but *I’m* the emotional one? Give me a freaking break.
By the way, I’d have written this article no matter who was being smeared because it’s the right thing to do to point out how wrong you all are.
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I commend you on your excellent work and honesty! The Trumpsters are roaring here in West Michigan and the battle to expose their lies is fierce.
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Reblogged this on His Big Picture View.
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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! This is really starting to wear thin.
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THANK YOU!!! Spot on!!!! And you are right, they will start shrilling after you! But these women have lost A LOT of credibility with many people. They are digging their own graves. Thank goodness!
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This conflict started before these two bloggrrs. This began last fall and reached a pitch that forced cruz to go on Glenn Beck in october Beck said he had been hammered with concerns about this bill. It is a clever distraction to make it about two bloggers. They are out there but pinning this solely on them is disengenuous. Cruz answered poorly to Beck and defended the bill as a civil rights issue and ignored the constitution all together. He has only himself to blame for the firestorm growing. He is campaigning on the constitution but has not defended his idea from the constitution.
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Distraction my white ass, Karen. You know full well Anita and Alice are rehashing this dead item because it’s and election year.
Spare me the blame storming and Cruz bashing. This bill isn’t about him. You know it, I know it and everyone reading this knows it.
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This bill also allows federal dollars to follow a child to a private school. This is a unconstitutional expansion of the feds into private education. Cruz does not defend this from a constitutional perspective but calls it a civil rights issue. It is first and foremost a constitutuonal issue. With federal dollars comes federal control.
The bill may be dead but the idea is not. Cruz defended portability in his statement when he did not show up to vote on ecca on december 9.
This debate needs to happen. The timing is of cruz choosing. He chose to support this bill the same year ge announced for Presidency. With the spotlight comes the scrutiny.
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There is a state solutuon ti the education savings accounts. Homeschoolers in 14 states have access because their states allows them to to operate as a private school. The remaining homeschoolers could lobby their state legislature for a change in the law to allow them to operate as a private school. They
would then have the same to coverdell. Such a solutuon respects states rights. It also keeps the feds out of declaring a homeschool is a private school.
Why is Cruz going for a federal solutuon to a state issue? That is the playbook of liberals who seek to usurp states to fix a injustice. We say let the states decide. But for some reason conservatives are by passing the states and letting the feds decide.
The bill also allows federal dollars to follow a student
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You and I have had this conversation before, Karen. That is not Cruz’s intent to usurp the states. Again, this is Mike Lee’s sponsored bill. I reject your premise entirely.
States take fed dollars all the time, states should cut off as much as they can over time. That is where we agree.
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