As the notorious HB 2827 advances in Springfield, PAACH Legislative Liaison Arkasia Cox will address key issues Illinois homeschooling families face and her opposition to HB 2827 at the Peoria County Republican Women Luncheon. The PCRW Luncheon is scheduled for April 9th at Barrack’s Cater Inn, 1224 Pioneer Pkwy, Peoria from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A delicious meal featuring BBQ beef brisket, slider rolls, diced potatoes, coleslaw, salad, dessert, coffee, and iced tea, will be served at noon. The meal costs $15 for PCRW members and $20 for non PCRW members.

RSVP online by April 6th and tell them you are with PAACH

If you have any questions, please text Anita Meeker at (309) 253-2098.

Note: Accommodation for special dietary needs may be requested if notified by RSVP due date. 

PAACH homeschool convention " A Chosen Heritage" is right around the corner. Online registration is closed but we will still be taking walk-in registrations. There are classes for everyone and once again we will be having ala cart options for lunch. Come see how the sovereign hand of God works in our lives and the lives of our children. Mp3s this year will look a little different. We will be recording 9 sessions (3 general sessions, and 6 workshops in sanctuary). Due to the rising costs of everything we have had to change how to do recordings. This year they will be available on our website approx. 2 weeks after convention for the cost of $15. We will be sending out an email blast with the link. Don't forget our family night this year on Friday. We will have family pizza and movie night. The movie we will be showing is Family Camp. Stay for the evening for a short cost for dinner and enjoy the show!

Convention Committee Volunteers Needed

PAACH is currently looking to add a couple of volunteers to our Convention Committee. The Convention Committee is vital to ensure a smooth, encouraging, and impactful convention. Without our volunteer team, our convention would not be what it is today. Would you like to minister and reach local homeschoolers? Do you want to join in on the fun behind the scenes? We would love to add you to our fantastic team. Please reach out to Arkasia Cox at CFOMediadirector@gmail.com for more information and current needs. As an appreciation for your time volunteering, convention committee members receive a free PAACH membership and free convention registration. Some of our needs are pressing and it would be helpful to shadow team members during this convention. Please reach out soon as we are in the process of finalizing this year's convention.

Written by Will Estrada

Almost 2,000 children died in the United States from abuse and neglect in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

Illinois and Maryland – with 83 child fatalities in 2023 each – were both number five in the nation for child fatalities.

What are we doing wrong that in the United States in the twenty-first century we cannot stem such a horrific statistic, which belies the immense suffering of the most vulnerable among us?

It is a good question, and a question that could save the life of a child.

But the greatest tragedy is, in Illinois at least, nothing is being done. And Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services – DCFS – has failed to protect our children.

A damning investigative report from Chicago-Sun Times last week showed that “[t]he state agency responsible for keeping Illinois’ most vulnerable children safe has failed to produce legally required public reports after examining what went wrong in hundreds of cases of child deaths and thousands of serious injuries[.]” This covers a staggering number of “[m]ore than 1,200 deaths and more than 3,000 other cases of serious injury … since July 2018[.]”

This is not DCFS’ only failure. In a horrific sex abuse investigation into Martha’s Integrated Care Center on Chicago’s South Side, recent reporting has shown that “the state agency whose job it was to place and protect these abandoned children instead dropped them off at a program it repeatedly failed to monitor.”

Another recent news story showed that a DCFS attorney was fired after employment fraud on the government dime. Another news story shows that DCFS is out of compliance with a 30 year old consent decree which was issued in order to protect vulnerable children in foster care. Another investigative report concluded that DCFS is “a state agency in crisis.”

A state audit of DCFS, released on September 7, 2023, found page after page of “noncompliance,” “weakness,” “significant deficiency,” and “material noncompliance,” with state law and state policy.

And a horrifying report in January of 2023 found that 171 Illinois children died in the past few years from abuse and neglect – who were known to DCFS.

Our legislators are AWOL when they should be holding DCFS accountable for its horrific failures. Illinois State Representative Terra Costa Howard, who serves as vice chairperson of the House Adoption & Child Welfare Committee, has failed to call for any hearings or legislative oversight of DCFS in recent years. She recently released a press statement “thanking” the beleaguered DCFS Director, Mark Smith, when he announced his resignation in the wake of the cascading reports about the failures of the agency he had been charged to lead.

Indeed, Vice Chairperson Costa Howard is apparently so unconcerned about these horrific failures by DCFS that she decided to introduce legislation – H.B. 2827 – to make Illinois’ public education system supervise homeschool families. Her decision to place the protection of homeschool children as an additional responsibility for the public education system is curious, and is a tacit acknowledgement that DCFS is not up to the job.

Instead of doing what it takes to strengthen and reform DCFS to protect Illinois children from death and bring Illinois out of the top five states in the nation with child deaths due to abuse and neglect, Vice Chairperson Costa Howard wants every homeschool family in the state to file a “Homeschool Declaration Form” with their local public school upon pain of criminal penalties if they don’t. It is unclear how this paper form will protect homeschool children from abuse and neglect. It is also unclear how new regulations on homeschoolers will protect the vast majority of children in Illinois, particularly when peer reviewed studies show that homeschool children are not at higher risk of abuse and neglect than their public and private school peers, and when federal data indicate that the vast majority of children who die from abuse and neglect are below the age of compulsory attendance (ACF, Exhibit 4-B).

The supporters of H.B. 2827 testified in a committee hearing on March 19 that according to their research, 7 Illinois homeschool children died from abuse and neglect since CRHE began tracking such numbers. This is a heart-breaking statistic, if true (CRHE’s data is suspect; for example, they list Elizabeth Smart, a public school student who was kidnapped in 2002 from her family’s Utah home by a monster, as a victim of homeschool abuse). CRHE also did not indicate in the hearing how far back these 7 deaths go – they could go back decades. But even if CRHE’s number is accurate, it does not take a data scientist to quickly realize that these 7 deaths – while tragic – show that, statistically speaking, homeschool children in Illinois are far safer from abuse and neglect fatalities than any other cohort of Illinois children.

Every harm to a child is a tragedy. The New Testament records Jesus’ hatred of any harm to a child in Matthew 18:2-6 when Jesus said “. . . whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Those who harm a child are evil.

Illinois, let’s get focused on reforming and strengthening DCFS to protect children. Illinois legislators, stand up and take action to reform DCFS to protect children. And Vice Chairperson Terra Costa Howard, if you are unwilling or unable fix DCFS to protect Illinois children, it’s time for you to retire from politics.

 

Will Estrada
HSLDA Senior Counsel

Will is senior counsel and contact attorney for HSLDA members in the states of CA, WY, IL, AL, GA, SC, MD, PA, and NH. He works to make homeschooling possible for thousands of member families and hundreds of thousands of homeschool students by advocating in state legislatures for homeschool freedom, working to ensure that homeschool graduates are treated equally, and that the laws protecting the rights of homeschool families are followed by government officials. Will is a homeschool graduate from Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Rachel (a homeschool graduate from Virginia), have two sons, Dominic and Merrick, and live in Northern Virginia.

 

Written by Andrew Pudewa

I have studied the science and art of motivation for many years, first as a violin teacher, then as a writing teacher, and finally as a parent. Although I am far from perfect in my understanding and practice, I have found some basic principles which have helped me and many other parents understand their children better, empowering us to more effectively motivate our kids at times when resistance and unwillingness may seem overwhelming. Parents can easily think—and often say—that their child is “lazy.” I challenge that idea. A genuinely lazy child is a rare thing; children left on their own are tremendously industrious creatures. It might be possible to create a lazy child with years of continuous television and videogames, but in general, children are not lazy. In his excellent book, The Myth of Laziness, Dr. Mel Levine analyzes several cases of people considered lazy and explores the internal and external factors that directly affect productive output. It is a book that can benefit every teacher and parent. However, in our home education efforts, we often find times when our children do not want to do what we want them to do, and we misunderstand this as laziness. Specifically, in the context of education, we find that children often rebel against learning or practicing the things we want them to learn or practice. I believe that when a child says something like, “I hate...” or “I can’t...” or when they behave in such a way as to make it very hard to get them to do things, there are one or more underlying causes. If we can identify these causes, we can restructure our interactions and expectations in such a way that we gain their willingness and ultimately their enthusiasm—though it may take serious effort on our part.

One of the Seven Keys of Great Teaching as explained in Oliver Van DeMille’s book, A Thomas Jefferson Education, is: “Inspire, not Require.” DeMille also points out that doing this can be a tough job. To require performance (“Do this or suffer punishment of some sort”) is easy, but to inspire a student to want to work and learn necessitates much more effort on the part of the parent or teacher. However, DeMille also points out—quite accurately—that no real learning happens unless the learner chooses to learn. No one can make anyone else learn anything. Yes, maybe someone can threaten us into studying and retaining information long enough to pass a test of some sort, but there is no lasting effect. Any of us who slogged through a mindnumbingly boring high school biology class (and maybe even got an A!) but don’t know any biology today (and probably didn’t three months after the school year was over) can attest to the fact that it is possible to pretend to learn and even get a passing grade while, in actuality, learning almost nothing in the process. Therefore, in my study of motivation, I have isolated a factor that most often determines when and whether real learning will occur, and I use the word relevancy to identify it. If something is relevant to you, if it is significant, meaningful, useful, interesting, helpful, then it is easy to study and learn. If something is not relevant to you, if it is not significant, not meaningful, not useful or interesting, then it is very hard to study and learn. I see this as being so true in my own life, and it is true for almost every child I have ever met. I have also discovered four basic kinds of relevancy, and because some are more powerful than others, a parent or teacher who understands them can utilize the information quite beneficially. The four forms of relevancy are intrinsic, inspired, contrived, and enforced; they are generally effective in that order.

Intrinsic Relevancy

Intrinsic relevancy is when something is interesting because it is. Intrinsic interests are likely formed by a combination of personality and environment, and we all have specific interests—some of which may have surfaced at a young age, most of which tend to become stronger as we grow into adulthood. Clearly, children have certain interests common to all and useful for survival. For example, almost all children are interested in knowing about animals that are dangerous or poisonous, and almost all boys have an interest in weaponry. Then, most children start to show more defined and specific interests as they move into the age of reason. Often their interests differ from ours, and we wonder where that fascination came from. However, as teachers and parents, we can and should capitalize on these intrinsic interests. As homeschoolers, we have a great deal of freedom in our choices of curriculum and content—much to the benefit of our children if we are willing to maximize in the curriculum things which are most relevant to them. The number of things we could learn is unlimited, and we will never learn everything about everything—we will never cover all the bases. No teacher in any school anywhere is “covering all the bases,” so don’t even try. That’s the bad news and the good news. Since the number of possible things to learn is unlimited, and we can’t do it all, we can make choices—and whenever possible, choose things that are naturally interesting to our children. They will be much more motivated and have much better retention, as can be seen by how most boys will learn about medieval weaponry far more easily than they will learn about edible plants of North America. If you have a choice, go for what has intrinsic relevancy, and more real learning will happen in the time available.

Inspired Relevancy

The second form of relevancy, inspired relevancy, can also be very effective. Although a child may not have a natural interest in something, he or she will easily become interested if someone they love or respect has a sincere enthusiasm about it. Excitement can be contagious. Most of us liked the subjects in school that were taught by the enthusiastic, knowledgeable, excited teachers, and we disliked the subjects taught by mechanical, dull, uninspired teachers. Children will often become interested because of peer associations, and very often children want to learn about the things their parents enjoy learning. To maximize inspired relevancy, we as parents and teachers want to provide opportunities for children to see others excited about what they’re learning, to be joyful and enthusiastic in our teaching, and if we cannot, find other parents or teachers who are excited. Perhaps we can even set up a little class for our kids and some of their friends. An adult who loves chemistry (and shows it) will be far more effective in teaching and motivating students to study than someone who teaches it reluctantly or hesitantly. Although some children are more easily inspired than others, all children can be inspired with this form of relevancy, which is powerful and important as we design and implement educational opportunities for our children.

But, let’s face it: some things are just not going to be intrinsically relevant, nor will it be possible to make them interesting to everyone. While there are exceptions, most children find things like memorizing multiplication facts, drilling spelling words, or completing grammar workbooks to be rather meaningless in their lives. The intrinsic relevancy is just not there, nor is it likely to be inspired, so we must apply the third form of relevancy, contrived relevancy, and make learning into a game. Sometimes it’s a very small shift. For example, “Find and underline all the prepositional phrases in this paragraph” sounds like a tedious and useless chore. However, to say “There are seventeen prepositional phrases in this paragraph. Here's a list of prepositions. Find them all, and you win!” is a whole different activity. I’m a boy, and I really couldn’t care less about prepositions, but I love to win, and if you set it up so that I can win, I’m much more likely to play your game—and possibly learn something about prepositional phrases in the process, especially since I’m happier to be doing it and therefore more receptive.

Contrived Relevancy

However, any game or economic system you may create as an external or contrived motivator must have two elements: it must be possible to win, and it must have both potential gain and potential loss. If children believe (or come to believe through multiple failures) that they cannot win, they will not play, and you will be forced to resort to the last and least effective form of relevancy. Therefore, children must know that it is possible for them to win, and this usually happens because of previous successes. Secondly, there must be not only a reward for winning, but also a penalty for losing. If we try to motivate only by offering a reward for effort, children may decide that the prizes just are not worth the work, in which case you will be tempted to offer a bigger carrot, thereby creating a new game—one which you don’t want to play—called “How High Can I Bid Mom and Dad Up By Continuing to Refuse Their Offers.” If your game has only negative consequences, your children may think along these lines: “Well, I’ll suffer if I do this, and I’ll suffer if I don’t, so who cares. Life right now is all about misery, so I’ll just go eat worms and die.” So whether you use computer game minutes, chocolate, points, marbles, or dollars, there must be a potential reward for working and winning, and a potential penalty or fine for refusing to do so and losing. Contrived relevancy—usually in the form of a game—can be effective in motivating children to do hard things that they are not otherwise inspired to do.

Enforced Relevancy

The last and least effective form is, of course, enforced relevancy. Unfortunately, however, this is the method we are most likely to use as this method was often used on us. The lecture often goes like this: “You must study and get a good grade on this test, or you will not get a good grade in the class, which will bring down your GPA on your transcript, and then you won’t get into a good college, and you’ll never get a good job, and you’ll suffer misery and poverty your whole life—so study! Now!” As I noted above, this type of motivation can give the appearance of learning, but no real lasting learning is likely to occur. What has been retained long enough for the test will be lost almost immediately unless some other form of relevancy appears. It is also inefficient. I know some boys who can take ninety minutes and shed many tears before finally deciding to finish copying their short paragraph because the threat of “no dinner until you finish” (or some similar punishment) causes them to finally do it—but with a rebellious attitude and certainly a lasting dislike of the activity. However, most of those boys, given a time limit, and a potential gain if they can accomplish it before time is up, would be willing to forgo the eighty minutes of procrastination, antics, excuses, and tears. Then the aftertaste of the task is one of lowered pain and greater success; willingness to do it again will grow. Therefore, we as parents and teachers should always try to avoid using the last and least effective motivator—enforced relevancy.

In summary, relevancy is paramount. If something is relevant, it can be more easily learned; if it is not, everything is harder for both the adult and the student. Whenever possible, capitalize on intrinsic interests, be inspiring (or find people who are), contrive a game that can be won, and shun “gun to the head” enforcement. In other words, “Inspire, not Require.” Strive for this, and everyone will be happier, accomplishing so much more.

© 2007, Institute for Excellence in Writing, L.L.C.

The above article is available for your personal use or for distribution. Permission given to duplicate complete and unaltered.

Originally posted on 01/01/2007

 

Andrew Pudewa
IEW Founder & Director

Andrew is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a father of seven. Traveling and speaking around the world, he addresses issues related to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills.

 

In March a few of us PAACH Dads met for coffee at Leaves ‘n Beans in Morton. We had really good discussions centered around our common chord of being Christian homeschooling dads. Moving forward PAACH will host a Dads Coffee once a quarter. We will be rotating the venue and adjusting the time in hopes to increase the number of participants. Please look out for the next Dads Coffee which should be some time in June.

 

McClean Wendt
PAACH Membership Liaison

 

Would you like to be featured in our upcoming spotlight? We are searching for families eager to share their homeschooling experiences with others. By sharing your story, you may encourage a family to continue or start homeschooling, and you may gain a deeper understanding of yourself as a homeschooling parent. Sign up today to be showcased at info@apachecentralillinois.org.

The intent of the ASM scholarship application form is to recognize and financially assist talented and dedicated students interested in a career in Metallurgy and/or Materials. It was established to encourage qualified students to take an active role in promoting the field of materials through active participation in ASM. Completion of this form confirms your eligibility for the Julia Bjerke, Richard Van Pelt, Gerald Hoefft, and other possible ASM scholarships.

Applications must be submitted by Friday, May 30th, 2025.

Apply online

Join us for Hosanna Homeschool Choir’s spring concert, “Simple Gifts,” a musical exploration of America’s rich folk tradition. The concert will be on Friday, April 25 at Bethany Baptist Church in Edwards, IL. The performance begins at 7 p.m. with preconcert selections beginning at 6:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing this wonderful collection of music the students have been working on this semester!

Hosanna students will be giving an encore performance as part of the "Arts in Education" program on Thursday, May 1 from noon to 1 p.m. This year, the musical presentation will be at the Riverfront Museum at Washington Square. HHC is excited to be a part of this opportunity!

We want to congratulate those of our students who participated in the High School Solo and Ensemble Event earlier this month in East Moline. We extend a special note of congratulations to Lilly Hoover on her high distinction as “Best of the Day” for Strings! Well done, Lilly!

Peoria Cooperative Academy's top vocal jazz ensemble "Out of the Blue" presents I Got Rhythm, an evening of vocal jazz music. 2 performances April 24 and 25, 2025 at 7 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Bible Church in Peoria, IL.

Peoria Cooperative Academy also presents Acts: A City Rising, with 3 performances at Calvary Baptist Bible Church in Peoria, IL:

• May 15 at 7 p.m.
• May 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Enjoy FREE admission to both events - donations accepted.

Are you interested in a standardized test for your homeschooler that is recognized by over 250 colleges and offers cost savings? PAACH members will receive a discount with CLT or Classic Learning Test by using our PAACH member discount code.

Designed with homeschool families in mind, the Classic Learning Test (CLT) offers assessments that fit students of all educational backgrounds. CLT's college entrance, college preparatory, and end-of-year exams for 3rd-12th graders test foundational skills in reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics, equipping students to reach their academic goals. Homeschool families love CLT exams because they offer:

• Online, at-home testing
• Flexible testing times
• Traditional content instead of Common Core
• In-depth analytics reports
• Opportunities for unique awards and thousands in scholarships
• Group testing at discounted rates