Chicago City Wire

A debate over an Illinois homeschooling bill has evolved into a public dispute within the Democratic Party, involving allegations of political retaliation, racial tension, and differing views on parental rights.

At the center of the issue is State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago), who said legislation he sponsored was pulled from committee consideration by State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn) in retaliation for his opposition to her bill, HB2827, the Homeschool Act, which proposes new state regulations on homeschooling.

"This battle has come down to Chicago," Will Estrada, senior counsel at the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), told Chicago City Wire. "And a lot of the black progressive Democrat legislators are very uncomfortable with the bill. And that's really the issue that's spilled over with La Shawn Ford.” 

Ford’s conflict with Costa Howard escalated last week. Estrada referred to Ford’s bill, HR171, which addresses a Medicaid “trigger law” and was scheduled for committee consideration before being pulled.

"It had been progressing," Estrada said. “And then she pulled it from consideration, and all indications are that it was because of his opposition to her (Homeschool Act) bill.”

According to Capitol Fax reporting, Ford and Costa Howard engaged in an argument outside a committee hearing, during which Costa Howard allegedly demanded Ford apologize for opposing HB2827 and criticized his past public comments.

Ford reportedly said Costa Howard informed him his bills would not be heard until he did so.

Homeschool advocates say Ford’s treatment is retaliation and call for an end to political score-settling.

“You've got this white progressive out-of-touch Democrat legislator,” Estrada said. “And she is mad that someone else in her party disagrees with her and she's using her position to punish him.”

Estrada said the issue of a white suburban legislator dismissing concerns from Black families has caused political tension behind the scenes.

“If public schools were doing well, that would be one thing,” he said. “But they’re failing kids, especially in the Chicago area.”

The conflict has raised concerns across the homeschooling community, especially among Black families in urban areas who say they’ve found homeschooling as a suitable alternative to underperforming schools and unsafe environments.

According to Estrada, this demographic shift in homeschooling is central to the controversy.

“Studies show that at least in the past five years, much of the growth in homeschooling has been in minority communities and minority families,” he said. “In fact, some researchers, and I've got a study right here, have said that up to 40 percent of the current school-age children who are being homeschooled are minority children.”

Estrada pointed to a 2024 study from the Journal of School Choice titled The Changing Face of American Homeschool, which illustrates how minority families are increasingly turning to homeschooling.

“Many of them are not wealthy and they're not from privileged communities and households and backgrounds,” Estrada said. “And they have found homeschooling to be just a lifeline for their children and then all of a sudden you've got legislators coming after them to try and regulate homeschooling.”

Estrada, who reviewed testimony and video footage from earlier debates on the bill, said this behavior is part of a larger pattern.

“There's a video of (Costa Howard) debating Latasha Fields, a Black homeschool mom from Chicago, and she talks over her. She's very aggressive,” Estrada said.

Estrada also pointed to a moment during a hearing where Chris Butler, a pastor from Chicago, testified against the bill. Butler shared a story about a Black youth who was killed in Chicago, and Costa Howard responded by saying the bill wouldn't affect Black families.

“It was very, very jarring,” Estrada said.

Butler also issued a statement condemning what he described as an abuse of power and a threat to the legislative process.

“We have not taken a position on Rep. Ford’s specific legislation, but we believe every bill deserves a fair and open hearing,” Butler said in a press release. “The people of Illinois deserve better than political payback masquerading as governance. We call on Chairwoman Costa Howard to set aside personal grievances and allow Rep. Ford’s bills to be evaluated on the issues, not on personal vendettas.”

Estrada argued that lawmakers are focusing on regulating homeschoolers while neglecting issues within state institutions responsible for child welfare and education.

“Instead of cleaning up their act, instead of reforming Department of Children and Family Services – Illinois is number five in the nation for child abuse and neglect fatalities and almost all of those are children who were known to DCFS,” he said.

HB2827 has faced opposition for its provisions, including mandatory school withdrawal forms for homeschoolers, broad rulemaking powers for the State Board of Education, and expanded investigative authority for truancy officers.

Critics say these measures could lead to intrusive state monitoring of families' educational choices. 

More than 42,000 Illinois residents filed formal opposition through witness slips, and local governments like Madison County passed resolutions condemning the bill.

Opponents cited Fourth Amendment violations and argued that the bill disproportionately targets families who homeschool to escape bullying or unsatisfactory public school environments.

The bill also sparked concerns among private school advocates, as it would have required private institutions to maintain and submit detailed student and parent records to the state.

Although HB2827 missed a key March deadline and is likely stalled for the session, Estrada warned it’s not yet defeated.

“(Costa Howard) is very influential. There could be procedural workarounds,” he said. “We have to stay vigilant.”