Michael Farris is founding president of HSLDA and continues to serve as board chairman. He is also founding president of Patrick Henry College, where he serves as chancellor emeritus. From 2017 to 2022, he served as the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom.
Farris is a constitutional appellate litigator who has served as lead counsel in the United States Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and the appellate courts of 13 states. He has been a leader on Capitol Hill
Today, homeschooling feels secure. But not long ago, parents faced investigations, legal threats, and the real possibility of jail time, simply for educating their own children. In those years, Michael Farris stepped into the fight—not just as an attorney, but as a father who believed something unshakable: That parents have the right—and the responsibility—to raise and educate their own children. That families should never have to stand alone. And that no institution should replace what God has entrusted to parents. Because of that conviction, he helped establish the faithful roots of the homeschool movement—the legal and spiritual foundation that millions of families now stand upon.
Today, the question is no longer, “Is homeschooling legal?” The question is, “Will it remain free?” Freedoms can erode quickly when they are assumed, ignored, or left undefended, and this generation must do things differently in order to keep these hard-won freedoms! You’ll walk away understanding why the homeschool movement succeeded—what made it strong, what has changed in today’s legal and cultural landscape, and what parents can do right now to protect their freedom going forward.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about stewardship. The freedom you enjoy today was built by families who showed up—in courtrooms, in legislatures, and in their communities—when it mattered most. Decisions are still made by those who show up. So start here. Be in the room. Bring your family. And step into the responsibility that comes with the freedom you’ve been given.
