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OPPOSE AB84
CALL TO ACTION: Protect Educational Choice – Oppose AB 84
AB 84 threatens the future of public charter schools, the small businesses who provide flexible educational opportunities and the families who rely on them for personalized, and life-changing educational options.
Your voice matters. Contact Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi TODAY and ask him to vote NO on AB 84.
Use the link below to take urgent action in 1-Click!
ATTENTION aLL HOMESCHOOLERS: AB 84 THREATENS ALL OF US—CHARTER OR NOT
AB 84 punishes nonclassroom-based (NCB) charter schools—many of which serve homeschoolers, at-risk youth, special needs learners, and rural families—by tying school funding to arbitrary in-person instruction quotas. Under this bill, any student learning from home or in a hybrid setting more than 25% of the time could trigger up to a 30% funding cut for their school.
This bill:
• Discriminates against flexible, parent-directed education by labeling it less worthy of funding
• Threatens small education businesses, including nature programs, STEM labs, co-ops, and arts instructors who partner with charters
• Hurts students who cannot attend in person due to medical, emotional, or logistical reasons
• Infringes on educational choice by pressuring families to conform to a state-favored model of full-time, in-classroom attendance
• Sets a dangerous precedent that could one day impact private and affidavit homeschoolers
AB 84 isn’t about improving education—it’s about controlling it. If it passes, thousands of families will lose the support systems, services, and educational freedom they rely on.
WHAT IS AB 84?
AB 84 would cut up to 30% of funding from charter schools based on how much in-person classroom instruction a student receives.
If a student learns primarily from home—even through a fully compliant and successful charter school—they’ll be considered “less worthy” of funding.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO ALL HOMESCHOOLERS
1. It Punishes Homeschool-Friendly Models
Families who rely on hybrid or independent learning will be penalized—making these programs harder to access, underfunded, or forced to shut down.
2. It Destroys the Ecosystem We All Rely On
Nature programs, co-ops, art and music classes, learning centers, and therapists—all of them often partner with charter families.
If charter funding is cut, these small businesses lose clients—and everyone loses access.
3. It Sets a Dangerous Precedent
This bill implies that “real learning” only happens in a classroom.
Once the state decides what kind of learning gets funded, what’s to stop it from deciding what kind is allowed?
4. It’s a Direct Threat to Parent Choice
Whether you homeschool for medical, religious, personal, or academic reasons—this bill chips away at your freedom to decide how, when, and where your child learns.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
AB 84 is about power and control—not quality education.
It threatens flexible learning. It endangers small education businesses.
And it paves the way for tighter restrictions on all homeschooling.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO MEDICAL FREEDOM?
After the passage of SB277 and SB276, which significantly limited vaccine exemptions in California, many families— particularly those affected by vaccine injury or caring for children with medical or developmental complexities-found themselves unable to access traditional public schools. As their educational choices narrowed, California's charter school programs became a vital alternative. These programs offered greater flexibility, personalized learning, and accommodations that better supported the unique needs of their children, often standing as one of the few accessible and supportive options left.
WHO DOES THIS AFFECT?
Homeschooling is a deeply personal choice for all families, but not everyone homeschools for the same reasons.
Within California, there is a vast and diverse network of groups and individuals who utilize charter schools and choose to homeschool for complex, often deeply personal reasons, including:
• Medical injuries or chronic illness
• Trauma and bullying recovery
• Learning disabilities and neurodivergence (e.g., autism, dyslexia, ADHD)
• Religious convictions or spiritual beliefs
• Special education needs not met in public schools
• Desire for nature-based or holistic learning approaches
• Gifted or twice-exceptional learners needing academic flexibility
• Families of color seeking culturally affirming education
• Families with military or transient lifestyles
• Students pursuing professional arts, athletics, or careers
• Low-income or single-parent families needing flexible scheduling
• Families recovering from school-based mental health crises
• Parent educators with a desire for meaningful connection and autonomy
• Students with language barriers or multilingual learning needs
• Families who value relationship-based, individualized learning
• Communities building cooperative or microschool models for mutual support
WHO ELSE DOES AB84 AFFECT?
AB 84 threatens the livelihood of hundreds of small educational businesses across California.
These are not large corporations or school districts—these are community-based programs, woman-owned businesses, and independent educators who support homeschooling families by offering unique, hands-on, and specialized learning opportunities.
These businesses exist because of educational freedom—and they thrive through partnerships with charter schools and homeschool families.
If AB 84 passes, this entire network is at risk.
A wide range of businesses and programs that serve homeschoolers and alternative learners:
• Nature schools, forest programs, and outdoor education guides
• STEM labs, robotics centers, and coding bootcamps
• Makerspaces and entrepreneurship workshops
• Trade and skills camps (e.g., carpentry, auto repair, welding, mechanics)
• Culinary programs, kitchen classrooms, and nutrition courses
• Fashion design studios and textile arts instructors
• Theater, film, and performance arts groups
• Dance studios and creative movement classes
• Music conservatories and private lesson providers
• Co-ops offering mixed-subject academic instruction
• Microschools and hybrid learning collectives
• Therapy providers (e.g., occupational, speech, ABA)
• Foreign language programs and cultural immersion tutors
• Life skills, homesteading, and agricultural education centers
WHY THESE BUSINESSES ARE AT RISK?
AB 84 doesn’t just reduce funding for charter schools—it rewrites the rules of who gets to participate in California’s education system. By tying funding to a strict 75% in-person instruction threshold, the bill financially punishes charter schools for supporting flexible learning models—and the first to suffer will be the small businesses those models depend on.
1. Most Small Programs Don’t Meet the 75% In-Person Threshold
Many businesses that serve homeschoolers—such as nature programs, enrichment centers, STEM camps, and arts instructors—offer instruction 1–3 days per week, by design.
This flexibility is what makes them accessible to:
• Families with neurodiverse children
• Families balancing multiple learners at home
• Students with part-time academic needs
• Working parents who need hybrid options
Under AB 84, any student participating in one of these flexible programs instead of attending school five days a week would reduce the school’s funding eligibility.
This puts pressure on schools to stop partnering with these businesses—no matter how successful or valuable they are.
2. Charter Schools Will Be Forced to Cut Vendor Contracts
Because AB 84 imposes up to 30% cuts in funding for students who do not attend in person 75% of the time, charter schools will have no choice but to:
• Eliminate enrichment vendors
• Cancel contracts with part-time programs
• Restrict student access to specialized learning opportunities
Schools will shift funding to “in-person instructional compliance” instead of student need and interest.
That means small businesses will lose large numbers of clients overnight—not because they’re ineffective, but because they’ve become a financial liability under the law.
3. Credentialing Requirements Will Disqualify Many Instructors
AB 84 includes language requiring that all instructors affiliated with charter schools hold valid California teaching credentials.
That means:
• A professional fashion designer teaching teens to sew is disqualified.
• A working engineer leading a robotics lab is disqualified.
• A music teacher with 20 years of private instruction but no credential is disqualified.
Most of these small business owners and independent contractors do not have the time, money, or need to pursue full credentialing—and shouldn’t have to.
They are already vetted by parents and schools. AB 84 would shut them out based on paperwork, not merit.
4. Parents Will Be Discouraged From Participating in These Programs
Families who rely on enrichment or specialized education through charters will be told:
“If you attend that program, it will hurt our school’s funding.”
This creates a chilling effect. Even if the program is:
• Serving their child’s special needs
• Providing life skills or trade training
• Supporting mental health and social growth
Parents will face pressure to drop out of the vendor system entirely—and that means these businesses will lose their client base.
5. These Businesses Operate on Thin Margins
Most small educational programs—especially those built around homeschoolers—are:
• Parent-owned, often operated part-time
• Locally based, with no outside investment or government subsidy
• Dependent on charter partnerships for revenue and visibility
They don’t have reserve funds or the infrastructure to survive mass client withdrawals or contract cancellations.
AB 84 creates an environment where dozens or hundreds of these programs will fold completely—not due to quality, but due to legislative policy.
The Ripple Effect:
When these businesses collapse, all learners lose—even those not in charters.
Fewer nature schools.
Fewer skilled trades camps.
Fewer art, music, and STEM experiences.
Less diversity. Less innovation. Less choice.
Other Steps You Can Take
1. CALL HIS OFFICES
Let them know you’re a concerned parent, educator, or community member who values school choice. Be respectful, firm, and clear about how AB 84 will negatively impact your family or students.
Capitol Office (Sacramento):
(916) 319-2066
District Office (Torrance):
(310) 375-0691
2. EMAIL HIS OFFICE
Make it personal. Share your story—especially if you’re a parent of a special needs or medically fragile child, an educator in a charter school, or a family that depends on personalized learning.
Email:
Assemblymember.Muratsuchi@assembly.ca.gov
3. WRITE A LETTER
Written letters carry weight. Explain why school choice matters to your family and urge him to reject AB 84.
Mailing Address:
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0066
SAMPLE MESSAGE:
Dear Assemblymember Muratsuchi,
I am writing to urge you to oppose AB 84. This bill places disproportionate burdens on public charter schools—especially those that serve medically fragile children, special needs students, and families seeking alternative education models. These schools are lifelines for thousands of families across California. Please stand with us in protecting equitable access to education.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[City/School/Role]
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