Home Education Magazine

July-August 1998 - Columns

News Watch - Linda Dobson

Sports, Charter Schools, GED

Psst, Homeschooler, Have I Got A Carrot For You!       Part Two

Part One of this News Watch feature by the same name, which was published in the last issue, contained reviews of several articles which took a long, hard look at The latest and fastest growing developments the homeschooling movement has ever seen - demands for and offers of government school assistance to homeschooling families. The lines between the long held philosophies of homeschool and government school have grown hazy with the introduction of what some are calling the "hybrid homeschooler," a term increasingly used to describe a family with a foot in both worlds, picking and choosing an assortment of time at home and time in school programs typically funded by tax dollars and, because of this, requiring some sort of reporting, tracking, and/or loss of homeschool status as we have come to know it.

Is this the result of a well thought out conspiracy of the educational powers that be to stop homeschooling, or simply the growing pains of a highly successful alternative educational movement in a time of government school decay? Should we spend time uncovering the cause, or would our time be better spent trying to understand the effects that confront us regardless of the cause? Is the trend toward demanding/accepting government school carrots a runaway train at this point, or can discussion, continuous development of alternative programs, and a good dose of understanding historical precedents slow down the train?

The situation, above all, demands patience from everyone. This should not be extremely difficult for parents who have chosen to oversee the educational path of their own children. The health and future of homeschooling depend on it.

An Alternative Denied

"Homeschooler Denied Classes: CV-S Refuses to Let Teen Go to BOCES," Owen S. Good, Daily Star (Oneonta, NY), March 16, 1998, p. 1,8

After homeschooling for two years, the Stannard family of the Cherry Valley Springfield Central School District have decided it's in their 16 year-old son's best interest for him to attend a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) class to learn how to work with small engines. It costs approximately $7,000 to enroll a student in a BOCES class, and when a child is enrolled full time in school, the school district receives full reimbursement from the state. For a homeschooled child, however, reimbursement occurs at 65% of cost, and creates a $2,450 shortfall to the school.

The local Board of Education denied the Stannard's request citing the district "is not required to fund a homeschool student at the BOCES." Other local homeschoolers have sensed animosity against homeschooling by the district.

One week later, the paper ran an editorial in favor of offering the program to the boy. "...it is not up to the school districts to be vengeful and try to thwart homeschooling families' attempts to use parts of the public educational system that seem good for their children." The article did not clearly state if the family intends to take any specific further action.

An Alternative Succeeding

"Athletes Taught at Home Find Niche in Public," Joe Drape, The New York Times Sunday, March 22, 1998, p. 13

Kansas and New Mexico hosted the play-offs for nearly 100 teams of homeschooled basketball players in March. "In basketball alone, homeschool coaches estimate that anywhere from 500 to 1,000 teams exist across the country."

The New Mexico site hosted 62 teams "in a tournament now in its seventh year and sponsored by the Family Educators Alliance of South Texas."

Some of the players are getting attention. "Jeremy and Nathan Day, whose father, Alan, runs the New Mexico tournament, are on scholarship at Division I Liberty University. Johnson, [a] Houston star, will go on to Tulsa; his teammate, the 6-6 Luke McDonald, is attracting scouts from Baylor and New Mexico."

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is changing its stripes and "will grant up to 100 eligibility waivers to homeschool athletes. 'There's been a steady increase each year,' said Diane Dickman, coordinator of academic issues for the NCAA. 'And we're seeing homeschoolers far exceed our minimum requirements. We're seeing very brilliant young people.'"

Homeschool Charter School

"Homeschool Program Seeks Charter," John Gittelsohn, The Orange County Register (CA), March 19, 1998

The Community Home Education Program (CHEP) is a county-run program that "has provided instructional support and teaching materials for parents who homeschool their children for ten years." CHEP has submitted a bid to the Orange County, CA, Department of Education Board to become a charter school. This, according to the article, "would protect already independent-minded homeschoolers from interference and red tape from Sacramento."

Board member Felix Rocha says, "It's a great opportunity for the county to put together a program to do what's best for kids without education-code restraints."

But one board member, Ken Williams, would rather see a plan for a school run by parents. "This charter is established by the administration and teachers," he said.

The homeschool program-turned-charter-school would continue to bring in the same amount of money, $4.5 million which supports, in part, a 41-teacher staff, 15 teaching assistants, and two administrators. The program serves 1,492 of the County's 4-5,000 homeschool students. This is a sizeable chunk. There are also "nearly 400 public programs for homeschoolers in California..."

Currently, the program calls for the parents to "agree to provide monthly work samples in reading, writing, math, history and other topics." In return, they borrow textbooks and other supplies, participate in field trips, use a computer lab, and receive group classes in art and science.

Lisa Rinaldo, a teacher who has been with the program for 8 years, says "she spends about one-third of her time filling out paperwork for the 35 homeschool students in 30 families she supervises."

"What's going to change with a charter is this huge stack of paperwork."

Look What Homeschoolers Are Missing: Minnesota's 'Profile Of Learning'

"Minnesota's 'Profile of Learning' in Chaos," Education Reporter (Eagle Forum, POB 618, Alton, IL 62002; http://www.eagleforum.org, May, 1998

(Editor's Note: What is outlined below as going on in Minnesota is occuring in many states under different names. Minnesota is not the only state falling into this abyss, it's just unusual we get as clear an outline of how the various Goals 2000 plans unfold as this one the Eagle Forum shares with us. In researching what's going on in your own state, you'll have to watch out for different names [it's never called Goals 2000 or outcome based education]. Many of the names incorporate the number 2010 or 2020.

There's a lot going on in government schools that we don't have to put up with, and I'm glad for that. But what's going on in government schools as outlined below will surely have an impact on homeschooling. As the Kasemans have often warned, additional pressures to conform are the only foreseeable outcome.

It could also mean an influx of families to homeschooling for even different/stronger reasons than the merely discontented with government schools who are turning to homeschooling today.)

Narrowly defeated in February, a new Graduation Rule proposed by the State Board of Education (SBE) and Minnesota's Department of Children, Families, and Learning (?!?) is once again up for consideration by the Minnesota House amidst grassroots opposition.

Critics particularly dislike the Rule's "Profile of Learning," which requires "high school students to master 10 'learning areas' that are broken down into 48 specific subjects called 'content standards.' Subjects such as English and History will be replaced by categories such as 'read, view and listen.'"

Teachers are required to design a "performance package" for each "standard." As these performance packages require a lot of time to create, and after creation are still subject to rejection by the DCFL, the DCFL will graciously save the teachers' time and give them "sample packages." Can everyone say "state curriculum?"

It's estimated that full implementation will cost anywhere from $180-194 million, which is probably a bargain when you realize the program will generate 475 pages of paperwork per child. (To put this in perspective, a class of 300 will produce 142,000 pages of information.)

As part of its deal-with-the-devil to get its share of Goals 2000 money, "the Minnesota Legislature granted the SBE the authority to require a state test and test guidelines in order to monitor the progress of every student" in early 1997. Thus, from this step, it's a simple baby step for the State to next move toward "performance packages" and a "profile of learning." Candidate for governor Allen Quist calls it "a disguised national curriculum." Teachers say, "We aren't teachers anymore, we are now technicians."

Some critics also fear the return of "Education Diversity Rules," also proposed by the State Board of Education last year, but ultimately rejected by the board in January. Still, they are likely to be incorporated into the "Profile of Learning," and it has been warned that these Rules "have the potential to transform our schools almost beyond recognition." (Oh, I recognize them all right, straight from a story called Brave New World.)

With Education Diversity Rules, we're actually talking affirmative action for schools. These Rules "give state bureaucrats power to dictate everything from what our schools can teach about the Aztecs (for fear of offending), to the racial and socioeconomic makeup of our high school orchestras and football teams." To make sure this is all handled properly, the Rules also mandate the hiring of "paid consultants to counsel [districts] on the 'proper mix of inhabitants.'" [Whatever happened to students?]

When the Education Diversity Rules were publicized, the masses became restless. Two attorneys wrote: "Careful scrutiny of the Rules and their accompanying Statement of Need and Reasonableness shows that the underlying intent is malignant, not benign. Rather than representing a confused but well-meaning effort to improve the educational performance of minority students, the Rules represent a carefully calculated effort to advance a far-left political agenda."

Education "experts" have reviewed the Graduation Rule. Diane Ravitch, former US Assistant Secretary of Education, reported, "In the area of social studies, the Minnesota standards are among the worst in the nation." The American Federation of Teachers stated, "NThe subjects in the Profile of Learning is detailed and comprehensive enough to establish a common core of knowledge and skills."

And from the Department of Children, Families, and Learning's own audit report, this frightening conclusion: "As different as the Profile of Learning is from current graduation requirements used by school districts, the risk of failure is relatively low. That is, while more students will have to participate in more learning activities than is probably the case today, not much more than participation is required to fulfill graduation requirements. [Emphasis added.]

All of this, and the legislature still doesn't have enough sense to stick the new Graduation Rule in the circular file? Who would have thought "dumbed down curriculum" could so quickly become an understatement of immense proportion.

Possible Statewide Legislation In Ohio

"While Green's 54 Homeschooled Children Do Their Work at Home - Many Want to Play at School," Angela M. Modugno, The Suburbanite (Akron, OH area), March 26, 1998

Homeschoolers are pushing the Green school district's board to allow participation in extracurricular activities, including sports. It appears the homeschoolers would be ready to concede to mandatory attendance at two courses to be classisfied as "part-time" students.

The board's hesitance to grant the request, says Superintendent Donn Force, is because "the issue at hand is not whether we would let homeschooled students participate but whether we can develop a part-time enrollment policy. We would need to examine this issue more closely before any recommendations could be made." One board member is worried that a part-time policy "could encourage 'cafeteria style' education where parents can pick and choose which parts of the system they want to use."

All local considerations may be set aside, however, if House Bill 47, introduced last January, goes through. Under this bill, "schools would be required to permit any child receiving home education into classes and extra-curricular activities operated at the school where the child would normally be assigned."

Additionally, the bill requires that homeschoolers be subject to the same "standards" for participation as government schooled students. "If [If?] an activity requires that a student achieve a certain level of academics, then the homeschooled student must submit academic assessments at the same time that other students are evaluated for participation. Currently, homeschoolers must submit an assessment to the State annually."

Report From Washington

"Home Sweet School," Katherine Long, Seattle Times, March 22, 1998

Debbie McClintock, a homeschooling mom who is also a certified elementary teacher, is happy with the results of homeschooling her daughter, Katie. "But McClintock never thought she wanted to take 100% charge of Katie's education. It was the availability of Northshore's (WA) homeschooling program, which started a year ago, that helped convince her she could school her child at home."

This good-sized article continues with the evolution of Washington's 1985 homeschooling law written, says its author, Wes Pruitt, with "these kinds of cooperative partnerships in mind."

"The partnerships didn't blossom, however, until a state rule on alternative programs was rewritten two years ago to offer greater flexibility. And there is still some confusion about the kinds of alternative programs that qualify for state funding. The rule is under review, said Allen Jones of the state Superintendent of Public Instruction's Office."

"The question is who controls the curriculum," says Jones. "If controlled by the district, it qualifies for funding. If the parent controls the curriculum, it doesn't."

The money is tied to curriculum control, and it's an impressive $3,500 per student per year. Besides giving up control of curriculum, homeschoolers must also agree to "five hours a week of instruction at school or [meet] with a school official one-to-one for at least an hour a week. A student also must document 20 to 25 hours per week of independent study, be tested, and show improvement."

Washington's Edmonds school district "was The first to open an alternative program, the Edmonds Cyberschool, in the summer of 1996." It serves 470 - "the size of an average elementary school - with 80 more on a waiting list."

"Althought they consider themselves homeschoolers, all the Cyberschool students are enrolled in the Edmonds School District, and the district receives state funds to operate the program."

After a couple of glowing reports about how homeschoolers are faring in college, a spokesperson for the Washington Home School Association points out that the University of Washington's admissions policy on homeschoolers is so rigorous that many say "it's simply not worth it."

When a homeschooler lacks a high school transcript, "The UW asks for a battery of tests, including the SAT II achievement test - which measures a broader variety of skills not measured on the SAT or the ACT, two of the most commonly administered college-admission tests. The student's skills in a foreign language must be assessed by a certificated, high school foreign-language teacher, and the student must write a personal statement or essay."

"In some ways, they get a more thorough review than the typical appliant," Washburn said. Is this fair?

The article ends with the subject of socialization, summed up by Debbie McClintock. "Homeschooling parents create kids who can think on their own. I have met some of the neatest teenagers - sweet, respectful. They have their heads screwed on right."

Which proves, yet again, that our children remain the most influential evidence of success.

Yet Another Approach In Michigan

"Homeschoolers Get College Help,: Todd McInturf, The Detroit News, March 26, 1998

A different approach to ed alternatives is in gear for homeschooled kids, ages 5 and up, at Macomb Community College. The Homeschool Supplemental Program kicks off on July 10 at the Fraser campus as part of the college's Continuing Education program.

Classes cover four basic age groups and cost $40 for an 8-week term. "A 10-week term starts September 11." For the convenience of home educating chauffeurs, the fifty minute classes in basic academics, fine arts, activities and computers will be held one after another on Fridays.

Law Student Speaks Out Against Homeschooling

"Home Schooling," David A. Tallman, Kansas Association of School Boards Journal, January-February, 1998, pp. 1619, 21 (paper written for Public Education Law, Washburn University)

Kansas homeschoolers would be wise to watch out for David Tallman, a student at Washburn University Law School, when he graduates and begins his law practice. This article is based on a paper he submitted to Public Education Law, and pro-homeschooling he's not.

Bemoaning the fact that Kansas "has not developed a statutory policy addressing the nationwide movement against public schools called 'home schooling (and people call my writing inflammatory!),'" Tallman states: "The Kansas legislature should ban 'home schools' altogether, on the grounds they are bad public policy, that no precedent of the Kansas or United States Supreme Courts requires tolerating them, and that it is impractical for the State, in a time of dwindling resources, to properly monitor the operations of mushrooming 'home schools.'" (Note: Throughout his paper Tallman puts home school in quotation marks - I won't follow suit any more.)

This law student hits all of the typical homeschooling opponent buttons - and more. For example, while noting that "virtually all homeschool free exercise suits since 1972 have at least mentioned Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205, (1972)," Tallman argues that nowhere does the decision suggest "that any parent, because of religious, or other reasons, can simply refuse to send children to school and tutor them at home...Homeschoolers would be hard pressed to answer the Yoder court's questions of precisely how attendance at school burdens their religious freedom; what the theology and tenets of their burdened religion are; and why their religious sect cannot organize its own institutional schools." (Yoder at 210211)

Tallman moves on to note that home educators are "unabashed" about their lack of necessary credentials to teach children. He states that "the courts of Kansas and other states have repeatedly concluded that no parental right is unduly burdened by the State interest in compulsory institutional education." Because homeschoolers have chosen not to avail themselves of public, private, or charter schools (after all, they're so "available"), this "objective" law student states homeschoolers (all of us, I guess) "object to institutional schools on idiosyncratic grounds." If we can't be happy with an existing school, or find "enough like minded persons to join [us] in establishing a new alternative school," we are "simply beyond accommodation."

And here's the real kicker of Tallman's "perfect world:" "It has been suggested that many homeschool parents would be willing to send their children to private schools if such was within their financial means. If a family is able to afford a fulltime, parent run homeschool (as required by the statutes), it seems likely the family could, if it chose, generate sufficient income to pay private school tuition by sending the parent into the work force." (Emphasis is mine!)

Within the section titled "The Best Interest of the Child," Tallman reveals yet again the institution mentality, bemoaning pending "deficiencies" when (not if) homeschooled children enter an educational institution in the future. He admits, as many critics are forced to, that homeschoolers "are, on the whole, not socially or educationally stunted." But (there's always a "but"), he doesn't believe these "unstunted" children can overcome the fact that "well meaning parents often overlook the fact their children are individuals who have identities, personalities, and lives separate and apart from those of their parents." They will, Tallman surmises, be smothered rather nurtured.

FINALLY, he runs out of party lines and concludes this paper. "The practice of homeschooling should be disallowed or at least regulated by the Kansas legislature...While few parents have anything less than their conception of what is 'best' for their children at heart, few of us at any age can claim that our parents were always right about what was 'best.' Each individual must be free to choose his own path in life, regardless of a parent's views, and the interest of the State and the individual coincide in providing each child the chance to see the paths available and freely and intelligently choose the best."

Interesting that with all the problems "public" schools face, the Kansas Association of School Boards chose to publish this paper, is it not? I'm sure Mr. Tallman received an "A" for his efforts. Clearly, he is convinced of the rightness of the government school path, but fails to see, or chooses to ignore, the limiting nature of institutional schooling. The institution is to be commended for the thorough job it did on Mr. Tallman. But wait - there's more...

Wanna-Be Legislators Speak Out Against Homeschooling

"Public School Students Get a Lesson from Homeschoolers," Leon J. Pollom, Williamsport Sun-Gazette (PA), April 13, 1998

"A good rule of thumb in lawmaking is that if you want to learn more about a group of people, introduce a bill that targets them. It doesn't even have to be for real."

Seems the Williamsport Area High School's Youth in Government Club, in conjunction with a program sponsored by the YMCA, "drafted a law to tighten regulation of homeschoolers, which it will push when students from around the state take over the reins of state government April 24-26."

This same newspaper ran word of the "play" legislation in which "club members depicted homeschoolers as in need of closer supervision and regulation because they might not be learning all they should, their parents could be incompetent teachers, they might be cheating, and they are probably closeted away from the real world."

As you can imagine, this didn't sit too well with member of the Christian Home Education Fellowship of Lycoming County, a nearby homeschool support group. "Just like special-interest lobbyists, [about a dozen homeschoolers] got an audience with the mock lawmakers this past week." Armed with good intentions, I'm sure, the homeschoolers explained what they do and the benefits of what they do, also noting that "the state and school districts have enough control over how children are educated at home."

Not enough for these wanna-be legislators. Not only does their bill stand as is, "the information the homeschoolers gave the club probably will increase the bill's chances in the mock legislature. They will be better able to answer questions that come up," says The club's two teacher advisers.

What, you ask, do the wanna-be legislators think will best "help" home educators? Their bill is called "The Standard Course Selection for Home Schooling Act. It's stated purpose is to set specific testing guidelines for homeschooled students, ensuring that they receive the best education possible. Under the bill, course selections must be submitted to the state at the beginning of each school year and the state will send the curriculum needed to pass a standardized test in that subject."

Now, it may have been eons since I was a high school student, but I don't remember ever being concerned that peers in other educational settings might not be receiving the same "standardized education" as I was. Where do these teens get the idea that the state is the best judge and provider of curriculum for anybody? What I find most frightening about this "play" is the base assumption of these children that the state has all the answers, and an inherent right to control and issue the "right" knowledge. I shudder to think of youngsters all too ready to put Mr. Tallman's "perfect world" of working mothers with all children in some form of institutionalized care into practice.

NJ Proposes No More GEDs

"State Wants Devalued GED," Dunstan McNichol, NJ Star Ledger, April 11, 1998

While this article never directly mentioned home educators (interesting!), it's a well known fact that home educated teens sometimes turn to the GED as an alternative to a high school diploma.

But the state Department of Education has proposed "replacing the current General Education Diploma with a GED 'certificate'" to distinguish it from "New Jersey's enhanced academic standards." These "enhanced standards" include "proficiency in foreign language, physical education and art" which are not addressed on GED tests.

Former NJ governor Jim Florio received a GED before going to college and then law school, and is among those who worry about what damage this could cause in the future, particularly in urban areas where drop out rates are high. Since 1942, 12.5 million GED diplomas have been awarded.

Washington Post Catches Up To "New Breed Of Homeschoolers"

"Homeschooling Draws a New Class of Parent: Quality Joining Morality as Key Issue," Fern Shen, Washington Post, April 24, 1998, p. A1

The Washington Post has taken note of "the growing group of Americans - middle class, politically moderate, secular parents - who have taken over their children's schooling out of frustration with public education." The trend is growing most strongly in the more affluent counties surrounding metropolitan Washington, D.C., and it has local school officials and national education experts "alarmed." Prince George County, Maryland's school superintendent has hired extra staff and developed "a plan to better monitor the trend."

One mom of this new "class" was "almost embarassed to admit [she was homeschooling] at first. I come from a liberal Democratic background, and I believed in the school system. I thought it was almost a travesty not to send your kids," she said. "If you saw something you didn't like, roll up your sleeves and try to change it." It took a stint of doing her civic duty by volunteering in her children's school and seeing the teacher hand out candy for every right answer to realize "the problems with school bureaucracy were too big for her to change - 'not in time to help my kids, anyway.'"

Yale's dean of admission and financial aid, Richard Shaw, has seen well prepared homeschooled applicants, and some not so well prepared. "Public educators," he notes, "would do well to study this trend."

Help In Spreading The Joy Of Home Education

"New Leader Wants Psychologists to Accentuate the Postive," Trish Hall, NY Times, April 29, 1998

We all know the joy of home education is infectious, and it's now infecting the American Psychological Association in the person of Univ. of Pennsylvania professor Martin E.P. Seligman. The homeschooling lifestyle has allowed this new president of the association to see "pure, unadulterated strengths" in his children who are growing free of the educational institution, strengths "that are not compensations for trauma but intrinsic."

Seligman has vowed to move the focus of psychology from its pathology, "taking the science of medicine, itself structured around disease, as its model...I want to remind psychologists of normal people."

Seligman and wife, Mandy, homeschool three young children in suburban Philadelphia. As a graduate student in psychology, Mandy "decided she did not want to leave an infant at home and go off to study attachment theory."

Out In This World

Paul Walcher, 14, Oklahoma (Tulsa World, 4/1/98)

Paul's win in the Eastern Oklahoma (Tulsa) spelling championship means he'll compete in the national championship in May (over by the time you read this!). Paul's win is especially satisfying as he's come in second twice in the past. Third place went to another homeschooler, twelve year-old Christopher Daniel.

Daniel Shields, 8th grade, and Julie Yip, 8th grade, Ventura County, CA (Los Angeles Times, 3/31/98)

As I write this, Daniel and Julie are two of six Ventura County representatives on their way to the California state Geography Bee (also over by the time you read this!). All reps hope for the chance to participate in the nationals held in Washington, D.C. in May.

Matt Pangrac, 13, Decatur, GA

The RespecTeen National Youth Forum is doing a good job getting the word about Matt, who "will be among 51 students - one from each state and the District of Columbia - who will discuss national issues with members of Congress at the 10th annual...Forum" in April (another done deal by the time you read this).

Timothy Stonehocker, 17, Wheaton, IL (Chicago Tribune, 5/7/98)

Illinois' Annual State High School Math Contest, which includes 1,800 student competitors from 246 high schools, consists of 14 events. Timothy Stonehocker, who was adding two-digit numbers in kindergarten, walked away with top prize in Algebra II in the "A" schools (enrollment fewer - much fewer, in this case - than 750 students).

Jessica King, 13, Springfield, IL (State Journal Register, 4/13/98)

Jessica, who likes to read a book a day and learns at home with five younger siblings, placed a close second when the Illinois Geography Bee took place on April 3rd.

© 1998 Linda Dobson

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