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News & Commentary January 1, 2004
In this Issue:
Federal Legislation Update
Homeschoolers and Privacy
Special Education Policy in Maine
Florida Vouchers
Colorado Homeschooling Relations Improving
Policy Up for Review in Pennsylvania
Tennessee Caucus Addresses Scholarship Policy
Online Schools Seek Homeschoolers
Online School Troubles
Good News about Good Folks
Private Enterprise and Homeschooling
More on the NJ Abuse Case
Homeschooled Athletes in the News
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Federal Legislation Update
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Ann: The legislation resides in committee where it may stall. Vigilance is needed, though, because the parts may be attached to other bills.
headline: Petition Signatures Mounting
http://www.thepetitionsite.com
As of December 31, over 1200 signatures opposing HB 2732/ SB 1562 have been collected. You can still sign up.
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headline: Bulletin #15 How College Bound Homeschool Students Might Be Affected by Legislation Like HR2732/SB1562
http://www.nheld.com
From the final paragraph: "...the attempt to control homeschooling through government purse strings is apparent. Scholarship money, tax credits, and Education Savings Accounts are directly related to college costs. While it may be attractive to have the government "help us" with the expense of college - who will really be paying that expense? Our children and their children may be saddled with the regulation that comes with those purse strings. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch."
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Homeschoolers and Privacy
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headline: Potential Breach of Privacy
http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org
"It has come to our attention that at least two states make public and easily accessible, via the Internet, a directory listing of the homeschooling families who have filed a "Notice of Intent to Homeschool" within those states, with individual names and addresses included. We feel this is a breach of privacy, potentially endangers homeschooling families, and is a misuse of information provided to the state by homeschoolers. It is also discriminatory, as public school information is not shared in the same way. We will be encouraging families in those states which make information accessible to the public to file a complaint with their state board of education and to work toward having this practice stopped.
"If your state makes homeschooling information that you provide to them publicly available in this manner, we would appreciate your informing us, as we are drafting a paper on the topic for our website."
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Special Education Policy in Maine
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headline: Chelsea Panel Backs Special Education Policy
MaineToday.com, By Mechele Cooper, December 10
http://www.centralmaine.com
" CHELSEA -- The School Committee on Tuesday approved the first reading of a policy for special education students home-schooled or enrolled in private schools....The new policy is called 'Procedural Safeguard Statement, Special Education Services for Students Enrolled by Their Parents in Private School or Home-schooling'....there may be students who are home-schooled who have never been tested so they do not qualify for special education services. The policy would not apply to them..."
Ann: This clarification in the public policy should help prevent future misunderstanding between homeschooling parents and school officials.
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Florida Vouchers
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headline: .. And Empty Promises
St. Petersburg Times, Florida, editorial, letters@SPTimes.com December 14
http://www.sptimes.com
"A program to improve chances for students with disabilities spends more to give them less. The Post finding gives measure to the more anecdotal evidence that has surfaced around the state, evidence of vouchers awarded to an unlicensed school in disrepair, to a home school that was alleged to split the money with parents, to a couple that created a voucher home school to serve only their son. Lawmakers now know that most of the private schools they pay to teach some of the state's neediest learners don't meet even the baseline requirements for the job. If these schools were public, they would be in direct violation of the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act."
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headline: Florida Voucher Reprimand Takes on Political Prisoners
Palm Beach Post, Florida, By S.V. Date s_v_date@pbpost.com December 14
http://www.palmbeachpost.com
"Horne made no further comments regarding "accountability" in the state's three voucher programs until August, when continued tales of abuses in The Palm Beach Post -- a Tampa school getting $350,000 in vouchers despite ties to an accused terrorist; a Boynton Beach "consultant" keeping as much as half of each McKay voucher being used by home-schooling parents of disabled children -- forced a public response."
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headline: A Private School Responds
www.familytreeprivateschool.com
In an email to me, Nancy Moral, Director of Family Tree Private School, writes that she was invited "to tell the Florida Senate Education McKay Task force of our Private (600) school and how we serve special needs student in a 'parent directed education model'. She said the presentation went well and concludes, "We are striving to preserve the right to homeschool in this model using the scholarship to pay for specialists and tutors since we are a private school by current laws."
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Colorado Homeschooling Relations Improving
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headline: Home School Offers Faith-Eased Education, Family Values
Craig Daily Press, Colorado, By Amy Hatten, ahatten@craigdailypress.com December 06
http://www.craigdailypress.com
Ann: This article spotlights the Longwell family's homeschooling methods and included the following commentary:
"The numbers of homeschoolers concern Superintendent Pete Bergmann of Moffat County Schools as potential students and state funds the district receives for each child are lost. The district is down 88 students this year, which equals a $54,000 loss to the district. 'I'm not saying that I'm against alternative schooling, I'm saying that I think we have a pretty good thing going with our public schools,' he said. But despite the monetary pinch felt by the district without its peak enrollment, relations between the school district and homeschooled families has softened over the years..."
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Policy Up for Review in Pennsylvania
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headline: Board May Look at Home-schoolers Ban
Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA, By Reid R. Frazier, rfrazier@tribweb.com December 16
http://www.pittsburghlive.com
"Her daughter could join school softball and soccer teams elsewhere. But that would mean leaving the Shaler Area School District, and Martha Nicklas doesn't want to go.... Shaler Area policy now prohibits home-schoolers such as Nicklas' daughter, Emily, 11, from playing sports and participating in extracurricular activities. That could change: Shaler's school board in coming months is expected to consider lifting the ban."
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Tennessee Caucus Addresses Scholarship Policy
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headline: House GOP Caucus Outlines Agenda for Jobs, Education
KnoxNews.com, By Tom Sharp, December 16
http://www.knoxnews.com
"...the caucus wants to change the lottery law to let home-schooled students qualify for a lottery scholarship with the same ACT score as students from public schools. The law now requires home-schooled students to have an ACT score four points higher."
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Online Schools Seek Homeschoolers
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headline: Cedarburg Considers Own Virtual School
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, By Anne Davis adavis@journalsentinel.com December 02
http://www.jsonline.com
"Hoping to connect with local home-schooled students, Cedarburg School District officials are beginning to look at setting up their own virtual school. 'We'd like to look at our home-school population and see if it is a possibility,' Superintendent Daryl Herrick said Tuesday as he reported on the project to the School Board's Curriculum Committee."
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headline: Schools Considering More Online Courses
Bend Bulletin, Oregon, By Ted Taylor, ttaylor@bendbulletin.com December 14
http://www.bendbulletin.com
"The school board is expected to decide next month whether to approve the district's plan for Bend-La Pine Online, an online charter high school that local students could enroll in for free.... Home schoolers who live in the Bend-La Pine School District would have access to the online charter school's courses for free, an appealing factor for many home school families. What's more, having home schooled students taking district-sponsored courses means the district gets state money for those students."
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Online School Troubles
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Ann: In the last year or so, online, e-, virtual - whatever you call them - schools have been promoted as the "fix" to various problems, rather than being just another education alternative, with its own complete set of warts. Some problems are beginning to get some attention. The following stories mention some drawbacks to online schools, including low completion rate, financial problems, and whether or not plopping kids in front of a computer all day long makes for a sound education.
headline: Web Academy Would Cater to Home-schoolers
The Oregonian, By Tom Quinn, thomasquinn@news.oregonian.com December 04
http://www.oregonlive.com
"While praising the potential of Oregon Web Academy, Elaine Drakulich, administrative services director for North Clackamas, said the district plans to proceed slowly and methodically with the venture, primarily because the nationwide completion rate for students enrolled in online schools is so low."
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headline: End State's 'Virtual' Failure
Palm Beach Post, Florida, Editorial, December 13
http://www.palmbeachpost.com
"Florida's "virtual school" pilot program has crashed, and the Legislature should not renew it. Tweaks won't fix the problems, which have included companies trading on political influence, lobbyists who misrepresented potential savings and an education commissioner who ignored the law....Instead of saving the state up to $700,000, as lobbyists promised senators, the pilot program is costing taxpayers about $565,000."
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headline: Concerns Over Missing Social Aspect of School Voiced
Bend Bulletin, Oregon, By Ted Taylor, ttaylor@bendbulletin.com December 14
http://www.bendbulletin.com
"Even Bend-La Pine School board members this week voiced concern about a proposed online charter high school, wondering if it would detract from creating a well-rounded student. But that just isn't the case, said Waddell, director of the Eugene-based COOLSchool online learning center.
Ann: Waddell goes on to dismiss socialization concerns about online schooling by taking a poke at homeschoolers: "Waddell said high schoolers are a social group and very few are interested in spending their entire day at home, alone, taking courses on their computer. 'They're very much in the minority, but some do,' she said. 'They tend to be home schooled kids who are pretty much not socializing in the public school setting anyway.'" I hope Waddell realizes that homeschooled kids are socializing - and very well, thank you - in a nonpublic school setting.
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headline: Virtual Charter School Plan Sparks Opposition
Houston Chronicle, Texas, By Janet Elliot, December 15
http://www.chron.com
AUSTIN -- "Eagle Academies, which has a spotty record running 14 charter schools, wants to take its curriculum of individualized learning to home-schooled students.... Terri Leo, a member of the State Board of Education, said she's not convinced that computerized learning is a valid education model. 'The home-schoolers I know would not choose to do the virtual charter school. They wouldn't want to put their kid in front of a computer all day long,' said Leo, R-Spring."
Ann: I'll second that, Ms. Leo, and so would most of the homeschoolers I know.
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Good News about Good Folks
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headline: Wichita School Team Wins at Texas Science Tournament
Wichita Business Journal, Kansas, Lainie Mazzullo, December 4
http://wichita.bizjournals.com
"In a competition of more than 60 teams and seven states, the Wichita Homeschool Student Team won first place. The competition was the Texas BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) annual meet. The Wichita team won for its design of a robot. Texas BEST students to build remote-controlled robots from a kit of random parts."
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headline: Readers Share Stories of Their Most Influential Teachers
Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, December 13
http://news.statesmanjournal.com
The Statesman Journal asked, "What teacher most influenced your life and why?" Jessica Rodgers, age 11, Salem, responded: "The teacher who has most affected my life is my mother Helene Rodgers. Mama has sacrificed so much to be able to homeschool me, and nothing, including cancer, has been successful in slowing her down. I love her so much, and am so thankful to have been blessed with her as such a central part of my life. She is my best friend, and has always been there for me, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. I only hope that when I get older, I will be half of the woman she has been, and has taught me to be."
Ann: Jessica was the only homeschooled respondent of the twenty-five responses printed.
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headline: Foods Fair Gets Children Cooking
The Daily Inter Lake, Flathead County, Montana, By Nancy Kimball, December 13
http://www.dailyinterlake.com
"Trena Eyestone... the county's senior ambassador who represents her fellow Flathead 4-H'ers at State 4-H Congress in the summer, has been involved with the foods fair for four of her five years as a 4-H member.... Her first year, she took the main dish grand prize.... Last year she took two reserve grand prizes, with chili as a main dish and crepes as a side dish.... Homeschooled for her entire education, the daughter of Carla and Edward Eyestone of Bigfork is planning to head for Pacific Lutheran University next year."
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headline: Vets' Leader Makes Most of Service
The Argus, Fremont, California, By Scott Wong, December 14
http://www.theargusonline.com
"U.S. Air Force Capt. Michelle Lee knows what it takes to overcome adversity.... Today, between home-schooling her three children and facing the possibility she could be called up for active duty with the Air Force reserves, Lee serves as the local American Legion's first female post commander in its nearly 40-year history."
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headline: Feats of Clay
Memphis Online, Tennessee, By Michael Donahue, December 14
http://www.gomemphis.com
RED BANKS, Miss. - "...Terry Gill is busy at his workshop making gifts. Gill, 47, is a nationally known potter whose cups, mugs, platters and other ware are especially in demand during the holidays....Terry said he and Diane wanted to home school their children and he wanted to sell his pottery wholesale from his house."
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headline: Robots Energize Science Students
The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio, By Liz Oakes loakes@enquirer.com December 14
http://www.enquirer.com
"Eggo My Lego's team members crowded into the hallway as coach Jeff Schmidt of West Harrison, Ind., gave them their score: 206, the best they'd done all day. 'You guys rock!' Schmidt told the group. 'No, you boulder!' The team of nine 11- to 13-year-olds from the northwest side of Greater Cincinnati - all but Them home-schooled - agreed....Eggo my Lego ended up winning the innovative design award."
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headline: Young Scientists Take Robotic Challenge New
Britain Herald, Connecticut, By Nick Anthony, nanthony@newbritainherald.com December 15
http://www.newbritainherald.com
"Joseph Tranquillo, 13, of Southington, whose team the Martian Legoman placed second overall for computer program design, also presented research on getting to mars a lot quicker.... Tranquillo's team, made up of homeschoolers from Southington, Plainville and Berlin,found that nuclear rockets had three times the amount of speed and power, and took one third of the time to get to Mars, which right now takes rockets about six months."
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headline: Parents Value Home-schooling's Flexibility and Intimacy
Star-Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, By Nancy Arcayna, narcayna@starbulletin.com December 16
http://starbulletin.com/2003/12/16/features/story1.html
"Faye Hamm started to home-school her two children as soon as they were old enough for kindergarten. She considers her venture 'parenting to the max.' She doesn't mind that she never gets a break. The greatest benefits of home-schooling is the ability for parents to provide one-on-one tutoring, she said. 'It is designed for a specific child and that makes it extremely efficient.'"
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Private Enterprise and Homeschooling
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headline: Home Schoolers Get Assist at New School
Clarke Times-Courier, Virginia By Jerry J. Herrmann, December 04
http://www.zwire.com
"Where do parents who are home schooling their children turn to get them additional classes they need that their parents can't teach? Thirty families in the area from Aldie, Front Royal, West Virginia, and Frederick and Clarke counties have enrolled 78 home-schooled children in a new school in Boyce - Classical Cottage School.... they will explore becoming a two day-a-week school...'But we want to keep the school small so we don't price families out of it'..."
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headline: Showtime for Homeschoolers
Star-Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawai'i, By Nancy Arcayna, narcayna@starbulletin.com December 16
http://starbulletin.com
"Diamond Head Theatre's new drama classes offer a talent outlet for students who are taught at home. 'We want to create a love for all aspects of musical theater,' said class instructor Valerie Vedder. 'The classes will also help build self-esteem and confidence and foster trusting relationships between students.'"
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More on the NJ Abuse Case
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headline: Home Schooling Is Wrong Target in Child Abuse Case
The New American Magazine, December 15
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2003/12-15-2003/insider/education.htm
"Critics of home schooling will use any excuse to sabotage home-schooling rights, but in this as in other cases, they are way off target. An earlier Times article admits that 'though the children were homeschooled, they were not hidden away.' ...DYFS director Ed Cotton described the children as bright and reading well."
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Homeschooled Athletes in the News
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headline: Home Schooled Children Find Way To Play Sports
WDIV, Detroit, Michigan, December 02
http://www.clickondetroit.com/family/2677252/detail.html
"The Northside Christian Athletics Lions are gearing up for the last big game of the season. The team is making history as The first home-school football teams in the country."
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headline: Home schooling Allows Britton to Focus on Goal
Clarion Ledger, Jackson Ms, By Robert Wilson, rwilson@clarionledger.com December 12
http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0312/12/r1212a.html
Brandon 12-year-old is "pursuing dream of pro career. Cindy and Scott Britton decided earlier this year to home school their son so he could have more time to pursue his dream of playing tennis professionally. Devin is off to a good start. The Brandon youngster is ranked No. 3 in the South and No. 11 in the country in 12s singles."
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