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News & Commentary February 03, 2004
In this Issue:
New Jersey Homeschoolers Get Publicity
US House Ways and Means Committee Considers False Reports of Abuse
New Yorkers Fight Discrimination
Ohio Truancy - Parents Are "Going to Pay"
Kansas School Enrollment Declines
Vermont Drivers Education
Young People Make and Write the News
Homeschooling in the News
But, But, But - Journalistic Slant
Parent-Partnered Programs: "A Souped Up Home School;"
Tighter Rules; A Media Blitz
Pushout Update
Why We Homeschool - Reason 128
Final Words
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New Jersey Homeschoolers Get Publicity
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New Jersey's proposed homeschooling bill can be read here -
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2004/Bills/A2000/1918_I1.PDF
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headline: Homeschool Families Fight N.J. Test Bill
The Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey, By Diane D'Amico ddamico@pressofac.com February 01
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com
"[Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, the bill's sponsor] said her primary concern is to protect children. She was surprised by the opposition. 'I just want to make sure all students have similar requirements,' she said. 'I recognize that parents have the right to homeschool, and I am willing to meet with them to discuss the issue. This is just the very early part of the discussion. There can be compromise.' Homeschoolers think they are being profiled as potential child abusers and neglectful parents who cannot be trusted to care for their children...."
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headline: Parents Of Home Schooled Children On Defensive Following Proposed Bill
WNBC, Associated Press, February 02
http://www.wnbc.com
PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. -- "Parents of children who learn at home say they want to show that home-schooling is a valuable education option and not a suspicious behavior that requires state regulation. The move comes after a bill was introduced last month that would require all home-schooled children to take the annual state tests in a public school and to provide annual proof of a medical exam.... Weinberg said she has been surprised by the opposition to the bill." Weinberg's quote, above, is repeated.
Ann: I wonder why Weinberg was surprised by the opposition to the bill - was she trying to slip the bill into law before anyone had time to oppose? Maybe she thought homeschoolers would embrace regulation?
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US House Ways and Means Committee Considers False Abuse Tips
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headline: HSLDA Senior Counsel Testifies Before Congress
Home School Legal Defense Association, Virginia, January 28
http://www.hslda.org
"On January 28, Chris Klicka, Senior Counsel of HSLDA had the chance to inform Congress of this ongoing problem. He testified before the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means....Klicka proposed that Congress, through its child welfare program funds, require states to eliminate the investigation of anonymous tips (tipsters would have to identify themselves) and penalize intentionally false tipsters." The full text of Klicka's testimony can be read in the archives of the House Ways and Means Committee, including examples, references, and statistics.
http://waysandmeans.house.gov
Ann: Ann: Hearing the words "homeschooling" and "child abuse" in the same discussions for several months now is beginning to wear me down. Homeschoolers may be the disproportionate target of false child abuse reports, but there are much better ways to address the failure of a public policy than HSLDA's approach.
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New Yorkers Fight Discrimination
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headline: Home Schoolers Fight N.Y. Bureaucracy
Family News, Focus on the Family, by Terry Phillips, January 27
http://www.family.org
"Home-schooled students have traditionally wound up in small colleges, but that's starting to change now that 2 million U.S. home schoolers are attracting the attention of larger universities...Yet it has, in some states, led to some bureaucratic problems. In New York, for instance, officials have decided home schoolers can't get a degree without qualifying for a GED."
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Ohio Truancy - Parents Are "Going to Pay"
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headline: Area Truancy Cases Rise
Telegraph-Forum, Central Ohio, By Mike Redelson mredelson@nncogannett.com February 02
http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com
"Marie Harris of Galion was fined and ordered to serve 10 days of community service...'It's becoming more and more common. Parents aren't making sure their kids get an education and they're going to pay for that,' Pete Hart, Mid-Ohio Educational Services attendance counselor said...The Harris case was filed April 3, 2003, when Harris didn't follow through with home schooling her daughter after repeated warnings. The girl has reportedly begun home schooling now."
Ann: This is one of those "transition" truancy stories, really more a school issue than a homeschooling problem, I suspect. One question is unanswered: are Ohio homeschoolers sitting in the Splash Zone?
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Kansas School Enrollment Declines
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headline: Lawrence Not Only District with Declining Enrollment
Journal-World, Kansas, By Tim Carpenter editor@ljworld.com January 27
http://www.ljworld.com
The Lawrence, Garden City and Derby school districts... have now posted at least three consecutive years of enrollment decline....[ Supt. Randy Weseman] said the enrollment dip resulted partly from development of alternative school options.... 'There is a private school presence in Lawrence now that has developed over the last five years,' he said. 'Homeschooling probably accelerated in the last three years.'"
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Vermont Drivers Education
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headline: Teaching Driver's Ed.
WCAX-TV, Burlington, Vermont, Joan Goodchild goodchildj@wcax.com January 21
http://www.wcax.com
Montpelier, Vermont - "Right now Vermont kids learn to drive in classes like this one and in public and private schools around the state. But Dunlap wants the legal right to teach her kids herself. 'To me it's simple that what I'm asking for is another alternative to the choices offered,' says Dunlap. House Representative Frank Mazur, R-South Burlington, is co-sponsoring legislation that would require the state to approve a driver training course for home schooled students."
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Young People Make and Write the News
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headline: Home-school Primer: Dispelling the Myths of a Thriving, Successful Educational Trend
Seattle Times, Washington, by Chris Collins / NEXT team NEXT@seattletimes.com January 24
"As Bec Thomas, director of the Washington Natural Learning Association, says, the socialization issue for home-schoolers is 'a moot point.' 'There are home-school groups usually by the dozen in any given area,' Thomas said. 'I have yet to run into a home-schooled child that has a social issue.'...Strangling this movement now would not only squash a community that ultimately benefits America, but it would also infringe on the basic right for a family to operate, well, as a family.
Ann: This story is decidedly pro-homeschooling and includes some fresh insights and a sharp writing style. Former homeschooler Chris Collins is a freshman at Whitworth College in Spokane.
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headline: I'd Like to Tell You About the Homeschooling Law
Indiana Gazette, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, Letter to the Editor, By Audrey Botsford, age 10
http://www.zwire.com
After listing the extensive recordkeeping required of Pennsylvania homeschoolers, the writer makes an important point: "Other states don't have these many requirements, and still they do an excellent job. It is a big strain on moms, harder on kids, and it costs a lot of money. It also takes a lot of time. I'd like to see home-schoolers have more freedom by less requirements.
Do Pennsylvania lawmakers want to have well-educated kids who can someday run our state? Then I urge them to make the homeschooling requirements easier."
Ann: Well said, Audrey.
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headline: County Crowns Top Spellers
Times-Union, Indiana, By David Slone, January 30
http://www.timeswrsw.com
MENTONE "As a fifth grader in 2001, Matthew Christy was runner-up in the Kosciusko County Spelling Bee. Thursday, as an eighth-grader, he won the spelling championship with the word 'neckerchief.' Christy, a homeschooler, will represent Kosciusko County in Fort Wayne on March 13."
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headline: Home-schoolers' Program Helps Prime Kids for Science Success
The Columbian, Vancouver, Washington, By Gregg Sherrard Blesch gregg.blesch@columbian.com February 02
http://www.columbian.com
"Ann Williams, a parent and coach with the ExCEL Academic League, is drilling the home-schooled students on questions they might face next month in the Science Bowl, which they won last year.
...ExCEL began four years ago as a support group for home-schooling parents...Now the ExCEL students are gearing up for another round of contests this spring...including...the Science Olympiad...the Science Bowl...the Reader's Digest Word Power Challenge and the National Geographic bee."
Ann: The annual competitions must be just around the corner.
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Homeschooling in the News
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headline: Home Schooling - Professor Mom Can Help
White City News, Oregon, By Raymond Smith raymond@SouthernOregonNews.com January 28
http://www.whitecitynews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=176246&cp=11042
"For many, the deepest and most abiding benefit of home schooling is the claiming (or reclaiming) of their family. Home schooling families spend incredible amounts of time together living, learning and playing. They have the opportunity to develop a depth of understanding and a commitment to the family that is difficult to attain when family members spend their days going in separate directions. Many families like the flexibility home schooling provides to both parents and children."
Ann: Couldn't have said it better myself. The remainder of the article focuses mainly on the legal how-to for homeschooling in Oregon.
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headline: Home Schooling Wins Converts
Parents like being able to tailor lessons to kids' strengths
The Detroit News, Michigan, By Janet Sugameli February 02
http://www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0402/02/c05-52339.htm
"Home-schooled students also have a much clearer view of their goals since their education can be tailored to their interests and strengths, [Nancy] Ludlow said. 'They will be equipped with skills that they will be able to use in real life - in a variety of settings and relationships,'Ludlow said. With many new resources, like Web sites and support groups, home schooling is becoming more mainstream."
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Headline: Home-Schoolers Go the Distance
Westerly Sun, Rhode Island, By Ellyn Santiago, February 01
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/articles/2004/02/01/news/news1.txt
"Audrey Terranova, a 37-year-old Westerly mother of two who has been home-schooling her daughter Olivia, 6, since last year, [said] 'She's at a second-grade reading level, a second-grade math level, and as a teacher who has taught in school systems, I'm not convinced that someone else would have my child's best interest at heart,' said Terranova. 'And she is very social. Very.'"
Ann: This side story highlights a local homeschooling group even-handedly. But check out Santiago's companion story, below.
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But, But, But - Journalistic Slant
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Headline: Number of Home-Schoolers Unclear
Westerly Sun, Rhode Island, By Ellyn Santiago, February 01
Editor, Ray Lamont rlamont@thewesterlysun.com
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/articles/2004/02/01/news/news2.txt
"According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are about 850,000 children being schooled at home in America. But national education statisticians put the number at upwards of 1.1 million, nearly 2 percent of all U.S. students."
Ann: This report is a study in the subtle casting of doubt by carefully laying out facts and then systematically questioning them. I got the nagging feeling that Santiago believes something is wrong when the state is not counting, watching, and directing educational practice. Blech. Not all negative reporting hits you in the eye as the October CBS report did. Some just lurks in the shadows.
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Parent-Partnered Programs: "A Souped Up Home School;"
Tighter Rules; A Media Blitz
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headline: Panel Pulls Plug on Home Schooling Program
Arkansas News Bureau, By David Robinson drobinson@arkansasnews.com January 31
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2004/01/31/News/111606.html
"...lawmakers pulled the plug on a charter school that would have allowed students to learn from home through the Internet. Concerned about its potential drain on the education budget, the legislative Joint Budget Committee voted 36-12 to make the Arkansas Virtual Academy ineligible to be an open-enrollment charter school....." And check out THIS soundbite: "Others supporting the charter school sought to allay fears that it was simply a souped up home school, noting that the lessons are taught by certified teachers."
Ann: Now just what the heck is that supposed to mean? What would a "souped up homeschool" be, exactly? And homeschools are deemed inferior because they lack certified teachers? Since when?
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headline: Schools' Spending Criticized
Anchorage Daily News, Alaska, By Katie Pesznecker kpesznecker@adn.com February 01
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4694325p-4645739c.html
BOARD: Tighter rules for correspondence programs sought
"Sylvia Reynolds, a member of the state education board, said it doesn't make sense that some programs are offering state money for things like hockey and summer camp while public school districts across Alaska are facing budget deficits, firing teachers and increasing fees for activities and athletics."
Ann: Taxpayers are likely to agree with Reynolds. And while some programs are being reined in, others are just now ramping up for the Big Time.
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headline: Virtual Schools Turn Up Volume on Marketing
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Wisconsin, By Anne Davis adavis@journalsentinel.com February 01
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/feb04/204381.asp
New academy plans $300,000 blitz; next 3 weeks are crucial
"In a media blitz worthy of Madison Avenue, three statewide virtual charter schools are spending big bucks this month to attract even bigger bucks - in the form of hundreds of public school students and the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars they represent. Wisconsin Connections Academy, Wisconsin Virtual Academy and, in particular, the just-approved iQ Academies at Wisconsin are using paid advertisements, billboards and direct mail to woo students....
Larry Kaseman, executive director of the Wisconsin Parents Association, which provides support to home-schooling families [says] 'It concerns us, because historically, and currently, there has been a great deal of effort by these for-profit entities to blur what they are offering and what home schooling really is,' he said."
Ann: Later in the article, we learn that one Wisconsin virtual school oversold its program last year and "enrollment has continued to drop ever since as parents have discovered the program doesn't fit their needs." Madison Avenue style overselling inevitably misrepresents. Isn't that a given of American advertising? And this case, the parents and kids who fell for the pretty packaging are the only real losers.
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Pushout Update
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headline: Coaxing Area Dropouts Back In
St. Paul schools track down ex-students in an attempt to meet a new federal requirement.
Pioneer Press, Minnesota, By John Welbes jwelbes@pioneerpress.com February 02
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/living/education/7852547.htm
"Since Olley started the new diploma completion program for the St. Paul district in August, he estimates he's tracked down about 300 former St. Paul students. So far 74, including Martha, have returned to school with the goal of graduating."
Ann: St. Paul is apparently pursuing these students due to NCLB, which ironically may have lead to students leaving school in the first place. Nevertheless, it is good to know that at least in St. Paul, at least this year, one program is in place to give a pushed out student another chance at public school.
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Why We Homeschool - Reason 128
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headline: The Emotional Development of Young Children: Building an Emotion-centered Curriculum
Marilou Hyson. New York: Teachers College Press, 2004
Teachers College Record, Columbia University, Review by Marilyn Atherley
http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=11251
Ann: This title grabbed my attention. From the review, I learned that the book is intended to help day care providers and head start teachers meet the emotional needs of their students, and that got me to thinking. Isn't meeting children's emotional needs The best reasons there is for homeschooling? Who would know better what children's needs and strengths would be than their parents? Each family passes down an understanding of family emotional issues from generation to generation. The best teacher and/or lessons on the planet is no equal to that knowledge. I wanted to guide my children's emotional development because I knew no one could understand them as I did.
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Final Words
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E-mail addresses of reporters or their editors are now included with their stories when available. Please send feedback to reporters who make you think, who tell a great story, or who have wrong information. A pat on the back or a respectful correction is usually appreciated. As always, keep me in mind as you find and make the news. Thanks to all who contributed to this and past issues.
Ann Lahrson Fisher
News and Commentary Email
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