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News & Commentary April 1, 2004
In this issue:
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
"Critics Are Troubled"
A Socially Active Homeschooled Student
Homeschoolers In the News
Homeschooling In Japan
Parent-Partnered Public Programs - WA, OH, IA, AK
California Parent-Partnered Programs
Interscholastic Participation - PA, SC, WI, TX, NM
Louisiana Legislation
Unlinking Child Abuse and Homeschooling
Heads up to Reporters: "We're Never Home, and It's Not School"
NCLB - Still Figuring It Out
The True Meaning of Isolation
Final Words
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
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Ann: It is a good thing I spent last Friday night enjoying fellowship with homeschoolers at the Oregon Home Education Network Conference. If I'd stayed home to watch PBS, I might have kicked my TV to bits. That night "NOW with Bill Moyers" reported some of the ways that the Bush administration has funneled taxpayer money to private education enterprises. Homeschooling was mentioned in connection with these funds no less than three times.
headline: Private Agenda
NOW with Bill Moyers, PBS, March 26
http://www.pbs.org
"...this money is going to promote private alternatives to public education. And look at who's getting that taxpayer funding. Groups like K-12, a profit-making company run by Bill Bennett. Who's he? Bill Bennett: Ronald Reagan's former secretary of education, who has spent decades railing against public education....According to the department's own numbers, Bennett's group got 14 million taxpayer dollars to promote 'virtual' home schooling."
Ann: "Virtual" home schooling? Even though the vast majority of homeschoolers do not use these [public school] programs (see Pietra Gaebel's "Home-schooling Put at Risk," below), Bennett's attempts to cash in on homeschooling smears all homeschoolers as greedy. Now take a gander at the next mention of homeschooling -
"The Education Leaders Council....started the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, billed as a conservative alternative to teacher certification. Now, Home schoolers can become teachers by taking an Internet exam. This new program got $35 million."
Ann: Back up the wagon - what's that again? $35 million to help "Home schoolers...become teachers by taking an Internet exam." Hello? Take a test to "become a teacher?" Where did this come from? Why would homeschoolers need to become certified? Is the Bush administration laying groundwork for the federal regulation of homeschooling via certification? If homeschoolers are to be certified, remember that homes and parents will be next! I have about a thousand other questions, but they'll have to wait. Here's more -
Later in the report, Reporter Mitchell notes that conservative Texas multi-millionaire Dr. James Leininger is, "according to the New York Times, is a major contributor to the first college for Christian home schoolers: Patrick Henry College."
Ann: Do you get the idea I am getting? Here, as elsewhere, homeschooling is being painted with an awfully big paint brush. The view that all homeschoolers are alike and are tied to the power of one political party or another will surely beg a backlash. Why wait for one side or the other to tar us with the same brush? Hand me that tar bucket and I'll dump it on my head right now.
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"Critics Are Troubled"
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headline: Homeschoolers Keep the Faith
The Christian Science Monitor, By April Austin, March 23
http://www.csmonitor.com
"Of course evangelicals - despite the fact that they attract much of the media coverage of homeschooling - do not have a lock on the movement....Yet despite the presence of Muslim, Unitarian- Universalist, and gay and lesbian families in the homeschooling world, 'conservative Protestants have quite handily come to dominate the politics,' says Mitchell Stevens, professor of education and sociology at New York University....No one is saying that Mr. Farris and his compatriots don't have a right as individuals to promote their viewpoint in the halls of Congress. But critics are troubled by the idea of taking an organization [Home School Legal Defense Association] that purports to support all homeschoolers and making it the feeder system for an evangelical Christian political network."
Ann: What we've been saying for years. Thanks for saying it again and so well, Austin and CSM.
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A Socially Active Homeschooled Student
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headline: Teens Take A Seat At Table of Social Activism
The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania, By Pervaiz Shallwani pervaiz.shallwani@mcall.com March 28
http://www.mcall.com
"'It's encouraging,' said sophomore Sarah Weick, a homeschooled student from Kintnersville. 'A lot of times, I feel like I am the only kid that is into politics or saving the environment or that kind of thing. It's fun. You're trying to do stuff, you're active, it's good. It's a nice community to belong to.'"
Ann: I was pretty sure there was at least one homeschooled student becoming politically active beyond the Conservative tent. I'll bet there are many more.
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Homeschoolers In the News
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Ann: On the brighter side of homeschooling, we can enjoy the continuing successes of great kids and families.
headline: Los Alamos Sends Two to Storytelling Competition
Los Alamos Monitor, New Mexico, By Kelly LeVan lacommunity@lamonitor.com March 23
http://www.lamonitor.com
Two out of the 14 students competing at this year's National Storytelling Youth Olympics (NSYO), which selects from youth storytellers across the country, are from Los Alamos....Heidi Lewis, a 14-year-old homeschool student, will be competing April 2 in Johnson City, Tenn....Lewis has been performing her whole life, telling stories in tandem with her grandmother since she can remember. She also takes part in a homeschool speech and debate team, and dances ballet.
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headline: Home Schooler Wins Spelling Bee
Tennessean.com, By Claudette Riley, March 24
http://www.tennessean.com
"The eighth-grader [Rose Van Ryckeghem], who is home-schooled in Williamson County [TN], will go on to represent the region at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee May 30-June 4 in Washington....Julian Calvin, who came in second yesterday...sometimes drills younger sister Lauren on her spelling words. The siblings, who are home-schooled in Bedford County, both made it to yesterday's regional bee."
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headline: Graduates of Home Schooling Spread Their Wings
A Portland author finds wide variety in 15 youths' post-school choices
The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, By Jill Smith, jillsmith@news.oregonian.com March 25
http://www.oregonlive.com
"Parents wanted to know if home-schoolers were happy, if they went to college, if they fit into society after they "graduated" from their unorthodox K-12 educations. So [Tamra] Orr wrote a book called "After Homeschool: Fifteen Homeschoolers Out in the Real World."
...Home-schoolers see more options for themselves, she said. 'It's "Yeah, I could do that (go to college). Or I could travel. Or I could join the Peace Corps. Or I could work for a year." Those that did go on to college for the most part did not have trouble. They sometimes struggled with the feeling that they were learning somewhat irrelevant information.'"
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headline: A Home-schooler Tops Spelling Bee for Third Year Running
Loudon Times-Mirror, Virginia, By Shannon Sollinger, March 26
http://www.zwire.com
"Betsy Woodruff...[a] Purcellville resident is the spelling champion for the county. She will represent Loudoun at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., June 1-3. And for the third year in a row, the spelling crown goes to a home-schooled student. Cari Peacock won the county spelling bee as a fifth-grader in 2001, and again in 2002."
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headline: Home is Where the School is: A Study in Trends in Home Schooling
Timberjay Newspapers, Minnesota, By Tom Klein, March 29
http://www.timberjay.com
"'People are curious why we did it,' [Pat Chapman, of Angora] said. 'We,re just average people trying to do what is best for our kids like most parents.' She said her epiphany came as her eldest daughter Elizabeth approached school-age. 'You,ve gone through all the hard stuff and you,ve got this cute, fun-loving kid and they,re just getting really social and then you send them off to school,' she said. 'There,s a lot of enjoyment in teaching your children and seeing them grow and I wanted to be a part of that.'"
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Homeschooling In Japan
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headline: Home Schooling on the Rise in Japan
Voice of America, Tokyo, by Yufuko Oikawa, March 25
http://www.voanews.com
"While home schooling has been common for decades in the United States, Japanese families are only starting to adopt it. Kozo Hino is vice chairman for the Home School Support Association, which advises parents, and works to change the government's attitude about home schooling. 'We frequently get calls from families asking about home schooling. More of today's children want to learn individually,' says Mr. Hino. 'They have different reasons to start home schooling. Some children want to learn on their own. Others refuse to go to school, because they feel stress from the fierce academic system and dislike the problem of bullying.'"
Ann: What great news. For too long we've heard stories of the heavy work load on Japanese students and the difficulties caused by that load.
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Parent-Partnered Public Programs - WA, OH, IA, AK
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headline: Home-schooling Put at Risk
Herald.net, Washington, Editorial by Pietra Gaebel, March 13
http://www.heraldnet.com
"As a home-school parent myself, I feel obliged to inform you that the public school system's alternative schools programs, which Herald Writer Victor Balta reported on Feb. 20, are not the choice of most home-schoolers nationwide. In fact, many home-schooling families are opposed to these schools and view them as a threat to the autonomy and integrity of home-schooling."
Ann: Read the whole editorial!
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headline: Sketchy Grades for Cyber Schools
Wired News, By John Gartner http://www.wired.com/news/feedback March 15
http://www.wired.com
"Cyber schools -- where students complete all coursework online using home computers -- are a big hit with parents, who are signing up their children as quickly as the virtual doors open. However, test results for 2003 show students at many cyber schools are not measuring up to state standards or to their peers who attend brick-and-mortar schools....In Ohio, the three cyber schools that were tested during the 2002 to 2003 school year similarly did not fare well in standardized tests. The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow was listed as an "academic emergency" by the state Department of Education after it failed to meet the state's goals of 75 percent proficiency in assessments of fourth, sixth and ninth graders. ECOT passed in only one of 22 "indicators of success" -- student attendance."
Ann: School by computer will never match relationship based learning.
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headline: Congressman Asking Why Aren't More Federal Dollars Coming into Iowa Classrooms
KCRG-TV9, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, By News Anchor/Reporter Nick Glew Nick.Glew@kcrg.com March 19
http://www.kcrg.com
"Over the past fifteen years the number of students home-schooled in Cedar Rapids public schools has increased to more than three hundred.... When parents choose home schooling they have several options. The first is to provide their child's education by teaching it independently at home. But they can also hire a private certified teacher to do the educating for them. And finally, the most popular way, is to use a program where the school works in cooperation with parents."
Ann: The "most popular" way is through school programs? Fact or opinion? Cite your source, please. Besides, that would be public school enrollment, wouldn't it?
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headline: Priorities: Tighten the Rules on Home School
Anchorage Daily News, Alaska, Opinion, March 21
http://www.adn.com
"Some Alaska home school parents have complained about possible new state rules for reimbursing extracurricular expenses....The state crackdown, they say, will deny home school students a chance to enrich their education with art, music, physical education and so on. That would be a problem -- if it were true. But it's not. Home schooled students, if they want those extras provided at state expense, can obtain them the same way every other state-funded K-12 student does -- at the local public school."
Ann: This opinion piece is an argument for clearly separating independent homeschooling from publicly funded parent-partnered programs. Can we rewrite that awful headline - shouldn't that be "Tighten Rules on Public Spending Accountablity?"
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California Parent-Partnered Programs
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Ann: There are many kinds of parent-partnered programs in California. The first one mentioned is a straightforward independent study program that offers a blend of public schooling with a teacher sharing responsibilities with the parent. The teacher and parent team to create an individualized program for the student. Not the kind of "full educational freedom" many of us love, but definitely a worthwhile alternative public program for many. I'd write the headline differently, but the story stands.
headline: Balancing Home School with Teachers
Tri-Valley Herald, Livermore, California, lblevins@angnewspapers.com By Lea Blevins March 26
http://www.trivalleyherald.com
"Any visitor to [Vineyard Alternative School in Livermore], which teaches first through 12th grades, will easily be able to see Vineyard's uniqueness. Groups of three -- a student, parent and teacher -- sit and discuss the week's assignments, which range from science and math to reading and physical education. All of the teachers work part time, and have weekly meetings with students to help them with subjects, make sure assignments are getting done and work with parents on what they need to learn next."
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headline: State Plans to Investigate Charter School Operator
Contra Costa Times, California, By Jennifer Coleman, March 20
http://www.contracostatimes.com
SACRAMENTO - "State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said Friday he'll investigate and audit the California Charter Academy, the state's largest charter school operator....The Advisory Commission on Charter Schools asked for the investigation Thursday, citing several concerns about the schools' finances....Also on Thursday, the commission voted to cut state funding for two of the four California Charter Academy schools by 30 percent, saying school officials weren't up front about their reserves, how much they spent on teachers and whether money was moved between the schools.
Ann: Remember that only some of the charter schools in California are cyberschools and not all serve homeschoolers. Cybers do seem to be problematic, though.
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Ann: The next story is about a charter-based blended program faced with losing its charter.
headline: Parents and Teachers Fight for 'Liberty'
Monterey County Herald, California, By Virginia Hennessey vhennessey@montereyherald.com March 27
http://www.montereyherald.com
"Prunedale: North County district rescinds school's charter.... We definitely will pursue a new charter with a district looking for alternative education for their students...districts that are not quite as narrow-minded," said Marjorie Crouch, a teacher who oversees some of the 700 home-school students who are registered with the 900-student school. It is believed to be The largest, if not the largest, charter schools in Monterey County.... Thursday night, citing years of unsuccessful efforts to get the school to comply with various regulations, the board of trustees voted unanimously not to renew the school's charter, which will expire at the end of the school year in June."
Ann: I don't believe they can have it both ways, full educational liberty on the taxpayer dollar without accountability for that dollar. But never fear! Full liberty to homeschool is readily available. In California, I believe it is called the R-4 provision. Give it a try, Prunedaleans - you are going to love it!
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Interscholastic Participation - PA, SC, WI, TX, NM
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Ann: The struggle is heating up - on both sides of the issue.
headline: Haddonfield BOE Approves Pilot Home-school Program
Haddon Herald, Pennsylvania, By Brian P. Nanos March 17
http://www.zwire.com
" The Haddonfield Board of Education last week approved a pilot program that involved home-schooled students participating in extracurricular activities. Under the program home-schooled students can participate in elementary bands and orchestras, and any middle school activity that is deemed 'non-athletic' and that does not require participation during the school day."
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headline: Home-school Proposal Rejected by SCHSL
The State, South Carolina, By Evan Woodbery ewoodbery@thestate.com March 19
http://www.thestate.com
"Supporters say battle for right to play public-school sports will continue. The South Carolina High School League,s legislative assembly overwhelmingly rejected a proposal Thursday that would have allowed home-schooled children to play public school sports. Home-school supporters, however, predicted the next battleground would be the state legislature."
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headline: Can Homeschoolers Play Junior High Sports?
Burnett Country Sentinel, Wisconsin, By Chet Newman
http://www.burnettcountysentinel.com
"Parents of students who are being educated at home made the plea Monday night that they want their children to be able to participate in school district athletics, band, choir, drama and other non-classroom activities....[homeschool parent Harm] Weber said he and other homeschool families had been told there has been an unwritten policy that prevents their children from participation after sixth grade. He said five families had been told the same thing."
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headline: Homeschool Parents Denied MISD Venues, Vow to Fight
The Courier, Texas, By Nancy Flake, March 30
http://www.zwire.com
"Several Magnolia parents who homeschool their children and have had their requests to use Magnolia Independent School District facilities denied are vowing to continue their fight. The parents, who have formed a coalition known as For All Children Today, or FACT, took their requests to a Level III grievance hearing last week with MISD board members and were "categorically, unanimously" denied, said Lauren Twining, The FACT parents."
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headline: Exclusion Stirs Heated Debate
Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico, By Tania Soussan, March 30
http://www.abqjournal.com
Los Alamos - "The entire Jemez Mountain Homeschool Speech and Debate Team can no longer compete in tournaments because they are not members of the New Mexico Activities Association. And, as home-schoolers, they can't become members under the current regulations. Team members are angry and disappointed~ the team has been participating in state tournaments for seven years. As it turns out, it shouldn't have, according to NMAA....The controversy is cloudy. Home-schoolers believe they are being discriminated against. "
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Louisiana Legislation
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headline: Introduced Legislation for 2004
http://www.la-home-education.com
HB 1238: Specifies classification to be used by the state Dept. of Education for students in certain home study programs.
Read the bill here: http://198.245.141.11/bills
From Louisiana Home Education Network: "The sponsors of this legislation have reported that they were asked to sponsor it by a homeschool group (within Their districts) because of dissatisfaction with the Department of Education's use of terms. Both sponsors support homeschooling and have no desire to produce adverse effects with this legislation. Hopefully, after more discussion, the situation can be resolved without the need for any legislation."
Ann: So much can be better resolved by discussion instead of legislation.
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Unlinking Child Abuse and Homeschooling
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Ann: Thankfully, these stories mention homeschooling as a fact, avoiding the current fad to demonize all homeschooling by association.
headline: Jury Told That Mom Thought God Told Her to Stone Sons
Houston Chronicle, Texas, AP, March 29
http://www.chron.com
"A deeply religious and psychotic East Texas woman ....Laney, 39, who homeschooled her children in the tiny town of New Chapel 100 miles southeast of Dallas..."
Ann: At the opening of Laney's trial, it does not appear that homeschooling will be a significant issue.
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headline: State to Look into Early Abuse Claims
Juneau County Star-Times, Wisconsin, By Lisa Schuetz, March 29
http://star-times.scwn.com
"The Millers, both 37, were arrested nearly two weeks ago after the 17-year-old girl slipped a note to a friend detailing years of abuse.... Lee Ann Miller pulled the girl out of public school in June 2001, allegedly to home-school her, not long after the social worker who investigated the suspected abuse reported no wrongdoing. She had also taken her out for two or three months in the fall of 2000. Earlier reports found that the School District didn't follow up on the girl's schooling even though it didn't get the required paperwork from the Department of Public Instruction."
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Heads up to Reporters: "We're Never Home, and It's Not School"
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Ann: I read a lot of positive homeschooling articles - just like most of this one. But "no longer just for religious fundamentalists"? Will reporters never get the facts and the history straight? Many of us were homeschooling arm-in-arm, fundamentalists and secularists and everyone between, before the religious fundamentalist politicians swooped in to claim homeschooling as their own. Let's at least try for accuracy.
headline: Schoolhouse Rocked
The Boston Globe, Massachusetts, By Michelle Bates Deakin March 21
http://www.boston.com
"No longer just for the religious fundamentalists, home schooling has gone main stream, especially in Massachusetts. It's estimated that as many as 20,000 children here have abandoned test-crazy public schools and high-priced private schools for the comfort of the living room couch. But most surprising of all is that Harvard, BU, Brown, and other colleges are welcoming home-schoolers like all other students....What public schools teach children is how to conform, says Tammy Rosenblatt, and it's that belief fueling her continued choice to home-school her own, especially as Bryanna negotiates her teenage years. Rosenblatt acknowledges that the choice is not for everyone, but she's heartened that as more people select the home-schooling path, it is becoming a viable option."
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Ann: This article too includes excellent interviews and quotes. Definitely worth a read, but why did the reporter need to drag teacher opinion? "Teachers rattled?" What's that got to do with homeschooling? And why quote a policy analyst? Good grief.
headline: Taking Lesson Plans to Hearth
Teachers rattled as Portlanders embrace home-schooling trend
The Portland Tribune, By Todd Murphy http://www.portlandtribune.com March 26
http://www.portlandtribune.com
"'Professionals who've gone through years of training ... it's kind of an insult to say, "Anybody can do this,"' says Jennifer Dounay, policy analyst for the Education Commission of the States in Denver, which takes no position on home schooling. Some critics also believe 'the state has a responsibility for schooling and therefore should have a more active role than just telling the parent, "OK, fine, whatever," ' Dounay says. 'Accountability is coming in stronger and stronger as a part of education policy in the states, and yet most home-schooled children have very little accountability to the states.'"
Ann: First - how silly to be insulted by homeschooling. It is no secret that teacher training is about group instruction - why not accept the truth that individualizing within a family is a practical and joyful approach to learning that families can figure out with a minimum of help?
Second - accountability to the states? Since when? Isn't the state actually accountable to "we the people" to educate the children we send to them?
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headline: Staying Home - Increase in Home-schoolers in Collin County is Healthy
The Dallas Morning News, Texas, Editorial, March 26
http://www.dallasnews.com
"Just as charter schools were once considered a threat to public schools, home-schooling may be viewed with some alarm as the number of participants grows. But as far as we can tell, there should be no cause for concern. The Los Rios area of Plano is described as hotbed for home schooling simply because some parents feel it is a more productive way to educate their children."
Ann: This turns into a positive editorial about homeschooling, but why does the writer insist on closing like this? "We hope that those who home-school will someday see public school districts as a better way. But for now, we commend their efforts." Someday? Wonder when that will be?
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NCLB - Still Figuring It Out
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Ann: Fourteen states are rebelling against some of the NCLB requirements, and Rod Paige may be listening.
headline: 14 States Ask U.S. to Revise Some Education Law Rules
New York Times, New York, By Diana Jean Schemo, March 25
http://www.nytimes.com
"Fourteen states asked the Bush administration on Wednesday for permission to use alternative methods for showing academic gains under the No Child Left Behind law. The 14 states, most of which had their own systems for raising academic performance in place before the federal No Child Left Behind law took effect two years ago, charged that as currently written, the law would brand too many schools 'in need of improvement,' and thus squander limited resources."
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headline: Secretary Paige Issues New Policy for Calculating Participation Rates Under No Child Left Behind
US Department of Education Press Release, March 29
http://www.ed.gov
"In an effort to help states implement the No Child Left Behind Act , U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced new policies for calculating participation rates -- the percentage of enrolled students who participate in an assessment program."
Ann: Recalculating - is this the federal answer to this problem? That doesn't seem to address the level of relief the states are looking for. For analysis of what NCLB might mean to homeschoolers, check out -
headline: Bulletin #28 - No Child Left Behind Update 3/8/2004
http://www.nheld.com
"The looming problem still remains that the term 'homeschool' has not been defined anywhere in federal statute. Sooner or later it must be defined. When it is defined, who will be defining it? Congress? The Courts? Homeschoolers who receive federal funding cannot be exempt unless specified succinctly."
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The True Meaning of Isolation
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headline: Financial Boost Sought for Home Schooling
ABC Riverina, New South Wales, Australia, March 24
http://www.abc.net.au
"There is a call for an increase in financial assistance for families teaching their children at home. The Isolated Children's Parents' Association annual conference is continuing today in Hay..."
Ann: The popular myth that homeschooled children are isolated seems ludicrous when seen in the light of parents successfully raising children in true isolation - the Australian Outback.
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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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