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Newscomm for January 05, 2005
In this Edition:
South Carolina - Pushing for a School Tax Credit
South Dakota - Wants to Monitor Homeschooling
Tennessee - Officials Want More Control of Homeschoolers
California and Alaska - Clarification Needed
The Sun Never Sets on Homeschooling
Homeschoolers and Their Families
Oplinger/Willard Stories Run in Indiana
Knight Ridder Newspapers to Watch
Oxford Defeated, ABJ Reports Rebuffed
January 6 is Four Freedoms Day
Final Words
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South Carolina - Pushing for a School Tax Credit
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headline: Former official leads group - Swatzel wants school tax credit
The Sun News (a Knight Ridder paper), Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, By Zane Wilson zwilson@thesunnews.com January 02, 2005
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com
"A former Georgetown County councilman is at the forefront of what could be the hottest statewide issue this year: tax credits for tuition at private school or home schooling. Tom Swatzel's S.C. Citizens for Responsible Government, founded a year and a half ago, has ballooned to 80,000 members and now has two full-time employees, a Web site and billboards. It will be the lead organization in pushing for the change some opponents say is an attempt to destroy public schools."
"Highlights of the Put Parents in Charge bill
* State income tax credits or local property tax credits of up to $3,680 for families with incomes less than $75,000
* Allows scholarship organizations to be set up to help pay tuition for lower-income children, and donations to the organizations would earn income tax or property tax credits"
This argument caught my eye. "Swatzel and supporters say tax credits are not public money because it has not been paid to the treasury. Garland, though, says even tax credits are a form of public money, 'because where would it go if they didn't take the tax credit? To the treasury.'"
Ann: Swatzel's claim that tax credits are not public money smells of smoke, then mirrors a very different story when scrutinized with an eye to the state's bottom line. Garland is right - tax credits function like money with respect to the state's treasury. To say otherwise denies second grade arithmetic - the pluses and the minuses.
Another of Swatzel's arguments is, "Competition with private schools and home schooling will force public schools to improve..."
Ann: That is a lovely sentiment, but where is the evidence? I hope South Carolinians look around the country to see just how this works elsewhere before taking this bait. Do public schools improve under test-driven competition or do they cut out the "frills" - frills like recess, music, drama, sports, and art - then zero in on the drilling for test scores? That is not improvement in my book. But I digress. Homeschooling parents should think long and hard about the attached strings that would accompany such credits.
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South Dakota - Wants to Monitor Homeschooling
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headline: Lawmakers Want State To Monitor Home-School Tests
Keloland Television, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, December 27, 2004
http://www.keloland.com
"Two state lawmakers want to ensure that home-schooled children meet the same standards and take their tests under the same conditions as those in formal school settings. Republican Senator Clarence Kooistra and Democratic Representative-elect Elaine Roberts of Sioux Falls say it's an issue of quality control. Under their proposed law, the state would furnish tests for home-school students, and local districts would monitor the tests and communicate with parents about the results."
Ann: But but but - who will monitor public schooled students to see that they achieve the same standards that homeschooled students achieve? Sorry for the sarcasm. Seriously, I wonder whether a real effort to restrict homeschooling is afoot or merely pre-session grandstanding to appease the electorate.
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Tennessee - Officials Want More Control of Homeschoolers
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headline: Officials to consider more oversight of homeschooled students
WKRN News Two, Tennessee, January 04, 2005
http://www.wkrn.com
"State education officials will look at taking a more active role overseeing homeschooled students after a case of education neglect was discovered earlier this month in Franklin.... Earlier this month, a homeschooled 16-year-old girl from Franklin was enrolled in a private school after tests showed she was years behind her peers academically. Several lawmakers have proposed that students taught at home take the same state-mandated achievement tests as students in public schools. But state Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, has homeschooled five children and says extra testing isn't going to accomplish much. 'Homeschoolers are doing very well, they aren't costing taxpayers any money, and they're turning out productive citizens,' he said. 'If something is working, you leave it alone.'"
Ann: State Rep. Dunn has it just right. Additional testing would merely burden the 30,000 or so homeschoolers in Tennessee and why? To catch maybe five or six students who have not met their full potential? Have state officials failed to notice that more testing hasn't solved public school problems? Or are officials really just looking for excuses to increase their control over homeschoolers?
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California and Alaska - Clarification Needed
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headline: Clarification needed about homeschooling guest opinions
The Eureka Reporter, California, By Donna Harding, Letter to the Editor, December 30, 2004
http://www.eurekareporter.com
"You have run several articles about charters schools but seem to have gotten some of your information incorrect. We really need clarity when it comes to reporting. Charter schools are public schools. Charter schools are not homeschooling. 'Some' charter schools have an independent study or home-based option. This is not homeschooling. Homeschooling is not coming out of the taxpayers, pockets. Parents are the sole support of their children's education. And, please don't use the 'taking money from public schools' refrain. Homeschoolers pay taxes just like everyone else. The difference is they don't use those tax dollars to educate their children."
Ann: Bravo! - And hurrah for The Eureka Reporter for publishing the letter. I applaud every call to reporters to be precise, a call sorely needed at the Peninsula Clarion, where the following headline only confuses.
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headline: Science fair slated for home-school kids
Peninsula Clarion, Kenai, Alaska, By Layton Ehmke, January 05, 2005
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com
"The Interior Distance Education of Alaska home school education program (IDEA) will host its fourth annual science fair May 16. Debbie Mackie, IDEA field representative, said the fair is for any IDEA student in the Seward, Kenai, Soldotna and Homer region (IDEA Region K)."
Ann: In fact, the science fair isn't for homeschooled kids, but only for kids enrolled in IDEA, a public home instruction program. A better headline might be - "Science fair slated for IDEA kids." It really isn't that tough to be accurate.
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The Sun Never Sets on Homeschooling
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Ann: This month Australian homeschoolers are swimming and gardening, while North America's homeschoolers ski and sled. That thought got me thinking about homeschooling as a worldwide phenomenon. I found homeschooling stories from Japan, Germany, Guam, The Philippines, and friends of homeschooling writing from India. Someday soon, I plan to ponder the negative attitude toward homeschooling in both Germany and Japan. For now though, let's globe hop.
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headline: Homeschooling child can be fulfilling
Pacific Daily News, Guam, By Oyaol Ngirairikl, December 11, 2005
http://www.guampdn.com
"Helen Middlebrooke is one of dozens of parents on Guam who teach their children at home.... 'I really hate giving my kids to others at their best time of their day,' Middlebrooke said."
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headline: Living Room Lessons Not Easy in Germany
Deutsche Welle, Germany, December 25, 2004
http://www.dw-world.de
"Dorothee Becker has lost all faith in the German school system.... Becker and another estimated 200 families who have taken the radical step to homeschool their kids inhabit a legal gray area. What they do is illegal, but the local authorities turn a blind eye -- especially when they see that parents are devoted to teaching their children."
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headline: Home schooling finds foothold but not official favor
The Japan Times, By Kanako Takahara, January 04, 2005
http://www.japantimes.co.jp
"According to the Tokyo-based nonprofit organization Homeschool Support Association of Japan, there are about 2,000 to 3,000 children home schooled in Japan and the number is gradually rising.... 'Schools generally cannot deal with individual cases requiring special support,' [Toshiyuki Miyazaki, HOSA's general manager] said. 'Distrust toward schools leads to nonattendance, and then parents decide to try home schooling.'"
Ann: Read this story in its entirety to fully understand the difficulties homeschooling parents and children face in Japan. For example, students must go to school officials to get a diploma if they want to attend higher education. Additionally, attendance records are used to favor those who have attended school over those who have not.
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headline: 'I just want to write...'
The Manila Bulletin, The Philippines, By Catherine, Letter to Chico and Delamar, January 05, 2005
http://www.mb.com.ph
"I,ve really been longing for a job as a writer/columnist for a youth section, but I,m only 16 yrs. old. I,m not naive. I am very well aware that here in the Philippines, 16 is considered a young age, even for a youth section. But I really do want this, and I believe I have the talent... ps: Writing for a school paper is no option for me because I am homeschooled."
Ann: This letter is a two-fer. First we meet Catherine, a make-it-happen homeschooler who is going after what she wants. Secondly, Chico and Delamar offer sound writing career guidance, advice that is spot-on. Send this link to all the budding writers you know.
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headline: Getting the Word Out
Blog by David Albert and Aliyah Shanti, daily, January 2005
http://shantinik.blogspot.com
Aliyah writes: "My father, David Albert, and I have started this blog as a way of reporting back from South India, where we are going later today. Sunday morning, I woke up to the news that a giant earthquake and tsunami had hit the area where my adopted grandparents and other friends and relatives live and work. Since then, we have decided that we will still go, and help in any way possible. Our greatest strength is perhaps our ability to get the word out about what is going on there."
Ann: Many homeschoolers have enjoyed the writings and learning adventures of David Albert. For a fascinating inside look at day to day life of survivors of the tsunami and the floods and how David and Aliyah are helping, follow their journey in the daily blog.
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Homeschoolers and Their Families
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Ann: A mom and daughter graduate together; homeschooling drum group Steeling Home; families belie homeschooling stereotypes; science in socks and an intern in the White House - just how diverse can homeschoolers be?
headline: Graduation a family affair for mother, daughter
Duluth News Tribune, Minnesota, By Steve Kuchera, skuchera@duluthnews.com December 18, 2004
http://www.duluthsuperior.com
"Education has always been a family affair for the McCorisons. Shari McCorison home-schooled her two sons and daughter, Nicole. And as her children began college, Shari enrolled as well. Today, Shari and Nicole are graduating together from the College of St. Scholastica. 'It's great,' said Nicole, 21. 'We're each celebrating our own degrees, but being together gives us that much more to celebrate.'"
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headline: Kids bang the home-school drum
Student musicians in EV form band to showcase skills
The Arizona Republic, Lars Jacoby, December 27
http://www.azcentral.com
"Just because they are home-schooled doesn't mean the teens in the steel drum group Steeling Home aren't performing with others....Gottry, Bryant Fuhrmann, 15, of Gilbert, Daniel Koning, 15, of Chandler and Josiah Melcher, 16, of Mesa, make up Steeling Home, which performs in the Valley throughout the year. At a recent gig in Tempe, the fresh-faced group played a mix of standards and holiday favorites such as Jingle Bells and the fittingly titled The Little Drummer Boy, each song infused with a calypso vibe."
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headline: Home schooling goes mainstream
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, By Kavita Jumar, January 02, 2005
http://www.northjersey.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - "Traci Hodges works about 30 hours a week running her own consulting business and managing a small production company. She recently finished a master's degree in human development counseling. On top of it all, she finds time to homeschool her oldest daughter. Make that she and her husband, Harlan, who is an emergency room doctor at DePaul Hospital. The Maryland Heights, Mo., couple split the responsibility. As two working parents, the Hodges are a far cry from the stereotypical homeschool family with a stay-at-home mom, ultra-conservative moral and religious values, and a fierce belief in the right to keep government out of their lives."
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headline: Science in my socks: What it,s like to learn at home
The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Illinois, By Nathan Atkinson, January 04, 2004
http://www.sj-r.com
"At 7 a.m., I literally roll out of bed and manage to wake myself up by heading outside to do some chores, mainly taking care of my lay-eggs-when-they-feel-like-it chickens. Then it,s time for breakfast; my usual is Rice Krispies cereal crunched together with peanut butter. It,s the real breakfast of champions, whatever Wheaties may claim. By the time I,ve finished my monster cup of hot chocolate, I,m fully awake. Mostly."
Ann: Atkinson, a home-schooled junior, writes about his routine in a style both fresh and engaging. See how succinctly he knocks out the "But what do you do all day?" question. "I can,t count how many times I get asked about what I do all day. The answer, of course, is school. Sometimes people act shocked that I know up from down, Bush from Kerry, Coke from Pepsi, Iraq from Iran or 'Survivor' from 'The Apprentice.'"
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headline: Home-schooler lands job as intern
The Daily World, Grays Harbor, Washington, By David Wilkins, January 04, 2005
http://www.thedailyworld.com
MONTESANO - "'Oh, you mean the story about home-schooled kids being socially deprived?' asks 21-year-old Tara Napier of Montesano. 'I've heard that one quite a bit.' The question isn't unexpected, Tara says, because it's not just every home-schooled kid who spends two years at Grays Harbor College, transfers to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and four months later lands a job at the White House as an intern."
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Oplinger/Willard Stories Run in Indiana
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http://www.fortwayne.com
On January 04, 2005, Indiana's Fort Wayne News-Sentinel ran six of the homeschooling-bashing articles from the Akron Beacon Journal's series. As I had feared, another paper in the Knight Ridder stable has lined up to run the Oplinger/Willard stories. Is there a shortage of real news? Are the K-R papers trying to get their money's worth of ink out of the eighteen-month investment in the project?
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Knight Ridder Newspapers to Watch
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http://www.knightridder.com/papers/addresses.html
Knight Ridder, owners of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel and the Akron Beacon-Journal, owns thirty-one major newspapers as well as many community newspapers across the country. How many of these newspapers will eventually pick up one or more parts of the series? At this writing, I've found that the Miami Herald, in addition to these two papers, have published several of the articles or more. A few K-R papers have picked up just a story or two. In a worst case scenario, would we see newspaper after newspaper after newspaper keeping this series in the public eye for months? If that happened, Oplinger and Willard's skewed view of homeschooling could haunt us for a long time.
Readers, if your paper publishes part of the Oplinger/Willard series, won't you please give me a heads up? Knight Ridder's website, above, includes a complete listing of their holdings.
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Oxford Defeated, ABJ Reports Rebuffed
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headline: Goliaths should watch out for Davids
The Joplin Globe, Missouri, by Jay Ambrose, director of editorial policy for Scripps Howard Newspapers, December 31, 2004
http://www.joplinglobe.com
"The victors were two home-schooled students at Patrick Henry College, a 4-year-old, Christian-based, conservative institution in Purcellville, Va., with just 277 students. Theirs was a David-slays-Goliath upset. Their opponents were students at Oxford University, so pre-eminent in producing intellectually gigantic debaters that a gasp is obligatory whenever anyone at all is so brazen, so dedicated and so smart as to defeat them."
Ann: Besides expressing his obligatory gasp at the Oxford defeat, Ambrose uses this story to partially rebuff the Oplinger/Willard attack on homeschooling.
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January 6 is Four Freedoms Day
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http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/7-2-188/188-22.html
Did you know that January 6 is Four Freedoms Day? In 1941, during his State of the Union speech, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech, featuring freedom of speech and expression, freedom of people to worship God in their own way, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
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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. Please include a link if possible and a sentence or two of your own that summarizes the homeschooling aspect of the story. Thanks to all who contributed to this and past issues.
Ann Lahrson Fisher
News and Commentary Email
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