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Newscomm May 5, 2003
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Homeschoolers Make the News!
The Diversity of Homeschooling
Legal and Legislative News
Charter, Alternative Education, Cyber-schools
Close, Very Close
He's A Gamblin' Man
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Homeschoolers Make the News!
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Ann: Homeschoolers are busy - competing, winning prizes, putting on plays, going to the Prom, heading off on study trips, and even working around the kitchen table. Keep up the good work, everybody!
USDA Press Release
http://www.usda.gov
Headline: Veneman Celebrates National Agriculture Day and Excellence
In Science, Technology and Math Education Week
National Agri-Science Essay Contest Winners Honored
WASHINGTON, March 21, 2003-"In honor of National Agriculture Day, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the National Agri-Science Essay Contest winners. . . The national award winner, Christine Zarrilli of Boca Raton, Fla wrote her thoughts on food in space with an essay called "Space Mash Potatoes, Anyone?" Christina is a home-schooled sixth grader. . .The second place winner was Emily Groupp of Chatham, New York. [whose essay was] "The Importance of Agriculture in Urban Areas"..."
Read the winning essays
http://www.cast-science.org
and check out the pics here
http://www.cast-science.org
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Source: The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens, TN, By Ben Benton, 05-01-2003
http://www.dpa.xtn.net
Headline: Special Olympics are Saturday at McMinn High
"Now in its 23rd year, the Athens Civitan Club's Special Olympics event to be held Saturday at McMinn County High School will host 77 athletes from area schools. . .Besides students in local schools, some participating athletes are home-schooled. Homeschooler Anita Johnson said her son, Seth, was looking forward to competing this year."
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The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID, April 29, 2003
http://204.228.236.37
Headline: History Day draws entries from 250 students
"About 250 students from throughout the state competed in the Idaho History Day championships Friday at Boise State University.Youth Historical Essays, First place: "Slavery: The Peculiar Institution," George Herring, homeschooler, Idaho Falls [..]Junior Individual Performances, Third place (tie): "I Have Seen the Promised Land ...," Ken Bzdell, Meridian Middle School; "The Creation of the Constitution: The Constitutional Convention," Matt Heston, homeschooler, Kellogg."
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http://mywebpages.comcast.net/nuvakitty/
Headline: NJSpringProm 2003~ was awesome!
"The teens were *wonderful*, their attire was beautiful, the place was elegant, the food was good. . . the hotel banquet employees made a point of telling us that they have never met a more polite, well-behaved bunch of teens . . ." Comments, photos, etc. at the website.
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Baltimore Sun, MD - By Laura Shovan, April 30, 2003
http://www.sunspot.net
Headline: Program enriches history lessons through art
Subhead: Homeschoolers tour Walters to learn more about ancient cultures
"Louise White gathered a group of children around her to study a mosaic map of the ancient world. . .Last week was the final visit in an art education series that the museum organized with the Columbia Homeschool Community (CHC), a Howard County-based group."
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Ventura County Star, CA By Jake Finch, April 30, 2003
http://www.insidevc.com
Headline: Home-school students learn about vernal pool
"Park ranger Jodi Thomas struggled at one point to keep up with the flood of questions spurting forth from the youths sitting in front of her. . . Thomas' educational lecture . . .came at the request of a home-schooling mother. . .The families attending were affiliated with the Conejo Valley Homeschoolers, an independent network of home-school families; the Somis Home Study Program, which is overseen by the Somis Union School District; and the Golden Valley Charter School, which caters to home-schoolers in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties and is based out of the Mesa Union School District in Somis.
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Green Bay Press-Gazette, By Jose de Jesus, May 01, 2003
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com
Headline: Home-schooled students put on play
jdejesus@greenbaypressgazette.com
"Five Green Bay area home-schooled students will offer a free and original play today at the Neville Public Museum of Brown County. The play is about the Progressive Era, specifically about child labor. The home-schooled students portray five different girls from that period. The girls advanced to the state competition after qualifying at the regional contest."
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Daytona Beach News-Journal, By Patrick Wright, 29 April 2003
http://www.news-journalonline.com
Headline: Displeased with public schools, parents turn to home-schooling
PALM COAST - "School days are a bit different in Cindy Walker's classroom. . .Walker, 48, and her husband, Jerry, 51, from Palm Coast head one of 171 Flagler County and 790 Volusia County families choosing to home-school their children this year. . ."
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The Diversity of Homeschooling
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Ann: We've known for a long time that homeschoolers are a diverse lot, both by ethnicity and by lifestyle. Sometimes news stories put new faces on that diversity.
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The Christian Science Monitor, By Patrik Jonsson, April 29, 2003
http://www.csmonitor.com
Headline: The new face of home schooling
More and more, African-American families redefine 'homeroom'
DURHAM, N.C. - ". . . while many point to black home schooling as a means of empowerment, others say the trend turns its back on a major victory of the Civil Rights struggle: equal access to public schools.""What our fathers believed in the 1950s is that if it was a white school, it had to be better," says Joyce Burges, who has home-schooled four children in Baker, La. "But in the last five years, more and more black parents are saying about those same schools: 'I'm not going to sacrifice my children to a system where they're suffering.' "
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer, By Larry Lee Palmer, Saturday, May 3, 2003
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com
Headline: From the Rail: In a Baze of glory, Tyler takes ride to the moon
Tyler Baze was born into a family of Washington race trackers seemingly 13 miles east of nowhere. . . on the road to Canterbury Downs and county fairs and bullring racetracks that don't exist anymore. . . home-schooled from junior high on. ...Today, Tyler Baze climbs aboard Indian Express and has an honest shot to win the Kentucky Derby!"
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The Winchester Star, Winchester, VA, By Andrew Martel, Saturday, May 3, 2003
http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/030503/Area_faith.asp
Headline: 'Facts of Life' Actress Shares Story of Faith
" Even when Whelchel is not working directly with her children, either homeschooling them or raising them, she is still drawing on her family experiences."
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St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL, By Terry Tomalin, April 29, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com
Headline: Sound in body and spirit
". . . Dorian Paskowitz is 82 years old and surfs every day.... His kids were homeschooled, and the family often traveled throughout the United States in a motor home. He would work from time to time where other doctors didn't want to go: Indian reservations, migrant camps and the emergency rooms of inner-city hospitals."
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Legal and Legislative News
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MARYLAND
From Billy Greer
http://www.unschooling.org
Headline: Proposed Annual Notification
"The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has published a proposed change to the homeschooling regulations that would require annual notification. There is an open comment period ending May 20. Comments may be sent to Ms. Lynn Linde, Branch Chief, Student Services and Alternative Programs Branch, Division of Student and School Services, Maryland State Department of Education, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-2595, or fax to (410) 333-8148; or email to llinde@msde.state.md.us; or call (410) 767-0311. These comments must be received not later than May 20, 2003."
OHIO
Ann: It is troublesome when an isolated child abuse incident is used to insinuate a need to control homeschooled children. The story is followed by the not-so-subtle insinuation.
The Plain Dealer, Akron, OH, Karen Farkas, 05/03/03
http://www.cleveland.com
Headline: Underfed kids kept in closet, police say
Akron- "Mary Rowles... home-schooled her children for at least the past three years, and the proper paperwork was filed with the Akron School District, said spokeswomen Karen Ingraham."
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Beacon Journal, Columbus, OH, By Dennis J. Willard & Doug Oplinger, May 02, 2003
http://www.ohio.com
Headline: Legislator sees risk in home schooling
Subhead: He worries abusive parents may see practice as way to avoid teachers who might detect mistreatment
COLUMBUS - ". . . "Ohio knows almost nothing about its home-schooled children. There may be 60,000 in the state, said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education. The number has soared from an estimate of 15,000 in the mid-1990s, according to a state legislative report."
OREGON
Headline: Freedom Bill Gets Attention. Three stories.
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From: Jeanne Biggerstaff, Friday, 2 May 2003
Headline : SB 761 advances to full House with 5 to 2 vote!
"Concerns of those opposed centered around the 5 to 10 percent of the students who, according to Linn-Benton-Lincoln ESD, are "falling through the cracks. . . Rep. Avakian (D, Washington County). . .pointed out that, if indeed, the "failure" rate of homeschoolers is 5-10%, then that is statistically very small. He then suggested if Legislators are genuinely interested in helping children who need resources then they should focus their attention on the public schools where the failure rate is certainly much higher."
You can listen to the hearing at
http://www.leg.state.or.us
starting at 30 min. 52 sec. The statements of Representative Avakian are in part 2 at 5 min. 35 sec.
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Education Week, By Rhea R. Borja, April 30, 2003
http://www.edweek.org
Headline: Oregon Mulls Relaxing Test Mandate for Home Schoolers
"In a move that follows similar action in several other states, the Oregon Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill last week that would largely free home-schooled students from state regulation."
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The Hillsboro Argus, Hillsboro, OR By Christine Webb, 05/01/03
http://www.oregonlive.com
Headline: Homeschoolers should be free of state oversight, intervention
"The issues surrounding this bill are complex and are grounded, not in oversight of homeschoolers, but in the public school system's inability to deal with its truancy issues."
TENNESSEE
Nashville City Paper, TN - By Skip Cauthorn, May 1, 2003
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com
Headline: Lottery bill moves forward
"Lottery sponsor Rep. Chris Newton saw his scholarship set-up bill out of the House Education Committee Thursday largely intact."An amendment by Rep. Delores Gresham (R-Somerville) deemed home-schooled students eligible for the additional $1,000 available for students who achieve a 3.75 grade point average and a 29 American College Test (ACT) score following 12 hours of course work."
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Charter, Alternative Education,
Cyber-schools and District-sponsored
Home Study Programs
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FLORIDA
Palm Beach Post, FL, By Kimberly Miller, Thursday, May 1, 2003
http://www.palmbeachpost.com
Headline: Private firms lobbied for virtual school
TALLAHASSEE - "If the state House bill creating a $4,800 virtual-school voucher becomes law, the state might turn to a company headed by former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett to run the public cyber-school called for under the bill. . . Students who want to enroll in the proposed cyber-school would have to attend a public school previously for one year and would be required to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. But children would need only an hour of contact with a teacher each month."
UTAH
The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT By Lisa J. Church, May 4, 2003
http://www.sltrib.com
Headline: Moab Weighs Costs, Benefits of Charter School
MOAB - "A divided public faced off Friday night to debate the need for a proposed charter school . . . the charter school would pull back into the public education system students who are currently home-schooled and would induce more families to move to Moab."
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Close, Very Close
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Ann: This generally positive and useful article should improve the general reader's understanding how homeschooling works. But must the subhead include the phrase "if done right?" That bugs me.
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The Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Dr. John Rosemond, Saturday, May 03, 2003
http://www.ohio.com
Headline: Home schooling not sheltering
It should motivate independence in learning, if done right
". . .A parent shelters by preventing a child from encountering realities that would be helpful, not harmful, to the child. . . The evidence is clear and irrefutable: home-schooled children suffer no disadvantage, academically or socially, over institutionally schooled children. In fact, home-schooled children, when matched demographically with children who attend institutional schools, do better on achievement measures and measures of citizenship--behavior and social skills."
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He's A Gamblin' Man
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Ann: Remember Bill Bennett of K12? Here is another page in his story.
New York Times, NY, NY, By Katharine Q. Seelye, May 2, 2003
Headline: Relentless Moral Crusader Is Relentless Gambler
http://www.nytimes.com
WASHINGTON, May 2 - "William J. Bennett, author of "The Book of Virtues" and The nation's most relentless moral crusaders, is a high-rolling gambler who has lost more than $8 million at casinos in the last decade..."
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Finally
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Keep me in mind as you find and make the news - and a big thank you to those who have contributed to this and past issues!
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