Newscomm May 21, 2003

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In this issue: Homeschooling - a "Social Threat to Public Education?"
A Jittering Blob of Maternal Guilt!
Ohio Homeschoolers Write Great Letters
Legal and Legislative News
Charter, Alternative Education, Cyber-schools
Homeschooling Across the Pond
Homeschoolers Make the News!
Jason Taylor, Former Homeschooler, Miami Dolphin
The Dark Side of Homeschooling Diversity
"It's All Family Time"

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Homeschooling - a "Social Threat to Public Education?"
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Ann: Fox News aired a couple of homeschooling stories this week and posted this incendiary one on the Internet. There is plenty to complain about in this report, including the random sound bites peppered with misleading information about both homeschooling and charter-schooling. All bad enough, but Lubienski's elitism argument against homeschooling really gets my goat. Has Lubienski ever actually talked to those affluent and articulate parents who are leaving the system? Many leave because THEY HAVE GIVEN UP HOPE that change is possible before their elementary aged children graduate high school! Perhaps Lubienski believes parents should sacrifice individual children for the good of the whole? Has Lubienski not noticed that for many, the whole is no good? Head-in-the-sand thinking is the real social threat to public education, not homeschooling.

Fox News Channel, Fox News' Trace Gallagher and Liza Porteus, May 17, 2003
http://www.foxnews.com
Headline: Parents Fight Governments to Homeschool
LOS ANGELES - "More parents are choosing the home over the classroom when it comes to educating their children. But some say governments aren't making it easy to make sure kids get the proper education in the comfort of their living room. "Homeschooling is a social threat to public education," Chris Lubienski, who teaches at Iowa State University's college of education, told Time magazine. It is taking some of the most affluent and articulate parents out of the system. These are the parents who know how to get things done with administrators."

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Ann: Below is some suggested reading material for homeschooling critics. Think of two decades of mediocrity in terms of one child's life, Ms. Lubienski.

The Wall Street Journal, by Pete Du Pont, May 5, 2003
http://www.opinionjournal.com
Headline: Two Decades of Mediocrity
Subhead: America's public schools: Still risky after all these years.
"Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the release of "A Nation at Risk," the devastating 1983 report on the state of education in America. We all remember its key conclusion, that the "intellectual, moral and spiritual strength of our people" were threatened by a failing education system"

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A Jittering Blob of Maternal Guilt!
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Ann: Looking for ways to practice laughing at yourself? Here's your chance! This clever article plays on a Martha Stewart perfectionist stereotype with a homeschooling twist - the reporter is in awe of a woman who is perfect, whose four children are perfect, whose life is perfect, and oh, yes, she's a doctor and she homeschools in her spare time. Too bad for the reporter - out of hundreds of thousands of homeschoolers, she lives on the same street as the perfect one.

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Observer Reporter, Washington, PA Friday, May 16, 2003, by Beth Doninar
http://www.observer-reporter.com
Headline: A beehive of unruly activities
"I have been a jittery blob of maternal guilt and self-doubt since the day I invited the home-schoolers over for a visit"

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Ohio Homeschoolers Write Great Letters
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Ann: Last week I cited an article from the Akron Beacon Journal in which several officials voiced concerns about families utilizing homeschooling to hide from child abuse charges. OHEC's response to the Beacon Journal story and to the officials is a great example of what to do when homeschooling is wrongly associated with harboring anti-social activity. Read those letters and you'll see what I mean. I hope other states make similar commentary available as well - homeschoolers helping homeschoolers make change, throughout the country.

Mary Nix of the Ohio Home Education Coalition writes: "Ohio Home Education Coalition has posted our response to this situation, our letters to those involved and these can be viewed at www.homeschoolfreedom.org . Once there, click on OHEC and you will see the letters to Carey, Fessler and ABJ and a short explanation."

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Legal and Legislative News
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LOUISIANA update

Headline: Recruiting Through Sports? Not This Session
http://www.la-home-education.com
Update HB 261: Failed House vote 42-57 May 13, 2003
"HOUSE BILL NO. 261 BY REPRESENTATIVE FARRAR (Also introduced in 2001)
STUDENT/HOME STUDY: Provides eligibility for students in BESE approved
home study programs to participate in public school extracurricular activities under specified circumstances."

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From TA Henderson at the NHEN Forums:
http://www.nhen.org
"The most interesting statement made during the discussion was by Rep. Farrar as he attempted to persuade the members in favor of the bill. He stated that they should "look at this as a recruiting effort" for the public schools - once homeschoolers got involved, they might just leave homeschooling and enroll in the public school. Ummm. Could be a good thing it failed?"

Ann: Worth thinking about, I'd say.

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MAINE

http://www.nhen.org
In February, Vicky of Maine Home Education Association (http://www.geocities.com/mainehomeed/ ) writes: "There is a current bill being voted on Thursday by the education committee (in ME). It is an additional option for filing with the state. It is a letter of Intent notice. Currently ME has an approval process in place...meaning that the state has to approve your application. The new option allows for a letter to be sent in with no approval clause. The public hearing was last week and 500-600 hsrs where there."
From an HSLDA post (at the same URL as above) on May 10: "By a vote of 31-0 in the Senate on May 6, and 121-2 in the House on May 7, the Maine legislature passed sweeping changes to Maine's homeschool law. Legislative Document 160 is now on its way to the Governor's desk to be signed into law."

Ann: Congratulations to Maine homeschoolers for their hard work for freedom!

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MARYLAND Update

Headline: Baltimore County Schools Jump the Gun
For more info, go to http://www.unschooling.org/
Last week, the Proposed Annual Notification in Maryland was announced. Since then, some official mailed out letters prematurely, leaving parents upset and unsure of how to follow the law.

http://www.nhen.org
Alice Gordon posts:
"Baltimore County Schools, in error, released information to their families, which stated that home school families will have to file a verification form per child prior to enrollment of the 2003-2004 school year. This is incorrect! The regulation/amendment has not been completely finalized. When it is finalized, then and only then will the State Board Of Education expect the families to comply to this new procedure."

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Charter, Alternative Education,
Cyber-schools and District-sponsored Home Study Programs
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WISCONSIN

Stevens Point Journal, WI, By Barbara Martin, Sun, May 11, 2003
http://www.wisinfo.com
Headline: Charter schools flourish; districts in bind
"Officials are considering other charter school options, including a Wisconsin Rapids-based virtual school, Gruenloh said. Such a program could encourage dropouts to return to school and could serve as a collaborative link between the district and home schoolers, he said"

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Homeschooling Across the Pond
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Headline: Home Education Debated in The United Kingdom Parliament
13 May 2003 : Column 59WH-continued Home Education
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk
"Mr. John Randall (Uxbridge): I most grateful for the opportunity to have this debate and to my constituent Fiona Berry The best guesses put the number of families that are currently home educating at 25,000 and the number of children who are being educated at home at 150,000." And the closing, "We need to pay more attention to the contribution that home educators make."

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Homeschoolers Make the News!
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Ann: Homeschoolers' Apple Pie Day grabbed both good press and clever commentary in two stories.

http://news.statesmanjournal.com
Headline: Home-school families say thanks
"We do a good job,' said home-schooling parent Rodger Williams of Portland, Ôand we can do a good job without state control.' A crowd estimated at anywhere from 300 to 500 people - adults and children of all ages - brought apple pies for legislators and lobbied for less government oversight of home schools."

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Appeal Tribune, Silverton, OR May 14, My Turn (opinion) By Carl Sampson
Headline: Home is where the school is
"Wait just a cotton-picking minute. That had to be a big, whopping mistake. I read a story in the Salem newspaper the other day that said a group showed up at the Oregon Capitol to thank the legislature. These folks were home-schoolers.The legislators should have thanked the home-schoolers for taking full responsibility for their children, providing a superior education - and saving the state money in the process."

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Ann: Are there any garden variety homeschoolers? Nope. Just look at these people.

Coventry Courier, RI Friday, May 16, 2003
http://www.zwire.com
Headline: Local teens speak like champs
COVENTRY - Ruth and David Clarkin aren't your garden variety Coventry teenagers. Both are the product of home schooling and have a gift that has brought them many accolades and awards - the gift of gab. Ruth, 15, and David, 13 participated in the debate team for the National Christian Forensics Communications Association"

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The Courier, Conroe, TX, By: Nancy Flake, Education Editor, May 07, 2003
http://www.zwire.com
Headline: Woodlands student earning diploma, degree in same weekend
"Chris Bauer, 18, of The Woodlands, hasn't done much in life the typical way.
Bauer will receive his associate degree in liberal arts from Montgomery College on Friday night. The next day, he'll receive his high school diploma in a ceremony for home schooled students at West Conroe Baptist Church."

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ESPN Bassmaster.com - By John N. Felsher, May 12, 2003
http://espn.go.com
Headline: Family goes on the road again, and again!
"Most professional bass anglers love their jobs, although they hate leaving their families for extended periods, sometimes months. ÔWhen my family is with me, I concentrate on catching fish.' Jimmye Sue home-schools the three children, Alton Jr., 11, Kristen, 8, and Jamie, 5."

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The Scarlett and Black Online, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA, May 16, 2003, by John Basler
http://web.grinnell.edu
Headline: Cosmic creativity in catnip
In 1978, when John Basler's parents moved into southern West Virginia they had idealistic dreams of forming a communal, self-sustaining farm with 13 of their friends. Their friends never showed up. For many years, the Baslers sold their catnip wholesale Basler was homeschooled, so he spent a lot of unstructured time around the farm"

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Jason Taylor, Former Homeschooler, Miami Dolphin
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Ann: Jason Taylor broke ground as the first homeschooled athlete to navigate the NCAA for college scholarships. Judging from this interview, he seems like a down-to-earth sort of guy.

Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX , Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2003, By ANDY FRIEDLANDER
http://www.dfw.com
Headline: Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins defensive end
"From 10th through 12th grades, Jason Taylor was home-schooled, taught by his parents, Georgia and Tony Taylor, in a Pittsburgh suburb. From the interview: Q: Was it difficult to get the NCAA to accept you without a transcript? A: That was a bit of a pain. The NCAA had no idea what was going on because it was their first case of a home-schooled athlete getting a scholarship."

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The Dark Side of Homeschooling Diversity
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Ann: The saddest things I've done is read the tragic story of Deanna LaJune Laney and her family, made sadder as it brings up the memories of Andrea Yates and her family. Yes, these women homeschooled their children. That knowledge draws homeschoolers together to wonder what went so very wrong for these families, while at the same time, it causes others to point fingers at homeschooling as a cause.

If I could cause members of the media to understand one thing, it would be this. These cases may be about many things, but they are not about homeschooling. When homeschooling parents reach the edge of their ability to cope, they react by getting help, taking a break, changing their approach, or enrolling their children in school. They do not murder. We must remember that in every large and diverse population, tragedies can occur, and homeschoolers, unfortunately, are not exceptions.

I've selected three recent press responses. The May 17 story is an evenhanded description of Laney's family life, mentioning homeschooling as The things Laney did, like riding horses with her boys or baking cookies. The second story addresses on the similarities between Laney and Yates, suggesting that homeschooling will be seen as a factor at trial. The third story focuses on local homeschooler reactions, perspectives, and defenses.

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MSNBC/Newsweek, By Anne Belli Gesalman, May 17, 2003
http://www.msnbc.com
Headline: Andrea Yates Redux
May 17 - "Like Yates, Laney is a devout Christian woman who home schooled her children and seemed absorbed in their lives. After teaching them in the mornings, Laney often spent afternoons with them riding their two horses or playing on their large 5-acre lot."

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Court Watch, CBS NEWS, by Attorney Andrew Cohen, May 12, 2003
http://www.cbsnews.com
Headline: Applying Yates To Laney
Deanna Lajune Laney (AP) "If we ever see a Laney capital murder trial - if there is no plea deal for a life sentence - look for home-schooling to play a role in any insanity defense offered by her attorneys."

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Tyler Morning Telegraph, East Texas, by Kenneth Dean, May 13, 2003
http://www.zwire.com
Headline: HOME-SCHOOLERS DEFEND RIGHTS
"Scott McCuan, former Tyler Area Christian Home Educator's president, said the Laney and (Andrea) Yates cases tend to shed a negative light on home-schoolers These cases can cast a negative light on those who home- school their children the important thing to remember here is that this is a horrible tragedy. Home-schooling should not be used as a reason or excuse to what has happened"

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"It's All Family Time"
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Ann: Let me close on a note that rings true for most homeschoolers. You got it right, Teresa, you got it just right.

The Stuart News, Stuart, FL, by Lindsey Kingston staff writer, May 18, 2003
http://www.tcpalm.com
Headline: There's no place like home school
"In the beginning, it was all about the things we didn't want to get in the school system, all the bad things we wanted to avoid," said Teresa Pastor, 37, of Vero Beach. "As we went on in home schooling, we started to enjoy learning with them and making it a part of our life. It's no longer 'school time' and 'home time,' it's all 'family time.' "

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Final Words
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Keep me in mind as you find and make the news. Hugs and hearty handshakes go out to those who have contributed to this and past issues.

Ann Lahrson Fisher
News and Commentary Email

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