Florida: Homeschooling is “Rich Soil for Learning”

Great looking “home-grown” veggies in the pictures

Homeschooling offers a rich soil for learning Tampa Bay Times
By MINDY RUBENSTEIN, June 27, 2009

They [homeschool support group] go on field trips to local parks and to the zoo. And they work together to tend a large, thriving garden at one member’s Zephyrhills home.

They grow herbs, watermelons, strawberries, corn, squash and green beans. “Anything we thought of we’d like to eat we put in the garden,” Seal said. “And we add to it all the time.”

I wondered how accurate Ms. Rubenstein’s Florida homeschool requirement information was, as quoted below.  (My home state of Illinois has a Department of Education asking for a Home School Registration Form that is not required by law. )

According to state law, homeschool parents can choose one of several options to make sure the children are progressing: through visits with a psychologist, an evaluation of a schoolwork portfolio or with standardized testing like the FCAT.

But doing a cursory search, it appears that a psychological evaluation would suffice as a sign off for an educational evaluation.  Educational progress via psychological exams?  How does that work?  If psychology is the study of human behavior, how would that square up with educational development?

Tags: FCAT, Florida homeschooling, Florida Parent-Educators Association, MINDY RUBENSTEIN, Tampa Bay Times