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Proposed homeschool restrictions draw criticism from across U.S.
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The regulations have been a hot topic locally over the past four months, with education officials drafting multiple versions, forming a working group devoted to the rules, and setting several hearings to gauge public opinion.
Michael Donnelly, a lawyer with the Home School Legal Defense Association who has been involved with the issue in D.C., said he’s been sending out alerts to homeschooling families across the nation updating them on the city’s plans.
The result has been a surge in calls and correspondence blasting the rules being considered.
Historically, D.C. parents have enjoyed nearly unlimited freedom to educate their children as they wish.
But in January, the State Superintendent’s Office created a first draft of new rules that dictate subjects parents must teach and require parents to permit government officials to keep tabs on them.
Homeschoolers felt that the changes were a knee-jerk reaction to the tragic deaths of four D.C. children whose mother, Banita Jacks, has been charged with murder in the case.
She took the girls out of public schools, saying she’d homeschool them.
Those drafting the rules cut out some of the stricter proposals in the latest version. But homeschoolers are still far from satisfied.
“These regulations create situations where educational bureaucrats are violating the fundamental constitutional rights of parents, and are unnecessarily broad and difficult to manage,” Donnelly said. “[They] have breached the trust between the District’s government and its citizens.”
Maria Ibanez, a spokeswoman for the State Superintendent’s Office, said Board of Education members will vote on the rules in the middle of the month.
In the meantime, “we are logging the calls and collecting written responses from the public,” she said in an e-mail.
dlevitz@dcexaminer.com
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9:28 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 17, 2008 re: "Changes to rules governing homeschooling irk advocates"
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Homeschool Dad said:
Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the citizens to get together and create accountability rules for the SBOE? We all have a set of expectations of our public schools that are consistently not met. What if we were to hold the board members personally responsible for failures, dropouts and standardized test scores? Why don't we hold them to random inspections at their workplace, ensuring that they aren't involved in idle chatter or other activities that aren't directly related to educating the children placed in their care? The fact is that they don't measure up to the expectations that they want to place on homeschool families. They can't. Unfortunately, this is about more than standards. It's about subject matter. This would mean that they could demand that homeschool families teach sex education (for example) in ways that are not consistent with our religious belief systems. So much for the 1st and 3rd amendments. And don't even think about keeping a 2nd amendment at schoo
4 agree | 1 disagree
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Behaviorst and anti-statist said:
This is strictly about power and control. The government needs to be able to dictate the course material if it is to control the minds of the masses. Just what did you think "government" means? You need to get them young so as to properly mold their mind set about their subservience and obedience to the state. All States engage in this (Russia, China, Cambodia). This is what you get for allowing bankers to control the money supply via fiat currency. And I quote, John D. Rockefellar, "I want a nation of workers not thinkers.". He founded the NEA. Get the picture? The colleges are in on this racket too. A recent graduate prep. course for teaching introductory psychology to undergraduates that I took heavily promoted authoritarianism and a condescending attitude towards the "students" feeble mental capacities. An author of one of the texts was a pysc dept. chair. This is systemic. Open your eyes people. Most of the communist planks are in place in this country. WAKE UP!
5 agree | 2 disagree
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Homeschooling 3 said:
One wrote: Why shouldn't the school system check up on homeschoolers to hold us accountable? Because it would set a very bad precedent for far more than just homeschooling. If it's a case of "accountability", then CPS would be allowed to check on any family at any time that has children (without cause) to make sure you are doing what you say you are going to do, take care of your children. You don't need anybody to oversee your care of your children do you? Don't punish the masses for the few and don't give the government more control than they warrant.
8 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Homeschooling is not a problem that needs to be fixed, and not an activity that requires government meddling. Government should encourage literacy and provide support for those desiring an education. However, it must be remembered that the government serves us, not the other way around. Homeschoolers merit honor, not harassment, for their dedication and achievements. If the government were truly interested in educating the children, they would solicit advice from the homeschoolers.
10 agree | 1 disagree
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Homeschool mom said:
Parents of children in public school may not think that allowing the govt to check on homeschool kids is that big of a deal, but I wonder how many of them would like it. If they thought about it, nearly all of them would agree that they are homeschoolers too with all of the homework that is typically sent home every night with their kids. So how about letting the govt visit their homes during homework time to make sure they're doing a good job with that? It's really no different.
8 agree | 1 disagree
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Kay Cole said:
The very idea that a failing public school system wants to put restrictions on homeschoolers should be alarming to everyone in this country. Public Schools are known to be underfunded, understaffed, and they have a rise in violence. Why do they want to add more students to the mix. Homeschoolers on the other hand have been achieving high academic scores on SAT, ACT and are doing well in real world knowledge without the drama that most adolescents experience just trying to survive in school. Those restrictions seem indicative of a society that wants to control more than it cares about the good of it's citizens. Not a good place to be from any cultures standpoint.
10 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why should a failing school system that can't do the job with the children they've already got oversee parents? Should we make up a new set of accountability rules for the schools based on the crazy families and teachers who fail the public schools? The failure in the Jack's case wasn't about homeschooling since DCPS already knew about serious problems in the home. As a homeschooling family who graduated our only child, she learned more at home than in school because we could offer her more than a curriculum for the average child who is expected to be ready for a body of information because of his age. We all agree that all children need the same thing at the same moment, don't we? For the record, my daughter graduated as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, got into the honors program at the school of her choice, as intends to teach college after getting a Ph. D. Why should I send her to my local public schools who admit that by second grade the average child is behind al
7 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
thge biggest problem with restricting parents in their rights to educate their children is that the ussumpiton is made that certified teachers are superior in training and qualifications than mothers and fathers. The wonder of being human is that we all have the ability to learn, and to learn throughout our whole lives. As a homeschool mom I learn with my children and through life lessons including those of play. I am continueally researching literature, math, games etc. and I know many other homeschool parents do the same. And I as mother have taken time from my career to spend my day with my children in an educational environment that promotes personal choices in self learning. I also pride myself in continuing my eduction through graduate studies. I also know many school teachers who have chosen to homeschool. I know that my children are learning to stive and seek their own ways in a world- a world that wants you to jump into the cookie cutter. Homeschool parents deserve respect!
8 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
All of this fuss!!These are our children!They werent carried nine months by the government.They werent rocked to sleep every night by public school teachers.These are the children that God has put into my hands and charged me with full responsibility for thier well-being,happiness and education.I want my son sitting in that judges chair someday,not cleaning it!(no offense to anyone).If a parent whose child goes to public school has problems with a subject,they do not recieve half of the attention and hype tha a homeschooled child may recieve.We are different,we are leaders,and we should stop bothering homeschool families and let them do their jobs!Just because a personn is "credentialed"doesnt mean they are smart enough to teach my child "it lets me know not how smart they are,but how far they have gone through school." I think people just need to mind their own business!
10 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The only way I could live under such a system is if every parent had the authority to fire incompetent teachers and principals. There's no way the NEA would ever allow such a deal. This is about power, and the fact that Homeschoolers are outside the grip of educrats.
33 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
One reader claims the homeschooling parents need to be " held accountable" for educating the children. If the Schools were actually held accountable for educating (rather than indoctrinating) children, many homeschoolers would be sending their kids to school. Besides, how can failing school system properly judge homeschoolers? Isn't that like a mugger complaining you do not have enough money on you while they beat you into the ground?
19 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I Homeschool my children... I even let them go to school for 2 years. Only for them to bring home the exact thing I taught them not to be like. Attitude and bullying at age 7 none the less. Give me a break! The reason I pulled them was I didnt agree with the way the school system handles discipline and teaching life lessons. Like simple things like how to blow there own noses and cover there mouths when they cough. Uggh There is too much responsibility on the Teachers to teach everything the lazy Americans will not at home. Futhermore my daughter is doing better and reading faster then ever. Not having interuptions all day by little Jonny coughing in my daughters face!!!! Give me a break with the no child left behind act! The teachers are stalling out really great children, just so others may catch up. Some 7 year olds cant even Read!!! When are we going to stop letting The Gov. Into our lives! I thought this was a free country! Guess Americans want to be led like cattle!
13 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
DCPS isn't accountable for educating it's students. Truly, have you seen the test scores lately? I'll bet these homeschooled children have rodent-free homes with working plumbing. Again, you can't say that about most buildings in DCPS. This is knee-jerk policy and it won't solve the tragedy of the Jacks girls.
16 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why shouldn't the school system be able to visit and see what the parents are up to? Give me a break - they need to be held accountable for actually educating the kids, not just keeping them home. I am all for it.
7 agree | 59 disagree
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