HEM's News & Commentary

HEM's Weblogs Have Moved!

The weblogs sponsored by Home Education Magazine have been moved to the HEM server, and this blog will no longer be active at this site. See below to locate the corresponding new blog at the HEM site:

HEM Weblogs
http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_netwrk.html#blogs
A handy all-in-one listing of the HEM weblogs!
Subscribe to one or several - all free!

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HEM Editor's Blog
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/editorial
The weblog of HEM's managing editor and co-publisher, Helen Hegener. Current posts on Key Issues in Homeschooling and The History of a Homeschooling Magazine.

HEM's Home Education and Other Stuff
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/heos
Commentary on home education and whatever else catches his interest, by blogger extraordinaire Daryl Cobranchi.

HEM News & Commentary
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/newscomm
Homeschooling in the national media, with commentary by veteran activist Valerie Moon. Also provides space for continued commentary and discussion of news items by the weblog readers.

HEM Support Groups
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/groups
Ongoing encouragement and resources for support group volunteers, including a monthly newsletter with outstanding interviews, coordinated by HEM Support Groups Liaison Mary Nix.

HEM Homeschool Conferences Calendar
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/calendar
A listing of conferences, conventions and other events, with contact information and links. Is your group's conference or convention listed?

HEM Guide to Homeschooling Resources
http://www.homeedmag.com/blogs/resources
Learning resources reviewed and described, with space for comments by homeschoolers who use the resources, and links to the company web sites.

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HEM Weblogs
http://www.homeedmag.com/wlcm_netwrk.html#blogs
A handy all-in-one listing of the HEM weblogs.
Subscribe to one or all of them - all completely free!

Homeschooling and Autism

The Age of Autism: Homeschooled
Science Daily, By Dan Olmsted, June 28

WASHINGTON, June 28 (UPI) -- Where are the unvaccinated homeschooled children with autism? Nowhere to be found, says [Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, who treats autistic children at his medical practice in Palm Bay, Fla.] ...and is knowledgeable about the homeschooled world.

[..]  About 2 million children are being homeschooled in the United States. The number of those unvaccinated is unclear, but judging by the school opt-out rates in some parts of the country where there is more concern about vaccinations, it could be 3 percent or more.

[..] "That's not yet science," [Bradstreet] said. "It doesn't rise to the level of a powerful observation. It's a place to say, OK, well that's interesting, what does that tell us?"

Ann: To vaccinate or not is a complex decision that has little to do with homeschooling in my opinion. I have heard of at least two outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough) in unvaccinated homeschooling groups.

Of greater concern perhaps is that homeschoolers are already seen as "under-studied" by educationists and sociologists. I can't help but worry that Bradstreet is inadvertently delivering homeschoolers as a population that is overripe for "study."

The idea of studying the lack of autism in the Amish population makes more sense to me.

***

The Age of Autism: HHS eyes Amish study
Science Daily, By Dan Olmsted, June 27

WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) -- A top U.S. health official is considering whether to launch studies of the Amish -- and perhaps other unvaccinated groups -- in response to United Press International's articles about a low prevalence of autism in that community, according to several people who spoke with him last week.

Ann: I am fascinated by this report. SOMETHING is causing the increase of autism. And while I don't think the homeschooling lifestyle is worth studying to prevent autism, Ido think the homeschooling lifestyle is a wonderful way to educate an autistic child.  Well, any child really, but you know that.

Public Broadcasting Update

House of Representatives Restores $100 Million in Funding for Public Broadcasting
Association of Public Television Stations
666 Eleventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 202-654-4200   Fax: 202-654-4236
Press Release

Bipartisan majority supports Obey-Lowey-Leach amendment to restore funding to grants to local public stations and national programming
WASHINGTON – June 23, 2005 – John Lawson, president and CEO of the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), applauded the actions of the House of Representatives today to restore $100 million in federal funding for public broadcasting.
[..] Lawson said: “I am inspired by the response of millions of Americans, who understood that these cuts were tantamount to a direct attack on public television and radio. More than 100 of our stations, some of the last, locally controlled and independent media voices in our country, let their communities know about these cuts. That community, in turn, let Congress know how important public broadcasting is to the people of America.” Lawson continued: “Without this victory, our stations would have been in a severe financial bind. Some smaller stations would have gone off of the air, with the entire industry being placed at risk from a very negative ripple effect.”
[..]  Lawson said the fight for funding now moves to the U.S. Senate. “We appeal to the Senate to again play its historic role of strong, bipartisan support for public broadcasting,” he said.

Ann: Good news indeed.  Many homeschoolers depend on public television for its programming. Now my letter goes to my Senators, Murray and Cantwell.
Find your U. S. Senator's contact information here.

California Courage - defying bureaucratic bullying

Ann:  Last month, in a post called Fear-Mongering in California, we saw how one California truant officer is choosing to misinterpret the private school rules by suggesting that homeschoolers submit themselves to his personal opinion of what the law should be.  The comments keep rolling in.

***

Don’t be intimidated in the slightest by attendance officer
Gilroy Dispatch, California, By Jackie Orsi, CHN Legal Rights Committee, Hayward, Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Jackie closes her informative letter:

If Mr. Valadez will read the full text of the laws he cited, he will find that his legal authority is strictly limited to verifying that a private school has filed an affidavit with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. No appointments, no requests for exemption, no review board, no truancy proceedings, no referrals to the Santa Clara County District Attorney - a simple phone call to the State Department of Education will do the trick. So the good news, Mr. Valadez, is that your job is a whole lot easier than you thought.

Ann: What part of the legal term "affidavit" does Mr. Valadez not understand? Gilroy homeschoolers understand the term - see below.

I do like Jackie's cheery closing sentiment, although I don't really think Mr. Valadez is interested in making his job easier. I think he's out for blood - homeschooling blood.

***

This homeschooler will not be calling the attendance officer
Gilroy Dispatch, California, Unsigned letter to the editor, Monday, June 27, 2005

To comply with the actual law, as opposed to Mr. Valadez’s misinterpretation of it, I file an annual affidavit, known as the R-4, in which I swear under penalty of perjury that my children are in attendance.

Ann:  You can't blame the anonymous writer for not signing his/her letter.  Might as well paint a bright red target on your kids' necks in Gilroy because Valadez is looking for you. Garlands of garlic won't help. It takes guts to publicly defy bureaucratic bullying, even anonymously. The writer ups the ante in his/her close:

Lastly, as a taxpayer, I am appalled at the waste of public funds occasioned by Mr. Valadez’s meddling with law-abiding R-4 filers. It could be even more expensive for the district in legal fees and potentially in damages should some homeschooler pursue a civil rights violation.

Therefore, I would like to see the Gilroy School Board direct Superintendent Edwin Diaz to direct Mr. Frank Valadez to confine his attention to cases of truancy.

Ann: Me too, Mr/Ms Anonymous, me too. I am weary of homeschoolers being profiled for regulation when kids go truant from public school.

Congress Attacks Public Television and Radio

Ann: Like many homeschoolers, my kids rarely watched TV when young, but when they did, they thrived on Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and all the nature shows we could find. These days, I favor public radio programming. And I am a little ashamed to say I've always taken this quality public programming for granted.

So when I found the following message from Andrew Cotlar  in my inbox today, I was stunned and disbelieving. Surely this was spam, I thought!  I thought wrong.  The quality television I've enjoyed and supported for most of my adult life is under attack.

Please read the following announcement and contact your Congressman today. Do it for your children. Do it in memory of Mr. Fred Rogers or Mr. Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets.  Do it for yourself.  Do it for your  grandchildren.  Do it for any reason at all.

Just do it.  Thank you, Ann.

Action Alert - Direct Attack on Federal Funding for Public Broadcasting
Andrew Cotlar,  Assistant General Counsel
Association of Public TV Stations

House appropriators have proposed more than $220 million in crippling funding cuts for public broadcasting in the new fiscal year. Proposed funding cuts as severe as these   representing 45% of federal financial support   are nothing less than a direct attack on the future of public television and radio. The proposed cuts constitute at least malicious wounding, if not the outright attempted murder of public broadcasting in America.

The Proposed Cuts

Proposed Rescission of  FY 2006 CSG Funds: The most draconian cut proposed by House appropriators is the rescission of $100 million   or 25%   of the appropriation already made in 2004 to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for FY 2006.

Proposed Elimination of the Ready To Learn Program: In perhaps its most punitive move, House appropriators proposed eliminating all funding for Ready To Learn, a successful educational program that serves tens of millions of American kids. Ready To Learn consistently receives strong bipartisan support   even the budget submitted by the Bush Administration recommended funding it at $23 million. 

Even Deeper Funding Cuts Proposed: House appropriators continued their attack by proposing no new funding for digital infrastructure and interconnection programs, which combined received $79 million last year.

PTFP Under Attack: House appropriators proposed eliminating the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP)   a cut of another $21 million. PTFP, which has supported public broadcasting for 40 years, plays an indispensable role in providing matching money for infrastructure, which in turn delivers innovative new programs and services.

Take Action!

Every American who supports public television must join together to fight back. The political strength of local public television and radio stations, PBS and NPR lies in the support we receive from communities across the nation. In this time of danger, we need our supporters mobilized. 

Call your Members of Congress to express your support   and find out where they stand. Get your Members to commit to you that they will support public broadcasting.

Congress will respect your personal call much more than anything else we can do. Public broadcasting needs you to join the fight   our future depends upon it.

Ann: I'll be focusing on this important issue as it develops. This is a rare opportunity for homeschoolers to stand shoulder to shoulder with other supporters of public television and let our voices be heard. Let's be  the loud ones!

I am off to write to my Congressman, the Honorable Brian Baird, and find out what he has to say about this.

Congratulations, Graduates

Home-school graduations more intimate, informative
StandardNet, Utah, By Michael Griffin, June 13, 2005

Michael Griffin is a home-school graduate. He will study math at BYU next fall and enjoys rockclimbing, hiking, camping and reading.

My graduation was held at Calvary Christian Church in Salt Lake City. We had a grand total of 14 home-school graduates.

Words from a recent homeschool graduate.

Faint, Faint, Faint Praise, If You Can Even Call It Praise

Ann: Usually a headline like the one below turns out to be a glowing report. This one?  Ha! Not praise, not by any definition I know.  Take a look.

Home school choice praised
San Bernardino Sun, California, By Brad A. Greenberg, June 3, 2005

The California Department of Education does not know how many children are schooled at home. (Technically, "home schooling' is illegal in California. The state classifies legal home education situations as: private tutoring, private schooling and independent study.)

"Because it is not public, we are not able to evaluate it,' said Hilary McLean, spokesman for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

"Jack is a great believer in public education, but it is a parent's choice about how they would best provide education for their children,' McLean said.

Some public educators, however, caution that schooling at home does not work in every situation.

Children need to be taught more than just math and reading, said Mikki Cichocki, a member of the board of directors for the California Teachers Association, representing San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

She added that few parents are equipped to teach every subject their children need to learn.

Ann: Let's see what passes for the praise here.
            1, It's illegal [well, that feels good, just like when I stub my toe!]
            2, We are not able to evaluate [homeschooling.] [Nor are WE able to evaluate public school.]
           3, Homeschooling does not work in every situation. [neither does public school]
           4, Children need to be taught more than just math and reading [duh, Ralph!]
           5, Few parents are equipped to teach every subject their children need to learn. [So?]

One of the things kids should learn besides math and reading is the actaul meaning of word they use, words like "praise."

"The standards are the standards, and that's the rub," said Mickey Odin, Northwest ESD deputy superintendent. "You don't get to take state funds without meeting the standards."

Ann: In an apparent attempt to draw at least some homeschoolers fully under the public school umbrella, possibly in the guise of a charter school, the Oregon Department of Education is now requiring that publicly funded programs for homeschooling enrichment either conform to state standards and testing or lose funding.

State limits funding for home- schoolers
A memo sent this week says home-school programs that receive public money must reach for Oregon state standards
The Oregonian, Portland, By Luciana Lopez June 03, 2005

The Oregon Department of Education clamped down this week on programs that receive public school money to educate home-schoolers.

The decision is a blow to groups such as Village Home Education Resource Center, a Washington County program that serves about 250 home-schooled students, currently with tax dollars. That group had already chosen to forgo public funding and raise money privately for the next school year, in the wake of an education service district's review.

...The new memo says, among other points, that home-schooler programs getting public money "must assist the students in achieving the local and state academic standards" -- basically that the home-schoolers have to reach for the same standards as other students in the state.

However, the distinction no longer matters to the Village Home Education Resource Center, a self-described hybrid center in Beaverton that's been around for two years.

...The change means that the center will no longer have to conform to the same Oregon Department of Education rules and could have greater freedom, Walker said.

Ann: The piece closes with this quote:

"The standards are the standards, and that's the rub," said Mickey Odin, Northwest ESD deputy superintendent. "You don't get to take state funds without meeting the standards."

***
Ann: A member of Linkup, another program offering supplemental classes through the Oregon City School District, writes that they too are being closed by the state's ruling.

I hope the families realize that going private is a viable option, one that might attract an even larger circle  of homeschoolers who do not want to involve themselves in state funding.

***
A third Oregon program, Bethel HomeSource, is apparently trying to mold itself to meet the state standards.

State to require more tests for home-schoolers
The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, By By Anne Williams, April 6, 2005

"The HomeSource board of directors decided to comply before waiting to be told, and gave the first in this year's series of state tests - the writing test - on March 11."

Ann: Will taking the state tests be enough to appease the state? Will the horsebackriding program get the boot?

Eye on Ohio E-Schools

Online students missing exams
Ohio Department of Education officials upset over skipped tests at Internet-based charter schools
Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio, By Doug Oplinger and Dennis J. Willard, June 03, 2005

COLUMBUS - A large number of children enrolled in publicly funded Internet-based charter schools are not taking state-mandated achievement tests, the Ohio Department of Education confirmed Thursday.

State officials were reluctant to say how big the problem is, but one online school official told the Akron Beacon Journal that 82 percent of his school's children failed to show for tests in the 2003-04 school year. (my emphasis)

Ann: Show of hands, now. Who out there is actually surprised that 8 out of 10 of Ohio's e-school parents think their children are homeschooling and don't need to  take the public school test? After all, these are the same parents, many of them homeschoolers, who were aggressively recruited by the public e-schools and led to believe that they would still be homeschooling while enrolled in the public online school?

How ironic that these programs - the very same programs that deliberately borrowed the language and concepts of homeschooling and deliberately blurred the distinctions between true homeschooling and public charter schools - these are the programs that can't convince parents to deliver their children for the state test, to pay the piper for that public school enrollment.

...The department and the LOEO blame parents and online school operators for the poor participation. (my emphasis)

Show of hands again. Is anyone suprised to find that Ohio's Department of Education blames the parents? Shouldn't the people who misled parents and told them they were homeschooling  be held responsible?

I suppose the irony is completely lost on Oplinger/Willard who love nothing more than to show homeschoolers as evil child-harming scofflaws. Homeschooling is - surpprise surprise - mentioned at length in the article. For example:

Statewide surveys by the Beacon Journal show that the number of home-schooled children who were registered with the local superintendent has fallen by more than 4,000, or 14 percent, since online schools entered the education marketplace in 2001-02.

What a mess for Ohio homeschoolers. I'd laugh if it didn't seem so darn sad.

Eye on Seattle ALE Program

Seattle School District - Thanks for Listening
WHO'S News, Published by Washington Homeschool Organization, by Janice Hedin, June 2005

Ann: For a very long time, possibly ten years or more, Washington homeschoolers have chafed against the organizers and staff of  public school Alternative Learning Programs (ALEs) who insisted on commingling the language and concepts of homeschooling (under Washington's home-based education law) with Public School ALE programs.

Washington homeschoolers have patiently and systematically worked to educate both new-to-homeschooling families and the staff and school board members about the differences in the two approaches.
(A useful comparative chart can be found here )  Too often their words fell on deaf ears. The confusion has long caused many hard feelings.

Now comes a ray of hope for an end to the confusion.  At a January Library presentation for homeschoolers entitled, "Homeschooling Vs. Public School Alternative Education Programs - What are the Issues?" many topics were discussed, including the ways that ALE programs affect and threaten homeschooling.

The Director of the Seattle Homeschool Resource Center (a public school ALE - alternative learning program), Cynthia Barrientos, was in attendance. After the presentation, she stated

"I am more than happy to re-do [the brochure containing the confusing language] to be more clear about the distinctions."

Well, hats off to Cynthia and her staff and parent council! I am sure many Washington homeschoolers are looking  forward to reading that newly worded brochure.

South Dakota Institute Demands A GED From Homeschooled Student

Southeast won't admit home-schooled student
Other institutes, colleges would allow enrollment
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, By Brenda Wade Sschmidt

A Valley Springs teen who was home-schooled is being rejected for admission in a program at Southeast Technical Institute because the school requires a high school diploma.

Based on his ACT score, Jordan Scott probably would be accepted at several colleges or universities in South Dakota.

..."We're looking for something that is equivalent," Noldner said of Southeast's policy requiring a diploma. "I'm not trying to make a student do an extra step."

Ann:  Doing something extra is not doing something extra? Huh?

The school has kept the policy despite the state dropping the requirement several years ago, Noldner said. In the past, other students educated at home have either come with their GED or gotten one once they realized Southeast's policy, he said.

But Scott knows of at least one recent graduate who was admitted to Southeast without a diploma or GED after being educated at home....

Ann: The school is flat wrong. I hope the school wises up before they lose a their credibility as well as a student..

NCAA and Homeschooled Athletes

Path to college scholarship can be tricky for some
By Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY, June 7, 2005

For home-schooled athletes trying to make the leap to a major college program, being out of the traditional loop has presented more barriers than opportunities.

But that's changing. Some state high school activity associations and private-school leagues are allowing home schoolers to play sports for schools they don't attend. The ever-increasing impact of camps, AAU, summer and other non-sanctioned competition on the college recruiting process is helping them get noticed.

[..]  In January, the NCAA placed home schoolers into parity with other students by expanding their access to preliminary certification before graduation and allowing them to fix transcript deficiencies before a final decision is rendered. Students must submit a transcript with at least six semesters represented and scores from the ACT and/or SAT.

Ann: Looks like Maryland is bucking a trend.

Risky Can o' Worms, Texas Size, Set Aside For Now

Texas Extra-Curricular Activities Bill Dies

Texas Home School Coalition

HB 386  by  Representative Brian McCall would have allowed home school students to participate in extra-curricular activities in UIL....Representative McCall was able to amend the language from HB 386 to SB 1227 in the House Public Ed Committee, and it was voted out of committee, but SB 1446 never made it to the floor for a vote.   

We will plan to work on this issue again next session as it becomes clearer that the home school community and the public support this common sense legislation.

Ann:  Extra-curricular participation is all over the map, quite literally, across the country, from no participation, as in Texas and Maryland, to full part-time access, as in Washington. Guard your liberties, Texas.

Maryland Association Blocks Homeschool Participation

Maryland keeps ban against home-schoolers in face of lawsuit
By Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY June 7, 2005

The executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association has drawn a line, and he's not about to let home-schooled athletes cross it.

Although the MPSSAA is being sued over the issue, Ned Sparks is adamant that students not enrolled in school be banned from playing in athletic events involving schools governed by the association.

A group of parents recently filed suit in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, claiming the association discriminated against their home-schooled children by not allowing them to compete as members of the Progressive Christian School in wrestling events against teams from Maryland public schools.

"Our regulations say our schools can only play against school teams," Sparks says. "In the wrestling case, that isn't even a school. It is a group of home-schooled kids. I have nothing against home schooling, but that isn't a team."

Ann: Sounds like Sparks thinks he owns the definition of "team." Since when do you have to belong to a school to be on a team? Perhaps his association needs to come in to the modern era?

I'll be watching this develop as a discrimination case. Very interesting.

K12 ... a traditional classroom environment inside the home

Laptop learning: Schools moving in with students
Arizona Daily Star , by By Shelley Shelton, May 28, 2005

A new school is coming to a home near you, and it's bringing a computer to every student who enrolls.

Arizona Virtual Academy, the only Tucson-based cyber school in the state, uses the K12 curriculum that was formulated by former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett to re-create, as closely as possible, a traditional classroom environment inside the home.

Ann: Finally! This news article states clearly what Bill Bennett and his cyber school K12, Inc. are all about. Let me state it again, just in case you missed it the first time:

Arizona Virtual Academy... uses the K12 [Inc.] curriculum ... to re-create, as closely as possible, a traditional classroom environment inside the home.

Ann: And while some portray "public school in the home" as homeschooling, in fact, many parents choose homeschooling to avoid a traditional classroom environment.  Others in Arizona agree.

The topic has been rather divisive in the home-schooling community, said Debbie Gubernick, a home-schooler.

"[Calling cyberschooling "homeschooling"] misleads people into thinking that they are home- schooling when in fact they're not," she said. In the usual home-schooling, "parents are solely responsible for making the educational decisions that affect their children."

Ann: Just so, Debbie. And those decisions often mean getting as far from the traditional classroom environment as possible. While it is good to have many choices of ways to educate our children, it is equally good to have precise descriptions as to what those choices are. Muddying up the definition of homeschooling does no one any good, at least in the long run, with the possible exception of lining the pockets of curriculum providers who take advantage of the confusion they create for parents.

"If you ain't tried it, don't knock it!"

Fear of home schooling unfounded
The Times and Democrat, South Carolina, By RINEHART CHEWNING, Reminiscing with Rinehart, Saturday, May 28, 2005

About 13 years ago, our son and his wife informed us that they were going to home school their children....

Ann: Ah, I remember so clearly the response of my own dear parents when they learned that not only would I homeschool my two children, but my sister would homeschool her three as well. While they didn't say much - that was not their way - they were very concerned. They were concerned,that is, until those 5 grandkids started to read and grow up pretty much the same way their schooled cousins were growing up, just with a different approach.

Chewning continues -- I suppose the lesson we learned from our initial fear of our grandchildren being home taught is: "If you ain't tried it, don't knock it!"

Ann: You know, those words are mighty close to those of my parents to their friends and neighbors when they realized that my sister and I were not doing irreparable harm to the next generation. In fact, what we were doing turned out to be a very good thing. Oh, and one more thing from Chewning...

It takes a lot of patience and education on the teachers' part.  Lest we forget ...

Ann:   Absolutely. Nor should we forget the many side benefits of living a learning lifestyle. Makes all that patience and on-the-job learning worth while.

Pomp and Circumstance for AZ Homeschoolers

Home-schoolers bask in graduation
East Valley Tribune, Arizona, By Jackie Leatherman, May 28, 2005

On Friday night, "Pomp and Circumstance" ushered 117 home-schooled seniors adorned in blue caps and gowns down the center aisle to officially graduate from high school....

Dan Wisely, a parent and board member for the home education group, said he does not know what prompted the nonprofit organization to begin the ceremony 13 years ago, but that "perhaps they wanted to feel like there was some closure."

"I think home-schoolers still felt that there was a next level to go to (before the ceremony existed)," he said. "(This) is a step in the process and they are moving on."

Sally Roman, a homeschool mother from Mesa, said the event was a great chance to celebrate with other home-school families.

"It’s been a nice stepping stone," she said. "To come . . . and celebrate this life closure."

Ann: Like the Prom, a graduation ceremony is not so much about schooling as it is a Rite of Passage.  Not every teen needs or wants it, but for those that do, parents rise to the occasion with an event that satisfies.

Homeschooler Wins the 2005 National Geographic Bee

Minnesota Boy Wins 2005 National Geographic Bee
National Geographic News, By David Braun, May 25, 2005

The National Geographic Bee champion for 2005 is Nathan Cornelius of Minnesota.

"I think geography is my favorite subject," [the homeschooled 13-year-old from Cottonwood] said in an interview after the competition.

He started taking part in the National Geographic Bee four years ago, going on to win the Minnesota state-level bee in 2003, 2004, and 2005. "I spend a couple of hours a day studying geography by looking at atlases and geography books," he said. "I've also used the Bee quiz [on the National Geographic Web site] and the National Geographic Desk Reference."

Cornelius also got help by reading Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: Country Facts That Helped Me Win the National Geographic Bee, a book written by last year's Bee champion, Andrew Wojtanik of Kansas.

Ann: Congratulations, Nathan!

 

Fear-Mongering in California

Getting legal help with homeschooling your children
Gilroy Dispatch, California, By Cynthia Walker, Friday, May 20, 2005

Ann: A week after writer/homeschooler Cynthia Walker writes an article (above) about how to homeschool in California using a private school or the R-4 affidavit, attendance officer Frank Valadez comes out with an intimidating letter to the editor, below.

 Gilroy Dispatch
Home school students must comply
Letter to the Editor, Friday, May 27, 2005

Ann: Valadez uses legalistic and intimidating terminology like "must comply," "request an exemption," "approval," "attendance officer will authorize," "if the request for exemption cannot be approved," -- well, you get the idea. He wants homeschoolers to think they need his office's approval.

Plain and simple, Valadez  is trying to scare  homeschoolers. Before marching up to the Attendance Officer to "request an exemption" though, or marching into an attorney's office to pony up some bucks for a saber-proof shield, Gilroy homeschoolers need to do their homework.

Yeah, California law is confusing but it is not that hard to figure out, especially when veteran homeschoolers have laid out explanations in simple straightforward terms that even I can understand.

Documents I found helpful include this
HSC's (HomeSchool Association of California) Legal FAQ

AND this
CHN's (California Homeschool Network) Common Misinformation Promulgated by Public School Officials

California homeschoolers need not be bullied into thinking they need permission to homeschool. The law, while vague,  is still on the homeschoolers' side.

Is there someone in California letting Valadez know the score?

About that OEA Rant...

Glad to get that off my chest!

As a strategy for changing minds at the legislature, though, the rant is not so good. OHEN's list of arguments and rebuttals will take Oregon homeschoolers a lot farther than slamming the OEA will.

Felt good though.

OEA Accuses Homeschoolers of Educational Neglect

Oregon Education Association (NEA Teacher's Union Affiliate)
Press Release, May 26, 2005

Ann: I've included the entire Press Release. My comments follow.

A bill that would remove all opportunity for the state to intervene in cases of parental educational neglect passed the House of Representatives Wednesday with a 37-22 vote.  OEA opposed House Bill 2733, which removed the last piece of educational accountability for home education still in statute by eliminating the requirement that students test at the third, fifth, eighth and tenth grade levels. Representatives Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton) and John Lim (R-Gresham) joined 20 Democrats in opposing the bill.

Claiming that the state has no “right” to tell parents how or even whether to educate their children, home school advocates pressed for this “home school freedom” bill, as they called it.  They baked pies for legislators, brought in their children to perform musical pieces, testified, and lobbied hard for HB 2733, crowding the capitol with hundreds of families.

OEA asserted that the state has an obligation to ensure that all children have equal access to educational opportunity.  The Association acknowledged that most home-school parents do an excellent job with their students, but that our laws are always written for the few “bad apples” in society.  Minimal accountability standards may help to identify children deprived of educational opportunity and allow for intervention where appropriate.

HB 2733 now goes to the Senate, where OEA will work to amend or defeat the bill.  Two years ago, the 2003 Legislature passed an identical bill, which Gov. Kulongoski vetoed.

End of Release.

Ann: Big surprise - the OEA opposes HB 2733. Why they feel the need to take such a condescending and mean spirited tone is beyond my understanding, although I did think one bit of the OEA language was maybe just a tad mellower than in past years. 

"The Association acknowledged that most home-school parents do an excellent job with their students...

Ann: This is the first time the OEA has acknowledged that homeschooling was anything but a bad and dangerous idea. Also, this statement is much milder that the NEA Resolution of last year  asserting that homeschooling should be allowed only under the supervision of a certified teacher.

The OEA press release opens a huge can of worms by bringing up "educational neglect." Are you sure you want to go there, OEA?

"A bill that would remove all opportunity for the state to intervene in cases of parental educational neglect ...

Ann: You can't discuss "parental" educational neglect without also opening a discussion of  "institutional" educational neglect. Institutional educational neglect and abuse is a dirty little secret that nobody wants to talk about, but since the OEA brought it up first, let's hit it.

Does the OEA really not understand that many people have left public school because of "institutional" educational neglect? Does the OEA really think that the public will rally against parental educational neglect, but let institutional educational neglect slip under the radar? Maybe it is time to shed some light on just why so many parents are so angry that they walk away from the school system.

I've spoken with many irate and frustrated parents who first chose to homeschool solely because of the gross educational neglect of their child or children by the institution of public school. At the end of the day, after going through all the processes available, they had no recourse but to take the decisions of the school as final or leave the school. Period. They were helpless to change anything for their child, because there was no such thing as "educational neglect."

Kids who graduated from high school with a diploma but who were functionally illiterate had no recourse. They could not sue the school or teachers because there was no such thing as educational neglect. Students with special needs were placed with teachers or students that made their conditions worse, not better. The parents had no recourse, for there was no such thing as educational neglect. Autistic children were placed in classes for the mentally retarded rather than autistic classes, but the parents had no recourse, for there was no such thing as educational neglect. A girl was locked in a broom closet and her mother had no recourse but to put up with it or remove her from school, because she was told there was no such thing as educational neglect, or in her case apparently, educational abuse. Parents whose child was fraudulently labeled for special needs got a run-around but no services, although the school managed to collect its federal dollars each year. In fact, they continued to collect even after the parents withdrew their son to homeschool.

Horror story after horror story and parents have been helpless to do anything.

Are the stories I've heard isolated instances, or are they just the tip of the iceberg?

Does the OEA really want to accuse homeschooling parents - as a class - of "educational neglect"?

Do they think homeschoolers and other parents will stand idly by without pointing out the rampant "institutional educational neglect" that has been business as usual for many years?

Perhaps the OEA should tend its own garden.

Oregon's Homeschooling Freedom Bill Makes the First Hurdle

Oregon's HB 2733 Passes to the Senate
Oregon Home Education Network
Amy Grant, Legislative Liaison

On May 24, the Oregon House voted 37-22 to pass H.B. 2733, the Home Education Equity bill. This vote shows stronger bipartisan support than last session, when the House vote was 34-25.

About the Freedom Bill:

HB 2733 is a continuation of the effort to achieve true educational freedom for home educating families. The primary focus this session is to eliminate substantive state oversight (testing) of home educating families.

Oregon homeschooling advocates have been tenacious, coming back to the Legislature year after year after year.  Every year, the arguments are more finely defined. Here is a great list.

Arguments Supporting and Opposing H.B. 2733
You'll read some interesting arguments for and against homeschooling regulation at this link. Especially interesting are the arguments against which include well-thought out rebuttals.

The story is all over the news in Oregon.
KATU-TV
House votes to end home-schooler achievement tests
By CHARLES E. BEGGS, Associated Press Writer, May 24, 2005

       Backers of the measure said parents deserve the freedom to have their children taught as they choose without unneeded government regulations that include state-mandated testing not required of students in private schools.

       Home-schooling parents "have a track record of doing an excellent job," said Rep. John Dallum, R-The Dalles, a retired school teacher and superintendent.

Ann: Seems like the Oregon Legislature is getting the message finally. Well a few are still stuck on this idea:

       But Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, said without tests there's no way to detect which students aren't doing well.

       "I'm concerned about those few students who do poorly," he said.

Ann: Aren't we all? But burdening the overwhelming majority with testing does nothing to help those few students who struggle. The fact is, Oregon's testing law has done practically nothing to help the small handful of students who test poorly. Testing doesn't work that way.

Educational Abuse: Test-Induced Craziness

And the Answer Is: Testing Drives People Nuts
Susan Ohanian Atrocities, By Gerald W. Bracey, May 15, 2005

Test-Induced Craziness. Call it the TIC tic. Consider it Orwellian. Orwell’s Newspeak pounded the brain with certain ideas while precluding others. So it is that many school people can today think only of test scores and sanctions, and their cerebrums can no longer entertain the idea of “education.”

Ann: Bracey then reports on a Colorado student who was told she would fail seventh grade if she did not take the state test, regardless of her ability; a Washington nine year old who was suspended for not completing the state test; and students in Texas who are denied music, library, and P.E. so that they can be tutored in test taking strategies. Bracey practically  throws up his hands in despair as he writes about these abuses.

Not too many years ago, we spoke of “love of learning,” “lifelong learning” and “learning for learning’s sake.” No more. Just as Newspeak closed off ideas the government didn’t like, so the testing juggernaut has come to preclude the idea of a genuine education....

Ann:  With stories like these peppering the news, alongside worse ones about little kids being hand-cuffed and tasered, is it any wonder that parents just walk their families away from the insanity?

Pssssst. Hey, parent. Over here. Did you know a genuine education can be had at home in the course of daily living, and it can be a heck of a lot of fun? And get this. You don't need a lot of money, or even a pricey curriculum. Pass it on.

"facilitated for-profit" public school at home

Before state funding is approved, many questions remain
Albany Democrat-Herald, Oregon, By Jennifer Moody, Saturday, May 14, 2005

...Scio is ready to welcome at least 100 new students — and the state money they'll bring with them — to a charter school the district hopes to open this fall.... the first wholly online, statewide, full-curriculum, public charter school in Oregon. And ODE hasn't decided whether it has the legal authority to hand over thousands of dollars in public funds to support such a project.

Ann: Scio is counting on drawing homeschooled students - and the state money they bring - into the public online charter school fold.

...Online schools aren't for everyone, [Superintendent Jim Thomas] acknowledges, but they do hold significant advantages for homeschoolers...

...Coquille designed its program based on a program in Galena, Alaska...putting "contact teachers" in a variety of centers around the state to provide resources to homeschooling families.

..."The effect these programs seem to have is that they are diverting very limited public funds to support facilitated for-profit home-schooling," [Michelle Shown, president of the Scio union] wrote.

Ann: The headline is right - questions remain. Big questions.

Questions like these:

If this is public school, why are homeschoolers being mentioned?

Why is the Albany Democrat-Herald blurring the difference between public schooling and homeschooling in this article?

If even the union has figured out that virtual charters divert "very limited public funds to support facilitated for-profit" public school at home (Shown used an inaccurate term that I've corrected), shouldn't Scio tend to its mandated business, educating the students who live in the district? Are those students also at risk if the charter school flops?

If the ODE suspects that virtual charter schools are not legal public schools, shouldn't 49 other states be asking the same questions?

Ann: The Oregon Department of Education is right to proceed with great caution. Charter school fiascos in every corner of the country, from California to Florida, Alaska to Texas, and dozens of points between are  cautionary tales of the risks that for-profit online charters pose. I hope every State Department of Education closely examines the long term impact of charter schools.

Ann: Now, toss some confetti with me, won't you? Let's celebrate a brief moment of agreeing (mostly) with the teachers' union on the same day that I agree (mostly) with ODE, albeit not quite on the same topic. It will be a very short-lived party I am sure.

A No-Brainer: Early formal school is burning out our children

Urge legislators to vote "NO" on lowering compulsory attendance age
Illinois Leader, Farmer City, Letter by Susan Ryan, Thursday, May 05, 2005

SB 409 lowers the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 5 years of age. It has only been 4 months since the compulsory attendance age rose to 17 from 16 years of age.

Ironically, last Wednesday when the discussion of SB 409 was postponed, there was an organized rally at the capitol promoting more funding for adult education programs.

...In a federally-sponsored analysis of 8,000 early childhood studies, the Moore Foundation states that "From Piagetian specialist David Elkind in Boston to William Rohwer in Berkeley, Calif., top learning and development authorities warn that early formal school is burning out our children".

Ann: No one wins by the lowering of the compulsory education age, least of all small children. Children need the tender role model and loving guidance of their parents, as we learn all too well in stories like the following.

Study: Mean Girls Start In Pre-School
KGO-TV, California, May 9

(ABC7) — We all know that children can be cruel. Now a new study finds that little girls start being mean to other children when they're in pre-school.

Researchers at Brigham Young University say girls as young as three or four will use manipulation and peer pressure to get what they want.

Ann: Where will little girls learn empathy, in the small environment of family and friends, or in the less supervised melee of many agemates? To me, it is a no-brainer.

Vote this one down, Land of Lincoln.

Real writing is better writing

HOME-SCHOOL STUDENTS BUILD PEERS DIGITAL YEARBOOK
Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas, By, Shauna Wonzer, Food/Youthful Living editor, April 29, 2005

Freshman home-school students James Haire, 15, and Brooke Price, 13, normally wouldn't have a choice if they wanted to buy a yearbook.  Because their memories of their school years weren't going to be captured, they decided to take steps to ensure they would - by creating a DVD yearbook for home school students. They are in the process of making their first edition.

..."We are trying to make the yearbook as comprehensive as possible and we are covering all ages/grades Pre-K to 12 grades," according to a written account of the project.

Ann: This writing/publishing project will look good on a college or work application, while a SAT score may mean less than in the past, inflated writing now being the key to a higher score.

The longer the essay, the higher the score

SAT essays scored on quantity, not quality, teacher says
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, By Michael Winerip, NYT, Tuesday, May 10, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- In March, Les Perelman attended a national college writing conference and sat in on a panel on the new SAT writing test.

...He fears that the new 25-minute SAT essay test that started in March is actually teaching high school students terrible writing habits.

"It appeared to me that regardless of what a student wrote, the longer the essay, the higher the score," Perelman said.

The College Board informed Perelman that students are not penalized for faulty facts.

...How to prepare for such an essay? "I would advise writing as long as possible," said Perelman, "and include lots of facts, even if they're made up."

Ann: To convince doubters, Perelman counted the words in the essays and set up an Excel spreadsheet. He goes on:

"I have never found a quantifiable predictor in 25 years of grading that was anywhere near as strong as this one," he said.

Perelman is not the first to criticize the SAT essay.

A report by the National Council of Teachers of English mirrors Perelman's criticism of the SAT essay. It cautions that a single, 25-minute writing test ignores the most basic lesson of writing -- that good writing is rewriting. It warns that the SAT is pushing schools toward "formulaic" writing instruction.

Ann: My (bitterly sarcastic) alter-ego says the College Board should be honest and issue SAT essay scorers some rulers and scales to measure length and weigh ink, then bypass reading the essays altogether.

Good grief. Will the high stakes testing insanity never end? Put this one down on the growing list of reasons
"Why We Homeschool."

Homeschooling in the Military

Home schooling: Some of the Pros and cons ...
Stars and Stripes,  By Teri Weaver, Pacific edition, Friday, May 6, 2005

Stars and Stripes talked to four Seoul-area families who home-school their children. They said they choose this method for a variety of reasons, some religious, some educational. They discussed their teaching methods, schedules, and belief that their children are benefiting from the choice.

Ann:  To dig  deeper for information about the military homeschooler, the very best resource is, er,

The Military Homeschooler
Serving American military homeschoolers around the world
Created by webmissus Valerie Bonham Moon, this site is jammed with useful information, tempered  throughout with Valerie's wit and humor, and sprinkled with occasional photos that speak volumes about homeschooling family life, military or otherwise. You'll enjoy your visit.

It's Prom Time!

Oregon home-schoolers welcome their chance at a rite of passage
The Oregonian, By Luciana Lopez, Tuesday, May 10, 2005
About 100 students -- looking forward to the formal tradition -- will attend their first statewide prom Sunday

"Home-schoolers -- families who choose to educate outside of the public or private school systems -- say there's no contradiction in going to a prom: It's not about school, but a teen tradition."

Ann: While the OHEN Prom is the first for Oregon home-schoolers, proms are popular with homeschoolers  across the country. Lopez's story cites a few.

Web sites advertise proms for home-schoolers in Tampa Bay, Fla., "Night Under the Galaxy"; Dallas, Texas, "Somewhere in Time"; and Santa Clara, Calif., "Painting the Roses Red." Another Web site includes a page with prom notices from Alaska to Maine to Louisiana.

Ann: The Homeschoolers Prom is here to stay, not as a wannabe school thing, but as a rite of passage that teens enjoy. I'd love to read comments from Prom attendees. What was your Prom like?

I was happy to be able to contribute to this upbeat Oregonian story.

Mainstream? Odd? Or A Growing Educational Alternative?

In Malaysia, homeschooling is thought to be "mainstream" in the United States.

Home-schooling: a need for openness
The Star Online, Malaysia, Friday, May 6, 2005

“Schools may be doing a good job in some ways, and it is just one way in any democratic society. There must be diversity of choices and accessibility to all forms of education. Home-schooling is valid, legitimate and proven,” [David Tan, a leader by default of a casual group made up of home-schooling parents in Kuala Lumpur] said adding that in the United States it is part of the mainstream system. 

Ann: That article, and the rest of the series, was a heart-warming read.

Meanwhile, in the good ol' US of A, homeschoolers are still choking over insults from popular conservative Illinois columnist  Scott Thomas. Thomas doesn't think homeschooling is "mainstream" at all and goes out of his way, inexplicably, to malign homeschoolers as "odd."

MCCULLOUGH: In Defense of "Odd" Homeschoolers
The Illinois Leader,  By Kevin McCullough, Friday, April 29, 2005

In rebuttal to conservative columnist Scott Thomas, fellow conservative McCullough gently tagged Thomas "severely misguided" citing these quotes.

"...[I]nstead of respect, Thomas (who I repeat is a very good and even kind man) dished out insult. He labeled them odd.

"I find home schooling odd."

"...the fact that I find home schooling odd."

"...it doesn't change my opinion of the oddity of the home school reality."

Ann: How odd that a public figure like Thomas would be willing to offend so many over a hot-button word. For a breath of fresh air, pop on over to the Baltimore Times to read a balanced headline, one that tells it like it is without offending.

Education Matters: Homeschooling: A Growing Educational Alternative
Baltimore Times, Maryland, by Jayne Matthews, May 6, 2005

Ann: Education. Matters. Homeschooling. Growing. Educational. Alternative. 'Nuff said.

Homeschooling Writer Threatened with Lawsuit

IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE HOUSE?
Home Education & Other Stuff by Daryl Cobranchi, May 3, 2005

I've been threatened with a lawsuit for defamation AND libel over a couple of old posts: A Lawsuit in Progress and A Factoid that isn't? 

As far as I can tell, I've done nothing wrong. I posted a brief comment about a silly press release and linked to a Google cache of a rant about the Einstein Academy. Heck, I never even named names. Hardly libelous.

Ann: I'm no expert, but I still don't see anything libelous in what Daryl wrote. Sarcastic, definitely, but so what?

Sarcasm and satire are protected speech, much to the chagrin of those who take themselves too seriously.  Putting out press releases, as these "ones who must not be named" have done, is an act of free public speech, one that then affords others the opportunity to publicly respond and to agree, to disagree, or even to ridicule what was written.  This is what Daryl has done.

Sorry to hear about this attack on you, Daryl. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

"No law on the books that criminalizes improper home schooling."

Home-school mom charged with allowing truancy
The Southern, South Illinois, By John D. Homan, April 29, 2005

MARION - Williamson County State's Attorney Charles Garnati is taking a tougher stance with parents who fail to follow established curriculum guidelines when home schooling their children. On Thursday, he announced at a press conference that he has charged Marion resident Kim Harris with permitting truancy, a Class C misdemeanor punishable up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Harris is said to have willingly and knowingly allowed her 15-year-old son to be truant.

Ann: This is one of those headlines that is designed to stir the emotions and it works - it makes my blood boil. If the mom "allowed truancy" then by definition she is not a "homeschool mom" but a "truant student's mom." It is pretty simple, really.

Garnati: "...Unfortunately, there is no law on the books that criminalizes improper home schooling."

Ann: No, that should be "fortunately" but Garnati just doesn't get it.

Garnati again: "...What concerns me are those children who are chronically truant from school."

Ann: School truancy concerns me too, but Attorney Garnati's approach is not well thought out. If he thought it through, he would realize that truancy is a schooling problem, not a homeschooling problem. "Criminalizing improper homeschooling" - if that is Garnati's desire - would do nothing to solve the truancy problem, though it would alienate homeschoolers to a level that might shock him. 

Why We Homeschool - Empowering Shy Children

When quiet kids get forgotten in class
The Christian Science Monitor, By Toni Weingarten, April 26, 2005

Ann: This is not a homeschooling story, but it reminds me of one of the great reasons to homeschool.

According to Lynne Henderson, visiting professor of psychology at Stanford University and director of the Shyness Institute in Palo Alto, Calif., ... [T]he qualities that many quieter children express - thoughtfulness, studiousness, conscientiousness - are among those most needed for the complex problem-solving required by today's information-oriented economy.

Yet instead of nurturing such students, teachers sometimes automatically assume something is wrong with a child who is quiet.

"We negatively stereotype temperaments even as we stereotype races," she says. Such stereotypes can lead to poor classroom experiences for more reserved students.

Ann: Homeschooling shy children is more prevalent than you might think. Shyness usually  takes a back seat with homeschooled kids until outgrown, and why not? When you are in a class of your own, you sparkle and shine when ready.

Early Compulsion - Anti-Family and Abusive

Lowering Compulsory Attendance from age 7 to 5 could cost cash-strapped state millions
The Illinois Leader, by The Leader-Springfield Bureau, Thursday, April 28, 2005

SPRINGFIELD - Pro-family groups and home schooling parents are leading an effort to resist legislation moving through the General Assembly that would lower compulsory school attendance from 7 years of age down to 5 because, they say, it is unnecessary and will cost the state at least $17 million annually.

Ann: Attempts to lower the compulsory attendance age is an out and out assault on the family. Free education is already available in Illinois to children under age 7 - forcing attendance does no one any good, unless, oh wait, that is, unless - why didn't I think of it earlier? - big whack to the forehead! - compulsory education is really a JOBS program.  Ah, so that's it.  A jobs program - at the cost of family life and parental direction? Outrageous.

But wait, the assault on the value of family life has apparently just begun to heat up -

State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) would like to see the state's compulsory school attendance age dropped from 7 to 3 years of age.

Ann: Argh!!!!!! I am dumbfounded and outraged at this attitude. And just how does the good senator think that will help? The government school is supposed to do a better job of raising and educating young children than parents do? Oh, pull-eeeze! Don't EVEN get me started.

Risky Can o' Worms, Texas Size

Bill seeks to open classes to home-schoolers
Families, Plano push for access to subjects, activities, funds
Dallas Morning News, Texas, By Terrence Stutz and Kim Breen, 12:52 PM CDT on Thursday, April 21, 2005

AUSTIN – Thousands of home-school families have struck an unlikely alliance with Plano school officials in a push to allow their children to participate in some classes and extracurricular activities for the first time.  ...  Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, submitted a bill early Wednesday that would let home-schoolers pick and choose classes, such as chemistry or a foreign language, or play on sports teams or the band at their neighborhood schools.   In return, the schools would get extra money based on the additional enrollment....

(read the bill here )

Ann: What are you thinking here, (Plano) Texas homeschoolers? Don't you know that you already have access to public school? Just march on down there any day of the week and they'll enroll your child. You already have the best of both worlds.

Maybe, just maybe you don't realize what you are putting on the block here, Texas? Because where I come from - Oregon and Washington, two states with "moderate" regulation - homeschoolers drool with envy over Texans' private school status and total freedom to homeschool.  We think that you Texans live in homeschooling heaven, free to homeschool as your hearts' desire. Most of us would give up our part-time access to public school in a heartbeat  to have what you've got. Full-time freedom to homeschool without government or bureaucratic hoops to jump through?  Where do we sign up for what you've got?

Testing Makes Me Cranky, And Here's One Reason Why

Testing: None of the Above
The New York Times, By Lisa Guernsey, April 24, 2005

Ann: There is much that is wrong with testing, but in the Modern Era of High Stakes Testing, there is no excuse for poorly written, vague and deceptive test items. Nevertheless, bad test items haunt tests and the students who must take them. A few experts have taken it on themselves to vet tests designed for K-12  - check out the results.

Professor Middleton decided that a quarter of the questions he analyzed had mistakes in content or context (he has just completed an analysis of recently released questions and says there is improvement).

"It's an increasingly severe problem," says Walter M. Haney, a senior researcher at Boston College's Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation and Educational Policy.

Ann:  A quarter of the items! Poorly written, vague and deceptive test items are nothing new, of course. Twenty years ago, David Owen's None of the Above: behind the myth of scholastic aptitude launched a scathing attack on testing practices, yet testing companies continued to crank out the stuff.

While poor items are nothing new, they do matter a good deal more than they did 20 years ago - because of those three ugly little words - high stakes testing. Never before have tests had the potential to devastate so many lives. More from the Times article:

The process by which questions are vetted is long and costly. "On most of the tests that are created today, the people who write them and the people who review them do a conscientious and good job," says Gregory Cizek, an education professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has been an elementary school teacher and a test writer for ACT Inc. But, he adds, "stuff always slips through."

Ann: Outrageous. Apparently taking the trouble to make sure only quality items are on tests would cost too much money.

Jerry P. Becker, a professor of curriculum and instruction at Southern Illinois University, wrote this in an online discussion about ambiguous math questions: "We're talking about kids who are desperately trying to penetrate the minds of adults and figure out what is 'really' being asked and what 'the trick' is."

Ann: Becker nails the problem which hints at one reason many youth don't trust adults. What is really going on when students are asked to guess what testmakers are thinking? What is really going on when testing services do not vet every item? I don't like it one bit.

Front Page Story in Connecticut

Students learn by doing, in the home, community and beyond
Republican-American, Waterbury, Connecticut, By Katy Bugajewski, Monday, April 25, 2005

"It's more acceptable to home-school now," said Deborah Stevenson, an education attorney in Southbury and executive director of the National Home Education Legal Defense group. "More parents are aware of their rights. It's the duty of all parents to instruct their own children."

Ann:  This front page story spotlights homeschoolers across the spectrum, from unschooling to evangelizing to early college with other stops along the way. The reporter cites arguments against homeschooling, probably for balance, but overall it is a positive article.

Homers vs. Schoolers

Schooling the home schoolers
Shreveport Times, Louisiana, by Teddy Allen, April 19, 2005

We played the Home School team," [my friend in Roanoke, Va.] said.

The Home Scho ... ?

"The Home School team," he repeated. "Students who are home schooled. They have a team."

Who knew?

Ann: Teddy Allen retells his friend's experience, a light-hearted tale of a school baseball team meeting a homeschooled team for the first time.  He summarizes in the final paragraph:

The home school fans were a sedate, everyone's-a-winner bunch, unlike the parents he's used to sitting with. "Our people were quieter than usual since it was obvious from the first pitch we were going to win," Penny said. "If the home schoolers had schooled us, it might have been a different ballgame."

Ann: The reporting might also have taken a different turn.

Homeschooling Not a Good Idea? Sez Who?

Home Schooling not a good idea for most
The Illinois Leader By Scott Thomas Wednesday, April 20, 2005

So, to maintain my conservative Christian membership credentials, let me clearly state that I am not against the parents’ right to home school their children. I just think, by and large, it’s not a very good idea.

Ann: And just why does Thomas think homeschooling is not a good idea? Because

...[Parents] are NOT [Thomas' emphasis] great teachers....parents do not have the level of expertise that [teachers] do.

Ann: I suspect Thomas' sweeping insult to all parents everywhere will skewer him in time, but I do have a couple of additional comments.

Ann: First, Earth to Scott Thomas:  Less than two percent of children are homeschooled each year. Let me say it another way. Most parents - the vast majority of them, in fact - do not homeschool their children. You win! Even most Christian parents do not homeschool their children. You win again! Most parents, Christian and otherwise, send their kids to public schools. So what's with the big scary headline? No news is no news.  And since homeschooling decisions are rarely made based on the opinion of a columnist, I wonder what Thomas is really up to.

Ann: Secondly. Scott Thomas appears to be stuck on the stereotypic school-at-home model. He  lacks the most rudimentary understanding of how homeschooling works and apparently, he doesn't really want to learn. By citing professional teachers rather than successful homeschoolers, he seems determined to back his opinion with stereotypes and professional bias, not facts.

Ann: Finally, Scott Thomas makes an assumption about the nature of homeschooling that dooms his logic. He claims that using a professional teacher is akin to hiring a trained electrician. That might make sense if you want to duplicate classroom-based education in the home. But that is rarely what homeschoolers do since duplicating classroom-based experiences is counterproductive in the home environment. Thomas is comparing apples and oranges and although I doubt he will  figured out where his logic is lacking, many homeschoolers are writing thoughtful and intelligent letters to the Leader to show him where his column went astray.

Home-Schoolers Respond to Thomas Column: 13 Letters
The IllinoisLeader.com Letters from Readers Friday, April 22, 2005

Scott Thomas' column this week has engendered a vertiable [sic] outpouring of response from homeschooling advocates. Below is a selection of responses from home-schoolers sharing their personal experiences with the promise there will be more to come. What's your opinion? Read both sides and decide for yourself.

The Illinois Leader invites your commentary at letters. Please feel free to post your letters to the Leader here in the comments section here at News & Commentary.

Students Debate: Homeschooling vs. Public Schooling

Point - Is home schooling as effective a learning system as public schooling? - "A" plus
Michigan Tech Lode Online, By: Joel Fox, April 13, 2005

Some would think [homeschoolers] would be socially inept, but I found it to be quite the opposite: they were quite personable. Some would think their level of education would be found wanting in comparison to that of a public school, but again, not so; they were perfectly capable in the academic arena.

...This really isn’t a big deal at all; in fact, my guess is that many of your current classmates were home schooled and you didn’t even know it. If you get a chance, ask around and find out for yourself that our home-schooled friends aren’t all that different.

Ann:  Point favors homeschooling much as I would, pointing out that homeschoolers tend to be a lot like everyone else, while Counterpoint, below, opts to defend public school:

Counterpoint - Is home schooling as effective a learning system as public schooling? - Lacking
Michigan Tech Lode Online, By: Chris Swenor, April 13, 2005

People don’t think public schooling is as quality in rural areas but I am here to prove that the public schooling system has high quality when you compare to home schooling and private institutions.

...The quality of education, especially in Michigan, is ranked amongst the best in the nation. You not only reap the benefits of creating a quality foundation of knowledge for your child by going to public school, but also allow your child to grow as a human being.

Ann: Swenor defends public schooling, particularly social learning. Not the best defense, I don't think. Do read the sharp comments that follow each point.