Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina

“By David Crary

Ap National Writer

When hard times reached the Schneider household in central Oregon, the longtime stay-at-home mom took action — getting a job at Subway to offset a drop in her husband’s earnings. What she didn’t do was also notable: She didn’t stop home-schooling her three teenage children.

Colleen Schneider works evenings so she’s home for her favored morning teaching hours. The family scrimps — more frozen pizza, less eating out. But an inflexible 9-to-5 job that would force her to quit home-schooling was not an option.

“I would fight tooth and nail to home-school,” said Schneider, 47, a devout Roman Catholic who wants to convey her values to her children. “I’m making it work because it’s my absolute priority.”

Other families across the country are making similar decisions — college-age children chipping in with their earnings, laid-off fathers sharing teaching duties, mothers taking part-time jobs — with the goal of continuing to home-school in the face of economic setbacks. …”

For the complete article visit:  http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11826944

“by Janet Schultz
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, February 21, 2009

The Lewiston-Porter Board of Education met Tuesday and heard about policies regarding home instruction and a plan to save $1.1 million in special education costs.

Because this was the first reading of the home schooling policies, no action was taken. The presentation, led by School Superintendent Christopher Roser and special education teacher Barbara Godshall, was the result of updating of state and local policies and procedures. While most policies are set by the state, the school does have some latitude in deciding on what services can be used by home-instructed students.

The board still has to act regarding home-instructed children’s use of school facilities, such as the pool, gym and library; borrowing of such items as computer hardware/software, library books and science equipment; and if home-instructed children will be allowed to take part in certain non-credited extracurricular activities….”

For the complete story please visit: http://www.wnypapers.com/news/2009/02/s21_homeschool.html

To read this article visit: http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/tequitia_andrews/?id=6386

“Michael Smith
Sunday, February 22, 2009

“If you want your child to get the best education possible, it’s actually more important to get him assigned to a great teacher than to a great school.” This quote is from Bill Gates’ January 2009 annual letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a group that has spent billions of dollars trying to improve education. Mr. Gates also notes that overall, only 71 percent of children graduate from high school within four years. His conclusion is that America’s schools are doing a poor job.

He went on to say that most of the schools helped by his foundation fell short of their goals in trying to increase college-ready graduation rates. A few schools, however, achieved amazing results. Typically, they were charter schools in low-income areas where the administrators were able to pick their own teachers and curriculum. Most states do not require charter school teachers to be certified. ….

It is gratifying to see the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provide independent confirmation that it’s the teacher that’s most important, not the school. Home-schooling is largely successful because the teachers — the parents — are highly motivated because they love their student. This translates into not only an outstanding education, but in many cases, a true love for learning. ”

For the complete text visit: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/22/home-schooling-its-the-teacher-not-the-school/

“By Laurie Hindman
Berthoud Recorder

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) homeschooling is growing in popularity, with approximately 1.5 million U.S. children learning at home in 2007, an increase of 74 percent from when the Department of Education first began tracking the trend in 1977.

A 2007 survey conducted by NCES found the top reasons why parents elect home education are concerns about the school environment (including safety, drugs and peer pressure), a desire to provide religious or moral instruction, a dissatisfaction with instruction at public schools and an interest in non-traditional approach to education. …”

For the complete article visit:  http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/News/2009/feb/19/news-school/homeschooling-growing-nat

“We believe that the idea of allowing homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics and band has merit and deserves consideration.

A House bill filed by state Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville, would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school sports, music events and other extracurricular activities.

House Bill 179 is referred to as the Tim Tebow Bill for the University of Florida quarterback, who was homeschooled but was allowed to participate in public high school athletics.

The bill states homeschooled students wouldn’t be “discriminated against” from participating in interscholastic extracurricular activities after guidelines are determined for student enrollment and a waiting period is specified for when a student transfers from a public school to a home school.

Twenty-four other states have already passed laws to allow equal extracurricular access, yet many of their eligibility requirements differ….”

To read this article please visit: http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2009/02/17/opinion/our_opinion/opinion1.txt

“By Suzanne Laurent
CONCORD — Close to 1,000 home educators and their children, many from the Derry/Londonderry area, packed the State House on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to oppose changes to home schooling laws.

Two house bills were sponsored by Rep. Judith Day, D-North Hampton, who said she filed the bills to make sure all home educators are aware of state laws and to make sure the state meets its obligation to educate all children.

The current New Hampshire home schooling law already requires annual evaluations of all home-schooled students and gives parents three options: standardized testing, a portfolio evaluation of the child’s work by a certified teacher or a mutually agreed upon valid tool that the home educator and the supervisory agency agreed upon. This agency is the superintendent or can be a private school administrator.

Proposed House Bill 367 requires two forms of evaluation — testing and portfolio evaluation — every year for every home-schooled student.

“House Bill 367 singles out home-schoolers by requiring evaluation measurements that exceed those required for other New Hampshire students,” said Londonderry resident Jane Grady….”

For the complete text please visit: http://www.derrynews.com/local/local_story_049162552.html

“Did you know?  Certain organizations are promoting passage of a Constitutional Amendment purporting to protect the rights of parents.  NHELD opposes such a Constitutional Amendment for a variety of reasons.

Here is what the draft states:

DRAFT PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

SECTION 1

The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.

SECTION 2

Neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

SECTION 3

No treaty nor any source of international law may be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

People are asking, “Do we need this Constitutional Amendment to protect the right of parents?” 

The answer is No.

Why not? …”

For the complete text please visit: http://www.nheld.com/BTN64.htm

“Michael Smith
Sunday, December 21, 2008

At a time when President George W. Bush will leave office with some of the lowest approval ratings in the history of the presidency, there is one group of citizens who should be grateful for the work he did on their behalf. Mr. Bush has been a strong supporter of a parent’s right to choose home education. …”

For the complete article visit:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/21/bush-helped-out-home-schoolers/

Our son Tom was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) when he was 3.  I didn’t fully understand, when he was diagnosed, how the world would change.  After all, he was verbal, bright, fun, affectionate…  and while he had a very odd way of speaking, and an even odder way of playing, I couldn’t imagine that would make a big difference in the long run.

I was wrong.  Within two years, Tom had been booted from two preschools because “they couldn’t help children with his issues.”  He started kindergarten locally, but by the time he was in second grade he had been booted from the district to a county program “because they had the resources to help him.”…

After years of struggling with IEPs (individualized educational plans), advocacy, parent-teacher meetings, and paperwork, I realized I needed to actually hand Tom’s teacher the curriculum that worked for him.  I needed to create the “communication forms” on which the teacher could describe Tom’s needs and successes.  I needed to check, every week, to see whether the aides were bothering to escort Tom to band practice (as the ONLY special needs kid in band, it was a bit of a struggle to be sure anyone noticed him - even though he was the best clarinet player in the group!).

Finally, it became crystal clear that we, his parents, could do a far better job of teaching Tom than anyone else.  And by golly, we were right.

After a year and a half, Tom has read over a dozen full length novels (he’d never read one in school).  He’s written reports, presented his work at a homeschool biography fair, won two bowling trophies, and learned to climb rock walls.  He’s explored birding, impressionism, American history, and learned to make his own lunch.  He plays clarinet with a terrific jazz musician, and is part of the middle school jazz band.

Most importantly, Tom is relaxed, positive, and enjoying his education….”

For more of this story visit: http://www.examiner.com/x-2007-Homeschooling-Examiner~y2008m12d10-Love-a-Child-with-Autism-Homeschooling-May-Be-Your-Best-Option