Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina

“North Dakota parents who home school their children want the Legislature to get rid of state laws that require them to be monitored by a licensed teacher.

They told the Legislature’s interim Education Committee this week that the laws are not needed.

James Bartlett of Bottineau, the executive director of the North Dakota Home School Association, said the association wants to get rid of state laws that require parents to meet certain qualifications that require them to be monitored….”

For the complete article visit: http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D943QL180

“The following answers were e-mailed from the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, courtesy of spokesman Justin Hamilton. The McCain campaign did not answer the questions, citing some constraints.

The questions were posted on the Journal’s Web site by readers like you….

Q. Do you support home schooling?

A. Barack Obama respects the decisions reached by some parents to home school their children, provided those parents are conforming to the laws and regulations set forward by their states governing home-based instruction….”

For the complete article please visit: http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2008/10/25/stcharles/opinion/1026stc-candidates0.txt

FINDLAY (WTOL) - A mother in Findlay has pulled her child out of school and switched to home schooling over safety concerns. She’s even started a web site.

Anthony Nally says he’s afraid to go to school: Findlay High School.

Last year, he was beat up by a classmate in an off-campus, after school fight. That guy is now in prison after pleading guilty to assault.

Earlier this month, Anthony was threatened and pushed by one of the boys involved in the attack. He won’t show his face for this interview

Anthony worries he’ll be killed. …”

For the complete article visit: http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=9196479&nav=menu620_6

“Michael Smith
Sunday, October 19, 2008

One of the key components of the success and growth of home-schooling in the United States has been state home-school organizations.

The founders of these organizations were home-schooling moms and dads who recognized the need for leadership and organization within the home-school community. Today, almost every state has at least one vibrant, strong statewide organization that continues to provide vision and direction for home-schoolers within the state.

Many of these organizations were formed by Christian parents, and many even had the word “Christian” in their name. Typically, however, the organization’s services were available to all, although they sometimes required their members to subscribe to a statement of faith. …”

For the complete text please visit: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/19/state-groups-key-to-success-growth/

“17 Oct 2008, 0235 hrs IST, Penelope Green,NYT News Service

One morning early last month, long after that frantic hour between 7 and 8 when most New York City parents were hustling their 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds out the door and into their first day of kindergarten, Benny Rendell, the 5-year-old son of Joanne Rendell, a novelist, and Brad Lewis, a New York University professor, lay sprawled asleep in his bed, enjoying what his mother described as his first day of unkindergarten.

Benny stayed asleep, as is his habit, until well past 11am, while his mother, whose first book, ‘The Professors’ Wives’ Club,’ was just published by NAL Accent, worked on her new novel. When Benny awoke, he and his mother slowly made their way to a friend’s house in Brooklyn, with Benny reading the subway stops out loud on the way, and counting out change at a vegetable stand. …”

For the complete text visit: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home-schooling_grows_in_US/rssarticleshow/3605953.cms

“A group of parents say they will home school their children because they do not agree with Mississippi’s mandated vaccination schedule.
Debra Barnes is one of the parents. She says she would leave Mississippi in a heartbeat if state health officials tried to force her home-schooled children to be immunized.
Barnes is part of a growing network of parents whose decision to home school their children rests on their belief that mandated vaccinations for school children are a dangerous overreach by state governments. Barnes leads a group of about 200 parents who have problems with Mississippi’s mandated vaccination schedule.
Some public health officials say they are concerned the growing popularity of home schooling has created gaps in the vaccination safety net, leading to outbreaks of rare childhood diseases.”

for the original text visit: http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/30871634.html

“…Another problem Pennsylvania parents are having with the Central Dauphin School District actually involves home schooling. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, parents who have chosen to educate their children from home have received unlawful treatment from Central Dauphin School District. The HSLDA reports that four families who are members of the association requested their assistance when they received letters from the Central Dauphin School District informing them they would need to stop homeschooling.

These four families had done everything required by law in order to be a homeschooling family. The official who made the decision that these families should not home school disagreed with their outlined curriculum objectives. However, the problem with this is that those objectives are not supposed to be used in determining a family’s eligibility to homeschool. The school district’s request for the family to submit revised objectives was actually a violation of the law. …”

For the complete text visit: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1063099/central_dauphin_school_district_in.html

INDIANAPOLIS — Democrat Richard Wood promised yesterday that if elected state superintendent of public instruction, he will stand up to lawmakers, the governor and the public to ask for more money for schools.  But Republican Tony Bennett said if he wins on Nov. 4, he’ll stand up for taxpayers and heed concerns about the economy and property tax bills….

The debate also exposed differing views on home schooling. Both candidates said there were two kinds of home schools — those where parents are heavily involved in the education process and where students are learning well, and those where parents are simply trying to avoid attendance requirements or other rules.

To address that concern, Wood said he supports standardized testing for all home-schooled students to ensure they are learning and achieving.

“I think that it would be in our best interest — and I know there are many home-school parents who would disagree — but I believe if we are going to test our students in our traditional schools and our private schools, we should also test our home-school students,” he said.

Bennett did not address the issue of testing during the debate. But later he said he does not favor mandatory standardized tests for home-school students.

“It comes down to the fact that education is still the parents’ choice,” he said. “I believe if parents are doing the right job home-schooling their children, that is their responsibility and that’s their choice. If parents are not appropriately schooling their children, then it becomes the job of child protective services and law enforcement.”…”

For the complete article visit: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809260473

by The Associated Press

Monday September 08, 2008, 3:49 PM

“…EDUCATION

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling. More money for community college education.

Obama: An $18 billion plan that would encourage, but not mandate, universal pre-kindergarten. Teacher pay raises tied to, although not based solely on, test scores. An overhaul of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law to better measure student progress, make room for non-core subjects like music and art and be less punitive toward failing schools. A tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college costs for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year. Obama would pay for his plan by ending corporate tax deducations for CEO pay and delaying NASA’s moon and Mars missions. …”

for more from this article visit:  http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2008/09/obama_mccain_on_the_issues_1.html