2005 December Archive
Saturday, December 31st, 2005Friday, December 23, 2005
NHELD Bulletin #46 Rule Making 12/23/2005
Bulletin #46 Rule Making 12/23/2005
Did You Know: Did you know that there is an entirely separate way of adopting federal “law” other than by bills proposed in Congress? It’s called “federal rulemaking”.
When Congress adopts a bill and the President signs it into law, it may contain language that specifies that a particular federal agency or and “head” of that agency may develop “policies”, or “rules” in order to more fully implement the federal statute.
Generally speaking, these “rules”, after being officially adopted, are codified in the “Code of Federal Regulations”.
You can check on these “rules” at the Internet site for Code of Federal Regulations: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/about.html
Once adopted, the regulations have the full force and effect of law, just as a statute does.
The public has an opportunity to influence the adoption of statutes by lobbying Congress. The public also has an opportunity to influence the adoption of regulations by submitting “comment” to the agency involved in adopting the regulation.
The government’s website has a page that allows you to find out what agencies have regulations being proposed and to find out how to comment upon them. It is http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic-rel11/component/main
The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily. You can find out more by going to the following link:
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/index.html
As the government’s website notes:
Each issue of the Federal Register is organized into four categories:
- Presidential Documents, including Executive orders and proclamations
- Rules and Regulations, including policy statements and interpretations of rules
- Proposed Rules, including petitions for rulemaking and other advance proposals
- Notices, including scheduled hearings and meetings open to the public, grant applications, and administrative orders
Documents published in the Federal Register as rules and proposed rules include citations to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to refer readers to the CFR parts affected.It is extremely important to know how all state and federal laws are adopted, including their implementing “administrative regulations”, such as the federal “rules”, “policies”, and “code of federal regulations”.
Now that Sec. 522 of the Defense Bill hr1815/s1042 (just passed) allows the “Secretary of Defense” to develop a “policy” regarding homeschoolers enlisting in the military, presumably the Secretary will follow federal rulemaking procedures in developing this “policy”. If so, that means that there may be a time in which the Secretary will officially publish, in the federal register, the “policy”, and there may be a specific period of time in which the public may “comment” on that policy. Assuming there is widespread “comment”, this will offer the public a good opportunity to influence how that “policy” will be worded. A note of caution, however, the Secretary is also free to disregard the public comment.
In any event, everyone should be aware of this process and remain vigilant to the language as it is proposed.
With regard to the aforementioned Defense Bill, the final language, sent to us by Senator Santorum’s office, which was adopted regarding military recruitment of homeschoolers, is as follows:
SEC. 591. RECRUITMENT AND ENLISTMENT OF HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS IN THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) Policy on Recruitment and Enlistment.–
(1) POLICY REQUIRED.–The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a policy on the recruitment and enlistment of home-schooled students in the Armed Forces.(2) UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE ARMED FORCES.–The Secretary shall ensure that the policy prescribed under paragraph (1) applies, to the extent practicable, uniformly across the Armed Forces.(b) Elements.–The policy under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) An identification of a graduate of home schooling for purposes of recruitment and enlistment in the Armed Forces that is in accordance with the requirements described in subsection (c).(2) A communication plan to ensure that the policy described in subsection (c) is understood by recruiting officials of all the Armed Forces, to include field recruiters at the lowest level of command.(3) An exemption of graduates of home schooling from the requirement for a secondary school diploma or an equivalent (GED) as a precondition for enlistment in the Armed Forces.
(c)
Attorney Deborah Stevenson - Executive Director of National Home Education Legal Defense. – www.nheld.com or email : info@nheld.com
Judy Aron - Director of Research, NHELD – imjfaron@sbcglobal.net
|
===========================================
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
HSLDA sponsored evangelicalism
There is already support for new homeschoolers (as well as those who are INTERESTED in homeschooling). So I have to ask, why the peer pressure?
(snip from article)
Home schooling Family to Family is hoping thousands of families like
the Kinneys will become mentors to the next generation of home school
parents. Spokesman Bruce Shortt.”What we’re asking home schoolers to do is to just become a bit more
evangelical and to come alongside one of those families and say,
`Look, we can do this together.’”Short uses the word “evangelical” advisedly.
“Quite often when we’re talking to friends, neighbors, relatives about
home schooling and they’re obviously interested, they’re not always a
Christian family. And this is a great opportunity to share home
schooling and share Christ along the way.”Steve Moitozo, of Homeschool Associates, expects that veteran home
schooling families as mentors will provide a great selling point.
Complete article HERE
|
=============================================
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
H.R. 1815 status
H.R. 1815: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 Status: Passed House, Passed Senate [Last Action: Dec 19, 2005: Cloture motion on the conference report presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S14014-14015)]
Below is the text that refers to us, the full text can be found Here.
Sec. 522. Recruitment and enlistment of home schooled students in the Armed
Forces.
FORCES. 3
(a) POLICY ON RECRUITMENT AND ENLISTMENT.— 4
Sec. 523. Report on information on stop loss authorities given to enlistees in the
Armed Forces.
(1) POLICY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De- 5
fense shall prescribe a policy on the recruitment and 6
enlistment of home schooled students in the Armed 7
Forces. 8
(2) UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE ARMED FORCES.— 9
The Secretary shall ensure that the policy prescribed 10
under paragraph (1) applies, to the extent prac- 11
ticable, uniformly across the Armed Forces. 12
(b) ELEMENTS.—The policy under subsection (a) shall 13
include the following: 14
(1) An identification of a graduate of home 15
schooling for purposes of recruitment and enlistment 16
in the Armed Forces that is in accordance with the 17
requirements described in subsection (c). 18
(2) Provision for the treatment of graduates of 19
home schooling with no practical limit with regard to 20
enlistment eligibility. 21
(3) An exemption of graduates of home schooling 22
from the requirement for a secondary school diploma 23
or an equivalent (GED) as a precondition for enlist- 24
ment in the Armed Forces. 25
†
136
HR 1815 EAS
(c) HOME SCHOOL GRADUATES.—In prescribing the 1
policy, the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a single set 2
of criteria to be utilized by the Armed Forces in deter- 3
mining whether an individual is a graduate of home school- 4
ing. The Secretary concerned shall ensure compliance with 5
education credential coding requirements. 6
(d) SECRETARY CONCERNED DEFINED.—In this sec- 7
tion, the term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ has the meaning given 8
such term in section 101(a)(9) of title 10, United States 9
Code. 10
|
==========================================
Monday, December 19, 2005
HR 1815 - the voting record and contact info
From HEM Support Groups
Mary Writes:
I plan on calling each of the 41 legislators who were brave enough to see problems within this bill and vote against it. If you would like to do the same I am including the voting record and contact info below.
Nays
Baird -
Phone: (202) 225-3536
Fax: (202) 225-3478
Baldwin-
(202) 225-2906
(202) 225-6942 Fax
Blumenauer-
(202) 225-4811
Fax: (202) 225-8941
Conyers-
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax
Davis (IL)-
Phone: 202/225-5006
Fax: 202/225-5641
Filner-
Phone: (202) 225-8045
Fax: (202) 225-9073
Frank (MA)-
(202) 225-5931
Grijalva-
ph (202)225-2435
fax (202)225-1541
Hastings (FL)-
Tel: (202) 225-1313
Fax: (202) 225-1171
Hinchey-
Phone: (202) 225-6335
Fax: (202) 226-0774
Jackson (IL)-
(202) 225-0773
fax (202) 225-0899
Jones (OH)-
Telephone: (202) 225-7032
Facsimile: (202) 225-1339
Kilpatrick (MI)-
(202) 225-2261
Fax: (202) 225-5730
Kucinich-
Phone (202)225-5871
Fax (202)225-5745
Lee-
202) 225-2661
Fax: (202) 225-9817
Lewis (GA)-
(202) 225-3801 Phone
(202) 225-0351 Fax
Markey-
202-225-2836
McDermott-
(202) 225-3106
fax at (202) 225-6197.
McGovern-
Phone: (202) 225-6101
Fax: (202) 225-5759
McKinney-
Phone: 202-225-1605
Fax : 202-226-0691
McNulty-
(202) 225-5076
FAX: (202) 225-5077
Miller, George-
(202) 225-2095
Nadler-
Tel. 202-225-5635
Oberstar-
(202) 225-6211
Olver-
TEL: 202-225-5335
FAX: 202-226-1224
Owens-
(202) 225-6231
(202) 226-0112 (Fax)
Paul-
(202) 225-2831
Payne-
Phone (202) 225-3436
Fax (202) 225-4160
Rangel-
(202) 225-4365
Rush-
phone: 202-225-4372
fax: 202-226-0333
Schakowsky-
(202) 225-2111
Serrano-
(202) 225-4361 | Fax: (202) 225-6001
Solis-
Phone: (202) 225-5464
Fax: (202) 225-5467
Stark-
202-225-3725
Tierney-
Phone: (202) 225-8020
Fax: (202) 225-5915
Towns-
Phone: (202) 225-5936
Fax: (202) 225-1018
Velázquez-
Phone (202) 225-2361
Fax (202) 226-0327
Waters-
202 225-2201
Watson-
phone: 202-225-7084
fax: 202-225-2422
Watt-
Tel. (202) 225-1510
Fax (202) 225-1512
Woolsey-
(202) 225-5161
Fax: (202) 225-5163
If you want to discuss any of this with those who voted yea, you can find their contact information at the House of Representatives listing here: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
Yeas
Abercrombie
Ackerman-
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Allen
Andrews
Bachus
Baker
Barrett (SC)
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Bass
Bean
Beauprez
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonner
Bono
Boozman
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd
Bradley (NH)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (OH)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp (MI)
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardin
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson
Carter
Case
Castle
Chabot
Chandler
Chocola
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Cole (OK)
Conaway
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cubin
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (FL)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeLay
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Doolittle
Doyle
Drake
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards
Ehlers
Emerson
Engel
English (PA)
Eshoo
Etheridge
Evans
Everett
Farr
Fattah
Feeney
Ferguson
Fitzpatrick (PA)
Flake
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fortenberry
Fossella
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gingrey
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Gordon
Granger
Graves
Green (WI)
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Gutknecht
Hall
Harris
Hart
Hastert
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hensarling
Herger
Herseth
Higgins
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Inglis (SC)
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
Jindal
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Keller
Kelly
Kennedy (MN)
Kennedy (RI)
Kildee
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline
Knollenberg
Kuhl (NY)
LaHood
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Leach
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lucas
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Maloney
Manzullo
Marchant
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy
McCaul (TX)
McCollum (MN)
McCotter
McCrery
McHenry
McHugh
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Menendez
Mica
Michaud
Millender-McDonald
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy
Murtha
Musgrave
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Ney
Northup
Norwood
Nunes
Nussle
Obey
Ortiz
Osborne
Otter
Oxley
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Pearce
Pelosi
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Pickering
Pitts
Platts
Poe
Pombo
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Rahall
Ramstad
Regula
Rehberg
Reichert
Renzi
Reynolds
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman
Royce
Ruppersberger
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Salazar
Sánchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanders
Saxton
Schiff
Schmidt
Schwartz (PA)
Schwarz (MI)
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shuster
Simmons
Simpson
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Sodrel
Souder
Spratt
Stearns
Strickland
Stupak
Sullivan
Sweeney
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Van Hollen
Visclosky
Walden (OR)
Walsh
Wamp
Wasserman Schultz
Waxman
Weiner
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Weller
Westmoreland
Wexler
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Wu
Wynn
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
|
============================================
An open letter to HSLDA’s membership
I have always felt that HSLDA has a right to exist, and if that’s
what you want to spend your money on, I’m happy you have the
financial means to do so. However, recent events have caused me to
re-think my position. I was wrong to think that because I was not a
member HSLDA did not affect me.
When HSLDA re-introduced their HoNDA legislation in the US House and
Senate, they added a section related to the recruitment and
enlistment of homeschool graduates to it. When it appeared HoNDA
was stalled in committee they requested Senator Rick Santorum of PA
to add a section that would give the Secretary of Defense the
authority to identify for the purposes of recruitment and enlistment
homeschool graduates to The National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2006.
Scott Somerville of HSLDA recently wrote, “IF we fail in our effort
to get section 522 signed into law, we’ll try something else, but we
won’t give up. It’s been seven years already; it may be seven more
years before we feel like homeschool grads have a level path to
military service.”
There is a lot to think about in those two arrogant sentences.
HSLDA will not give up trying to push federal legislation into law
that affects MY child. That’s personal. That has nothing to do
with a Christian’s right to homeschool their children, something I
would be first in line to protect. It’s an attempt to target my
child for recruitment and enlistment in the United States Armed
Forces by a group of self-appointed, fundamentalist Christians
pursuing an agenda they have determined to be part of their personal
religion. Of course, they have a right, as individual Americans
and as a lobbying organization, to do so. But I also have a right -
as well as a responsibility - to protect my child from overly
zealous political actions. That is the reason we have ELECTED
representation, so the people can decide whether they want their
children targeted by military recruiters or not. In a
representative government, it’s not the purview of a handful of
zealots to make any decision for my family.
Section 522 does not delineate between `homeschool students’
and `homeschool students whose parents are members of HSLDA’. This
is personal and oversteps the bounds of representing a paid
membership by an advocacy organization. It will affect every
homeschool student/family in America, HSLDA member or not.
HSLDA could not operate without the dues of its membership. It is
what pays the salaries, builds the buildings, and � yes - funds the
lobbying. Membership dues are funding the effort to identify for
purposes of recruitment and enlistment MY child. Membership dues
are funding the proposal which will give the United States Secretary
of Defense the authorization to define what a homeschool graduate
is. The members of HSLDA are ultimately responsible for the actions
HSLDA and its paid agents take.
I cannot influence HSLDA decisions because I am not a member, so I
have to plead my case to the members. Therefore, I do not think it
unreasonable to respectfully request HSLDA’s members accept
responsibility for the actions of their paid representatives and use
their checkbooks to take back the power they have ceded to HSLDA.
YOU have the power. I know many of you, and I know you are good,
responsible parents who will `do the right thing’. Thank you.
Mary McCarthy
|
==========================================
Friday, December 16, 2005
Illinois Multi-part series part 3
(3 of 4 to be exact)
And I can’t say that there’s anything to cringe about.. However, more then anything else in the article, this quote raised my eyebrows the most:
“Jackson stressed how difficult it is to homeschool. She knows that there are people that pull their children out of school for one reason or another and try homeschooling, but 99 percent of them have their kids back in school the next year. It is not for everyone. It is a dedication to the task, she explained.”
99 percent? I’m not sure that is correct at all.
Other then that and it not being exactly a diverse representation of homeschoolers, I think there’s still hope it won’t get too ugly. But I’ll keep holding my breath till the last article.
|
=====================================
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Military homeschool legislation timeline
Here’s a new page, military homeschool legislation timeline and related information on the Military Homeschooler Website.
Without a doubt, there’s hours upon hours of research and I’d encourage any homeschooler to take a look.
GREAT JOB, Valerie!
|
=====================================
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Up to date info about section 522
Valerie blogged about a memorandum yesterday and behold “this morning, an HSLDA update referencing the memorandum is posted”
Today Valerie noted a few more thoughts HERE
AND in another area of Bloggersville, an interesting conversation has been going on at Daryl’s blog…
Stay tuned till next time but until then contact your representatives and let them know how you feel about section 522 …
|
======================================
Monday, December 12, 2005
HSLDA’s lobbying expenses
VALERIE LISTS HSLDA’s lobbying expenses from 1998 til NOW over at her blog, Happy As Kings.
As usual, she has done her homework so check out full text HERE
She writes:
One thing leads to another, especially with webcrumbs, and this site just floated across my screen: HSLDA’s U.S. Lobby Registration and Reporting Disclosure page. Interesting figures on how much has been spent on lobbying activities over the years.
|
======================================
Saturday, December 10, 2005
The Dark Side revisited
At HEM’s News and Commentary, Valerie adds reason to an article, Homeschool Homicide and the Cult of Youth
She begins:
I agree with most of the article linked below about how the social pressures affect us all, and how young people are even more strongly affected. But I think the article exaggerates the homeschooling aspect of the recent tragedies. This is not to say that the killings are trivial, they are not, but only to point out that the tragedies are anomalies concerning homeschooling, not (I hope) a trend. Still, with the rise in the number of people homeschooling, there may well be more events occurring that will be outside what most homeschoolers would like to see linked to the homeschooling tag.
|
======================================
Illinois Multi-part series part 2
Daryl has THIS ONE covered HERE.
I’m just posting the link to keep it up to date.
|
==========================================
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
HSLDA mentioned in Navy Recruiting Manual
Please visit http://hr3753.blogspot.com/2005/12/hr-3753-s-1691-homeschool_07.html for more information on this..
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/pdf/navrecruit.pdf (huge file )
PDF page 83:
“For applicable state laws governing home school see
http://www.hslda.org/central/states/xx/laws.html The xx is the state
abbreviation.”
here’s the paragraph, etc.
====================================
g. Home School Diploma. Conference Report (Section 571) of the FY
99 National Defense Authorization Act established a five-year pilot
program to permit home school diploma recipients TIER 1 high school
diploma graduate status. A home school is a 12-year curriculum based,
instruction oriented academic experience, in the home, involving
regular parental or guardian instruction and education. Attendance
should be for at least an average of 4.5 hours daily and at least 170
days per academic/grade year. For applicable state laws governing
home school see http://www.hslda.org/central/states/xx/laws.html. The
xx is the state abbreviation.
|
===========================================
Monday, December 05, 2005
LET `EM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT
Section 522- Recruitment and Enlistment of Home Schooled Students
DAY!
If you want to let your elected representatives know how you feel
about the federal government identifying your child for the purposes
of Recruitment and Enlistment in the Armed Forces, today, Monday
December 5th is your day!
First, familiarize yourself with Section 522 (below). The amendment
number is the same in both the House version — HR. 1815, and the
Senate Version - S. 1042 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for fiscal year 2006. A good suggestion is to make up a short
paragraph about your position on this legislation before you call.
If you need to learn more about this proposed legislation you may
visit http://hr3753.blogspot.com/
Senator John Warner (R-VA) introduced the amendment into the Senate
version on behalf of Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA). They should both
be telephoned:
Senator Warner - 202-224-2023
You can also write Senator Warner at
225 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510;
or email the Senator: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm
Senator Rick Santorum - 202-224-6324
You can also write Senator Santorum
at 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510;
or email the Senator: http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?
FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactForm&CFID=44135344&CFTOKEN=56632
106
It is also advised to call your own Senators and Congressman.
To locate your Senators visit http://www.senate.gov/. Enter your
State and it will take you to the names and contact information for
your two Senators.
To locate your Congressperson visit http://www.house.gov/ and enter your
zip code. Click on your Congresspersons name and it will take you
directly to their website where the contact information is.
Indiana voters might want to also make a special note to Congressman
Mark Souder because it appears from his remarks in the Congressional
Record last May he is a staunch supporter of this proposal.
Mark Sounder, Indiana Third
U.S. House of Representatives
2231 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4436
Fax: (202) 225-3479
Email: souder@mail.house.gov
Of course faxing is acceptable, too!
Section 522:
RECRUITMENT AND ENLISTMENT OF HOME SCHOOLED STUDENTS IN THE ARMED
FORCES
(a) Policy on Recruitment and Enlistment-
(1) POLICY REQUIRED- The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a
policy on the recruitment and enlistment of home schooled students
in the Armed Forces.
(2) UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE ARMED FORCES- The Secretary shall ensure
that the policy prescribed under paragraph (1) applies, to the
extent practicable, uniformly across the Armed Forces.
(b) Elements- The policy under subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1) An identification of a graduate of home schooling for purposes
of recruitment and enlistment in the Armed Forces that is in
accordance with the requirements described in subsection (c).
(2) Provision for the treatment of graduates of home schooling with
no practical limit with regard to enlistment eligibility.
(3) An exemption of graduates of home schooling from the requirement
for a secondary school diploma or an equivalent (GED) as a
precondition for enlistment in the Armed Forces.
(c) Home School Graduates- In prescribing the policy, the Secretary
of Defense shall prescribe a single set of criteria to be utilized
by the Armed Forces in determining whether an individual is a
graduate of home schooling. The Secretary concerned shall ensure
compliance with education credential coding requirements.
(d) Secretary Concerned Defined- In this section, the term
`Secretary concerned’ has the meaning given such term in section 101
(a)(9) of title 10, United States Code.
|
=============================================
Local article-Home-schoolers fill extracurricular void
Although I’m not a member of NCHE, I’m in (general) agreement with what is said in THIS ARTICLE. Keeping the lines clear goes hand in hand with keeping the freedoms we have here.
Fifteen states require their public school systems to allow participation by home-schooled children in extracurricular activities. North Carolina isn’t one of them.
….
“From the experience of other states, really for home educators in North Carolina, it’s better if we do it the way we do now to maintain independence,” said Young, who lives in Johnston County.
…
There are 224 different home-school support groups across the state, he said. Many of them offer different opportunities for children, including music, chorus, band, academic clubs and competitions, such as a geography bee.Home-school students are not allowed to join public school teams, however.
“Our rule is you must be enrolled at that member school,” said Rick Strunk, associate executive director of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, which oversees the athletics programs at the state’s public schools. “That’s a State Board of Education requirement.”
The rule applies across the board, Strunk said. In the public school setting, if a student wants to play a sport at a different school, he must transfer to and enroll in that school before being allowed to play sports there.
|
=========================================
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Illinois -A Multi-part series on Homeschooling
I admit I find myself cringing when I read the first sentence of THIS ARTICLE. Indeed in retrospect, I think remembering Ohio Akron Beacon Journal’s seven-day series on homeschooling, as well as the series of “The Dark Side of Homeschooling” tends to have that effect because we have to wonder what is to come..
Homeschooling trend growing in America
This is the first of a multi-part series on homeschooling, a trend that has consistently grown in popularity across North America. The series will be featured in the next few Friday editions off the Times-Commoner. This story is written as an informational article to help our readers stay abreast of national trends that affect the local area.The information for this series of articles was taken from educational research, articles written by both opponents and proponents of home schooling, as well as interviews with families that have adopted homeschooling as their choice for educating their children.
I think I have heard that one before…
Although there are few restrictions, it is evident that the overwhelming majority of students being homeschooled are getting a very good education. However, there are some parents who are homeschooling their children simply to get the truancy people off their backs. Unfortunately, the losers in those situations are the children.
Uh-oh! Maybe I’m a bit critical but I’m not having a great feeling about comments like this so soon in to the article. And it doesn’t make me feel any easier taking in to consideration that while I was watching the news the other night, I see my area is encouraging “Anyone who sees a school-age youngster on the street on a school day in Durham is asked to call the truancy officers” , and I wonder, has this become a trend across the nation?? Or maybe it’s just becoming harder for us to ignore. Ok skip to end..
….
The second and third parts of this series will give an in-depth look at why several different families have chosen the option of homeschooling for their children.
|
========================================
Friday, December 02, 2005
Here’s your chance to tell HSLDA what you think of section 522
The description for this particular show is:
It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle
Date: Monday, December 05, 2005 at 9:00 PM EST
Host: Lynn Doyle
http://ne.cn8.tv/guide/program.asp?dtDate=12/5/2005&selectedTime=9:00%20PM&intListingID=4&lChannelID=644&z=7
Home Schooling. What do you think about children who are home schooled? Are
they unable to socialize correctly, or is it a way for parents to ensure
their children are properly educated to their standards? Tune in and tell us
what you think by calling 1-877-CN8-LIVE or by clicking on the “E-mail the
Show” button on the left
[http://ne.cn8.tv/feedback/emailhost.asp?lChannelID=617&subhead=emlshow]. If you have something to say about the show before it airs, try calling our
viewer hotline at 215-952-4999. Find out about our guests by clicking on the
“Information On Our Guests” link on the IYC homepage.
—————-
On Monday December 5, 2005 at 9:00 PM EST, Scott Somerville of HSLDA
will be appearing LIVE on the Comcast Cable Company’s “It’s Your
Call” with Lynn Doyle.
This is a great opportunity to tell Mr. Somerville on a live call-in
program that you want Section 522, Recruitment and Enlistment of
Home Schooled Students in the Armed Forces, removed from H. R. 1815
and S. 1042, The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year
2006.
*****
Let’s use this incredible opportunity to tell HSLDA’s representative
how we feel about HSLDA’s attempts give the Secretary of Defense the
authorization to define `home school graduate’ and giving the
federal government to power to `identify a graduate of homeschooling
for the purposes of recruitment and enlistment’.
|
=======================================
Thursday, December 01, 2005
More Discussion on HR 3753 and HR 1815
Valerie has a couple of well documented posts up at HEM’s News and Commentary and well worth the read.
Below is just a few snips, but PLEASE take the time to take a closer look at the following links. The first, Discussing HR 3753
“While considering the fact of Section 522 in the current House of Representatives bill HR 1815, ( below ), and in light of calls for ‘discussion’ of the legislation on the HSWatch list, I have to wonder just what it is that discussion is supposed to accomplish. The language is already included in the Defense Authorization Bill, and the Senate has already approved it. The House of Representatives is ironing out House differences in the Defense Authorization Bill that the House has with the Senate, but Section 522 probably isn’t one of them. So, concerning legislation affecting homeschoolers at the federal level, what’s left to discuss? Appetizers and punch? ”
(snip)
and from
HR 1815 discussion
“Despite my tongue-in-cheek trepidation at the outcome of discussing HR 1815, the National Defense Reauthorization Act for 2006 (see the blog post above for those reasons), there is no other action available to me other than writing about my opinions on this subject, and sharing them with blog readers, and legislators in Congress.
SEC. 522. RECRUITMENT AND ENLISTMENT OF HOME SCHOOLED STUDENTS IN THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) Policy on Recruitment and Enlistment-
(1) POLICY REQUIRED- The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a policy on the recruitment and enlistment of home schooled students in the Armed Forces.This section says only that the Secretary of Defense will “prescribe a policy on the recruitment and enlistment …” This language doesn’t specify whether or not the policy should be favorable to homeschoolers or not. I also wonder what the Joint Chiefs think of this since each service decides what kind of recruits each one needs.The Secretary of Defense generally doesn’t prescribe recruiting policy for all the services. DoD is the ‘big picture’ organization, while each service ‘takes care of its own.’ Each branch of the services has individual requirements while public law concerning ‘the military’ paints with a broad brush. Title 10 of public law deals with the armed forces. Subtitle A concerns general military law. Part II concerns personnel. Chapter 31 is about enlistments. Unless you’re insane, intoxicated, a deserter from an armed force, or a felon, nowhere in the enlistment portion of Chapter 31 of Part II, of Subtitle A, of Title 10 is a specific group of people, such as homeschoolers, mentioned.The exception is in § 520: “A person who is not a high school graduate may not be accepted for enlistment in the armed forces unless the score of that person on the Armed Forces Qualification Test is at or above the thirty-first percentile; however, a person may not be denied enlistment in the armed forces solely because of his not having a high school diploma if his enlistment is needed to meet established strength requirements.” (I assume that leaves open the ability to conscript without worrying about restrictive regulations) As per references in military regulations such as the Army’s enlistment regulation, AR 601-210 Regular Army and Army Reserve Enlistment Program (see PDF page 20), “a high school graduate” means a graduate of “a traditional 12-year graded day program of classroom instruction.” As it stands now, there is no place for the Secretary of Defense to put a policy on the recruitment and enlistment of homeschoolers.DoD does not get involved in recruiting. Recruiting/enlistment is the territory of the individual services. “
(snip)