During a break in a high school debate tournament not long ago, my 17-year-old son struck up a conversation with a student on the rival team from a New Jersey public school. “Where’s your school?” asked the boy. When my son replied that he was home-schooled, the student probed.

“Like dozens of other Pakistani-American girls here, Hajra Bibi stopped attending the local public school when she reached puberty, and began studying at home.

Her family wanted her to clean and cook for her male relatives, and had also worried that other American children would mock both her Muslim religion and her traditional clothes.

“Some men don’t like it when you wear American clothes — they don’t think it is a good thing for girls,” said Miss Bibi, 17, now studying at the 12th-grade level in this agricultural center some 70 miles east of San Francisco. “You have to be respectable.”

Across the United States, Muslims who find that a public school education clashes with their religious or cultural traditions have turned to home schooling. That choice is intended partly as a way to build a solid Muslim identity away from the prejudices that their children, boys and girls alike, can face in schoolyards. But in some cases, as in Ms. Bibi’s, the intent is also to isolate their adolescent and teenage daughters from the corrupting influences that they see in much of American life.

About 40 percent of the Pakistani and other Southeast Asian girls of high school age who are enrolled in the district here are home-schooled, though broader statistics on the number of Muslim children being home-schooled, and how well they do academically, are elusive. Even estimates on the number of all American children being taught at home swing broadly, from one million to two million.

No matter what the faith, parents who make the choice are often inspired by a belief that public schools are havens for social ills like drugs and that they can do better with their children at home….”

For the complete article visit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/us/26muslim.html?ei=5070&en=0d43bf3ce6e17a7f&ex=1207195200&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1206709706-XDTaGhk2YRicfNIbq8vZfw

“- New language in an amendatory bill may be shown in bold or UPPERCASE or both.
- Language to be removed will be stricken.
- Amendments made by the House will be blue with square brackets, such as: [House amended text].
- Amendments made by the Senate will be red with double greater/lesser than symbols, such as: <<Senate amended text>>. (gray icons indicate that the action did not occur or that the document is not available)

HOUSE BILL No. 5912

March 19, 2008, Introduced by Reps. Clack, Hammon, Constan, Johnson, Hammel, Vagnozzi, Alma Smith, Meadows, LeBlanc, Simpson, Robert Jones, Virgil Smith, Jackson, Leland, Bauer, Kathleen Law, Polidori, Corriveau, Ebli, Sheltrown, Wojno, Farrah, Miller and Dean and referred to the Committee on Education.

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

“The revised school code,”

by amending sections 1561 and 1578 (MCL 380.1561 and 380.1578),

section 1561 as amended by 1996 PA 339.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 1561. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section,

every parent, guardian, or other person in this state having

control and charge of a child from the age of 6 to the child’s

sixteenth birthday shall send that child to a public school during

the entire school year. The child’s attendance shall be continuous

and consecutive for the school year fixed by the school district in

which the child is enrolled. In a school district that maintains

school during the entire calendar year and in which the school year

is divided into quarters, a child is not required to attend the

public school more than 3 quarters in 1 calendar year, but a child

shall not be absent for 2 or more consecutive quarters.

     (2) A child becoming 6 years of age before December 1 shall be

enrolled on the first school day of the school year in which the

child’s sixth birthday occurs. A child becoming 6 years of age on

or after December 1 shall be enrolled on the first school day of

the school year following the school year in which the child’s

sixth birthday occurs.

     (3) A child is not required to attend a public school in any

of the following cases:

     (a) The child is attending regularly and is being taught in a

state approved nonpublic school, which teaches subjects comparable

to those taught in the public schools to children of corresponding

age and grade, as determined by the course of study for the public

schools of the district within which the nonpublic school is

located.

     (b) The child is less than 9 years of age and does not reside

within 2-1/2 miles by the nearest traveled road of a public school.

If transportation is furnished for pupils in the school district of

the child’s residence, this subdivision does not apply.

     (c) The child is age 12 or 13 and is in attendance at

confirmation classes conducted for a period of 5 months or less.

     (d) The child is regularly enrolled in a public school while

in attendance at religious instruction classes for not more than 2

class hours per week, off public school property during public

school hours, upon written request of the parent, guardian, or

person in loco parentis under rules promulgated by the state board.

     (e) The child has graduated from high school or has fulfilled

all requirements for high school graduation.

     (f) The child is being educated at the child’s home by his or

her parent or legal guardian in an organized educational program in

the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science,

history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar.

     (4) For a child being educated at the child’s home by his or

her parent or legal guardian, both of the following apply:

     (a) The exemption from the requirement to attend public school

may exist under either subsection (3)(a) or (3)(f), or both.

     (b) The exemption from the requirement to attend public school

exists only if the child’s attendance is appropriately reported to public school officials as required under section 1578.

     Sec. 1578. (1) The appropriate authority of each nonpublic

school at the beginning of the each school year shall furnish all

of the following to the superintendent of schools of the school district in which the nonpublic school is situated or the intermediate superintendent:

     (a) The name and age of each child who is enrolled at the

school.

     (b) The number or name of the school district and the city or

township and county in which the parent, guardian, or person in

parental relation resides.

     (c) The name and address of the parent, guardian, or other

person in parental relation.

     (d) The name and age of each child enrolled in the school who

is not in regular attendance.

     (2) The parent or legal guardian of a child being educated at the child’s home by his or her parent or legal guardian as described in section 1561(3)(f) shall at the beginning of each school year furnish all of the following to the superintendent of schools of the school district in which the child’s home is situated or the intermediate superintendent of the intermediate school district in which the child’s home is situated:

     (a) The name and age of each child who is being educated at the home.

     (b) The number or name of the school district and the city or township and county in which the parent or legal guardian resides.

     (c) The name and address of the parent or legal guardian. “

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billintroduced/House/htm/2008-HIB-5912.htm

“AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill makes various changes to the notification requirements for parents involved in a home education program.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/13/08 0661s

08-2763

04/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eight

AN ACT relative to home education of children.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Home Education; Notification. Amend RSA 193-A:5, I to read as follows:

I.(a) Any parent commencing a home education program for a child, for a child who withdraws from a public school, or for a child who moves into a school district shall notify the commissioner of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school [of such within 30 days] prior to commencement of such program.

(b) Any parent planning to continue a home education program under subparagraph I(a) shall notify the commissioner of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school within 30 days of the anniversary of commencement of the home education program or by the first school day according to the school calendar in the child’s resident school district.

2 New Paragraph; Home Education; Notification. Amend RSA 193-A:5 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:

V. Prior to the initial year of a home education program, a parent shall provide to the department of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school, information which summarizes planned and supervised instructional and related activities, including a draft curriculum demonstrating instruction in science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States, and an exposure to and appreciation of art and music.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

LBAO

08-2763

Amended 03/17/08

SB 337 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to home education of children.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant states this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2008-0661s), will have no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue and expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant has determined this bill, as amended, will have no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue and expenditures.”

For the web site where this bill is located:

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2008/SB0337.html

*Below are the notes of my second phone meeting. Quotes are accurate.

March 25, 2008
Phone meeting with Rod Helder, NCDNPE
(I told Mr. Helder that I had a question from the HA-NC list. He responded by saying that he is glad to be able to learn of the concerns of NC homeschoolers)
                                                                                                                           I asked about the Inspection Verification Certificate (IVC)

Logistics explained to me: Over 38,000 homeschoolers in NC, and only 5 people in the DNPE to do all related work. “The law requires one to register to homeschool, but there is no legal specification for DNPE to provide a card. It is a courtesy.”

Should one need a replacement, “they [DNPE] need to be able to verify that they are a current homeschool by inspecting the test results and attendance record.   These are the two things that we have the right to inspect. The Health Department has the right to inspect immunization records.”

I asked about the Complaint Form

Logistics still apply.

Mr. Helder said that with the increase in divorce over the years, the increase in “stupid complaints” against homeschoolers was inundating the office of the DNPE.

“Grandparents were using homeschool law to clobber the ex’s,” and “my wife is too stupid to homeschool,” were two examples of comments he quoted as having heard often.

He searched out and implemented the resulting complaint form, which has cut down considerably on complaints to their office.

For phoned in complaints, the caller is either redirected to the website form, or asked to leave an address, so that the form can be sent to them. Anonymous forms are not accepted, as Mr. Helder stated that he believes that homeschoolers “have the right to know who has lodged a complaint against them.”

Recent changes to the DNPE website include some additions to the “What’s New” link from some NC colleges. Said Mr. Helder, “Educators are realizing, because the numbers are growing dramatically, that homeschooled students are an important element of their market.” He said that, more and more, he is hearing from them, with requests to disseminate information of interest to homeschoolers, through the DNPE website.

Finally, I asked Mr. Helder if he could update the DNPE website in relation to creating an active hyperlink to the statewide homeschooling group North Carolina Families Learning Together, which has been listed on the DNPE site for several years, and adding, inserting, and creating an active hyperlink to Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina.

Before I had even finished this report, I received an email from Mr. Helder letting me know that these updates had already taken place!

Teri Kuiper, Liaison to DNPE for HANC

 The Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina recognizes that North Carolina Homeschoolers are a diverse group of individual families, and is committed to the empowerment of all registered North Carolina Homeschoolers in making informed decisions regarding homeschooling in North Carolina.

“…In Arizona, “Parents who home-school their children are not required to follow state curriculum standards that public schools must follow. According to Kim Fields, program coordinator for the Pima County School Superintendent’s office. Additionally, the students do not have to take Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards test or the Standford 9 exam, fields said.” (Home schools; Colleen Sparks, Arizona Daily Star, February 13, 2003).

In Texas, “Texas has very few requirements for home schools, considering them private schools (which are not regulated by the state). The state requires no teacher certification, no advance notice, and no testing or attendance records. The only specified subjects are reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship. Texas does not award diplomas to students who are home-schooled. (”Issues in Education” Education: Reflecting Our Society? Gina Giuliand).

The most strict and aggressive home-school laws comes from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. “Parents must have a college degree or be supervised by a certified teacher; the annual affidavit to apply for home-schooling must be submitted 60 days prior to the beginning of the school year or the family will not be allowed to home school; the curriculum used must mirror the curriculum of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico schools; each home-school student must be evaluated annually in an interview with a licensed psychologist or teacher certified by the Commonwealth; and finally, the home-school would be subjected to unannounced home visitations four times a year.” (Legislators make attempts to curb parental authority, The Washington Times, February 3, 2003).

I have discussed the wide discrepancies that exist in Arizona, Texas the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, so where does the state that I reside in (Indiana) in the bed of home-school qualifications? According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (or HSLDA): You have a legal option to operate a home school as a private school, attendance is the same as public schools which is 180 days a year, subjects taught are none, qualifications are nonexistent, no advance notice, no testing required but you have to maintain attendance records.

Should anything be done to rectify the lack of authority with respect to the parental qualifications? Not necessarily. A question often asked is: Should a home-school parent have at least four years of education to teach their kids? “Doctor Eric Hasnushek of the University of Rochester surveyed the results of 113 studies on the impact of teachers’ qualifications on their students’ academic achievement. Eighty-five percent of the studies found no positive correlation between the educational performance of the students and the teachers’ educational background.” (Smoke and Mirrors; Facts don’t support home school rules; John Swarty, Charleston Gazette, February 21, 2003)….”

For the complete article visit:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/660297/do_parents_need_qualifications_to_teach.html

“Nine-year-old Brian Wynne sometimes starts school at 6:30 in the morning, while his sister, Emily, usually waits until 9.

No matter when they start, they’re usually done by lunchtime. That’s one of the benefits of home schooling.

Although they both play summer sports with Grand Island recreation leagues, they are prohibited by state law from spending time in after-school sports activities with other kids their age at their local elementary school.

“I want to play softball,” said Emily, 12, but that isn’t allowed at school — at least for now.

According to the law, the 18,000 children in New York State who are instructed at home are barred from participating in interscholastic athletics, although school districts can allow them to join other activities.

Most of the estimated 3,000 homeschooled children in Western New York do not participate in extracurricular activities, but Grand Island school leaders are weighing whether to grant the request of the Wynne family and change a district policy that would open the door for 67 homeschooled children.

The children then could be eligible to join not just an elementary after-school sports program, but the whole range of extracurriculars, from intramurals and clubs to band, dramas and musicals. ..”

for the rest of the article visit: http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/298660.html

“….Similar bills were filed in both the House and Senate, providing a dual track for final passage.

The biggest contention over a Jindal bill Monday was a discussion in the Ways and Means Committee over Greene’s House Bill 7, which would allow parents of students in private and parochial schools to take a tax deduction of 50 percent of tuition up to $5,000 per pupil, offering a tax break of roughly $60 to $300 per student for most nonpublic-school families.

In its original form, the bill also offered an unlimited deduction for home-schooling expenses. …

Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, said he “was thrilled” by Jindal’s proposals for the session except for the private school tuition deduction. He offered an amendment, which passed 15-3, that would give parents of public school students a tax deduction for the cost of school uniforms, supplies and expenses required for core curricula. The deduction would not apply to extracurricular activities such as band, sports and clubs.

Some members said Hoffmann’s amendment, by giving a nod to public school parents, made the bill more “palatable” to those who might have opposed it.

The committee also amended the bill to limit the deduction allowed for home schooling expenses. Some of the members expressed a concern that the unlimited deduction would invite parents to take their children on educational trips and count the expenses as a tax deduction. The amendment limited the deduction to 50 percent of the actual expenses up to $5,000.

The amended bill passed, 15-3. ”

For the complete article visit:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1205212941281810.xml&coll=1

“Dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt and a dark sweater, carrying a briefcase, face obscured by a beard, Alex Peppe resembles a normal neo-hippie 20-something grad student about to teach a lab. He was once a lab instructor, but Peppe is not anywhere near normal. And he is not a grad student. Nor is he in his 20s.

Peppe is 17. He started taking college classes at the age of 11, and is one of the youngest students ever to attend USM.

His mother, Helen, started teaching Peppe at home when he was four, and his education was extremely varied. He learned everything from foreign languages to guitar and banjo; literature, fencing, martial arts and skiing.”

For more of this story visit:

http://media.www.usmfreepress.org/media/storage/paper311/news/2008/03/10/News/Another.Doogie.Howser-3260040.shtml