A Living, Daring Confidence

But what does that daily faith look like?  When your toddler has emptied the Tupperware all over the kitchen floor for the umpteenth time while you are trying to finish a science experiment with your oldest child, what does that faith look like?  When the dishwasher starts leaking during a history lesson that should have been done a week or more ago, what does that faith look like?  When you answer the phone during "school hours" and, one by one, your children disappear to focus on anything but their assigned work, what does that faith look like?  Oftentimes, that daily faith-in-action eludes us, doesn't it?  Or at least it can feel that way.  Read more.

Earthquake Study Resources

In light of today's earthquake and aftershocks, some homeschool families may want to examine the subject of plate tectonics in more depth.  Here are some resources that may help:

A Science Odyssey (PBS).
You Try It:  Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker
Earthquake & Tsunami Unit Study & Lapbook
Earth Science:  Plate Movement, Earthquakes
Booklist for Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes
How the Earth Works (high school/college/adult)

and my favorite:  the seismophone at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Here is a short video of what it does.  Enjoy!

Another One Bites the Dust?

Up here in the Northeast, Connecticut is surrounded by states that rigorously regulate home education: New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and (a bit further away) Pennsylvania. New Jersey is actually one of our allies, so to speak, having a similar statute under which their families homeschool.* That is (possibly), until this week. A New Jersey assemblywoman and her fellow assemblyman introduced Assembly Bill No. 3123, an act that requires the registration and oversight of home education programs. To say that this bill may dramatically alter the homeschooling landscape in New Jersey is an understatement. What remains to be seen is if Connecticut will follow suit. Let’s hope not!

So what is New Jersey proposing?

1. That parents register their children in a homeschool program. Such registration will be accomplished via a notarized letter that includes:

- evidence that required subjects will be offered
- an outline of education objectives by subject
- evidence of immunization
- evidence of age-appropriate health/medical care
- certification that the education supervisor, all adults living in the home, and any person having legal custody of the children have not been convicted of specific criminal offenses within the preceding five years.

2. That each student shall receive 180 days of instruction per year in the subject areas determined by the education supervisor.

3. That guidelines for home education programs will be developed by the Commissioner of Education.

4. That parents may request use of public school textbooks, curriculum, etc.

5. That homeschooled students may have access to public school extracurricular activities provided the students meet all participation/tryout criteria and comply with all policies, rules, and regulations of the organizations governing the activities.

6. That the education supervisor will maintain a portfolio of work for each student enrolled in a homeschool program, including:

- a list of reading materials, samples of writing, worksheets, etc.
- standardized test results for students in grades three, five, and eight
- an annual written evaluation of student progress as determined by a qualified evaluator.

7. That a portfolio of student work will be submitted to the local school district annually by the education supervisor. If the superintendent of the local school district suspects that education is not occurring, he may request an early portfolio review. In such cases, the supervisor of the homeschool program has thirty days to respond. If the supervisor fails to comply, the home education program will be declared unsatisfactory and the children will be placed in a public or private school.

8. That the superintendent of the local school district has the authority to declare a home education program unsatisfactory. Upon such declaration, the supervisor of the program must be notified in writing. He has twenty days to respond by submitting additional portfolio documentation.

9. That in the case of a request for additional portfolio documentation, the home education program will declared unsatisfactory if the education supervisor fails to submit additional information. If the program is declared unsatisfactory, the children will be placed in a public or private school. If additional documentation is submitted, the superintendent will review it. If the home education program is still considered unsatisfactory, the local school board will hold a hearing on the matter and issue a determination. If the school board finds the program lacking as well, the children will be placed in a public or private school.

My biggest problem with this legislative proposal? It removes the parent as the “education supervisor.” I am not exactly sure who the New Jersey assemblyfolk plan to put in this position, but it isn’t the parent. Observe in section six:

b. for students in grade levels three, five, and eight, the results of nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading/language arts and mathematics administered by the supervisor…The test administrator shall not be the student’s parent or guardian.

c. an annual written evaluation of the student’s educational progress as determined by a qualified evaluator…The evaluator shall not be the supervisor or his spouse or the student’s parent or guardian.

If homeschooling isn’t done by the parent, then is it truly homeschooling? The nature of home education isn’t merely that it occurs in a location outside the brick and mortar walls of a public or private educational institution. The nature of home education is that it nurtures and strengthens the bonds of family relationships through the process of teaching and learning. Through the close mentor relationship that is established between parent and child, excellence is achieved. Taking the parent out of the picture by assigning, for example, some public school official to the position of “education supervisor” succeeds in transforming the homeschool into nothing more than a public school satellite program. I can’t think of a better way to quash the innovation that is so badly needed in education today. Can you?

* Every parent, guardian or other person having custody and control of a child between six and 16 shall cause such child regularly to attend the public schools of the district or a day school in which there is given instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments or to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.

More Exciting Opera News

My daughter had her second opera rehearsal last night, plus her first reception. She met the principals, those individuals who are singing the major parts, and she was fitted for her costume, a beautiful hunter green dress from the Metropolitan Opera costume department. I won’t even attempt to describe it here, as I was not privileged to see it. However, Katherine the Great says it looks like what I would typically think of as a “medieval” dress: it has leg-o-mutton sleeves, the square neckline, and a Tudor-era headband-style headdress to complete the ensemble. Needless to say, she is psyched! I can’t wait to see her in it. Now all she needs are some shoes and a necklace. Maybe I should ask Grandma. She used to do costuming for the college theater in her younger days. She might have some interesting ideas as to how we can pull off some accessories. Hmmm....

Life around here gets more interesting by the minute.

The Internship Has Begun

Last spring, Katherine the Great (who had only taken voice lessons for about seven months at the time) was offered an internship with a local opera company, singing as a chorus member. She filed the required paperwork in August and, yesterday, had an orientation meeting with the lady who takes care of the administrative tasks. Thirty minutes later, costume measurement sheet and rehearsal schedule in hand, her internship had officially begun. On the way home, I asked her how she was doing with the music. Current status: the first chorus piece is down cold. She sang part of it for me. Do you know who cool it is to have your Subaru filled with “live” opera music? I still have to pinch myself that my child has such a great voice. It truly astounds me. Best of all, I had nothing to do with it. It is totally her!

Catching the Bus

It is 6:45 AM and it is the first day of school for the 2008-2009 academic year. The bus that transports students to the local high school is about to stop a quarter-mile from my house. Thankfully, the school district scheduled two stops; one is a short walk in a northerly direction (6:52 AM); the other is a short walk in a southerly direction (6:50 AM). The distance is the same, regardless.

Do I know the whereabouts of my high school student? Yep. She is in bed! Oh no, she has exactly five minutes to catch the bus! Argh!!! What am I going to do? Well, because classes at the local high school don’t actually begin until 7:30 AM, I am not too worried. I am also not worried because I don’t need to be. You see, my family homeschools and the school year at “Home Education Academy” doesn’t begin until next week; and when classes do get up and running around here, the plan is to hit the math books about the same time the local kids hit the bus so my student can leave for three hours of organ and piano practice at a church 15-20 minutes from my house.

So, you see, the student who lives here still has to catch the bus. It is just that the bus looks more like a kitchen table (or a Subaru). I love homeschooling!

Busy Days Ahead

Summer is finally upon us here in Connecticut and, boy, do we have our work cut out for us!

Normally, my daughter has a pretty relaxing summer with only a little bit of schoolwork. Being homeschooled, she sometimes takes time off during the “academic year” and makes it up later. This year, however, we are fully involved with school clear through July (at least). You see, she has the opportunity for an internship with the Salt Marsh Opera Company in Stonington, Connecticut. In preparation for this job (because it is a paid position), she will be taking dance lessons, etiquette classes, and instruction in how to apply makeup. The latter is necessary for two reasons: one, my daughter is a “naturalist” who doesn’t wear makeup and needs to know how to wear it; and two, she needs to determine if she is allergic to anything that may be used on her face before the opera performances in October. The former classes are to improve her ease with people since she is rather shy around folks she doesn’t know, and to gain experience with “stage presence,” if you will.

We will also be taking to the road for a week or so to attend the first wedding of my daughter’s homeschool friends, a young man who lived in Connecticut for awhile before his family moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Katherine the Great was pals with his younger brother, but they all used to hang together playing computer games in their elementary years. The last time our families got together was several years ago; we met up one morning at a Krispy Kreme donut shop in near their home, while we were returning to our home for Thanksgiving. My husband was working a job in the Tidewater area at the time, and my daughter and I had gone down to visit while checking out the latest exhibits at Colonial Williamsburg.

Third on our list for the summer is planning for winter. The last time the Midwest had major flooding (see The Great USA Flood of 1993), Connecticut followed up with more than a half-dozen snowstorms from January-March 1994. My husband was enduring thyroid cancer at the time and Katherine the Great was only three years old (yikes!). I already locked in my heating oil at $3.799/gallon. Now, I would like to replace our family room windows and make certain we are well outfitted with insulating window treatments, not to mention winter clothes, before the snow flies. Lacking the cash flow to pay a contractor, my husband and I may end up doing the work ourselves (ugh!). Hey, we put a roof on our house, so a few windows shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, right? :-)

So, are you relaxing this summer or are your days as busy as mine?

One Down, A Few To Go

In a musically inclined family (like ours), the end of the “academic” year is filled with recitals and performances, and this year is no exception. Tonight was our daughter’s piano recital. Performance piece: "Allegretto from Sonata in B-flat" by Mozart. Tomorrow night is the last handbell concert featuring a program of twelve pieces, some classical, some modern, and some just for fun (like "Plink, Plank, Plunk" by Leroy Anderson). Saturday sees the first music theory exam by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Last, but not least, Sunday is the year-end recital for Calvary Music School. This performance includes an original setting of Psalm 23 for voice and organ (written by Katherine the Great) and a voice solo piece --- "Build My House" by Leonard Bernstein from the musical Peter Pan.

Busy weekend afoot around here! What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

2008 Hurricane Season

Tomorrow, June 1st, is the beginning of the 2008 hurricane season. Living on the east coast (in Connecticut), with many friends who also live on the eastern seaboard (in Virginia and North Carolina), plus having experience with tornadoes from my early years in Minnesota, I like to keep an eye on the weather. And with the tornado season being so active --- more than 600 tornadoes thus far --- I am wondering if the hurricane season will offer more activity than usual as well. Regardless, I will be monitoring these websites as needed:

National Hurricane Center:
Officially designated in 1967, the center was actually founded in 1898 when then-President William McKinley declared that the weather bureau establish a hurricane warning network. Here is the remainder of a history description from Wikipedia:

The Miami office [of the weather bureau] was designated the National Hurricane Center in 1967, and given responsibility for Atlantic tropical cyclones in their vicinity. Other hurricane warning centers, such as in New Orleans and Boston, played a role even into the 1980’s. In 1984, the NHC was separated from the Miami Weather Service Forecast Office. By 1988, the NHC gained responsibility for eastern Pacific tropical cyclones as the former Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center in San Francisco was decommissioned….In 1995, the NHC was moved into a new hurricane resistant facility on the campus of Florida International University.

The Weather Underground Tropical Weather page
Considered the first Internet weather service, here is an abbreviated history of the Weather Underground from their website:

Jeff Masters, when a PhD candidate in meteorology at the University of Michigan and working under the direction of Professor Perry Samson, wrote a menu-based telnet interface in 1991, which displayed real-time weather information around the world. By 1992, the two servers his system used were rattling off their desks as “um-weather” became the most popular service on the Internet.

Perry and Jeff, in 1993, recruited Jeff Ferguson and Alan Stermberg to help build a system to bring Internet weather into K-12 classrooms…The growing Internet weather program was given the name “The Weather Underground,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the 1960’s radical group that also originated at the University of Michigan.

And in case you want to use hurricane season as the basis for a meteorology unit with your homeschool group, don’t forget to order a hurricane tracking kit (good for 25 students). While I have never done this, it looks like a great way to get kids tuned-in to observing the weather. Setting up a weather station might also be of interest if weather is your summer homeschool project. I prefer this build-it-yourself version from FamilyFun.com.

Oh, and don’t forget, unlike tornadoes, the National Weather Service names the hurricanes (and tropical storms) that come long each year. The 2008 names are listed below. Stay safe out there!

2008 Hurricane Names
Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred

How Does This Work?

This morning, I received an online newsletter from a homeschool support network in my state. I am on their mailing list, but I don’t really ever participate in their activities, mostly because they are too far away. I stay on the list to keep in touch with what other homeschoolers are doing, what they are thinking, and how they “do school.” Increasingly, I am finding this sort of scenario mentioned, not just in the particular newsletter I read this morning but also in blogs and online forums. Maybe you have seen similar situations described as well.

I am a mother of four, stepmom to three, and pregnant with number eight. I homeschool my four biological children...

I work full-time at a non-profit agency where I am responsible for developing programs, networking, and doing fun things like organizing our annual community fair. I “go to” an online university in pursuit of getting a degree...

In my spare time, I run a book club that I really enjoy.

How does this work? How can a parent work full-time and homeschool? I can see if you are a telecommuting parent, or a parent who works out of your home because you would be there to supervise and care for your kids during the day. How does this work if you are employed outside of your home during regular office hours?

I do not mean to be judgmental; I just don’t know how this works. I have homeschooled for over ten years, always as a stay-at-home mom who keeps up her “work skills” by volunteering with community organizations, etc. I sincerely wish to know how people do this.

Re-Hearing Granted!

Praise the Lord for small miracles! The California Court of Appeal has granted a motion of rehearing in the case of In re Rachel L. Here is the article from the HSLDA website.

On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the In re Rachel L. case --- the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.

The automatic effect of granting this motion is that the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case.

The Court of Appeal has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three other California teacher unions. The court also grated permission to Sunland Christ School to file an amicus brief. The order also indicates that it will consider amicus applications for other groups.

Home School Legal Defense Association will seek to file such an amicus brief and will coordinate efforts with a number of organizations interesting [sic] in filing briefs to support the right of parents to homeschool their children in California.

“This is a great first step,” said Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA. “We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be. This case remains our top priority,” he added.

The most important part: the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on anyone!

An Update on SB162

Recently, a piece of legislation was introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly, the goal of which is to allow parents to withdraw their children from public school without a potential referral to the Department of Children and Families. This post is a message that was sent to my homeschool group summarizing action on the bill to date.
----------------------------
By now, many of you may have seen the latest update from NHELD on the status of Senate Bill 162. Unfortunately, the news is challenging. However, if we rally together, pray for favor, rely on God, and remain vigilant, we can prevail. If we do all these things and are still handed increased regulation, we know that the Lord can (and will) use it for our benefit and for the benefit of the homeschooling movement at large. Remember:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. --- Romans 8:28

That said, in this particular message, I would like to review what has occurred thus far using a timeline from the Connecticut General Assembly Bill Tracking webpage:

2/14/2008 Referred to Joint Committee on Children
2/15/2008 Public Hearing Scheduled 2/19/2008
2/19/2008 Public Hearing on SB162
2/28/2008 Joint Favorable Substitute Change of Reference Education
2/29/2008 Filed with Legislative Commissioners’ Office
3/3/2008 Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners’ Office
3/4/2008 Favorable change of Reference, Senate to Committee on Education
3/4/2008 Favorable change of Reference, House to Committee on Education
3/18/2008 Joint Favorable Substitute
3/19/2008 Filed with Legislative Commissioners’ Office

If you recall, the desired original bill (the O’NEILL VERSION) was supposed to alter only a portion of Statute 10-220 (Duties of Boards of Education) and was supposed to read like this:

Purpose: to allow parents to home school their children and to require the board of education to respect their decision.

…when a parent or guardian of a child provides by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the principal of the school that the child attends, to the superintendent of schools for the school district in which such school is located or the local or regional board of education for such school district, written notice originated by and signed by the parent or guardian of the child stating that the parent or guardian is withdrawing the child from enrollment in a public school and will provide instruction for the child as required pursuant to section 10-184, the principal of the school that the child attends, the superintendent and the local or regional board of education shall accept such notice and shall deem the child withdrawn form enrollment in the public school immediately upon receipt of such notice…

But, somehow, when the legislation reached the Joint Committee on Children, the bill had been rewritten to alter Statute 10-184 (Duties of Parents) by adding an entirely new section to that law. This version read thus:

Purpose: to create a procedure in which a parent or guardian is to follow when withdrawing a child from enrollment in public school.

…If the parent or other person having control of a child elects to provide the instruction required pursuant to this section to such child, such parent or other person may withdraw such child from school upon providing the notice described in this subsection to the principal of the school the child is attending or the superintendent of schools for the local or regional school district in which such school is located. Such notice shall (1) state that the parent or other person is withdrawing the child from school and that such required instruction will be provided by the parent or such other person, (2) be in writing, (3) be signed by such parent or other person, and (4) be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested. Such principal and superintendent of schools and the local or regional board of education for such school district shall accept such notice and shall deem the child withdrawn from school immediately upon receipt of such notice.

Thankfully, the Joint Committee on Children passed an amendment changing the bill back to the original intended wording (the O’NEILL VERSION) and causing the legislation to, once again, alter only Statute 10-220.

This favorable version of the bill then proceeded to the Joint Committee on Education. A hearing was held on February 19, 2008. Encouragingly, no one spoke in opposition to the legislation and no representative from the Department of Education bothered to show up, leading the homeschool community to believe that the bill would be voted out of committee with the original desired wording (the O’NEILL VERSION).

Well, homeschooling advocates should never become too complacent when life is humming along, seemingly in their favor, for some unexpected event is sure to ambush them. And, boy, were we ambushed. On March 6, 2008, National Home Education Legal Defense reported on their website that the Commissioner of Education contacted the sponsor of Senate Bill 162, Representative Arthur O’Neill, and proposed his own changes, the clear text of which I do not have. It is also my understanding that many of the Commissioner’s ideas were incorporated into yet a third permutation of the bill, a permutation that was eventually offered up at the last meeting of the Education Committee. I refer to it as the GAFFEY VERSION because Senator Gaffey is a Co-Chairman of the aforementioned hearing body. This version reads thus and is the version that was approved by the Education Committee and that will be voted on in the Senate (unless another amendment is offered changing it back to the original desired form). I have highlighted the new portions in orange:

(b) The parent or person having control of a child sixteen or seventeen years of age who does not intend to provide equivalent instruction to such child pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may consent, as provided in this subsection, to such child’s withdrawal from school. Such parent or person shall personally appear at the school district office and sign a withdrawal from. The school district shall provide such parent of person with information on the educational options available in the school system and in the community.

(c) The parent or person having control of a child five years of age shall have the option of not sending the child to school until the child is six years of age and the parent or person having control of a child six years of age shall have the option of not sending the child to school until the child is seven years of age. Unless the parent or person having control of such child elects to provide equivalent instruction pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the parent or person shall exercise such option by personally appearing at the school district office and signing an option form. The school district shall provide the parent or person with information on the educational opportunities available in the school system.

(d) (1) If the parent or person having control of a child elects to provide the equivalent instruction pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to such child, other than through enrollment in a nonpublic school, such parent or other person shall provide written notice pursuant to this subsection to (A) (i) the principal of the school the child is attending, or (ii) if such child is not enrolled in school, to the principal of the school such child would otherwise attend due to the child's residency, or (B) the superintendent of schools for the local or regional school district in which such school is located. The parent or other person having control of such child shall provide notice in accordance with the provisions of this subsection each time such child resides in a school district other than the district for which such notice was initially provided.

(2) Notice provided pursuant to this subsection shall (A) state that the parent or other person having control of such child intends to provide the child with equivalent instruction pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (B) be signed by the parent or other person having control of such child, and (c) be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested. The principal or superintendent and the local or regional board of education employing the principal or superintendent shall immediately accept such notice as evidence that the child is receiving such equivalent instruction.

It is this latter section, section (d),that appears to carry the most danger. At least that is how I see it. I will explain further in my next posting.

A First Poem

My daughter is taking a poetry class this term that consists of reading through and completing the exercises in The Grammar of Poetry: Imitation in Writing by Matt Whitling, as well as participating in a class where she reads through “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. I also plan to add some poetry memorization later in the year.

In Lesson 11 of the curriculum, Katherine the Great was asked to write a poem using iambic tetrameter. This is her result:

The Cave

There is a cave upon a bay,
Upon an ocean wild and gray;
And many a traveler long has sought
This pirates trove long since forgot.

For in that cave there lieth gold
And silver, diamonds, treasures old,
All mold’ring in the dank and gloom,
Their seekers sailing to their doom.

Now to that shore remote I came,
The pirates treasure for to claim;
But lo! the love of Christ I found
More precious than the fortune ‘round.

Call me a proud parent, but I think her initial foray into poetry turned out quite well.

At Least Florida Makes An Effort

In the same week that California attacked homeschooling with an unfavorable appellate court ruling (see article at Bending the Twigs), Florida Governor Charlie Crist issued this proclamation:

HOME EDUCATION WEEK

WHEREAS, the State of Florida is committed to excellence in education and to public policy that strengthens the family and recognizes parental choice in pursuit of that excellence and the importance of parental involvement in education; and

WHEREAS, from the earliest days of our nation, there have been some prominent Americans who were home educated including George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Booker T. Washington, Helen Keller and Sandra Day O’Connor; and

WHEREAS, home education has existed as a statutorily protected educational option in the State of Florida since 1985, providing parents the ultimate authority and responsibility, under God, for the care, character development, and educational opportunities for their children; and

WHEREAS, in support of home education, the State of Florida extends and embraces the opportunity for home educated students to participate in and benefit from scholarship programs, college courses, Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and Florida State Music Association (FSMA) extra-curricular activities; and

WHEREAS, over two decades of studies indicate most children who are home educated exhibit self-confidence, good citizenship, exceptional academic test scores, higher than average college attendance and success and many have proven devotion to their country by faithfully serving in the armed forces of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the State of Florida and its citizens benefit from reduced educational expenditures and classroom crowding each year given the daily sacrifices and commitment of thousands of home schooling parents;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Charlie Crist, Governor of the State of Florida, do hereby extend greetings and best wishes to all observing March 30 thru April 5, 2008 as Home Education Week.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed at Tallahassee, the Capital, this 29th day of February, in the year two thousand eight.

The Governor Speaks

Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued this statement regarding the appellate decision in In re Rachel L. I am not always a fan of the “Governator,” but in this particular instance, I am happy for his support:

Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children. Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children’s education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then, as elected officials, we will.

Well, thank the Lord someone in the Golden State is thinking clearly.

Sign the Petition!

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is asking homeschoolers everywhere to support homeschool freedom in California by signing a petition to “depublish” the recent appellate decision in In re Rachel L. So far, 87,983 people have committed their names to the effort. For more information, read on (from the HSLDA website):

A California Court of Appeal recently decided that homeschooling is illegal in California unless a parent is a certified teacher.

The case arose in a confidential juvenile court proceeding. The family was represented by court-appointed attorneys and HSLDA did not become aware of the case until the Court of Appeal case was published on February 28, 2008.

The Court could have restricted its decision to the facts before it, but instead it issued a broad ruling that effectively outlaws home education in California. The Court also certified its decision for publication, which means that the decision can now be cited as legal by all other courts in California.

The family and their California counsel are planning to appeal to the Supreme court of California, which could result in reversal.

Another option to keep homeschooling free in California is to petition the Supreme Court of California to “depublish” the opinion. If the opinion is “depublished” then it cannot be used by the other California courts and this threat to homeschool freedom will be neutralized for other California homeschoolers.

HSLDA will be formally petitioning the California Supreme Court to depublish the opinion. We would like to show that many other people, both in California and across the country, care deeply about homeschool freedom in California.

Please show your support for this effort by signing the petition today.

We, the undersigned, request that the Supreme Court of California depublish the Court of Appeal opinion in In re Rachel L., handed down on February 28, 2008.

To reach the petition, click here.

My Thoughts on SB 162

As you may have noticed, a fair number of the recent posts on Gooseberry Lane have referenced CT Senate Bill 162, An Act Concerning the Withdrawal of a Child from Enrollment in a Public School. To date, most of what has been posted is logistical stuff --- hearing times, hearing locations, that sort of thing. Today, I would like to take a moment to discuss the bill itself and why I think Connecticut homeschoolers should think twice before supporting it in its revised form. Please be advised that I am not an attorney and the following statements are merely my opinion.

AN ISSUE OF WORDING AND APPLICABLE STATUTES

First, and most obvious, the wording of the current legislation is not the wording that was originally proposed. This is the original wording:

Original Wording

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That subsection (a) of section 10-220 of the general statutes be amended to provide when a parent or guardian of a child provides by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the principal of the school that the child attends or to the superintendent of the local or regional board of education, written notice originated by and signed by the parent or guardian of a child stating that the parent or guardian is withdrawing the child from enrollment in a public school and will provide instruction for the child as required pursuant to section 10-184 of the general statutes, the principal of the school that the child attends or the local or regional board of education shall accept such notice and shall deem the child withdrawn from enrollment in the public school immediately upon receipt of such notice.

For those who may not know, Section 10-220 of the general statutes enumerates the duties of boards of education, and the list is quite long. Per homeschoolers, boards of education are responsible for causing our students (of applicable age) to attend school in accordance with the provisions of Section 10-184, which means they can request a demonstration of equivalent instruction. The applicable portion of subsection (a) of Section 10-220 currently reads thus:

Pertinent Text of Statute 10-220

…shall cause each child five years of age and over and under eighteen years of age who is not a high school graduate and is living in the school district to attend school in accordance with the provisions of section 10-184...

As you can see, the original wording of CT Senate Bill 162 would be added to this text. The purpose for this change would be to allow parents to homeschool their children and to require the board of education to respect that decision once it is made. The burden of compliance, if you will, per the notice of withdrawal would fall heaviest on the board of education. Parents would need to file the paperwork, of course, but once filed, it could not be interfered with by any action on the part of the board of education. Their only duty/responsibility would be to take the notice into their possession, acknowledge receipt of it, and immediately remove the child from the enrollment records of the school. No questions asked and no additional requirements beyond what is already enumerated in section 10-184 of the general statutes (equivalent instruction).

That is what would have happened had the original wording manifested itself in the draft bill. Unfortunately, during the drafting process, the wording of the bill was changed. The new wording looks like this:

Text of New Bill

If the parent or other person having control of a child elects to provide the instruction required pursuant to this section to such child, such parent or other person may withdraw such child from school upon providing the notice described in this subsection to the principal of the school the child is attending or the superintendent of schools for the local or regional school district in which such school is located. Such notice shall (1) state that the parent or other person is withdrawing the child from school and that such required instruction will be provided by the parent or other such person, (2) be in writing, (3) be signed by such parent or other person, and (4) be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested. Such principal and superintendent of schools and the local or regional board of education for such school district shall accept such notice and shall deem the child withdrawn from school immediately upon receipt of such notice.

If you were thinking to yourself that this wording doesn’t sound that much different than the original wording, you would be correct. However, the problem lies not just in the wording but in the fact that the new wording is a change to a completely different statute, Section 10-184 of the general statutes, NOT Section 10-220. Again, for those who may not know, Section 10-184 enumerates the duties of parents, meaning that should this new version of the bill become law, the burden of compliance could fall heaviest on the parent and each school district could, potentially, engage in the same shenanigans per non-acceptance of the notice of intent that has occurred for some time now in various parts of the state. Actually, I believe the fear is that school district officials may become even bolder in their attitude toward the notice of intent as they attempt to define the new term, “required instruction,” insisting that it must be demonstrated before a withdrawal notice would be deemed complete enough to “accept.” See the difference?

Practically speaking, regardless of where the new wording is installed or whether the wording that is used is new or original, the effect on Connecticut homeschoolers whose children are already being instructed at home will be non-existent should this bill become law. This debate is about formalizing a procedure whereby future homeschoolers could remove their children from school without the potential for harassment. By installing the original wording in Section 10-220 that potential is minimized; installing it in Section 10-184 adds a withdrawal procedure and, some would argue, keeps that potential for harassment intact.

MassHOPE Convention 2008

This past Saturday, I received my first flyer for the 2008 MassHOPE Convention, the largest conference for Christian homeschoolers in New England. Mark your calendars; it will be in Worcester, Massachusetts, April 25-26. The scheduled keynote speakers are Michael Farris of HSLDA and Kevin Swanson of the Christian Home Educators of Colorado. The theme: Parenting --- A Right, A Responsibility, A Reward.

I am particularly interested in these workshops:

- Smart Kids Who Hate to Write
- Teaching Sense in a World of Nonsense
- Teaching Your Children the Constitution
- Evaluating for Excellence
- Can One Man Make a Difference? Can You?

My daughter has indicated some curiosity about these sessions:

- Real-Life Courtship
- Are You ‘Just Fine’ Without the Fine Arts?
- I’m Sorry: Training Young Apologists

Of course, I am interested in these sessions for my daughter:

- Public Speaking: A Force to be Reckoned With
- Forging Ahead: Apprenticeships in the 21st Century
- Teaching Your Child the Most Feared Activity: Public Speaking

We’ll see how that discussion goes. :-)

Generation Joshua will also be there organizing a mock Presidential election as part of the Teen Track for students ages 12-18. Here is the description for that activity from the convention brochure:

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to run for President of the United States? Now you have the chance to run for President, to build coalitions, to interact in press conferences --- while learning about our system of government, and how faith and politics intersect.

- snip –

Interspersed with the mock election will be serious and relevant lectures about a Christian’s role in politics, how young people can make a difference in their country, and how youth can get involved in Generation Joshua.

And, of course, my daughter and I will be shopping for curriculum. This may be one of our last trips to the conference as active homeschoolers, as my daughter is approaching her high school graduation. I can hardly believe she is almost finished. It seems like we just started with some Play-doh and a work-play curriculum from the Calvert School. I guess time flies when you’re having fun engaging a young mind!

To learn more about the convention, check out the MassHOPE website at www.masshope.org. A full listing of workshops and classes has not yet been posted there but should be available shortly. One last suggestion: if you plan to attend, make your hotel reservations early. Rooms fill up quickly.

See you there!

Urgent Update!!! CT Senate Bill 162

Early this afternoon, I received this comment from Judy Aron at Consent of the Governed. I am quoting here so as not to miss any important information (emphasis mine in orange/gold, underline mine as well). This comment can also be read at the original post. I will continue to supply new information as it comes my way.

We’ve actually found some major problems with this wording --- which is not the same wording that we agreed on!

As the bill is currently proposed, we will not be supporting it --- yes, your read that correctly --- I have pulled my post because we are looking into what happened with the original language. Details will be forthcoming about what the story is but basically this was not supposed to be part of 10-184, nor does it really solve the problems entirely.

Although it does require the school district to accept a letter of withdrawal, this new bill, SB 162, in essence, would codify the right of school districts to somehow grant “permission” to the parents to allow them to withdraw their children “if” they “elect” to provide the “required instruction.” Conversely, this bill could be read to prohibit parents from withdrawing their children from school “if” parents do not “elect” to provide the “required instruction.” The bill does not define the term, “required instruction.” This leaves the door wide open to still more of the coercive tactics already used by school officials to prevent parents from withdrawing their children. It does nothing to solve the problem. It only encourages more of the same.

To repeat, Senator Meyer’s version of the new bill, SB 162, would infringe on the already existing right of parents to withdraw their children from public school without the so-called “permission” of the school district.

This is not the bill that Representative O’Neill originally proposed, and it is not the bill that NHELD and other homeschool and parenting groups supported.

The original language and statement of purpose was supposed to be this:

AN ACT CONCERNING WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That subsection (1) of section 10-220 of the general statues be amended to provide when a parent or guardian of a child provides be certified mail, return receipt requested, to the principal of the school that the child attends or tot he superintendent of the local or regional board of education, written notice originated by and signed by the parent or guardian of a child stating that the parent or guardian is withdrawing the child from enrollment in a public school and will provide instruction for the child as required pursuant to section 10-184 of the general statutes, the principal of the school that the child attends or the local or regional board of education shall accept such notice and shall deem the child withdrawn from enrollment in the public school immediately upon receipt of such notice.

Statement of Purpose
To allow parents to home school their children and to require the board of education to respect their decision.

Check back to my site Monday to read an update on this issue --- right now we are not very pleased with this turn of events and Senator Meyer is claiming he doesn’t know what happened and support the original language.

A bulletin will be coming out from NHELD.

CT Senate Bill 162

PLEASE NOTE: A problem has arisen with the wording of SB 162 as presented below. The legislation, as originally proposed by Representative Arthur O'Neill, was not intended to amend Connecticut General Statue 10-184. It was supposed to amend Connecticut General Statute 10-220. For further explanation of this development, please see the comment to this post by Judy Aron or read my more recent post, "Urgent Update!!! CT Senate Bill 162." Thank you.
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Well, after three years of work, it looks like NHELD, Representative Arthur O’Neill, and Connecticut parents will finally get a hearing for An Act Concerning Withdrawal of a Child from Enrollment in a Public School. From Consent of the Governed, we have this information:

Thanks to the support of State Senator Meyer and State Representative Anne Ruwet of the Select Committee on Children, the Parents Rights Bill proposed by Representative Arthur O’Neill has been raised in the Childrens Committee and will finally have a public hearing on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 9:00 am in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Building.

The purpose of the bill is to create a procedure by which parents will be able to remove their children from public school without fear of being harassed for truancy because an educational institution refused to remove the children in question from an official enrollment list. This has been a problem in Connecticut as schools attempt to “motivate” parents to comply with the current voluntary suggested procedure of filing a notice of intent before disenrolling a student. If passed, the legislation would add the following to Connecticut General Statute 10-184:

If the parent or other person having control of a child elects to provide the instruction required pursuant to this section to such child, such parent or other person may withdraw such child from school upon providing the notice described in this subsection to the principal of the school the child is attending or the superintendent of schools for the local or regional school district in which such school is located. Such notice shall (1) state that the parent or other person is withdrawing the child from school and that such required instruction will be provided by the parent or such other person, (2) be in writing, (3) be signed by such parent or other person, and (4) be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested. Such principal and superintendent of schools and the local or regional board of education for such school district shall accept such notice and shall deem such child withdrawn from school immediately upon receipt of such notice.

Any homeschoolers who wish to testify in support of the bill are instructed to sign up at 8:00 am Tuesday morning in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Building, approximately one hour prior to the official proceedings. Those signing up to speak are also asked to bring at least fifty copies of their testimony. At present, I do not plan to testify. Sadly, I may not even be able to attend the hearing due to some scheduling conflicts. However, I will try to keep you apprised of any developments.