Comments on: Alaska’s Law Challenged? http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/legislation/alaskas-law-challenged/ From the editors and publishers of Home Education Magazine Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:55:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Helen http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/legislation/alaskas-law-challenged/#comment-42 Helen Thu, 25 Aug 2005 19:12:18 +0000 http://www.homeedmag.com/editorial/?p=49#comment-42 The Daily News has a 225 word limit on their letters, so I had to make a decision between writing with my full homeschool activist armor in place or writing as simply a homeschooler who has greatly benefitted under Alaska's law. I chose the latter: In the late sixties, in Eagle River, I left school at the age of 14 to continue my learning at home. My parents wisely understood the concept of homeschooling even then, and today, over 40 years later, our large extended Alaskan family is still homeschooling. My always-homeschooled sister went to the University of Alaska (and made the Dean's List); my always-homeschooled brother taught himself to fly and to rebuild classic cars; my always-homeschooled nephews went to the mideast to serve their country; my always-homeschooled children have built their own businesses, their own homes, and are now homeschooling my grandchildren. I and my husband taught ourselves skills with which we've run our own business for over 23 years. Hundreds of thousands of families like ours have shown the time-proven effectiveness of homeschooling. The unparalleled growth of this approach to education testifies to its success, and Alaska's homeschooling law serves many thousands of families who benefit from having a remarkable law which is often held up in other states as the gold standard of homeschooling. As other states strive to copy our much-admired example, why should we change what has worked so well for so long? Alaska's homeschooling law is not a "problem," as August 24th's letter writer alarmingly claims. Alaska's homeschooling law is a legislative vote of confidence in the families of this great state! Helen Hegener Palmer The Daily News has a 225 word limit on their letters, so I had to make a decision between writing with my full homeschool activist armor in place or writing as simply a homeschooler who has greatly benefitted under Alaska’s law. I chose the latter:

In the late sixties, in Eagle River, I left school at the age of 14 to continue my learning at home. My parents wisely understood the concept of homeschooling even then, and today, over 40 years later, our large extended Alaskan family is still homeschooling. My always-homeschooled sister went to the University of Alaska (and made the Dean’s List); my always-homeschooled brother taught himself to fly and to rebuild classic cars; my always-homeschooled nephews went to the mideast to serve their country; my always-homeschooled children have built their own businesses, their own homes, and are now homeschooling my grandchildren. I and my husband taught ourselves skills with which we’ve run our own business for over 23 years.

Hundreds of thousands of families like ours have shown the time-proven effectiveness of homeschooling. The unparalleled growth of this approach to education testifies to its success, and Alaska’s homeschooling law serves many thousands of families who benefit from having a remarkable law which is often held up in other states as the gold standard of homeschooling. As other states strive to copy our much-admired example, why should we change what has worked so well for so long?

Alaska’s homeschooling law is not a “problem,” as August 24th’s letter writer alarmingly claims. Alaska’s homeschooling law is a legislative vote of confidence in the families of this great state!

Helen Hegener
Palmer

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