Getting involved in partisan politics has never been a good way to further homeschooling freedoms. In their November-December 2004 Taking Charge column, Let’s Not Link Homeschooling to Partisan Politics, Larry and Susan Kaseman write:
“To homeschool, you don’t have to have any specific ideas about politics or religion or lifestyle. In 1984, a newspaper reporter wrote that Wisconsin homeschoolers ranged from “Bible-thumping Baptists to granola crunching back-to-the-landers.” A major strength of the homeschooling movement is that it is not limited to any one political perspective or religion or anything else and in that sense is broad-based. Such a base is essential for a small minority that wants to maintain its identity, integrity, and freedoms despite being different from mainstream culture.”
With this in mind, an article appeared on the Cedar Valley Daily Times’ (Vinton, Iowa) website which reports on a recent party caucus, Party planks dominate Republican caucus.
VINTON–Twenty-six planks were set at Vinton’s Republican Caucus Saturday at Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School to use as a foundation for the republican’s platform in the upcoming election.
Among the list of the Republican party planks we find, “support and fully-fund homeschooling in Iowa.” Again, from the same ND/04 Taking Charge column:
“We also don’t want the government to grant us favors or special privileges or give homeschoolers money in the form of direct payments, reimbursements, tax credits, or tax deductions. Anyone who accepts money or special privileges from the government should be held accountable because the government is responsible for how taxpayers’ money is spent. We don’t want the government giving construction companies large sums of money for highways and not checking to make sure the highways are well built. So we can’t accept favors, special privileges, or money from the government and expect them not to check on how we are homeschooling.”
Unpacking the promise of, “support and fully-fund homeschooling” we are left with a contradiction in four words.
HEM
Helen
Tracy
mark
marynix
ann-lahrson-fisher
valerie
sandi
david
This is obvious backlash to the badly written Register article last week. It’s important to realize that this isn’t some movement amongst Iowan homeschoolers who really want the government of Iowa to fund their home education programs. This is just people reading in the paper that “homeschool funding is being cut” and being outraged on our behalf. The good news is, they like us. The bad news is, the Register created some confusion as to just how we work and what kind of “support” we need.