An article in favor of tax payer support for Iowa’s HASPs:
There has been a lot of misinformation in the news lately, raising questions about what taxpayers “should” be paying for. Let me set the record straight: HSAPs use tax dollars to pay for the public school teachers who assist families. The money does not go to religious materials or instruction (though parents are free to pursue religious education at home with materials they purchase). The money is not given to families. The money does not come at the cost of regularly-enrolled students.
A longer view on public school programs.
Ulrike said on January 26, 2010
I notice you’ve tagged this as “public school at home.” HSAP is not public school at home. Iowa law requires evaluation of every homeschooled student either through annual testing or portfolio submission OR by using a licensed teacher to “supervise”. This program provides supervising teachers funded by the school district, rather than requiring parents to pay out of pocket for a teacher to supervise.
Curriculum is selected, purchased, and executed solely by the parents. It is not selected, funded, or vetoed by the HSAP. The HSAP *may* provide enrichment and socialization opportunities (like field trips, parties or classes), and the HSAP may have additional restrictions beyond the minimum required by law (for example, Iowa Code only requires half of the supervising teacher meetings to occur face-to-face, but HSAPs may want all of them to be in person).