South Carolina’s The State reports School choice fails in SC Senate

COLUMBIA — A proposal that would give tax breaks to parents of home-schooled and private-school students was defeated in the Senate Wednesday.

The Senate debated the proposal, offered by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, as an amendment to the state budget starting July 1.

The article said the state would lose $39.1 million in tax revenues, but I think that’s consideration relative to whether it stays in the taxpayers/users’ pocket directly or not.

The proposal would give tax deductions of $4,000 for private-school students, $2,000 for home-schooled children, and $1,000 for students attending a school in another district.

Education Week posted a story about a mom who fought back within the school system and realized the problem was solved leaving the system.  Gretchen Herrera’s son, diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and Type 1 diabetes, suffered from the required standardized testing.

Testing? No, No Testing, No Matter What By Nirvi Shah

Ms. Herrera had tried to have Anthony, 12, exempted from South Carolina’s annual tests in reading, math, and other subjects when he was in 6th grade last school year. But no reason would do—not even a medical note that explained Anthony’s blood sugar could spike because of his Asperger-related anxiety, which is just what happened on the first day of testing. Anthony, who did well on the exam, stayed home during other state tests.

The federal Office for Civil Rights decided late last year that Anthony wasn’t the victim of discrimination when he was kicked out of the school.

It’s sadly true children are often lost in the system with their individual needs.  Even when parents intervene for their children trying to fix the problems preventing learning.

Congratulations in finding an optimistic solution and welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling, Herrera family!

After nearly a year of battle with schools and the state department of education, Ms. Herrera has found peace for Anthony, now a 7th grader, even if she may face additional challenges down the line.

“I can’t be happier,” she said.

South Carolina homeschoolers had their say and then some.  The proposed homeschool bill is down to one sponsor now and he said he doesn’t want the bill to pass.

Home-schooling in SC still home-free by Ellen Meder SCNow

The legislation, which was introduced at the beginning of the month by Rep. Doug Brannon, R-Spartanburg, would require home-schooled students to take standardized testing and would take away one of the three options they have to register.

“I have had a huge outpouring of emails and letters and telephone calls in opposition to that bill and I have not assigned that bill to a subcommittee,” Owens, House Education and Public Works chairman, said Wednesday. “At this point having witnessed all the cosponsors deserting that bill and hearing the main sponsor has no desire to advance that bill, at this point I would say that bill is not moving forward.”

The articles states a Facebook group - “STOP Proposed Bill H3478” – gained 2,600 members so far.  Social media is an effective way to share grassroots information, go at these bills and make legislators pay attention.

It’s hard to understand how a group such as SCAIHS gained a foothold in state law documentation as an option.  The states can charge and certainly do charge high registration fees for licenses and such, but I’m baffled the government can direct citizens to pay fees to a separate organization in this manner.

Families oppose changes to home-schooling law | Upstate Parent –  Greenville Edition

“We are Option 3 home-schoolers, and Option 3 basically means you go through an accountability association and you keep your own records,” she said. “If Option 3 is taken off the table, we either have to go through the school district or we have to go through an association where it’s about $400 a year to register my children to home-school. As a family of six, we can’t afford that.”

Along with the required high fees, the group  seems to have strong ties to a particular Christian homeschool lobbying group and highly recommends membership in the application, while touting the same group in their sidebar.  Not only that, a Statement of Commitment must be signed off by parents which states: “As members of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools, we agree that the foundation of home schooling is built, in part, on the traditional family, established by a marriage between one man and one woman.”  This second “option” isn’t really an option for single parent homeschoolers and/or those not willing to sign off on that philosophy.

It’s good that South Carolina homeschoolers don’t lose that third option, even as I wonder how current restrictive laws such as South Carolina’s can legally exist.

WLTX, in Columbia, reports this below regarding HB 3478, a bill would have changed SC homeschooling law, leaving less positive options for homeschoolers.

Monday, Brennon told News19 he sent a letter to the chairman of the education committee “asking the bill remain in committee without a hearing, which kills this bill.”

I thought bills weren’t “killed” until the bill sponsorship was dropped.  But this looks like good news for South Carolina homeschoolers.

More background information here: South Carolina Bill Proposal Changes Homeschool Regulations

Update: See comments. Carolina Homeschooler’s forum also has updates. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

South Carolina has a new House bill  [HB 3478] that concerns homeschoolers.  Here’s an alert from SC’s Homeward Education Association. The HEA is one organization currently allowed as a “third option” oversight group via South Carolina homeschooling regulations:

On Tuesday, February 5th, Representatives Brannan, Anthony, Horne and Jefferson introduced H3478 in the SC House of Representatives. This bill would require ALL home schoolers to take state approved standardized tests, would require SCAIHS and all third option groups to report NAMES, not numbers, to the Department of Education each year and would eliminate ALL third option groups effective July 1, 2014. The bill is currently in the House Committee on Education & Public Works. We need homeschoolers to write, email or contact House Members on the Education and Public Works Committee and let them know our opposition to this bill. As with all communications, please be polite and respectful!

As explained on the Carolina Homeschooler site:  Third Option homeschoolers are those who choose to register through an accountability association which operates under Section 59-65-47 of the SC Code of Laws.  South Carolina homeschoolers may also check on the  Carolina Homeschooler forum for more information. 

One Representative, Jefferson,  dropped his sponsorship for this bill 2 days after it was introduced.  Here’s some media coverage about the bill sponsor’s apparent worries pertaining to the third legal option.  From WYFF

Changes could be coming for South Carolina’s home-schoolers – Upstate legislator proposing new laws

Representative Doug Brannon said he’s proposing it because he’s noticed problems in the system from his work as a legislator and as a family court attorney.

“I’m not going to say there’s no accountability, but there’s very, very little accountability,” Brannon said.

I think Representative Brannon might mean he doesn’t see enough accountability to the public school agencies.  It’s been proven there is plenty of accountability within homeschool families.  There’s a huge difference in that clarification.  Here’s WYFF video:

CBS affiliate News Channel 7 in Asheville, SC has a two and a half minute video newsclip about homeschooling and a short summary titled Homeschooling Numbers Up in South Carolina:

In South Carolina the number of parents choosing home school for their kids is growing. Studies show over the last ten years, home schooling has more than doubled across the state. Right now the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools estimates 19,000 children are homeschooled statewide, up 131 percent from 1999.