Too Cool For Homeschool? (Here’s what you didn’t know), by Melanie O’Brien, shares the activities of families involved with the Baltimore Homeschool Community Center, described as “…bright and friendly, full of laughing kids and smiling adults.” The member-based organization serves homeschooling families throughout the Baltimore area. O’Brien writes:

“But wait a second. Why are homeschoolers away from home, in a center taking classes? If you’re like me (and statistics suggest you probably are), then your state-mandated K-12 education happened in a public or private school. But for about 2.4 percent of Maryland’s school-aged kids, education happens somewhere else.”

The article is long, interesting, fair and balanced, and the final paragraph, while startling and unusual for an article about homeschooling, leaves true homeschoolers with a knowing smile. Recommended reading, for sure.

On Wednesday, Nov. 9th, at 9:00 a.m. PST, Homeschooling will be the topic of a program on KUOW-FM radio, 94.9, a National Public Radio affiliate station in Seattle, Washington, a service of the University of Washington, and a top-ranked radio station in the Seattle/Tacoma area.

Host Steve Scher will discuss homeschooling with several guests. The program notes detail the direction the questions will take:

“Homeschooling has soared in the United States in recent years, climbing from 850,000 home–schooled kids in 1999 to 1.5 million in 2007. That’s an increase of 74 percent. What government oversight is in place for parents who choose to keep their kids at home? What oversight should there be? What are the drawbacks and benefits of homeschooling? If you’re considering homeschooling, this show will inform your decision. Were you homeschooled? What was it like? Share your experience by calling 1.800.289.KUOW (5869).”

GUESTS:

Tera Schreiber is a non–practicing lawyer, former nonprofit executive director, and current freelance writer and home–schooling mother. She has three daughters who are nine, seven and four. She’s been homeschooling for five years.

Erica Forrest homeschools her children.

Jen Garrison Stuber is a board member for the Washington Homeschool Organization.

Rob Reich is an associate professor of political science at Stanford University.

Brian Ray is the founder and president of the National Home Education Research Institute.

Court Case Home Education Magazine – Helen, Idoni.

Based on a short news item posted at the Home Education Magazine website in August, 2010, publisher Helen Hegener is involved in a lawsuit which was filed against homeschooling mother Heather Idoni, owner of Beloved Books, editor of The Homeschool Notebook, and manager of EasyFunSchool.com, brought against her by Mimi Rothschild, Howard Mandel, and Learning by Grace, Inc.

As part of Home Education Magazine’s 28-year-long commitment to keeping the homeschool community informed, the files and information on Learning By Grace, Inc. et al. v. Idoni are presented at this case-specific page.

Comments on the case are welcome, but Learning By Grace, Inc., et al. v. Idoni is an active defamation suit. Be truthful, respectful and please don’t spam.

No links or email addresses are allowed here do to legal issues. All comment links are no follow.

Homeschoolers in Illinois are facing challenges to their situation as described in this Sun-Times article by Fran Eaton, titled Homeschooling Parents Not Eager for States Help:

Homeschoolers can be called a lot of things because they’re so independent and self-sufficient, and that seems counter-intuitive in today’s world. But they’re not as paranoid as some public school officials would make them out to be. The truancy officer acknowledged he would assume guilt before proving innocence. He would not have a problem searching private homes to prove the schools within were up to state standards.

The Senate committee exchange became more revealing when Reynolds told the committee he would look around those registered homes for computers with educational software, books and other indications teaching was going on.

And then he would “help” them.

Illinois blogger Susan Ryan is following the situation closely at her blog Corn and Oil:

Illinois homeschoolers don’t want any legislation that will infringe on their rights.  Any negotiations are concerning if they ever end in compromise.  4,000 Illinois homeschoolers in the Capitol showed the resolve about that issue.

Susan also noted the formation of a political action committee for Illinois homeschoolers:

One good thing to come of this ongoing fiasco is the creation of the IL Homeschool PAC.  We needed that yesterday.

The future of laws and regulations in Indiana

In Homeschool regulations ahead? Karen Francisco in The Journal Gazette writes:

Indiana State Superintendent Tony Bennett released new non-waiver graduation rates today with a news release that suggests Indiana high schools might be “counseling students out” of public schools and into homeschool. Last week, I blogged about a New York Times article on private schools “counseling out” struggling students and I cited some examples of northeast Indiana parochial school students who transferred to public schools at the parochial schools’ request.

The Department of Education news release raises suspicions about the legitimacy of transfers from Indiana public high schools to a homeschool: “While we believe the vast majority of Indiana’s schools are doing the right thing, we fear some schools may be issuing waivers for students that aren’t quite ready to graduate and even counseling students out of traditional public schools and into ‘homeschool’ where the students then become untraceable,” Bennett said. “We are doing these students no favors and must reexamine this process. Homeschool is an excellent choice for some students, and such a decision should be made with each individual student’s needs in mind. However, if a student is reported as having transferred to a home school program, that student should, in fact, be participating in a legitimate program.”

And therein lies the problem – what’s a “legitimate” home school program? For better or worse, Indiana is among the states with no regulation of homeschool instruction.

Continue reading at the link above.

Whereas legislators are considering tax breaks for homeschoolers; and
Whereas a homeschool group representing a fraction of the community lobbies for said tax breaks;
our representatives need to know the true feelings of the homeschooling community.

Join Homeschoolers Against Tax Credits at Facebook.

The New York Times opinion pages for January 5 includes arguments for and against the idea of state tax credits for homeschoolers, which is being promoted as a priority as the the newest Republicans in Congress seek to challenge the federal role in American public education, with an eye toward turning more power over to the states. The collected debates are presented under the banner title Do Homeschoolers Deserve a Tax Break?

HEM political analysts and homeschooling parents Larry and Susan Kaseman have written extensively about this topic, including in the current January-February issue of Home Education Magazine: Beware of Privatization of Education: It Reduces Our Homeschooling Freedoms:

“Homeschoolers can’t assume that as long as they as individuals refuse to accept government money or favors, they won’t be required to comply with state regulations written for homeschoolers who do accept them. Legislators and state regulators are highly unlikely to develop and expect public officials to enforce two separate sets of regulations for homeschoolers, one for those who accept tax credits or tax deductions or reimbursements for educational expenses or who play on public school sports teams or participate in other public school activities and the other for homeschoolers who don’t. If legislation is passed or regulations are developed to hold homeschoolers accountable because some homeschoolers are receiving government money, those statutes or regulations will no doubt apply to all homeschoolers, not just those getting the money.”

Further analysis and information can be found in this 1999 article by homeschooling mother and long-time advocate for homeschooling, Peggy Daly-Masternak: So What About That Free Lunch?

“With little strain, we can all think of many examples where the state is attempting to solve the problems presented by a few with far-reaching blanket laws to cover a worst case scenario. Think curfews. Think proficiency tests. Think greater restrictions on parents rights.

“My dear friends in homeschooling, there is no free lunch. If one currently exists, it won’t last forever. The piper always gets paid.”

The theme for this Carnival revolves around quotes from the popular movie The Princess Bride, one of the most quoted movies of all time and a particular favorite of homeschooling families. Familiar lines such as “When I was your age, television was called books.” “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” and “As you wish.” are incorporated into the Carnival as the storyline is explained for those (few) who may be unfamiliar with it. It’s a brilliant composition, and a delightful foray into the movie’s favorite scenes. A fitting fifth anniversary edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling!

The January 2 Chicago Tribune features an article titled African-Americans Choosing to Home-School:

Home-schooling experts say more African-American families are choosing to school their children at home, opting out of public schools, which critics say may be not only failing their children, but also in some cases shortchanging them of their history.

“That is the No. 1 reason … the black curriculum,” said Joyce Burgess, who with her husband founded the National Black Home Educators organization, based near Baton Rouge, La. “They’ve taken black history out. It wasn’t just Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth … and Harriet Tubman. It was also Condoleezza Rice, Shirley Chisholm; it was also Marian Anderson and the Tuskegee Airmen. They’re heroes, and our children need to learn about our heroes.”

Although numbers reflecting the trends and demographics of home-schooled children are hard to come by — for example, in Chicago, parents who choose to home-school are not required to inform the school district — experts and leaders in the field say there is no doubt that minority participation is growing.

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.