Greater Cincinnati’s Business Courier shared news of a huge homeschool convention. This weekend is predicted to bring 15,000 homeschoolers and interested parties to Cincinnati. Some of that pull might also come from the libertarian attraction of former Texas Representative and presidential candidate Ron Paul. The tickets for Ron Paul’s keynote speech will be sold separately from the Convention admission price.
Image Courtesy of Sarah Fowler Campaign
NPR’s State Impact in Ohio reports Sarah Fowler Goes From Egg Farmer to Youngest Ohio Board of Education Member
Fowler tells EAG one of her main goals is to help shape new homeschooling regulations the board will consider next year:
While Ohio’s home school laws are fairly lenient already, “it is still a lot tighter on some regulations than other states are[,” she said]. “That’s my overarching goal,” Fowler said. “Is this helping or hurting the parents we are supposed to be servicing?”
Since homeschooling is a small piece of the Ohio education population, caution might be in order with a potential one-issue tenure, as laid out in the above quote. It does appear Ms. Fowler campaigned extensively and did her research. From State Impact referenced EAG News’ profile of Sarah Fowler:
“I was the only candidate that was willing to discuss all of the schooling options,” Fowler said. “Both of my opponents were only willing to represent one of the educational options in the state, and we have eight.”
Congratulations to Sarah Fowler and good wishes for the Ohio education climate with the new board addition.
“The benefits for our family are so many, it’s hard to list them all,” explained Jessamy Bright, of Middleport, who is the primary teacher for her girls, Siena, age nine, and Lucia, age three. “Freedom and flexibility in learning, opportunities for field trips, and socialization and friendships with many different age groups are a few of my favorites to bring up in talking about homeschooling. I love that we live a lifestyle of learning that isn’t restricted to a classroom during school hours. And, since I’ve been blessed to be able to stay at home and work from home, I actually get to see my children grow up and work with them on a daily basis .”
It would be awesome if many government authorities understood homeschoolers don’t need the group control deemed necessary in public schools. Homeschoolers don’t run on a bell. We’re nested in our home (along with our numerous field trips) and our ‘class’ numbers don’t require classroom management. Mother of three, Nora Ellis, makes this point below.
“We’ve found our children enjoy the engagement of independent learning as well as the flexibility they have to do other things. Instead of being in a classroom seven hours a day, they are able to complete their required work and explore their interests,” said Ellis. “Two of the children use the time to study more animal and engineering science while one pursues classical ballet.”
Another form of learning at home is described below. There should have been more clarity from the reporter that both of Teresa Shiflet’s sons are in public school. Connections Academy is also a school under public school accountability regulations. Ms. Shiflet did point out the difference.
Teresa Shiflet, of Rutland, is the mother of two sons — one is enrolled in public school and one participates in a program with Ohio Connections Academy, which is one of several virtual schools offering a full online curriculum for Ohio students from Kindergarten through high school graduation.
“OCA provides their students with books, and computers for free,” Shiflet said. “The students also have teachers for every class. So this program differs from traditional homeschooling in the fact that I as a parent do not have to select the curriculum, nor do I have to teach. My son is held accountable to his teachers who report to the state just like a teacher in a traditional school setting. The education that he is receiving is competitive on a national level.”
Families have many curriculum options and use different methods to achieve homeschool success. Online or virtual schools make homeschooling easier than ever before. But, not everyone goes that route.
The parents all made appealing points about the joys of homeschooling. It’s not a perfect life, but it most definitely is a fulfilling education and family life.
LEBANON, Ohio — Kelly and April Kamentz would like to see all of their six children play sports on Lebanon schools teams.
But the 19-year residents of the district may not get that chance because their children are homeschooled, and like other Warren County schools that have high “partial enrollment” requirements, Lebanon requires student-athletes to take at least five classes a year.
“As a resident, as a taxpaying citizen, I’ve invested my life in Lebanon,” Kelly Kamentz said. “I hope that Lebanon will adopt what we consider to be a more reasonable definition of partial enrollment.”
Continue reading Parents of homeschool children want sports, subtitled OHSAA’s rules leave room for interpretation; each school district gets the final say, by Richard Wilson, Staff Writer for the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio.
There’s an interesting letter to the editor of the Coshocton Tribune in Ohio, responding to the misreprentation of a virtual, or e-school, as homeschooling, and clearly explaining the differences.
In defense of home schooling, 26 July 2008, The Times Gazette, Hillsboro, Ohio
A request was made by a local public school administrator at a recent board of education meeting that the newspaper “do” an exposé on home schooling.
…
Why challenge the newspaper? We are not the home school police. Frankly, we have enough to do to keep up with those public bodies that spend more and more of taxpayers’ money each year. But I digress.
Sounds as if the public school administrator might be an advocate of the style of journalism practiced by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Among the articles are positive stories about people involved in homeschooling, but the overall picture is one of murderously incompetent adults who are pretending to know how to raise the children that they’ve stolen, and lying about how well they’re doing, while trying to take over the world in their spare time.
What if, instead, the paper published Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) results for local public schools in the education section of the paper? That seems a bit more reasonable since the public schools use public money, unlike homeschooling families who use what’s left of their own money.
I don’t like appearing to bash public schools by pointing to test scores, although highlighting public information is only just referencing information bought and paid for by the public and available to the public — it isn’t the fault of the person doing the pointing out if the information is ‘unattractive.’ But calling for an “exposé” in a public forum — especially “by a school board president” — is as good as writing slurs about people on the walls of public bathrooms. You don’t even have to follow up the information; the seed of doubt is planted.
If the school board president knows that something is amiss, then tell the proper authorities. This is required of public school employees.
If this was a re-run of the Harper Valley PTA, then dummy up.
Curfews, ATVs, noise: Parents, you are responsible, 12 May 2008, Suburbanite, Akron, Ohio
Another issue that can become confusing to parents is the curfew for minors.
Springfield and Lakemore curfews follow the Summit County guidelines. Anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed out from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. everyday. Lakemore is working to institute a daytime curfew Ray stated. Kids will not be allowed on the streets during school hours.
The in Re Rachel L. decision from a California appellate court, which has been vacated, caused ripples around the United States. This one is from Ohio.
The subject of homeschooling, 24 March 2008, Zanesville Times Recorder, Zanesville, Ohio
I would like to commend Ruben Navarrette, Jr. (In Defense of Home Schooling, Thursday, March 20) for his analysis of the California appellate court decision threatening to outlaw homeschooling in California. I’d also like to clarify a detail, and bring the subject home.
How many kids are homeschooled in America? It’s difficult to know exactly, but United States census figures from 1999 estimated that 850,000 kids were homeschooled that year. In 2003, the National Center for Educational Statistics estimated about 1.1 million kids were homeschooled. This is a jump of 29 percent in four years. No official figures are available since 2003, but it is clear to anyone paying attention that the numbers have continued a steady rate of increase.
more at site
Colerain considers daytime curfew, 18 September 2007, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio
Stay home. Stay out of trouble.
That’s the message Colerain Township’s wants to send with proposed daytime curfew on students who are out of school under suspension or simply skipping school.
“This curfew is solely designed to keep kids off the street and to lesson (sic) the amount of daytime crime,” said Police Chief Steven Sarver.
…
“We want kids to know that when you get kicked out of school, it’s not a ticket to run free,” he added. “It can be a ticket to disaster.”
Township trustees want to hear from the public before they bring the curfew to a vote. Public comments will be welcome at the trustees’ meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 25.
…
“Residents told us they wanted to take back their neighborhoods,’ Sarver said. The police chief heard complaints about vandalism, “kids hanging out on street corners during school hours and houses being broken into during the day.”
Colerain police have not compiled statistics on daytime crimes committed by juveniles. But the department has heard enough complaints, Sarver said, to warrant drafting a proposed daytime curfew.
…
The daytime curfew would run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday when school is in session and cover children ages 6 through 17.
“We went with the legal ages that require kids to be in school,” Sarver said.
posted by Valerie
Hillsboro Times Gazette, Hillsboro, Ohio, 29 January 2007, Losing heritage and educational control
Recently, our government leaders have changed the high school curriculum. This change is not just for our public schools but for all schools. I think this is a move by a handful of people. I say this because of what happened in committee just before the real vote on these new state educational goals was taken. The new goals are titled “Ohio Core Curriculum.”
…
So now we have a new education system that, I think, is specifically designed to destroy not only our public schools but our private Christian schools, charter schools, and home-schooling.
First, it was the proficiency test and our government told our schools exactly what to teach, when to teach and how to teach. Before the dust could settle on this state blunder, the state installed the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).
Now, here comes the Ohio Core Curriculum (OCC).
My colleague, Mary, previously posted on the topic of Work Keys.
posted by Valerie