A Virginia Delegate, Robert Bell, wants homeschoolers to have the option of participating in public school extra-curricular activities. He’s filed HB 1442 for the 2013 Session.  Governor McDonnell also supports this legislation.

VA: ‘Tebow’ homeschool sports bill gets a push from governor By Kenric Ward Watchdog.org 

“The governor believes homeschool student should not be denied the opportunity to take part in these advantages if he or she meets the qualifications,” McDonnell’s press secretary Jeff Caldwell toldWatchdog.org in an e-mail Friday.
 Sen. Tom Garrett, R-Louisa, filed companion legislation to Delegate Robert Bell‘s bill, which has been dubbed the “Tebow Bill.” NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who was homeschooled during his high school years in Florida, played football at a public school before going on win championships at the University of Florida.

Watchdog provided further comments from the Virginia Governor’s press secretary:

“Homeschooled students will be held to the same standard as public-school students. If there are 10 spots on the team, an 11th will not be added –students will compete on merits and talents, playing by the same rules.

“Homeschool families are members of the community and pay the same taxes as families who send their children to public schools.”

If passed, these bills would prohibit public schools from joining an organization overseeing interscholastic programs, presumably the Virginia High School League.  This prohibition would occur if the group doesn’t make home instructed student’s participation possible who demonstrate evidence of progress for two consecutive academic years, is compliant with immunization requirements, is 18 years of age or younger, is not a professional in the activity, and complies with all other school rules applicable to the public school students.

Last year, a similiar proposal passed out of the Virginia House, but failed in the Senate by one vote.

NBC 12 WBBT‘s Brent Solomon reported this:

In the past the Virginia High School League has opposed the measure saying the addition of home-schoolers could make it harder for public school students to play on their own school teams. NBC 12 reached out to the league again, but hasn’t heard back yet.

Solomon also interviewed a homeschooler, Teddy Bachert, participating in the Central Virginia Home School Athletic Association.

“We play teams ranging from North Carolina to sometimes northern Virginia. We play private schools, some public schools, other home school teams,” he said.

18 year old Bachert wasn’t particularly keen on participating in public school activities and seemed content with his non-public school aligned sports participation.

NBC 12 WBBT noted the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers supports the measure. The Home Educator’s Association of Virginia group was reported as neutral concerning the proposal.

Cindy Holcomb interviewed homeschooled Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow in Home Education Magazine‘s July/August 2009 Edition.

The interest in this issue has become so intense, Tim Tebow’s accomplishments have turned into the commonly used phrase – Tim Tebow Bills.

In 2000 and pre-Tebow, Home Education Magazine columnists-Larry and Susan Kaseman  laid out some concerns - Why the Question of Homeschoolers’ Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers

Should homeschoolers be allowed to play on public school sports teams? This question is being asked around the country, especially as the number of homeschoolers of high school age increases and as homeschooling gains wider acceptance.

At first glance, having homeschoolers on public school sports teams might seem like a good idea. It would provide one more opportunity for homeschoolers, one more example of society’s acceptance of homeschooling. However, a closer look reveals that it would undermine our homeschooling freedoms. Fortunately, the vast majority of homeschoolers do not support homeschoolers’ playing public school sports, and many are opposed.

Continued here.

ESPN Outside the Lines 2007

Some of the inclusions in this listing stretch the definition of homeschooler, but it’s an interesting collection nonetheless, titled The World’s 15 Most Extraordinary Homeschoolers and including some we’ve covered in the past (Astra Taylor, Tim Tebow), some we weren’t familiar with but will definitely check out (Jedediah Purdy, Sho Yano), and some we were surprised to learn about (Condoleezza Rice, Julian Assange):

Boring, unathletic, antisocial, fashion-challenged, politically retrograde, culturally backward, religiously extreme…the list of homeschooler stereotypes is seemingly endless and almost entirely negative. Despite the growing popularity of the homeschooling movement in the United States and around the world, homeschooling and its graduates continue to be viewed with suspicion, and not a little condescension, by the mainstream. But as our list of the world’s 15 most extraordinary homeschoolers shows, the homeschooling population is extraordinarily diverse, defying every attempt to shoehorn them into a single mold. The homeschoolers on this list are geniuses and jocks, conservatives and progressives, fundamentalists and hippies, scientists and artists….

Continue reading at the link above.

Some Senators managed very localized exemptions in this state bill.

Senate passes amended bill for home schoolers to play public school sports by Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune June 18, 2009

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Senate today approved a measure to allow home-schooled youths to participate in public school sports, though several senators won amendments exempting some local school systems from the proposal.

Homeschoolers in a “home school program” must have state approval to try out. The independent homeschooling family control would likely be lost with that approval. It’s a choice that some Louisiana families must make, while hopefully understanding the consequences.

Homeschoolers are the only ones eligible to participate, as the private school participation allowance was negotiated out of this bill.

From the Legislature: Senate passes home-schooled athlete bill The Daily Advertiser

Legislation heads back to House

Mike Hasten June 19, 2009

The bill no longer would allow participation at nonpublic schools, as passed by the House, only applies to athletics, not all extracurricular activities, and exempts some school systems. Also, the affected students could apply to participate in sports only at the schools they would normally attend if they were in public schools.

There was also the inevitable discussion (and subsequent bill amendment) concerning grades and cheating homeschool parents:

State Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, got the Senate to unanimously approve an amendment that would penalize parents who falsified records and the schools that benefited from an ineligible player.

“This makes it unlawful for a home-schooled student to submit false grades,” he said. The student would be banned from further participation and the school would suffer the same Louisiana High School Athletic Association penalty for any ineligible player – cancellation of any victories while the student was playing.

“Yes, they have grades,” Gautreaux said.

Like public school students, homeschoolers take a core curriculum, are graded each week on their progress and take standardized tests administered by certified teachers, he said.

School inclusion bill moves 2TheAdvocate – Michelle Millhollon Jun 19, 2009

Home-schooled students in Zachary and Baker would be eligible to play sports on their local public high school teams under legislation that cleared the state Senate Thursday.

The rest of East Baton Rouge Parish, including the Central school system, is excluded from House Bill 531. The legislation also would not apply to the parishes of Livingston, St. Mary, Acadia, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis and Cameron.

Why the Question of Homeschoolers’ Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers - Larry and Susan Kaseman May-June 2000

Why Can’t Homeschoolers Play on School Sports Teams? 2/15/08
By Ann Zeise

As my mother used to say, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too!” (I always thought that didn’t make much sense, because when she gave me a piece of cake I always managed to eat it, too.)

At some point we all have to decide what is most important to us.

Update about concerns:
Questions building over home school eligibility issue
The Daily Advertiser – Kevin Foote June 20, 2009

Henderson verified that current LHSAA rules allow home-schoolers to participate, but they must be “enrolled” at an LHSAA member school. All other students must be “enrolled and attending” an LHSAA member school.

In other words, if the proposed bill becomes law, it could actually render a home-schooler currently participating in LHSAA events at a private school ineligible in the future.

“If this becomes law, we’re going to have to get our lawyers to determine whether or not our current rule (on home-schooling) is still valid,” Henderson said.

Henderson said he has no idea how many home-schoolers are currently participating, because his office doesn’t ask schools to report such information.

The news that the Alabama Senate committee blocks Tim Tebow Bill is certainly not surprising.   You can go to the site to read more about it, but one sentence caught my eye,  Erwin said the bill would not impose a burden on schools, but state education officials said the bill is unworkable because there are no academic standards for home-schooled children.

I don’t know if all state education departments are connected to public school sports, but they are in my state.  If you want to play with a public school sport team here, you must enroll at least part time.  I don’t  know when sports got intertwined with public school academics, but it is a shame that they have, but there is no free lunch.  If you want to play public school sports in my state, it has to be by their rules.    I’m reminded of an excellent article written by my good friend Peggy Daly Masternak, One Problem… And One Possible Solution.

–Mary

The various states’ news about Tim Tebow laws have been fascinating, if not troubling at times.

It appears that Tim Tebow, as “the exception”, worked far too hard on academics and mission work, as I read Stephen Dawkin’s opinion from Alabama:

Coaches not fans of Tebow bill Clanton Advertiser Published: April 6, 2009
By Stephen Dawkins

“My thing is that my guys are here all day,” one local football coach said. “I see how they act in class, and they’re out there for fourth block working out every day. I don’t know anything about a kid that’s at home all day.” That unfamiliarity will result in less of an opportunity for playing time.

Tim Tebow, the college football superstar the bill is nicknamed after, is the exception, as Jemison High School Principal Alan Thompson pointed out to the Advertiser on Sunday. Tebow is an exceptional athlete, and any football coach would be thrilled to have him—home-schooled or not.

The slant seems to be that Tim Tebow would have been “able to sleep late” or even ‘watch tv all day’.  What homeschooler hasn’t heard those anecdotes, from someone who knows someone that “supposedly” homeschools.  Let’s not forget that “supposed homeschoolers” are often seen riding their bikes down the street in the middle of the day.  If Coach didn’t see you doing it, then it’s certainly not PE.  It must be inconceivable that learning is also done during non-school hours, let alone that kids can enjoy the day heading over to Grandma’s.

“The average home-schooler who wants to participate in a sport at a public school wouldn’t be allowed to compete on an even playing field“.  The author’s point seeming to be winning (the game) is everything.

Sis boom BAH.

Here’s the Advertiser article information that Dawkins referred to in his editorial:

Tim Tebow bill makes progress Clanton Advertiser Published April 4, 2009
By Scott Mims

Florida’s Tim Tebow is a big name in the homeschooling community and with college football fans.  His name is also used in the legislative bill titles promoting homeschool participation/ public school extra-curricular activities in several states.

Homeschoolers seek right to play at public school Shelby County Reporter March 30, 2009 By Chris Megginson

Thousands of homeschooled students, parents and supporters will gather at the State House in Montgomery Wednesday morning in the name of Tim Tebow.

For the fourth year, the Tim Tebow Act, or Senate Bill 305, sits before the Alabama Senate education committee to allow homeschoolers the chance to try out for athletics and other extracurricular activities at their local public high school.

Many Shelby County residents plan to be a part of the discussion at Wednesday’s public hearing, which will begin at 8 a.m. in the Star Wars Room on the third floor of the State House.

This is a persistent issue for some homeschoolers.  If thousands of Alabama homeschoolers do gather at the Montgomery State House, then maybe it’s become an important issue for relatively more homeschoolers.

Many other homeschoolers don’t want any connections with the public school for various reasons. One example being concerns about the persistent increased accountability demands by anti-homeschoolers.  Some concerns are laid out here:

Why the Question of Homeschoolers’ Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers
Home Education Magazine
Larry and Susan Kaseman

At first glance, having homeschoolers on public school sports teams might seem like a good idea. It would provide one more opportunity for homeschoolers, one more example of society’s acceptance of homeschooling. However, a closer look reveals that it would undermine our homeschooling freedoms. Fortunately, the vast majority of homeschoolers do not support homeschoolers’ playing public school sports, and many are opposed.

Unfortunately, the question is receiving more attention than it deserves. A few of the families who do want their children to play public school sports are strongly committed and vocal. In addition, inaccurate information on the issue has appeared in the mainstream media. And some legislators who want to help homeschoolers and gain our support (and votes) mistakenly think they can do this by introducing legislation to make it possible for homeschoolers to play public school sports.

Most interested homeschoolers have made sports happen for their kids in their communities. Some going on to achieve Olympic status. NCAA has a Homeschool Faqs site. Homeschoolers have found that where there’s a will, there is a (more independent) way.

From the AL article:

[Principal] Peoples said currently the school’s athletic director and coaches help monitor eligibility of players, and admits that because the students would not be enrolled at Chelsea, that it might create a small burden on the school to check eligibility.

“We would have to work particularly close and depend highly on their home school organization,” Peoples said. “I do want to make it clear though, that there would be no antagonism or antipathy on my part if the legislature were to allow them to participate.”

I thought it was curious to be dependent on the “home school organization” for eligibility accountability and wondered if it wasn’t an administrative misunderstanding about homeschool autonomy.  If not, are homeschoolers willing to make their families accountable to a homeschool group to report to the schools?

Again, from Larry and Susan Kaseman:

…there is continuing pressure for increased state regulation of homeschooling. Once regulations are in place for homeschooling athletes, there will be strong pressure to apply them to all homeschoolers, leading to increased regulation of all homeschoolers.

How do we know this will happen? For several reasons, including the following:

• First, through no fault of our own, we homeschoolers are seen as a threat to the educational establishment, The most powerful interest groups in our society. Most of the educational establishment feels that homeschools need to be controlled and regulated and forced to become as much like conventional schools as possible.
• Second, our society does not trust parents and others who are not trained professionals or “experts.” Although homeschooling has gained some acceptance, many people still feel there may be “something fishy going on;” the government probably should check up on homeschoolers.
• Third, the general public has accepted increasing government control of public schools, most recently in the form of new educational standards and increased use of state-mandated standardized tests. Most non-homeschoolers assume the government should also oversee homeschools.
• Fourth, some school officials are telling truants, dropouts, and expelled students to homeschool, or at least suggesting it. These officials are then turning around and saying that greater regulation of homeschooling is needed because truants, dropouts, and expelled students may be escaping to homeschooling.

The fourth point has become more pervasive since the 2001 passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act which punishes the schools financially for poor test results.

From the Shelby County article and a homeschool mom:

“I think that not only is equal access the main issue, but I think the bigger picture is for the state of Alabama, which is not traditionally a very progressive state educationally,” said Nancy Smith, Madiosn’s [sic] mother. “The (states with equal access) are very progressive states academically, and apparently its’ working for them. I think it would be one more benefit for this state to be associated with more academically oriented states to create a bridge between public school parents and children and homeschool parents and children.

Many homeschoolers wonder if it’s a bridge creating troubled waters for homeschool freedoms.

Bill would allow home-schooled students on school teams, bands

March 24, 2009 By BRIAN LYMAN/Press-Register

MONTGOMERY — A Senate committee is scheduled to consider a bill next week that would let home-schooled students participate in athletics and some other activities at public schools.

Under the bill by state Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, home-schoolers could join extracurricular activities such as teams and bands as long as they registered with the school, paid all fees and maintained academic and disciplinary standards.

State Senator Hank Erwin, whose children were homeschooled, introduced a similar bill last year and it didn’t leave committee.  He’s trying again this year. From the Press-Register:

Sally Howell, executive director of the Association of Alabama School Boards, said that the bill would be unfair to public school students.

“School athletics are part of the school program, and the students participating in them meet certain academic standards and certain discipline standards,” she said. “There’s no way of ensuring that students coming from home schools meet those standards.”

How will “certain academic standards and certain discipline standards” be met in order to have homeschoolers participate in the public school programs?

Some groups that assist home-schoolers already provide activities for them. The Baldwin Christian Home Educators’ Association, which works with about 120 families, has established a traveling forensic team, and is trying to create a cross country team.

Felicia Coker, one of the coordinators of the BCHEA, said that members have different opinions on public school access. The group is neutral on Erwin’s bill.

“I understand the side of the issue that says, ‘Oh we pay taxes, and equal access, and due process,’” she said. “And then there’s the stance that a lot of people pay taxes who don’t have equal access. There’s an elderly couple down the street that pays taxes and can’t get into an art class.”

An editorial by the Bowling Green Daily News was published yesterday (February 17, 2009)

Homeschooled kids deserve the same chances

We believe that the idea of allowing homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics and band has merit and deserves consideration.

A House bill filed by state Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville, would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school sports, music events and other extracurricular activities.

Kentucky House Bill 179 excerpt:

(a)    “Home school” means a nonpublic school in which one (1) or more children of not more than two (2) families or households receive full-time supervised academic instruction from a parent, legal guardian, or member of either household; and
(b)    “Interscholastic extracurricular activity” means participation in a school authorized band or sports team practice or competition.
(2)    (a)    A student enrolled in a home school is eligible to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities sponsored by or engaged in by the public school to which the student would be assigned according to district school board attendance policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant to district open enrollment provisions.

From the Bowling Green commentary:

Twenty-four other states have already passed laws to allow equal extracurricular access, yet many of their eligibility requirements differ.

Nine other states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina, are proposing similar legislation.

Proponents of an Alabama “Tim Tebow Bill” -Variations of the bill have not left the Education Committee for last four years

From January 2, 2009 Tim Tebow a shining example for homeschooled athletes Different rules: Oklahoma homeschoolers have own teams By Jenni Carlson

Listen to Oklahoma’s homeschool community, and you’ll hear few complaints.

Perhaps that is because the opportunities are meeting the needs. Just in the Oklahoma City area, there are homeschool teams in basketball, baseball, softball and football among others.

There’s even homeschool fencing.

Final words from the BG Daily News editorial:

There are legitimate questions and concerns on both sides of the issue. They need to be further addressed and answered, but these same types of questions likely arose in the 24 states that have similar laws and were ultimately resolved.

Hopefully, the bill, which is currently in the House education committee, will be discussed and these questions answered.

Why the Question of Homeschoolers’ Playing Public School Sports Affects All Homeschoolers

Home Education Magazine columnists-Larry and Susan Kaseman

Should homeschoolers be allowed to play on public school sports teams? This question is being asked around the country, especially as the number of homeschoolers of high school age increases and as homeschooling gains wider acceptance.

At first glance, having homeschoolers on public school sports teams might seem like a good idea. It would provide one more opportunity for homeschoolers, one more example of society’s acceptance of homeschooling. However, a closer look reveals that it would undermine our homeschooling freedoms. Fortunately, the vast majority of homeschoolers do not support homeschoolers’ playing public school sports, and many are opposed.

Unfortunately, the question is receiving more attention than it deserves. A few of the families who do want their children to play public school sports are strongly committed and vocal. In addition, inaccurate information on the issue has appeared in the mainstream media. And some legislators who want to help homeschoolers and gain our support (and votes) mistakenly think they can do this by introducing legislation to make it possible for homeschoolers to play public school sports.

This column will discuss problems with changing state laws and regulations to allow homeschoolers to play public school sports. It will then show how the uncritical acceptance of media coverage of this topic can lead to loss of homeschooling freedoms. Finally, suggestions will be given for what we can do.

continued here

Tebow takes Heisman Trophy, Sporting Life.com

The University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, completing a wonderful season for the player.

Not only is Tim Tebow a sophomore, but he’s a former homeschooled kid, too.

posted by Valerie