Posted on 03/22/2004 4:52:51 AM PST by LadyShallott
Idaho homeschoolers came out in full force and soundly defeated a bill that would have threatened homeschool freedom.
S.B. 1233 would have made any home educating parent who fails "to place the child in school . . . or to have the child comparably instructed . . ." automatically guilty of a misdemeanor crime.
Currently, the law states that if a parent is suspected of failing to provide comparable instruction, proceedings would be brought against the parent under the same Act under which the juvenile charges were brought against the child. This system has worked effectively for decades by giving the juvenile judge a great deal of latitude in working with the individual family to resolve the problem. Since the term "comparably instructed" is somewhat vague, the family has a better opportunity to prove they are providing an education and disprove the allegations.
Under S.B. 1233, this flexibility would have been taken away. Parents whose home education was found to be inadequate would automatically be charged with a misdemeanor crime even if the educational shortcoming was relatively minor.
We believe that this bill targeted homeschooling families. The use of all other forms of education - public schools, private schools, and parochial schools - are expressly exempt from the statute. Only homeschoolers can be convicted of failing to provide comparable instruction under the statute this bill modifies.
Idaho Coalition of Home Educators approached the bill's sponsor, Senator Joe Stegner to work out a compromise bill, but Sen. Stegner refused. Accordingly, ICHE and HSLDA sent out email alerts asking homeschoolers to call their senators in opposition to the bill.
Some senate offices received over 600 emails in the space of two weeks from homeschoolers opposing the bill. After prolonged opposition, Senator Joe Stegner has withdrawn Senate Bill 1233. The entire senate concurred in his motion. Withdrawing the bill was the "simple recognition that this bill is divisive," said Sen. Stegner. "It has generated more animosity than I ever anticipated."
Credit goes to Idaho Coalition of Home Educators for spearheading the opposition and to HSLDA members who took time out of their busy schedules to contact their senators about the bill.
I'm glad that more families are discovering the joys (and trials, let's be honest) of homeschooling. I also see the inevitable. We can expect more and more attempts at "oversight" from "concerned" legislators, with full backing from the public education establishment.
The movement cannot continue at it's current rate of growth (estimated at 15% annually) and remain "under the radar."
From our perspective, the issue is that we're so dissatisfied with public education in our areas that we're saying "no" to a free education and taking on that responsibility ourselves. We're foregoing a second income. We're not submitting to the views of self-proclaimed experts and politically motivated committees in selecting textbooks and other educational committees. We're pioneers, shielding our children from damaging influences and showering them with love and attention all day.
From their perspective, we're renegades. We're running off on our own, without benefit of their wise counsel. We're disrespecting the value of their education and experience. Worst of all: we're taking bread out of their mouths, because it REALLY is about the money.
As long as we were small in numbers, we could be tolerated. I'm expecting a full assault in the very near future.
Yeah, the lefties in the news business just hear the word 'homeschool' and they think of Sissy Spacek's mother from Carrie.
Why fight it?
I wonder exactly what Sen. Stegner expected. Apparently homework is not one of his strong suits.
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