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Michigan Lawmakers Want Homeschooled Children Registered Like Dogs and Inspected by Social Workers
PJ Media ^ | 04-20-2015 | Paula Bolyard

Posted on 04/21/2015 4:47:07 AM PDT by Michael van der Galien

In the wake of the tragic murders of two Michigan children whose mother tortured them before stuffing them into the family’s freezer, lawmakers are calling for more stringent regulation of homeschooling in the state.

The proposed legislation from state Rep. Stephanie Chang, a Detroit Democrat, would require homeschooled children to be inspected twice per year by a licensed social worker or law enforcement officer. The bill would also require homeschooling parents to register their children — like dogs or sex offenders — with the superintendent of the school district in which they reside. Michigan is one of eleven states that do not require homeschooling parents to report to state or local authorities.

CBS Detroit reported:

Chang cited the case of Stoni Ann Blair and Stephen Gage Berry as a reason for planning the legislation. Investigators believe Stephen was 9 when he died in August 2012 and that Stoni was 13 when she died the following May. Their mother, who is accused of torturing and killing them and then stuffing their bodies in the freezer, had said she homeschooled them.

“We all failed Stoni and Stephen because Michigan does not maintain a list of homeschooled children and so we have no way to identify and then protect any child who could be at risk for abuse,” Chang said. “Most homeschool parents have their child’s best interest in mind, and many do a fine job homeschooling, but with Stephen and Stoni, that wasn’t the case.”

Every few years legislation like this pops up as a knee-jerk reaction to some terrible tragedy that was inflicted upon children who were allegedly homeschooled. The most recent was in Ohio in 2013, when Democratic state Senator Capri Cafaro introduced Teddy’s Law in reaction to the very tragic death of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco in January 2013.

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: abuseofpower; education; frhf; homeschooling; michigan; minnesota; politics
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To: cripplecreek

I called my state rep and talked about this. I asked why homeschoolers are being held accountable for a government agencies failure.

Apparently they are getting a lot of negative feed back from homeschoolers. Which I would expect from my area. We have over a thousand home school families.

I stated that I pulled my kids out of public school because it was failing my kids. Not only that but also that my wife was called to the school because my son brought a lego gun to school. It was a half centimeter square. They were also told that they could not bring a bible to school. This is the kind of government intrusion that resulted in my kids being pulled from school and now they know.

I also stated that I would not be quiet about this. That I would drag out how much this rep Chang received from public schools. Also how this was not homeschoolers but a failure of CHP.


21 posted on 04/21/2015 8:35:12 AM PDT by jimpick
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To: Michael van der Galien

I was homeschooled, and had to be registered with the local school district according to PA law. My work had to be submitted for inspection, and medical exams were mandatory too. This is not considered unusual or offensive by most people...but then, it happened in a town where the antique dealers were required by law to submit all business records to the police department. Yes, every transaction, purchase, sale, all banking and credit card activity. You are answerable to the badge.

I think this accountability is the wave of the future. We are certainly hip-deep in this state already.


22 posted on 04/21/2015 8:50:53 AM PDT by Buttons12
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To: jimpick

Like I told my senator and rep.

I don’t have kids but we cannot allow state agencies to fail and use their failures to go after people who are completely innocent. This woman and her kids were already in the system because of a known pattern of ongoing abuse and protective services should have been conducting regular inspections of the home all along.


23 posted on 04/21/2015 8:58:40 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: BigEdLB
She didn't get a lot from the teacher unions surprisingly, but the social workers love her as do the Tides Foundation.

I don't see this going up for a vote. The R's control both legislative chambers and they aren't doing to take a bill up from a Detroit democrat in most cases. The R's can be squishes here at times, but they don't like the teachers' unions at all.

24 posted on 04/21/2015 9:00:50 AM PDT by Darren McCarty (We need a conservative electable candidate in 2016)
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To: Darren McCarty

I told Mike Shirkey that I would like to see an investigation into why Child protective services wasn’t keeping tabs on this woman they knew had a documented history of child abuse.

I’ve got an idiot niece who has CPS hounding her constantly and she’s not abusive, just self centered and negligent.


25 posted on 04/21/2015 9:09:12 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: Michael van der Galien

That’s a tough one. Should homeschool kids have ZERO oversight? Not every parent is capable of doing an adequate job of educating their children, regardless of their good intentions.

But the other side is that the leftists who administer such oversight programs will be more concerned with the kids missing out on the early propagandizing that creates good little Marxists!


26 posted on 04/21/2015 10:12:16 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & Ifwater the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: DungeonMaster

I just wonder what mandatory visits from the “authorities” teaches the children about family, parental respect, and the system we live in.


27 posted on 04/21/2015 10:31:53 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: JimRed

Statistics show that homeschool kids as a group do better than public school students. Not perfect, but of the two systems... the one that needs more “work” is the public school system. Until the government can get that worked out to at least be even with homeschooling.... their advice and “help” is not the solution.


28 posted on 04/21/2015 10:35:50 AM PDT by csivils
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To: ShadowAce; Tired of Taxes; JenB

Homeschool ping


29 posted on 04/21/2015 10:52:31 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: Michael van der Galien
The legislation is DEAD.

State Senator Phil Pavlov's statement

30 posted on 04/21/2015 2:46:21 PM PDT by Darren McCarty (We need a conservative electable candidate in 2016)
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To: Michael van der Galien; Darren McCarty; 2Jedismom; 6amgelsmama; AAABEST; aberaussie; ...
GOOD NEWS!

See post #30 above from Darren McCarty with the following link...

STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

http://www.senatorphilpavlov.com/open-letter-to-michigan-parents/

HOMESCHOOL PING

This ping list is for articles of interest to homeschoolers. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping List. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added or removed from either list, or both.

The keyword for the FREE REPUBLIC HOMESCHOOLERS’ FORUM is frhf.

31 posted on 04/21/2015 3:26:50 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: Tired of Taxes

perfect statement. they act as if public schooled children are never murdered or abused by their parents or the system. only those evil homeschoolers do those kinds of things.


32 posted on 04/21/2015 4:27:13 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit (`)
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To: BigEdLB
These children were already under child protection supervision while they were institutionalized for their schooling in a government K-12 indoctrination center.

Obviously!....Being institutionally schooled didn't save these kids.

Perhaps once children are deemed to be in a home needing supervision homeschooling moms should visit the home instead of child protection workers.

33 posted on 04/21/2015 4:39:19 PM PDT by wintertime (Stop treating government teachers like they are reincarnated Mother Teresas!)
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To: JimRed
Those people who are incapable of homeschooling don't want their kids hanging around the house. They are more than happy to institutionalize their children for their schooling.
34 posted on 04/21/2015 4:41:42 PM PDT by wintertime (Stop treating government teachers like they are reincarnated Mother Teresas!)
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To: DungeonMaster

Do you have to let them in? What happens if you don’t?


35 posted on 04/21/2015 5:42:37 PM PDT by raybbr (Obamacare needs a deatha panel.)
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To: raybbr
No agent of the state, including social workers and child protective services personnel, may enter your home without your permission unless they bear a warrant specifying the reason for their presence, said warrant being properly issued and signed by a judge.

If they come without a warrant, even if accompanied by a police officer, you are under no obligation to let them into your house. In fact, it's in your best interests not to.

Understand, however, that if you turn them away because they don't have a warrant, the next thing they will try to do is to go get a warrant. That's why you want to have the phone number of a good local lawyer and the HSLDA on hand.

36 posted on 04/21/2015 8:59:55 PM PDT by Oberon (John 12:5-6)
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To: DungeonMaster
We home school here in MI. I couldn't even imagine some twit from the gubmint walking into our home for an “inspection.” Man, that would irk the crap out of me. There is a reason we chose to homeschool... to get away from the idiots.
37 posted on 04/22/2015 1:18:49 AM PDT by Mathews (Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV), Luke 22:36 (NIV))
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To: JenB

I hear you sister... Not happening.


38 posted on 04/22/2015 1:20:36 AM PDT by Mathews (Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV), Luke 22:36 (NIV))
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To: Tired of Taxes

to control by any means.


39 posted on 04/22/2015 2:52:42 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftist totalitarian fascism is on the move.)
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To: DungeonMaster

As homeschooler you are visited once or twice a month by who??


40 posted on 04/22/2015 2:54:49 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftist totalitarian fascism is on the move.)
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