[agrace]

Could you ping NJ folks and homeschool list respectively please? Thanks.

[Support Free Republic]

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[RobbyS]

The public school establishment will do anything in their power to force their will on the people of thier state.

[templar]

... and force their parents to give the local school board proof the student had received an annual medical examination,

Is this also a requirement for public school students?

[bd476]

Homeschooling Ping.

[King Black Robe]

As long as the state is willing to give each homeschooled child equal funding dollars I'm all for it.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Are public school students required to pass the same test?

[ladylib]

That's funny because just a couple of weeks ago, the state said it had no interest in regulating homeschools.

[Republican Wildcat]

Can't have those kiddies getting a good education now, can we?

Quality education is to be outlawed.

[Alberta's Child]

I can't imagine that this law would be terribly effective. If I were a parent in New Jersey and I were home-schooling my children, I would simply tell the authorities that my kids were living with a relative in another state.

And when the New Jersey authorities contact my relatives to ask for verification of their school attendance, they would simply reply: "We're home-schooling them. You don't have any jurisdiction here anyway, so get the hell out of my face."

[Drango]

I think standard state test are necessary for high school and junior high students. I mean how else will we know if they can get the condom over the banana?

[ladylib]

I e-mailed by assemblywoman:

Dear Assemblywoman Weinberg:

Please withdraw your bill HB 4033 which seeks to regulate homeschooling in NJ. The bill is in direct conflict with NCLB which says that states that might try to require homeschooled students to take the same tests under NCLB as public school students take will lose federal funding for their public schools. When states who wish to regulate homeschooling by using this method are told that they are in violation of federal law, they withdraw their legislation.

I take it that this bill is in response to the unfortunate incident that happened in NJ over the summer regarding the family who starved four of their foster children and claimed to be homeschooling. It is amazing to me that social workers from the state saw those children at least once a month over a two-year period and still didn't have a clue as to what was going on in that family. In fact, it would not surprise me if the children's public school didn't suggest that the foster parents remove their children and "homeschool" them because the children were so difficult to handle in a public school setting. I would appreciate it if you would check this out, but in the meantime, please do not associate NJ homeschooling parents in any way with this unfortunate family. It's not homeschooling parents' fault that the state was remiss in their evaluation of this family and to suggest that homeschooling parents are cut from the same cloth and need state supervision is an insult and greatly resented.

I also would like to know if public school students are required to take a physical exam each year and notifiy their public schools that they have done so. Do private school students have to take a physical exam each year? If this is not the case, then your bill is unconstitutional. Homeschooling is a viable educational option for parents and is on an equal footing with public and private education. If public and private schools don't require an annual physical exam, then certainly homeschooling families can't be required to obtain one.

Please reconsider and withdraw your bill.

Very truly yours,

[cyclotic]

A state Congressman in Michigan tried this a few years ago. He wanted all homeschoolers to take the Michigan Assessment test. Public schools required a whopping 25% of their students to pass the test to retain their accredidation. Homeschoolers literally fried the phone system and prevailed with flying colors.

Go to it New Jersey.

[Salvation]

** and force their parents to give the local school board proof the student had received an annual medical examination**

Even public school kids do not need an annual medical exam.

[Lancey Howard]

Well, good luck. You will need it.
New Jersey is one sick, foul toilet, politically - - fully owned and operated by the education mafia. Which means the legislators are controlled by the education mafia. They will, as always, do what they are told to do.
Again, good luck.

[Ed_in_NJ]

Early Riser bump.

[Ed_in_NJ]

Little Later bump.

[Coleus]

Recapturing Home-school Families

THE NEW AMERICAN: Issues in Focus on Education

[Coleus]

What is the status of the bill? Is it out of committee?

[nmh]

I'm not convinced that standardized testing being required of homeschoolers is such a terrible thing. Can you explain why others think that it is?

Also, yearly physicals performed by the family doctor don't strike me as being terrible either. Why are people upset over this?

In the private Christian school my daughter goes to, both yearly physicals and standardized tests are the norm. Their curriculm is A Beka and some secular stuff that is not offensive so I'm puzzled why homeschoolers should be so outraged?

I had planned on homeschooling my daughter however, as an only child it would not be to her advanage. Clearly she wants to be around others her age and a year or two older. If I was to impose homsechooling, she'd be a very lonely child. I do take her to soccer, Little Gym, Ballet and a lanuage school but still she wants normal play time like other kids have. Having said that if we'd had more children then I'd most likly home school.