Ky Legislature proposes mew homeschooling regulations

HSLDA

[Kentucky]

From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ======================================================================

February 26, 2004

Kentucky--"Voluntary" Certification of Homeschoolers in Kentucky

Dear HSLDA members and friends:

HSLDA has monitored many efforts to regulate or prohibit homeschooling over the last 20 years, but Representative Kathy Stein has come up with a whole new twist. House Bill 610 would require the Kentucky Board of Education to draft regulations to "establish a voluntary in-state certification process for home schools." It is not clear whether any homeschoolers have requested a "voluntary" certification process, so this proposal is causing homeschool leaders to wonder about the real agenda behind this bill. We need your help to get to the bottom of this.

Action Requested:

Please call Representative Kathy Stein, at 502-564-8100, and ask why she has filed HB 610. Please feel free to explain why your family sees no need for "voluntary" certification at this time.

Background:

House Bill 610 would require the Board of Education to establish "organizational and instruction standards" for "certified home schools," including standards for the application review process, the minimum teacher qualification, the minimum curriculum offerings, the minimum testing requirements, which may include nationally norm- referenced standardized tests.

Many states have a "certification" or "approval" option for private schools. They allow some private schools to seek state recognition for their programs. This makes a lot of sense, since private schools must compete with other private schools for tuition paying students. A school that receives state approval or accreditation is in a better position to compete in the private school marketplace. Homeschoolers do not compete for students in the same way, so the "certification" proposal is essentially null and void for homeschoolers.

This proposed bill would introduce the term "homeschooling" into Kentucky law for the first time. For many years, homeschoolers have operated simply as a private school. While HSLDA would not oppose legislation that helps some families, we will actively resist any efforts to "divide and conquer" homeschoolers. We will be monitoring this bill very closely.

Sincerely,

Scott Somerville HSLDA Staff Attorney

-> Can you call your attorney at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning?

Our members can get in touch with their attorney even after business hours, when they have a legal emergency. Wouldn't you like this level of protection?

More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1100

--------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:

Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org

[katnip]

Meow

[Old Sarge]

Homeschool PING

[BenLurkin]

Yes. IIRC someone on FR has a "Seperation of School and State" ping list or link.

[StarCMC]

Thanks for the ping Sarge! You all in KY - GO! Any interference by your government is too much!

[StarCMC]

And if you don't care for HSLDA, there another group known as NHELD that I like -- FReepmail me if you want their info -- I'll have to run it down! :o)

[Lion in Winter]

meow right back at ya!

[fishbabe]

its interesting that the politicians want homeschoolers to be able to read,write and do math but,real teachers can be stupid and the pols don't have a problem with this...[of course,none of their kids go to public schools,either].....