Posted on 06/18/2005 8:15:49 AM PDT by Graybeard58
Before the parade passes her by, Tiffany Hasley will stand up for her right to perform with the Beatrice High School marching band. She'll be on the corner of 13th and Court streets in Beatrice at 8:30 a.m. this morning, all lined up for today's Homestead Days Parade.
Clarinet in hand, standing tall in her stiff new band shoes, she plans to leave quietly when school officials tell her she cannot march. Because the home-schooled eighth-grader does not want to make a scene, just a point. That is: Home-school students should be allowed to participate in any public school activity, as long as they pay taxes and live within the school district.
"I'm not in tears," she said. "But I'm kind of mad. My band teacher says I'm a good student. And I am first-chair clarinet."
Beatrice High School officials told Tiffany last month that she would not be able to participate in band next year as a ninth-grader. The school bars home-school students from being in activities regulated by the Nebraska School Activities Association.
Tiffany's parents, Ron and Vicki Hasley, plan to fight the school's decision, maybe even in court. But, at least for this summer, they figured she could still play with the band.
That's not the case, they learned Wednesday when band director Bruce Greenwell told Tiffany just before practice that Superintendent Dale Kruse decided she should sit out Saturday's parade. On Friday, the Hasleys received a formal letter from Kruse stating the same.
"They say she isn't registered, but no one has to be registered until school starts this fall," said Ron Hasley. "Really, quote me that policy. Show me that statute."
Both Kruse and BHS activities director Randy Coleman were unavailable for comment Friday.
But Roger Harris, attorney for the Beatrice school board, said the decision is consistent with school policy. No one can play in the band unless they are registered, full-time students at the school, he said.
"Even though marching in the parade is an informal thing, it's not open to just anyone," Harris said.
"Say a student from Wymore wanted to march. Would anyone care? Probably not. But the perception is, ‘This is the Beatrice High School band,' and we have to protect that."
Whether homeschool students can be in marching band is at the discretion of each school, said Jim Tenopir, director of the NSAA.
Band members can practice or perform at non-NSAA events such as parades or high school football games. But for competitive activities, the NSAA only allows students from accredited schools to compete against other students.
NSAA eligibility rules ensure that high school students keep up their grades and attend school regularly, or they cannot compete, Tenopir said.
Enforcing the very specific and rigid rules among homeschoolers would be impossible, he said.
"You are probably not going to hear a parent say, ‘I caught my kid smoking so please don't let him play football,'" Tenopir said.
But some state senators would like to change both school policies and NSAA rules to include homeschool students.
Legislative bills addressing that issue have been introduced for the past few years, most recently by Sens. Phil Erdman and Mike Foley. But none of the bills have made it out of committee.
Ron Hasley said he's "a constitution kind of guy," who will pursue the issue, not only for his daughter but for other homeschool students.
"I pay taxes," he said. "I'm asking for a service, and I'm not getting it. I hope what happens here sets precedence for the state."
Is that right? What proof do you have of this? I know differently.
Yeah, just sit down, shut up, and pay your property taxes - which pay the bills for every last program in question - or we'll come kick in your door, put a gun to your head, and throw you out on the street at the final day of the foreclosure proceedings.
Both of my(homeschooled) boys have been participating for years in the Public School soccer league --- as a lot of the hs kids do -- and nobody has ever raised an eyebrow.
I'd love to have a homeschool band. But because of the small number of hs-ers in the area, particularly in the teen years, we've never been able to organize one.
It's odd that, at present, when homeschoolers don't join in with others, we're called "cultish," but when we do want to join in, we can be criticized as "interlopers."
I personally think that as homeschooling becomes more common, more school districts will adopt a commonsense approach (as ours did) and open up the extracurricular activities to all kids in the district. It gives the kids more opportunities, it makes the team or band better, and it pays off richly in mutual good will.
Makes good sense to me.
With the current situation of our Public School system - considering 'The Pledge of Allegiance' has been removed from many systems, 'under God' is under attack, 'The Ten Commandments' has been removed from classrooms - shouldn't we, as Conservative Republicans, be fighting FOR the right to Home school?
Does it not make more sense to take a stand against these things starting with our own families, and hit the Lefties where it hurts - their pocket book? And if we are saving the system money by Home-schooling - then what is the complaint? The fact that they can no longer fill the heads of our children with their Democratic Underground thinking?
Look at what is going on in Universities around the country. Where are these ideas and fights generating? Mainly from those students who have stayed in the public school system, with parents who let the school system raise them ,and have consistently been brain washed by the Left with THEIR ideas of what is Right and Wrong.
As Conservatives - we should most definetly put this high at the top of our list, and fight to educate our children as WE see fit. JK
"I didn't call the police or the fire department once last year. Can I get my tax dollars that were spent on them refunded?"
And then you can use the same specious logic with your insurance agent.
If insurance was the issue, the school could just ask the parents to sign something waiving the school of any responsibility if their child were to get injured while participating in school activities.
Seems to me the parents and the girl want it both ways. They want the benefits of school extracurricular activities gained by going to public school without going to school there.
This girl doesn't go to school there. Her parents (and maybe even the girl) have chosen for her not to attend school there. They therefore disqualify the girl from participating in activities that enrolled kids get.
If she wants to be in a school band, enroll in school there. You can't and shouldn't be able to have it both ways. They need to make up their minds what they want.
This sounds a lot like what liberals would whine about.
"my point is that these parents have the right (through their tax dollars) to utilize the resources that they pay for"
Not only that, how many home school groups are big enough to have a band of their own. Marching bands like most sports are group events that benefit from the "economy of size" found in the public school environment. Many home schooled children are involved in public school sports.
The goal of home schooling is not one of isolation, it's for the purpose of a better education.
her parents pay school taxes too. in sports there are only so many slots and to make the cut means somebody else didn't, i've never heard of anybody being turned down cause the band was full... and i doubt that she would not play as good or better than anybody else so that's not an issue either
That is all I am saying.
No you can't. You're too old. Many folks pay school taxes and dont have kids which is all the more reason not to be a stingy gut and allow home schoolers to join IF they can compete and make the teams.
i get a SCHOOL TAX BILL every year!!! don't tell me they don't get any money for kids not there... i pay school taxes and all our kids are out of high school and i'll pay it till i die!!!
Therefore, if we were to stick with your logic, public schooled kids shouldn't be able to play music with any other band (or sports team, or whatever) besides the one public school supplies...even if their parents pay for it with their tax money, correct? This is, in essence, what you are telling the homeschooling family.
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