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Twin measures drop degree requirement to teach at home (Homeschooling in Virginia)
The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 3/5/06 | MATTHEW BOWERS

Posted on 03/05/2006 12:31:49 PM PST by wagglebee

eaching your children at home will continue to require dedication - but no longer a college sheepskin - under a change to state law awaiting the governor's signature.

Two identical "high school diploma" bills that passed recently say it's OK for anyone to home-school a child in Virginia as long as that person has earned at least a high school diploma, not a bachelor's degree as currently required. The proposed change raised little ruckus in the General Assembly.

But parents who home-school welcomed the elimination of what they called an arbitrary, unwarranted restriction.

Virginia parents with neither college nor high school diplomas already could home-school but only if they were certified teachers, which usually requires college; used an approved correspondence course; or followed the Virginia Standards of Learning requirements in English and math used in the public schools. Those in the last category also had to prove to the local schools superintendent that they could provide "an adequate education" for their children.

Home-school advocates said that standardized test scores they're required to file each year with the state show that having a high school diploma or college degree makes little difference in teaching ability - it's more about one-on-one attention and knowing your children.

"Just having a college degree is no predictor of success in home schooling," said Ian Slatter, media relations director for the Home School Legal Defense Association, based in Purcellville. "There was definite frustration that there was this different standard and no justification for it."

Opposing the change was the Virginia PTA.

"It's very troublesome," said Stella Y. Edwards, state legislative chairwoman. "The state and federal governments have sought to raise the level of standards " while this change would lower them for some, she said.

"The children are the ones missing out here," she said.

Under the current and proposed laws, all home-school teachers undergo annual reviews through test results or other means and can be placed on a year's probation if students aren't adequately progressing. Those without college degrees who go the SOL route face increased scrutiny that varies across the state.

"The problem with that is, some superintendents have additional requirements they put on home-school parents - they don't treat them equally," said Yvonne Bunn, home-school support director for the Home Educators Association of Virginia, which sought the change.

Elsewhere, the only college requirements for home-school teachers are in Tennessee, which requires a bachelor's degree to teach high school subjects, and North Dakota, which requires one only if a home-school teacher doesn't want to be monitored for the first two years by a certified teacher.

Forty-one states don't specify any educational qualifications to home-school, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine wants to add a two-year period of oversight by the state Board of Education and further study the bills but "generally is supportive of efforts to eliminate regulatory hurdles for parents who choose to home-school their children," spokesman Kevin Hall said. Proponents said they had no problems with such oversight.

Locally, 2,125 children were home-schooled in the five South Hampton Roads cities in 2004-05, the latest figures available from the state. That reflected a 2 percent increase in two years - four times the increase in public school enrollment during the same time.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: education; homeschooling; homeschoolinginva; hsdla; kaine; pts; schools; vaeducation; vageneralassembly; vahomeschooling; vapublicschools
Opposing the change was the Virginia PTA.

"It's very troublesome," said Stella Y. Edwards, state legislative chairwoman. "The state and federal governments have sought to raise the level of standards " while this change would lower them for some, she said.

No, they just want to remove children from the NEA's socialist agenda which really has nothing to do with education.

1 posted on 03/05/2006 12:31:51 PM PST by wagglebee
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To: DaveLoneRanger; Tired of Taxes

Homeschool ping.


2 posted on 03/05/2006 12:32:31 PM PST by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: wagglebee

This is amazing, it seems that 'free public education' means the government owns your kids.


3 posted on 03/05/2006 12:40:34 PM PST by squarebarb
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To: wagglebee

Good grief! It's easier to homeschool in MA than it apparently is in VA!


4 posted on 03/05/2006 12:48:02 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: wagglebee

Home schooling might eventually get Virginia a governor that don't drool and flutter his eyes while speaking.. but then its awful close to West Virgina.. Could be the water..


5 posted on 03/05/2006 12:55:34 PM PST by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole..)
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To: wagglebee
Under the current and proposed laws, all home-school teachers undergo annual reviews through test results or other means and can be placed on a year's probation if students aren't adequately progressing.

I wonder if the public school teachers have to undergo the same annual reviews. If so, I bet the PTA doesn't like it...
6 posted on 03/05/2006 1:07:48 PM PST by andyk (Go Matt Kenseth!)
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To: wagglebee
Opposing the change was the Virginia PTA. "It's very troublesome," said Stella Y. Edwards, state legislative chairwoman. "The state and federal governments have sought to raise the level of standards " while this change would lower them for some, she said. "The children are the ones missing out here," she said.

Well they aren't your children, lady, so butt out.

This is great news. I homeschooled my son all the way from K through 12 and managed just fine without a college degree. It's not like it's college level material, and I didn't write my own curriculum. You have to be a moron to flunk this skill since the teacher's manuals give you the answers. What with software, the Internet, dvd's and everything else in addition to books, the work is all done for you. The teacher is just the buyer, the scheduler and the grader. So what's the problem with public school teachers? I suppose one problem is that they get stuck with crappy curriculum that is more aimed at indoctrination than education. And then they haven't the freedom to discipline a kid effectively like mom or dad can. Whup-de-do that you have a degree on the wall if you can't get Johnny to sit still and listen to you. Or if once he does listen, all you've got to work with is politically correct nonsense.

Education by committee can never be as effective as one-on-one teaching can. Especially when the committee is all entangled in politics.

7 posted on 03/05/2006 1:25:38 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: wagglebee
I hope that they keep Kaine's "oversight" nose out of this. Long term that oversight is not in the best interests of the home schooled children.
I have graduate degree in the field from "The University" (Virginia) and advised that my grandchildren be home schooled.
So far the Lord has been gracious to give them unselfish parents who have been willing to "go to the wall" with them.
The oldest of them will graduate with three degrees at once (in sciences) and is currently studying at Oxford, UK to get experience abroad and take some advanced Latin.
A 17 year old (high school) brother also began taking math and Chinese at NCState when he was 16.
Each child is different and it is a parental responsibility to see that said child uses talents and abilities to the best advantage. That does not mean that every child goes to Oxford or even to college, it means that each is encouraged to live a full life consistent with his ability to contribute and to receive rewards of sane living and upright citizenship.
8 posted on 03/05/2006 10:18:47 PM PST by Spirited
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To: wagglebee; agrace; bboop; cgk; Conservativehomeschoolmama; cyborg; cyclotic; DaveLoneRanger; ...

Ping!

Good news for Virginia homeschoolers


9 posted on 03/06/2006 8:23:25 AM PST by Tired of Taxes (That's taxes, not Texas. I have no beef with TX. NJ has the highest property taxes in the nation.)
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To: squarebarb
Borrrowing from the Klintoon lexicon, the word "FREE" really means the government is FREE to do whatever it wants....
10 posted on 03/06/2006 8:25:34 AM PST by pointsal
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To: MoJo2001
Ping a ling.
11 posted on 03/06/2006 10:22:23 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Embrace peace- Hug an American soldier- the real peace keepers.)
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To: SuziQ
Good grief! It's easier to homeschool in MA than it apparently is in VA!

Not fer long it ain't.

12 posted on 03/06/2006 10:31:04 AM PST by P8riot (When they come for your guns, give them the bullets first.)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross

WooHoo! Thanks for the ping! I will pass this on to my neighbor!

Also, I must say that I loathe the local PTA let alone the Virginia one. UGH!

They were the biggest reason for maintaining the *NO MERRY CHRISTMAS* for Winter Festivals.


13 posted on 03/06/2006 11:43:52 AM PST by MoJo2001 (www.proudpatriots.org (Support Our Troops)...)
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