Posted on 05/18/2011 11:29:57 AM PDT by christianhomeschoolmommaof3
In her first address to West Virginia’s joint standing committee on education this week, incoming West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple criticized homeschoolers. According to a West Virginia homeschooler who posted to an Internet group, Speaker pro tem and Delegate Ron Fragale told her that Mrs. Marple said “West Virginia homeschoolers need more oversight, better standards, better evidence of progress; homeschoolers have too much flexibility.”
Delegate Fragale told the homeschooler that “he’s not sure why Mrs. Marple is so negative about homeschooling. Perhaps there are some new board members who don’t have a good impression of it. However, the West Virginia Department of Education could create a new policy that might make homeschooling more difficult in the state.” He recommended that homeschoolers contact Mrs. Marple.
HSLDA Staff Attorney for West Virginia affairs Michael P. Donnelly noted that West Virginia homeschoolers do an outstanding job of educating children and that West Virginia has one of the nation’s more stringent homeschooling laws.
“Mrs. Marple’s comments reflect the outdated stereotypes typical of some narrow-minded government school bureaucrats,” Donnelly stated. “Mrs. Marple should get the facts before painting a bull’s-eye on West Virginia homeschoolers. If Mrs. Marple really cares about educational achievement for West Virginia students, she should study why homeschooling works so well and encourage it, not criticize it.”
“West Virginia already requires an annual notification and annual assessment from every family. Only a minority of the United States require this much interaction between homeschoolers and government officials,” he added.
Numerous studies affirm that homeschoolers outperform their public and private school counterparts on standardized tests of academic achievement. These studies show that increasing regulation on homeschoolers does not have any impact on academic performance. HSLDA is troubled by Mrs. Marples’ comments because they reflect an inappropriate eagerness to impose additional bureaucratic requirements on a population who are doing an excellent job of educating their children. Mrs. Marple should focus her attention on the 280,000-plus public school students who need her oversight, and leave West Virginia’s approximately 8,000 homeschoolers alone.
HSLDA is committed to defending the freedom of homeschoolers in West Virginia and calls on Mrs. Marple to retract her comments and to encourage homeschooling rather than seeking to impose additional and burdensome regulations on it. Mrs. Marples should remember that she is the new and 27th state superintendent of schools in a state where the motto is Montani Semper Liberi, or “Mountaineers Always Free.”
To contact Mrs. Marple:
By email: dvermill@access.k12.wv.us By Phone: 304-558-2681 extension 53304 By mail: Dr. Jorea Marple, state superintendent of schools 1900 Kanawha Blvd., E., Building 6, Room 358 Charleston, WV 25305
Thank you. Let’s see if she answers!
Betcha it’s just a form letter that says nothing and makes no commitments or even lets you know where she stands now.
That is genius! I want to know if she answers. I included a link in my email to HSLDA’s list of studies about the academic progress of home educated students.
Excellent letter, BTW.
They also need better socialization skills. That is what happy hour is for.
The example emails above are great, but I think I’d include some of your challenge to her as well.
Demand some evidential reason for her position,
state that commonly available studies show the contrary of her position,
then ask her if her motives are as you stated - based on federal funding, ie, she’s greedy.
But public schools are FREE !!! They MUST be "our" schools, since our tax moneys pay for them! I mean -- you use government-paved roads, don't you?
ping
There. Fixed it.
No. I use roads that are paved by civilian commercial contractors who know how to do things right..................
Union teachers are about to get pink slips.
Get more students now!
Thanks. Plese use, adapt, revise, or distribute in any way that seems helpful.
We have a little thing around here called a “sarcasm tag”.
It’s used when your sarcasm might not be noted.
Indeed, I’ve heard the same argument. I don’t like redistributive socialism, or socialized healthcare, or whatever a lefty thinks will make him feel good about himself,
and his justification is “well, you like having fire departments, police, and public roads don’t you?”
From what I heard our school district counts homeschoolers in the student population so they get the almighty bucks without having to deal with the student or spending a dime on them.
I got a “MAILER-DAEMON” failure notice. I did email Dr. Marple. My email wasn’t as good as others, but I’m watching an NCIS marathon on tv with my daughter, a media that we don’t usually partake of.
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“homeschoolers have too much flexibility.”
What a way to show your ignorance at the outset! Flexibility- like my 13 year old daughter starting to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas after scoring 89% on the ACT? I’m sure plenty of people have already sent you research citations. Maybe you should educate yourself before looking like a product of our failing public schools.
This poor woman doesn’t know what she’s in for should homeschoolers want to pursue this with her. Obviously, she thinks homeschoolers are an easy mark and will just roll over.
Hey, lady, politicians who try to foist unpopular homeschooling laws on their constituents find themselves doing something else for a living after the next election cycle. What makes you think they won’t go after you?
This poor woman doesn’t know what she’s in for should homeschoolers want to pursue this with her. Obviously, she thinks homeschoolers are an easy mark and will just roll over.
Hey, lady, politicians who try to foist unpopular homeschooling laws on their constituents find themselves doing something else for a living after the next election cycle. What makes you think they won’t go after you?
I kind of thought the sarcasm was understood.
Hey, lady, politicians who try to foist unpopular homeschooling laws on their constituents find themselves doing something else for a living after the next election cycle. What makes you think they won’t go after you?
How old is she, do you know?
She must not be familiar with HR6.
People never learn from history. But then again, she may not know it obviously being a product of the public education establishment.
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