The keyword for the FREE REPUBLIC HOMESCHOOLERS’ FORUM is frhf.
This needs to be HR6 revisited.....
Can’t remember if I posted it earlier in the thread but this was my email to Mrs Marples. Will post her response next.
Dear Mrs. Marples,
Hello, my name is__________. I am a West Virginia voter and a home school mother of three children. As a home schooling parent, I am very concerned over your recent comments to the education committee. Your biased opinion is that home schoolers are in need of more regulation. West Virginia has some of the most restrictive home school laws in the country. We are required to submit annual assessments or testing, a letter of notification and an educational plan to our local school superintendent every year. The current requirements already place an undue burden on families. It takes time and resources away from the actual education of our children to fulfill bureaucratic requirements. As parents, we are responsible for the education of our children and we take the responsibility seriously.
Study after study shows that home school students are flourishing and you would be hard pressed to find any justification for stricter regulation. What proof do you have that home school children are doing worse than their public school counterparts that would justify the need for further oversight? What facts do you have that show standardized testing or the portfolio option to be unacceptable evidence of academic progress? What public school standard would you use to judge the educational success of our children? Flexibility is the key to the success of home schooling yet your opinion is that we have too much?
We do not want nor will we accept any more encumbrances upon our God given right to direct the upbringing and education of our children. What I do want, is to educate my children without the government of West Virginia burdening my family with unnecessary regulation. You would do well to concentrate on the education of the students whose parents have abdicated their responsibility to the state. When you have the public schools of West Virginia well in hand, then maybe we can revisit this conversation in the future.
Your unreasonable comments to the education committee were made in your first address as State Superintendent. With so many problems in the West Virginia public schools, your need to address home schooling is very telling. Without facts to prove your assertions, your comments are nothing more than agenda driven rhetoric. Now that we are aware of your agenda, we will be keeping a close eye on your career. A retraction and apology to the many dedicated home schooling parents of West Virginia would go a long way toward making amends. Thank you for taking the time to hear and consider my point of view.
Below was her response. I will also look for my follow up email to which I never received a response.
The following message is being sent on behalf of
Jorea M. Marple, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Schools
I am sure your decision to home school your child was made based on a conscientious evaluation of the needs of your child and your ability to provide rich educational opportunities that enable your child to be a productive citizen.
However administrators, teachers and citizens are increasingly bringing to my attention incidents where homeschooling is being used to circumvent truancy/attendance issues, code of conduct infractions and/or academic issues. It is reported these students are not receiving any, or insufficient instruction.
I know you would agree that it is not acceptable for students to simply be out of school without appropriate supervision and instruction as such situations constitute neglect.
These students are not being provided an engaging education which will prepare them for college or career. The intent of my remarks during the recent Legislative Interim Session was to create a much justified sense of urgency related to those students being neglected.
As the state superintendent of schools, I cannot ignore such an injustice and let these children slip through the cracks. This is a difficult issue, and I and the State Board will proceed with all due caution. I can only hope you will support the Board and Department of Education in our journey to provide every child with a thorough and efficient education.
Ms. Darcel Vermillion
Assistant to the State Superintendent of Schools
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Building 6, Room 358
Charleston, WV 25305-0330
Phone: (304) 558-2681, Ext. 53302
Fax: (304) 558-0048
E-mail: dvermill@access.k12.wv.us
Website: http://wvde.state.wv.us
It’s all about control...