Posted on 11/16/2001 1:16:52 PM PST by Truant Mom
Homeschoolers, Legislators, Media Members and Other Interested Parties,
"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.".......Thomas Jefferson
On Tuesday, November 20, 2001 Patricia O'Dell, homeschooling mother of 4 children, of Newfane, Vermont (formerly of Fair Haven) is scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. at the Asa Bloomer building on Merchants Row in Downtown Rutland, Vermont for a hearing to determine........determine what we don't really know. According to Bruce Bjornlund, Hearing Officer, the hearing is to determine Patricia's fitness and ability to homeschool her children since DOE Commissioner David Wolk thinks Patricia's high school diploma doesn't qualify Patricia to homeschool her own children.
At this meeting Patricia plans to establish the following:
1) Patricia O'Dell has and is withdrawing her permission and support of Medicaid funding or any such state or federal funding for the special education of her two children now considered to be on IEP's by the public school;
2) Patricia O'Dell has opted NOT to participate in the special education services her children are eligible for and that she is not obligated by law to accept such services;
3) Patricia O'Dell has placed on record with several education entities copies of the Hatch Amendment Letter requiring any school programs her children might participate in to first receive her written consent to teach her children various subjects;
4) In the spring and summer of 2001 the Vermont Department of Education required of her an assessment of her children which they knew was beyond the boundaries of the laws and expected her to fund these assessment out of her own pocket knowing full well Patricia O'Dell is on a fixed income--Patricia has been unable to find a certified public school teacher or private school teacher that she approves of who are willing to do the assessments for free;
5) The public school continues to receive and accept state and federal funding for her 4 children who have not attended public school for the past 2 to 3 years;
6) Patricia O'Dell has faithfully enrolled her children in the state's home study program for the past 3 years and has at no time been truant;
7) Patricia O'Dell will establish that she is being singled out for harassment, abuse and persecution by school and state officials who have established a pattern of such actions toward parents who choose to homeschool, especially those who defy the special education program and special education teachers that are destroying their children's education and lives. This same pattern of harassment is limited to those who enroll their children with the state's home study program and NOT those families numbering in the hundreds who are in non-compliance by NOT enrolling.
Patricia O'Dell invites all those interested in attending this meeting and encourages members of the homeschooling community (especially those in non-compliance since you will be discussed), legislators and media members to attend. Please bring your tape recorders, video cameras and notepads to record the proceedings and prevent any 'misquotes'!
Any questions or concerns please email me at cwade@vermontel.com.
Patricia is still being harassed by school and town officials even as she is trying desperately to get her new home in Newfane ready for winter. She and her husband, Ray, have purchased 10 acres but are being continuously harassed by town officials, school officials and now someone sent in SRS to snoop. As an example Patricia is tearing down an old structure in order to put in a mobile home. A pile of bricks and lumber was salvaged to be recycled and used for construction projects such as fencing and borders. Someone from the town has decided to label her piles as rubbish and has told her she cannot build any fences.
The town constable was on the property one day to take photos and demanded to be let into the old home that was vandalized after sitting empty for several years (Patricia was also in the process of tearing down this structure). When Patricia refused to let him in he had a tantrum and threatened her with SRS. He also wanted to know why her children weren't in school in the middle of August!?
If this all sounds familiar it's because it is the same M.O. they used on Karen Maple!!!
Cindy Wade Home Education Advocate cwade@vermontel.com
The state's taking of federal and state monies for 'ghost' students is a common occurance here and our liberal governor and his cronies refuse to investigate. It's easier for the state officials to pressure the parents into conforming in order to account for the money and not have to pay it back than it is to make the schools follow the laws.
The DOE's Commissioner seems to think that Patricia's high school diploma is worthless and claims she can't read or write. If this is the case how did Patricia manage to receive a high school diploma (Mt. Anthony Union High School in Bennington) if she couldn't read, write or spell?! Hmmmmmmmmmm?????
I wouldn't say that--there are a lot of high school grads who can't. Sad but true.
All the same, as a former VT homeschooler, I'll support Mrs. O'Dell.
Who was it that said (my paraphrase): the most dangerous thing to freedom is a politician that wants to do what's "best" for you? That's a good definition of a liberal thug.
I wouldn't say that--there are a lot of high school grads who can't. Sad but true.
I think the point was that since she is a graduate of Vermont public schools, what kind of accusation/admission is it that she cannot read and write? That the public schools she is being forced into cannot do the job? That they are afraid she will be able to teach her kids better than she herself was taught?
A 'ghost' student is a child that has been pulled from the public school system (special ed or otherwise) and is homeschooling with no connection to the public school anymore.
Although the child is homeschooling and is not using ANY of the school's services the school still keeps that child on their rolls (ADA numbers) and is still collecting state and federal funding (a felony) for that child.
When these schools get caught they make up all kinds of excuses for keeping these children on their rolls. Others simply use the truancy, child welfare laws to intimidate and try to force the parents into conforming and putting their child BACK into the school or at the very least into the special education programs.
A parent can still homeschool as long as they bring their child to the school a few hours a weeks to special ed programs. This way the school can claim they are providing services and they are within the law for accepting the monies.
The problem here is Patricia has refused ANY and ALL services from the schools and has no contact with the schools. The schools still collect the $24,000.00 plus for her 4 children who are NOT there! Thus, they are 'ghost' students!
Some of the schools here also do what is called 'double-dipping' where they accept medicaid funding for a special education student and also place the same amount of funding in the local school budget and get it that way. In other words they are getting the funding TWICE!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.