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."
Here is our summer schedule: Monday- Thursday 10:00-10:30 Swim lesson at the Club pool and then swim with friends and brother until about 12:30. Home for some reading and Math 12:30-3:00 (and because it is HOT) and then play with neighborhood kids until about 7:00.
Also ,we have Tennis Lessons at the club (private school kids) on Monday and Wednesday from 5:15-6:00.
We have Boy scouts (public school children) on Thursday evenings from 7:00-9:00.
We travel to a summer home where he will play with children he has known all his life, on the beach most of the day, playing Bingo and watching movies at a clubhouse from 7:00-9:00.
On the weekends, at home at summer home we have various friends or neighbors over to play, and on days that we are not swimming or in the winter we have the following schedule: Mondays is chess club
Tuesday is art lessons
Wednesday is explorer's club meetings
Thursday is construction club meetings
Friday is park day at the playground.
BTW- These are group activities and our Homeschool groups has 250 families- so various number of children show up. We also have the opportunity to join science fair clubs, bowling, and field trips every week.When we have time we join in.
My son has attended two science fair competition with upto 100 participants, had a stepping up ceremony for going itno second grade, attended a generational fair with a retirement community and groups of Boy and Girl Scout groups, attended fairs and festivals in our city... Trick or treated with the neighborhood kids, chased the ice cream truck all around the block with the neighbor, watched Sponge Bob Square Pants with a group of neighborhood kids and built three forts outside -for boys only.
This school year my son has played T-ball, and soccer on teams and has taken ice skating lessons with public school children.
He also takes community art classes and sculpting classes. We attend classes at museums and go to functions at our Country club and around town for children.
We see children from all walks of life and we befriend many of them.
My son has been to two Boy scout emcampments , this year, with all sorts of kids.
Next year he will take Chinese lessons with one of his friends from Boy scouts ( A group of public schooled children). He will enroll in Music Composition classes,and we will continue our volunteer work at the veteran's home.
We have been in this town for 1 year and this year my son had 26 children at his birthday party. We had a Halloween party, an Easter Egg hunt and we have various little gatherings.
I also teach an American history class in my home twice a month for 1st and 2nd graders.
Does it sound to you as the only people my children see is MoM?
Think again I know I have missed some things. Don't feel sorry for my kids they are just fine.
Having been following this thread I have agreed with nearly everything you have been saying - but on this one comment I have to respectfully disagree with parts of this.
I like your idea of allowing the kids to be in a setting where they could be more focused on the course work where they will flourish - as long as it is not done to the detriment of areas where they need to concentrate. Where I disagree with you is that it is not like that. It may not be that way where you are but is where I am.
Different areas, different ways of handling things - and that is why I so dislike the stereotyping of just about everything - whether it be education or commerce, police departments or financial institutions.
You elaborated enough to make sure I know how privileged and affluent your family is, and I'm happy that your kids are so well cared for. And just for the record, I wasn't feeling sorry for your kids at all, so get over yourself.
I provided you with enough detail to show you that you have no idea of what you are talking about. I didn't say a word about how much any of those things cost that is your assumption.
How about you "get over yourself", because you are posting nonsense about homeschoolers.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do not envy you that kind of a schedule - I sure wouldn't want it :)
I will warn you though, you are going to bring the anti-homeschoolers out upon you because of your references to the "Club" and the "Country Club" - you know the old "only rich people can afford to homeschool" crowd.
My daughter will be taking swim lessons again this year at the "club" but we're not members - lessons are open to non-members and then we go to a friend's for swimming the rest of the day. The lessons at the swim club are about half the member price of the lessons at the YMCA and the group is also about half the size. We haven't joined either the swim club or the Y because both are a good 30 miles away - the beach is less than 15, we have friends with pools and we're going to get one.....so why bother.
There is heavy cloud cover tonight - so we were spared the demand of hauling the telescope out onto the deck tonight - I do not share hubby's thing about stargazing - luckily for him the almost 7yo does.
Homeschooled children miss out on very little, except some types of school sponsored stuff - but if my kid and most of her friends are any indication, lots of kids in public schools are doing just fine :)
I've known and been associated with home schoolers long before you ever had kids, so get off of your high horse. I do know the problems many home school parents go through and for you to pick a stupid fight with me because the situation I described (that applies to many home school parents), doesn't involve you OR your kids speaks volumes about YOU.
I didn't say a word about how much any of those things cost that is your assumption.
Oh, but you'd probably love to tell me. "Swim & tennis lessons at the club pool, traveling to your summer home & playing on the beach, blah, blah, blah. Look, Diva, I've know people like you all of my life who boast and brag, but when cornered, deny you do it. That's fine, but don't insult my intelligence by claiming you weren't enjoying acting like a "Diva".
Beside you are one of the richest people I know- you have a healthy child, whom you adore and you share your life with.
And no one holds that against you!
Anyone else can say what they will. Homeschoolers come in all shapes,sizes,colors and baking benefits.
Club- smub-
I will say don't hate me because I am rich... I am rich, because I have my kids.
It would at least be nice to have something along those lines in smaller towns, jmo.
That slip should read BANKING!! I can not believe the typos I have made today. (What a goof I am )
I am not offering you an W-2 forms, so "get over it", it has never been my style. You are just embarrassed that someone with a track record, has shown you for the ill- informed person you are.
And you are right I always act like a Diva- and I treat all rational women as such as well.
You want to call me a braggart? LOL!!! Go ahead.. your reaction shows that you are jealous and petty.
I am on a monthly budget and I pay cash for everything- to keep me from over spending. I buy lots of stuff at Garage sales and I pride myself in saying I get lots of stuff from garage sales. I have even been know to dive into the dumpster to get something that looked salvageable.
And I don't hob-knob at the club that much because I am much more interested in surrounding my family with people of substance not wealth.(SOmetimes the two go together- sometimes they don't)
And the whole point is my family enjoys people from lots of different places.
I do not get into discussions of what children are better- homeschooled or public schooled. Because there are good ones and bad ones everywhere. There are happy and sad ones everywhere.
But I will stand up for homeschool parents and children when I feel they are being misrepresented..
What nonsense is that? You can't even be specific because you are taking some information I KNOW to be true about the difficulties some home schoolers have, and applied them to YOUR situation. EARTH TO DIVA: THE SCENARIO I SPOKE ABOUT DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU, OKAY? HAPPY NOW? IT DOES APPLY TO SEVERAL HOME SCHOOLERS I'VE KNOWN, SO QUIT TRYING TO BE THE KNOW IT ALL HOME SCHOOL MOM BECAUSE YOU DON'T!
You are just embarrassed that someone with a track record, has shown you for the ill- informed person you are.
You are pathetically ill informed and argue like a six year old.
And you are right I always act like a Diva- and I treat all rational women as such as well.
Pssssst, I doubt most mature women would like to be called or treated like a Diva. Here's the definition, FYI:
Dictionary.com
di·va ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dv)
An operatic prima donna.
You want to call me a braggart? LOL!!! Go ahead.. your reaction shows that you are jealous and petty
No, YOUR remarks (read them again) prove that you are a braggart.
BA-DA-BING-BA-DA-BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll let you know on Wednesday how I feel about the wealth of the healthy kids after I spend all day Tuesday with 3 of them. But they have a pool - I don't have one yet :)
A couple we are close friends with are self-employed electricians, their kids are 7&8 and my daughter's best friends. Her dad needs to go to the VA hospital for tests and as of tonight could find no one to take him, it's more than 100 miles away. so on Tuesday, not only am I going to handle all 3 kids, I'm going to answer the business phone for them and fix dinner for everyone.
YUP - I'm a glutton for punishment :)
And I haven't even cooked a dinner for two weeks! I am slacking.
If the elementary school my daughter is in is any example it sure as heck is feasible and that is why I said I disagreed with that aspect of your comment.
I met the computer teacher at the elementary school at a town festival last June and she proceeded to tell us a story abouthow our then kindergarten child had put 10 5th graders in their place when they were whining about not being able to do an assignment. The teacher asked my daughter to see if she could do it and she did, and scored 100 on it. That group of 5th graders never pulled such a goof off stunt in computer class again after having been embarrassed by the kindergartener.
As I said in my original post, I know it doesn't happen everywhere, but it just so happens that it does here.
Having grown up in NYC, I'm well aware of the various high schools geared to various subjects - I was rejected by the one I wanted to attend because they had filled their "quota" from the section of Brooklyn I resided.
That's the best you've got? Thought so.... Goodnight.
hehe.. apparently it was enough to make you go away and stop posting nonsense about homeschoolers. :]
As will I - and my kid is in public school..........
Please know, there was no criticism on my part to the club comments - I was talking about "the usual suspects." And you and I seem to agree on who/what those people are as well.
I'm like you - on a budget and paying cash and yard sales and flea markets and 2nd hand stores. I found a fireplace andiron when I dumped my trash one day and my husband asked me where it came from and why it was at the bottom of the steps........I informed him it was a shoe scraper :)
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