I homeschooled my daughter for 11 years and she is now in college. Her tests were relevent to what she had just been taught. The State trying to test them for what the others their age had been taught is folly. My daughter hardly ever was taught the same course at the same time as others her age. That's why we homeschooled(among other reasons.) One year she was absorbed in the study of sharks. She read books from the library, went to web sites, and then we vacationed at Sea World. We made a test for her to see iff she was retaining anything. 50 questions, made 100. Testing her on her everyday ciriculum, produced lower results. She usually made just enough to pass. When dinosaurs were her fancy, you drop what you are doing and do dinosaurs. You get 100% retention. Same for when she was learning the states and their capitols. Another was airplanes and flying, building things and finding out how things worked, hunting, etc. All these phases came and went, so you use that time to study as long as she wants on each subject that she is interested in at that time. We didn't have quiting times, worked some weekends, and sometimes all summer. She graduated a year early. We actually slowed her down so she wouldn't be in college with people to old for her. When Texas history came around, she read the textbook, went to the library for biography's, and finally we went to the Alamo in SA, and then on to San Jacinto in Pasadena. She listened to the guides and the films intently. She passed with a mid 90% grade on a 100 question test with essay's. She left out a coulple of facts I wanted her to retain I felt were important enough. She learned these facts 2 years before public school had Texas history. She saw the battlefields, the tactics they used, and saw the implements of war actually used in the battles. What if she was given a typing test by DSS? What about home ecc or algebra? She hadn't had those classes by then. What if she took their test and failed? Some have said she would be taken from me. I ask, Do all failures of the test result in loosing the kid? I bet not. Equal treatment under the law, which Homeschoolers are taught, says all failures of the same test should be in foster care. I bet the Dss would have more standoffs than they wanted. If they can do it to one, we are all in danger.
Come to Texas and escape the tyrany. Our ciriculum must teach reading, writing, arithmatic, and good citizenship. They don't care what you use for a ciriculum. The Leeper vs. Texas case was our test case and when it was decided, we were left alone, forever.
God put a hedge around this family, and all the rest that risk so much to do what is right, in Jesus Name, AMEN.
Your story is very encouraging to me and gives me hope. May God continue to bless your family.
Nearly 150 years ago R.L. Dabney noted: The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the business for which the earth exist. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making,ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God---this is his task on earth.