Homeschooling or Not Homeschooling?

Washington: Your Calls Needed to Help Pass SB5142


Senate Bill 5142 , not drafted by HSLDA, (Home School Legal Defense Association) was introduced on January 17, 2011, and passed the Senate 48-0 on February 28. It is currently scheduled for an executive session in the House Committee on Education at 8:00 a.m. on March 24. 

It is a rather timely issue as just this last week I personally have seen two instances of  the local public school "officials" calling these parent partnership programs they host within their own facilities, :homeschooling" when they are actually NOT homeschool, but "public school" programs.

Currently,there is a push to cut government spending by stopping these Alternative Learning Experience programs and people in them are, of course, sad that they might end and  they are rallying support for the program.  In doing do some call them homeschool programs.  It must be known and made clear to everyone that these are NOT "homeschooling" programs.  The public needs to know that "Homeschoolers" take NO money from the state in order to school their kids at home! 

So if you hear about Parnt partnership programs at you local public school.... or "homeschool programs in the public school."  BEWARE.  Guess what?  There is no such thing.... 

Your tax dollars pay for those kids in the parent partnership program to go skiing, while the school does not even provide paper and crayons and glue for your regular classroom child, but those kids are not homeschoolers; they are not being homeschooled as defined by the home based education law.  Children and their parents enrolled in a PPP or ALE, are public school students!

This Bill will help make it clear the difference between these public school programs and home based education... which is HOMESCHOOL!
 

HSLDA recently sent out this E-Alert:

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

We need your help to get Senate Bill 5142 out of the House Education Committee. The Committee has schedule an executive work session on the bill for March 24, and we would like to see the bill passed out with a favorable recommendation.

Senate Bill 5142 clarifies that alternative learning experience (ALE) programs are public school programs and that a student enrolled full-time in an ALE program is a full-time public school student. The bill prohibits these ALE programs from promoting themselves as homeschool programs and requires them to provide honest information about what they are.

Currently some ALE programs in Washington promote themselves as home-based education because they allow much of the actual instruction to be provided by parents. This has led some parents in these programs to assume that they are homeschooling their children. However, under state law an ALE program is considered an extension of public school. Everything with these programs, from the instruction time required to the curriculum used, is not up to the parents but is up to public school officials. While many of these ALE programs are friendly to homeschoolers, if a student is enrolled full-time in the program, the student is a public school student.

Senate Bill 5142 does not change what ALE programs are; they have always been public school programs. However, the bill does require ALE programs to be clearer in what they tell parents. Since this bill provides more information to allow parents to make an informed decision, we support this bill.

Please contact the House Education Committee members listed below to urge them to support this bill. If you are able to contact all of the members before March 24, that would help ensure that this bill passes out of the committee.

ACTION REQUESTED:

1) Please call and email the House Education Committee members listed below and give them this message in your own words:

"Please vote in favor of Senate Bill 5142. This bill helps ensure that parents are given all the information about alternative learning experience programs. Parents should be able to know whether their child is a full-time or part-time public school student. Thank you for supporting SB 5142."

House Education Committee Members

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) Chair
Phone: (360) 786-7944 Email: sharontomiko.santos@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Kristine Lytton (D) Vice Chair
Phone: (360) 786-7800 Email: kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Bruce Dammeier (R) (ranking member)
Phone: (360) 786-7948 Email: bruce.dammeier@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Glenn Anderson (R) (asst. ranking member)
Phone: (360) 786-7876 Email: glenn.anderson@leg.wa.gov

Rep. John Ahern (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7962 Email: john.ahern@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jan Angel (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7964 Email: jan.angel@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Andy Billig (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7888 Email: andy.billig@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Cathy Dahlquist(R)
Phone: (360) 786-7846 Email: cathy.dahlquist@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Susan Fagan (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7942 Email: susan.fagan@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Fred Finn (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7902 Email: fred.finn@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Kathy Haigh (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7966 Email: kathy.haigh@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Mark Hargrove (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7918 Email: mark.hargrove@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Sam Hunt (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7992 Email: sam.hunt@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Brad Klippert (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7882 Email: brad.klippert@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Joel Kretz (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7988 Email: joel.kretz@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Connie Ladenburg (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7906 Email: connie.ladenburg@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Marko Liias (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7972 Email: marko.liias@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Marcie Maxwell (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7894 Email: marcie.maxwell@leg.wa.gov

Rep. John McCoy (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7864 Email: john.mccoy@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Tim Probst (D)
Phone: (360) 786-7994 Email: tim.probst@leg.wa.gov

Rep. J.T. Wilcox (R)
Phone: (360) 786-7912 Email: jt.wilcox@leg.wa.gov

BACKGROUND:

While HSLDA did not draft or introduce Senate Bill 5142, we have
reviewed the bill and strongly support it.

Senate Bill 5142 was introduced on January 17, 2011, and passed the
Senate 48-0 on February 28. It is currently scheduled for an executive
session in the House Committee on Education at 8:00 a.m. on March 24.

If you are not yet a member of HSLDA and would like to help us fight
for greater homeschool freedom in Washington please visit
http://www.hslda.org/join/apply.asp .

If you would like to be put on our free email list to receive vital
e-lerts you may sign up at
https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe .

Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Washington.

Sincerely,

Thomas Schmidt
HSLDA Staff Attorney

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The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:

Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
Phone: (540) 338-5600
Fax: (540) 338-2733
Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org

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A Day at the Races, Turtle Races and Other Fun Paper Toys

These photos were taken on a really busy and playful day where we made all sorts of papery things that we printed from www.thetoymaker.com.  . We made and played with paper people , a.k.a. paper dolls, (both boys and girls,) which we dressed in their fancy historical costumes... dogs in a dog show, (which had a wide variety of dog breeds and the kids took turns being the various dogs, doing dogs tricks and distributing prizes!

We made a paper rabbit and a frog...




and some fun animal finger puppets which did a very nice puppet show,


and best of all, we made turtles!

I am not sure "why" exactly, but the turtles were an absolute hit! Before I knew knew it, everyone getting into the action, coloring one, or two, or three turtle to call their own!  . When we ran out of printed ones we began tracing the ones we had made and making our own!

Even the residetnt teenager could not resist and got into the action.







Of course,
it had to be
labeled

"TOP SECRET."

But  with permission, I snuck a peek.









Everyone was having fun together and was in the mood for playing with, cutting out and coloring... and racing ...turtles.  It was a glorious day of good, old-fashioned, family fun!


When we were done coloring the turtles, Papa set up the turtle race course, and before long they were all off and running!


Did I say running?  I really mean... RUNNING.



This was the really fun part....

You see, no one but Papa and I really knew what the race would be like and even we were a bit surprised to see it in action.  It was great!  The kids had tied a string to their own turtles and were just pulling them around the room on the floor, ready to race! They envisioned that they would be pulling their turtle, pushing it, maybe even running with it to be in the "Turtle Race" that they were preparing for.  Finally, the race was on and they lined up, following our directions.  Ready to have a go at it.

You can only perhaps imagine their surprise when they were told to simply jiggle the string in their hands to make the turtles run all the way to the chairs and over the finish line!  And boy,  was it a surprise to us all to actually see them all go!

Here they are at the start line... on their marks and ready to go!

The paper turtles will be racing to those chairs.

 "ON your shell,

        get ready...

                      GO!"

And
they
are
off!


and running!

Hooray for Turtle Day!

You can find these neat printables and more at www.thetoymaker.com.

2011 Inland Northwest Homeschooling Conference

 Mark your calendars, sign up today!

 ~~~ March 25 – 26 ~~~


The 2011 Inland Northwest Homeschool Conference will be held in Spokane Valley, WA on March 25 – 26, 2011, and is being put on for us by Valley Home Scholars.  This conference will certainly offer lots of encouragement and support to homeschooling families.  This year's keynote speaker is Michael P. Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association. Additionally, there will be various workshops and book purchasing opportunities.

Early registration is now in progress.

If you register for the Conference before February 26, 2011, you will receive an e-mail confirmation acknowledging receipt of your registration and then you will then be able to check in at the Express Check-in booth when you arrive at the Conference. And there is a special bonus to registering early:

Registrations received by February 26, 2011 will be entered into a drawing for a one-year membership to HSLDA.


For more information and to download the registration form, please go to:
www.valleyhomescholars.org/

Tag Lines and Sailing Ships

Walnut Ships that really float!

A ship's whistle blows in the distance...  the smell of salty ocean air encircles your feet and suddenly you find yourself on a great homeschooling adventure!

I was reading my by line this morning.... something about the "tempestuous sea of liberty" and having to navigate through it.  How true!  Homeschooling is like that.  You learn quickly to think of what you are doing as an adventure... The kids get sick, errands call and yet there is a home to manage and bookwork to do.... and worse of all you do not always know where this homeschooling journey will end up, and then you end up wonder if it's all just some strange experiment you want to run aground.

Things can seem quite unsure as you are homeschooling... and worse....there is no one to tell you want to do and not do.  How do you even know if you can be sure that the kids are learning enough?  How can you know for sure that they are learning what they need to know... to keep up with kids in school... or more importantly to live?

Yes, well, we "know" they are learning "everything they need to know"... and how "to live " in regular school..... well,  maybe.  Seems a bit of and experiment there as well.  But there is certainly a tug at every homeschoolers heart to wonder if "school" and "school experts" really do know best.  Rest assured...  it's anybody's guess.  There are simply no guarantees...either way and chances are if you are reading this, interested in homeschool or if you have been homeschooling for more than a month, it is because you already decided that school was just as experimental as homeschooling ever could be.  The important thing to do what you have given heed to homeschooling past that kindergarten mark is be confident that homeschooling is what you would like to do.

So here you stand, label now as a "homeschooler."  Now what?  What lies ahead?  IS there any end in sight, and what if you set sail and don;t like it?  Is it possibly to fail?

Truth is, you just never know what a day will bring, and each day, in a public schoolroom or not, has enough trouble of it's own.... but still there you are, standing.   Good.   Look before you and see that there is a whole world to explore and learn about!

With such a seemingly daunting task before you, if you are like me, you probably think to yourself, "I do not even know where to begin!" This is where you simply tie a knot onto the idea of homeschooling and hang on!  (Just be careful what it is you tie your knot to!)   And remember this:  There are no guarantees in life.  IT really is all the grace of God.   It is a matter of one thing at a time and then that thing will lead you to the next.  Your journey, each child's journey, is bound to be very different from anybody else's too.   So begin with the basics and let your learning branch out from there.  If you need to regroup, get back to the basics.  Go back and look to see what your rope is tied to.

Whatever you do, love your kids.  Try to make every moment with your kids special, memorable or meaningful and they will do just fine.  One thing is certain, the adventure you embark on in homeschooling is uniquely yours and because it is yours you can pretty much do any curriculum or learning activities and experiences that you would like...as long as you have the conviction of heart that what you are doing is worth your while. IT really is your boat, and the open sea is calling.


As you travel the seas, no doubt there will be a lot of books and resources vying for your attention, offering to help you navigate along the way.  Everyone wants to sell you their shiny little trinket... and make a profit, so remember, in terms of your kids, the very best resource is... you, and not only that, it's your ship.  You can land it, beach it, dock it, winter it, whenever you like.  You can toss unnecessary things overboard or get new cargo anytime you like, and more importantly, these are your kids. 

Where will you end up?  Where will this adventure take you?  God only knows for sure, but one this for sure, it will take you to that place where your child is older and much wiser, ready to embark on his or her own individual journey into some aspect of the outside world with a trusty rope tied to the most important things in life...and it will be love, family... a love of learning and best of all, a sense of home.

How long will you be "homeschooling" is never predetermined.  Most people only get to do it until the child is age five or six....then they send them off to be schooled.  Some only homeschool until their are six weeks old... then they send them off to nursery or preschool; but for homeschoolers, it can be till twelve or fourteen, even college, that is,  if your homeschooling spirit doth persist!

Wherever your homeschooling journey begins, or whenever you find yourself in the doldrums... (been there a few times myself) one thing you can be sure of is the freedom to homeschool your own children, to select your own curriculum, to have the time to learn things interesting to you without school bell interruptions and school board calendars to keep... even to build or to rebuild the "sailing ship" you are on... is awesome.

For me, as I look to the horizon from where my ship sails as it has for the last 17 years... I now find myself feeling a bit like an old rugged sailor, and I find myself saying something new and quite foreign to me....

"Land Ho!"