Growing Without Schooling 44 by Patrick Farenga

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING

had a very nice response. A number of readers have written very understand ing, supportive, and encouraging let ters, for which I am very grateful . I should perhaps make clear that almost all the lectures now cn my schedule are ones I agreed to do before I made my decision to get out of the lecture business. Let me say once again that that decision is very firm, and one I am not likely to change in any foreseeable future. --- John Holt

JOHN HOLT' S COMING SC HEDUL E

The March 25, 1985 issue of News week carried a one-column story about nomeschooling. It was generally accu rate and favorable, and correctly gave the impression that the movement is growing in size and legitimacy. My one objection to the story is that they call me "the Guru" of the home schooling movement. This is in some important ways mistaken and mislead ing. I won't pretend that I have not been an important voice in the home schooling movement, but the movement is by no means made up of Holt followers; many homsechoolers do not think of me as a good guy, and many have never heard of me at all. This is all to the good. The whole strength of the movement and the rea son why it has been such a remarkably effective instrument for social change is that it does not have a cen tralized leadership, and having none, is able to generate so much and so effective local leadership, people who learn not from some "guru" but from their own experience, and having learned, inform and support each other. Our January Open House was the largest we had ever 'had, and our March Open House was even larger. The office, which I sometimes feel has a little more space than we need, was absolutely bursting with children of all sizes, and their parents. A won derful occasion. Join us if you can . As you have probably noticed, after the title of each book or other item in our Book and Music list, there is a number which tells in which issue of GWS the item was de scribed and reviewed. This is fine for people who have (and ca'n lay hands on) all the back issues of GWS. But it occurred to us recently that many people who do not have all the back issues might like to read what we had to say about some book, etc. on our list, but did not want to spend the $2.50 for a single back issue in order to find out. So we have decided to institute a Book Review Reprint service. If you would like a copy of a review of some thing in our list, please send us: (1) the name of the book or item (2) 50¢ for the first review and 25~ for each additional review (3) a self-addressed stamped envelope . We hope this may better acquaint you with some of the books that were reviewed in GWS before you began sub scribing . In GWS #43 I said that I had decided that in the future I was go ing to do much less traveling and lec turing, either to homeschoolers or to other groups and organizations, feeling that I could most effectively work from Boston and through the medi um of GWS, and ceyond that needing more time for my private life and for music. From this announcement I have

~12, 1985: Ho lt Assoc. Open House-12nOlThurs . each mo., 6-8 PM). April 15 : Smithsonian American History Museum, Washingt o n D.C. 3 PM. Open to public. Contact Joan Liversage at Smithsonian. ~26-27: National Coalition of Alternatrve-Gommunity Schools con ference, Clonlara School, Ann Arbor MI . Contact Kathy Sutherland, 313 769-4515 . ~7-10: Sun Valley Music Camp, Sun VaITey 10. Contact James Salisbury, PO Box 2261. Twin Falls ID 83303; 208-734-6746. ~17-lR: Homesch oo l ers Jam boree, Lansing MI. Contact Carolyn Cordell, 2310 Bernard, Lansing ~I 48910 .

NOTES FROM DONNA Sad t o say, two farewells this month. First to leave was Ross Camp bell, who came to Bost on last year as volunteer and stayed as paid staff. We will miss his cheerful good hum or, his quick t yp ing (he easily mastered the word processor we use), and his music. Ross has gone back to Califor nia to live with friends and to help his father build an earth-sheltered home. In a few weeks, Kit Finn will be moving to Williamsburg, and I miss her help already. Kit, as a volun teer, had been coordinating our larg e mailings, doing all the many steps from making a schedule to delivering sacks to the post office . Her three daughters, Danette (6), Bridget (5), and Corie (3), livened up many a day in the office. Our pool of helper s seems to be dwindling, so let me put in a plea now for more volunteers . We ne ed peo ple both living close to the office and also far away (especially good typists who can get work back to us quickly) . Here's a result of many hours of volunteer work by Madalene Murphy (CT) - an index to GWS #3 1-40' It's very well done, and we have copies available for $l. (The index to #1-30 is also available for $2.50.) Mada lene doubts she can do the next index - who would like to take this on? The first person to offer to run the GWS TRAVEL DIRECTORY was Leigh Taylor, PO Box 3, Bergland MI 49910. If you would like other GWS families to come visit you, or would like a copy of the Cirec tory so you can visit others, send a SASE to Leigh. In GWS #37, we mentioned an arti cle called "Stress Effects on I .Q." by Bernard Brown and Lillian Rosen baum, available through the George town Medical Center. A reader says that they no longer send out the arti cle and it is important that she get a copy . Did someone send off for it? (We didn't . ) If so, can you send us the original or a good copy, so we can make further. copies?

I should clarify something I worded a bit loosely in the last GWS. The article by Nancy Wallace in Moth ering was about a stillbirth and-aIso twins who died within a day of being born. Ishmael and Vita a re well and happy! Sorry for any confusion. Kathleen Reilly in Connecticut wants readers t o know that ADAM compu ters arc expected to go on sale this spring for about $250. "We love our Adam and would recommend it very high ly as an excellent word processor for child r en or adults, " she says, "as well as a computer with many oth er uses as well. " Coleco , the manufactur er is discontinuing production; Honey well will service the machines . Two readers have asked us how they can get good, educational video cassette recordings. We have no idea. Are there any good sou r ces that loan, rent, or sell cheaply such tapes, especially to people who live far from cities? --- Donna Richoux WHAT A FRIE NDLY PROF SEES When Larry Arnoldsen of Brigham Young lJniversity sent his listing (or our "Speakers Bureau," he also wrote:

... I was asked a few years ago by John Holt if I would help parents 1n their ef(orts to be effective home educators. I answered in the a ffi rma tive and have since then been co~act ed by hundreds of such parents . I have also been invited to a number of their conferences . The first thing that has really been quite startling is the interest in "educational theory" displayed by these people. I have been working with "professional" educators for 20 years and am used to a general and widespread resistance to educational theory ... Participation by profession als in " professional development" has tyricall y been fo r one or more of the fo lowing reasons: (1) They have been required t o by their employer . (2) It will put them in a higher salary bracket. (3) They need something "quick and dirty" t o successfully con trol difficult students . I repeat, I ha ve never seen among professionals such interest either individually or collectively in fundamental questio n s as I have seen by parents. At a state confer ence on Home Schools attended by over 600 persons, I made such an observa tion which immediately brought the following re spo nse from the state Vice-president, "But don't you see, we lov e our children?" . .. This explan ation has seemed the only appropriate one . In reference to this deeper interest in educational theory dis played by homeschoolers there is also WHAT'S INSIDE - New WY Law: 2 --- Autism: 2 -- Court:-Z---- Pending legislation: 3 -- Other local news: 4 --- Famous unschoolers: 4 --- Norway: 5 --- JH/Misquotes: 5 --- Compul sory school age: 5 --- Tax cartoon: 5 --- Part time school: 6 --- Fingerprint/CA: 7 --- AK research: 7 --- Allergies: 8 --- Skeptical father: 9 --- Deaf: 9 --- Success: 9 --- Mari posa CA: 9 --- "L.D.": 10 --- Private school: 11 --- Bodine /D ipping into school: 11 --- Life at home: 11 --- JH/"Gocks" : 12 --- British study, school/home: 13 --- Young children: 14 --- JH/Gifted: 15 --- Hospital: 15-16 --Tests: 16-17 --- Chica go schools: 17 --- Teach er Certificates: 18 --- JH/Late readers: 18 --- JH/Writing: 19 --- Math: 19-20 --- JH/ Bank: 20 --- Memory: 20 --- Violin: 20 --Art: 20 --- Speakers: 21 --- Quadro construc tion kit: 22 --- Map puzzles: 23 --- Tapes: 23

another startling phenomenon occur ing. It is the following: 1 . The focusing on the learner and his/her needs and interest as has been advocated by the great education al theorists for centuries . 2 . Individualized learning. This naturally follows from No . l. 3 . Focusing on processes rather

than products, i . e . helping children

become self-learners or self

teachers; learning how to learn.

4. Focusing on more active learn ing experiences rather than passive, i.e. painting. writing rather than

studying painting or writing .

5. Focusing on a more wholistic understanding of the development of people, i.e . sound development ought to occur simultaneously in the intel lectual, cultural, social and spiritu al (creative) dimensions . In sound education these dimensions cannot be compartmentalized and separately cul tivated as is attempted in public or private schools, generally speaking . An additional complication in formal schooling is the misleading compart mentalization of the academic sub jects as well into absolutely dis tinct areas, such as history, math, science, etc. The result being that students rarely see the relationships and interconnections between these a rea s . The phenomena out liMed in No . ' s 1-5 above are typically gradually arrived at by homeschooling parents . Initially they tend to imitate the public or formal schools when estab lishing their home school ... With time and experience it becomes modi fied in the directions described ...

NEW HOMESCHOOL LAW IN WYOMING From the Colorado Homeschooling Network Newsletter, 3/85: ... The WYOM1NG HOME EDUCATORS' NETWORK newsletter reports that Gover nor Ed Herschler signed HB 177 (HEA 94) giving Wyoming home schoolers the statutory recognition they had been seeking. There was broad support for the bill throughout the legislature as Wyoming provided no statutory exemption (or home education whatso ever. The bill was also suppo rt ed by the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction. There was, however, debate about the specific provisions of the bill allowing homeschooling and the bill was amended four times to require man datory achievement testing. Howev e r, the fourth time the amendment called for mandatory testing of all school age children in the state-wfiich even tually caused the joint Senate/House conference committee to decide against any language regarding manda tory or voluntary testing. Under the new statute home schools are defined as single-family schools taught by parents or parent appointed tutors. Home schools quali fy as private schools if they offer a basic academic educational program which is defined as a sequentially progressive program of basic instruc tion in reading, writing, math, sci ence, history, civics, and litera ture . Home schools must be "in ses sion" the entire time the public schools in the district are in ses sion. The term "in session" is not defined. Parents operating home schools are required to submit annual ly to their local school board a cur riculum showing that they are teach ing a basic academic educational pro gram. Failure to submit the curricu

lum is prima facie evidence that the home school doesn't satisfy the re quirements of the compulsory atten dance statute .. .

AUTISM VICTORY IN MASS. From the Cape Cod Standard

Times, 2/13/85:

. .. After a three-year struggle, an Orleans woman has gained the right to educate her 8-year-old, special needs son at home, and thus may have made education history in Massachu setts . Jacqueline Fickett, a single par ent who temporarily lost ph ysical cus tody of her son, David, to the state Department of Social Services in 1983, will retain complete custody o( the child, according to a decision rendered last week by Orleans Dis trict Court Judge Richard P . Kelleher. ... Since David was of school age, Ms. Fickett has kept him at h ome, except (or six weeks in 1983 when the state placed ~im in a resi dential program at the May institute for Autistic Children in Chatham and for several months afterward when he attended day classes at the Institute. Robert A. Rotti, director or special needs for the Nauset Region al School System, said the school plans no further action in the case. "We felt we moved in the direction we sincerely and firmly felt was in the best interests of the child," he said. "For the child's sake, we hope we were wrong and that things will work out for him." David's curre nt educational pro gram includes a five-subject curricu lum that was prepared by Susan Ott of Watertown, a special-needs special ist, Ms. Fickett said. The special program includes academics, language, recreation, self-he lp and exercises designed to help improve hi s atten tion span ... Besides wo rking with her son about 20 hours a week in the program, Ms. Fickett said she and David go bowling, walking , and take field trips as weather permits. She said David enjoys using a typewriter and a small glockenspiel. "It' s a relief," Ms. Fickett said of the judge's decision . "I know the comparative conditions between the May Institute and what I am doing at home, and I genuinely feel he is better off with me." . .. Ms . Ott, as expert witness, gave "the only testimony that was first hand knowledge " of the inter action of the mother and child in the home-education program, said Eugene Burkart of Waltham, a court-appointed lawyer who represented Ms. Fickett . . . [DR: J Jacqui Fickett tells us, "Since we began the program present ed to the court by Dr . Ott, David has begun expressing himself in full sen tences, has demonstrated a comprehen sion of number values, and is display ing a more normal social behavior." This was only a couple of weeks after the case was dismissed! I am very pleased that three con nections made through GWS helped Jacqueline Fickett in her struggle: Eugene Burkart, on our "Friendly Law yers" list; Susan Ott, in the Direc tory, who is a clinical psychologist and homeschooling parent; and Lisa Boken, director of ABBINGTON ACADEMY in Or l eans (GWS #43). Abbington Aca demy offered to provide David with " socialization " opportunities (with

normal children, as opposed to what tneJMay Institute could provide) as part of hi s educa tional program. Lisa Boken wrote us: . .. Jacqui 's victory is truly an amazing feat when you consider her situation : no husband, an autistic child, no car . . . She had had to deal wit h court-appointed lawyers who had no true interest in the case . The sad part is that 25 years ago a woman like Jacqui who wanted to keep her child at home instead of put ting him in an institution would be the community heroine. Today she is looked at by most as strange, suspi cious, and denying the best for her child ... Many "liberal " special care people I know on the Cape felt she was a fanatic and that she should place her son in the May Institute. People who make such statements usual ly don't know Jacqui very well nor do they know David, but most of all they don't even know WHAT she does do wit h him. Susan Ott was the only person who came to Jacqui's home to see her in action with David. ... Susan gave the most superb testimony ... The opposing lawyer tried to get her to say that David would be much better off with a teach er who was trained in the fieid as opposed to his mother who has no training of any sort in teaching . Susan said that she didn't feel that education or training were necessari ly what made a good teacher. She is in charge of training the new teach ers at the school she teaches at . . . Many people who come to her with ex tensive training in the field of edu cation are not good teachers and . she has seen quite a few people over the years who have had no formal training who are excellent teachers. She gave the example of an LPN who works in her school and said that the woman was born with the ability to work with children and that almost eve ry staff member including herself looked to this woman as a model. She went on to say that she thought that Jacqui possessed excel lent qualities as a teacher and went on to list some of the things she had seen in Jacqui while observing her work with David . The opposing lawyer tried to push the issue by as king Susan if all her own " education " was for naught. She chuckled (the judge did too) and said that yes, her educa tion had benefited her but that she didn't feel it was necessary to be a good teacher . .. . A hospice program has been set up in the community with people volunteering to help both physically and educationally under Jacqui's and Susan's direction ... [DR: See GWS #21 for another story on an autistic child at home. J

COURT NEWS We've learned of a whole slew of recent court cases in Texas. The appeal of Richard and Kay Wells of El Paso was argued before a state appeals court on Jan. 18; lawyers on both sides said it was the first time that a challenge to the state's com pulsory school attendance law ever reached an appeals court in Texas. However, rather than risk losing on a technicality, the Wells withdrew their appeal before a decision was reached . This means they are liable for about $500 in fines and fees, a nd vulnerable to fur t her prosecu t ion. The appeals court is still expe c t ed to hear the cases of the King family

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #44

3 of Amarillo and the Hu d son s of Hous ton; no dates for the argu ments have been set. Four homeschooling families i n Katy (near Houston) received jury trials during February; a l l we r e con victed and fined various amoun t s. Dor othy Clayton, who is a former teach er, and Jack Clayton, who has taught as a substitute, were only fined the minimum of $5 each. Kathleen Furnace of THE METER SCHOOLS reports that as a resu l t of these court cases, school districts are asking the Texas Education Agency for instructions, and they are being told to consider a private school to be one in which two or more children from two or more families meet togeth er in a place other than a primary dwelling. The Texas Home Educators Newslet ter reports on a number of ot h er cases that can be summarized as: Facing prosecution: the Patter sons of Austin; the Youngs of Travis (Waco area); the Montagues of Borger. Charges dropped: the Ch ans and Dysons of Duncanville. Found innocent or case dis missed: the Neals of Fort Worth; the Tuttles and Higgins of Houston. Appealing to County Court: the Morelands of LaPorte . Still more Texa& news . Newiweek of 3/25/85 reports that charges against Elizabeth and Robert C. Brown of Premont were dismissed on a techni cality, and also that Ft. Worth attor ney Shelby Sharpe filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of home schoolers aimed at clarifying the state law. It is intended to force the court to rule on the question as to whether homes can be private schools. Sharpe said his lawsuit may be tied up in the courts for years, but in the meantime he hopes to win an injunction barring school dis tricts from bringing charges against homeschooling parents. In November, three related fami lies of New Plymouth, Idaho were given six-month jail terms for not sending their children to school . Sam and Marquita Shippy, Floyd and Roxy Shippy, and Robert and Cecilia Sh ippy spent three weeks in jail when their sentences were suspended . Th e court ordered their 16 school-age children placed with relatives who agreed to send the children to school until June. Decisions are still being await ed in the cases of four homeschooling families in North Dakota who went to trial in January: the Larsens and Patzers of Jamestown, and the Lunds and Reimches of Bottineau . The NORTH DAKOTA HOME SCHOOL ASSOCIATION arranged for the Rutherford Institute to provide lawyers, and for Dr. Ray mond Moore, Dr. Rousas Rus h doony, and Dr. Donald Erickson of UCLA to testi fy as expert witnesses . Stephanie Bridinger of Tiffin, Ohio sent an article from a local paper. The Bridingers had enrol l ed in the HOME BASED EDUCATION PROGRAM of Clonlara School in Ann Arbor, MI , but were denied approval by the school superintendent . So the Bridingers took the matter to juvenile court, acting as their own lawyers. Judge Gerald Meyer ruled i n favor of t h e parents, saying, " The app l ica t ion of the compulsory sc h ool a t te nd ance l aw would infringe on the pa r e n ts ' con sti-

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOL ING 144

tutional rights to free exe r cise of religion . " From the Milwaukee Journal , 1/31/85: "Complai nt s fro m neigh bors prompted Waukesha School District administrators to investigate Mark and Janice Vreeland ' s education pro gram. The couple teach two of their seven children at home . .. There was talk of taking legal action against the Vreelands to force them to enro l l their children in school . However, school officials backed down after the state Department of Public In struction told the district it had no responsibility in the matter .. . " Other court news in brief: Lost in Circuit Court in March: The Pange1inans, Decatur AL (GWS #38) Being taken to court: Joann Westfahl, Wichita KS. Hearing on A~ril 18: George & Sandra Laiuste, 2 081 DeWolfe Rd, Newhall CA 91321 . Case dismissed because family moved to another district: Karen & Michael Busch, formerly Walworth NY.

HOMESCHOOL LEG ISLATION PENDING As we go to press, we know of 14 states with legislation pending . By GWS #45 we hope to tell you about the outcome of these bills. Meanwhile, you could get current info from state and local groups (see GWS #42 or our "Homeschooling Resource List," $1.) ARKANSAS: The ARKANSAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION is supporting House Bill 102 which would define " private school" as one whose curriculum, teachers, attendance requirements, and hours of operation were "substan tially equal" to those of the public schools. The bill would not permit homeschooling. The CHRISTIAN HOME EDU CATION ASSOCIATION is supporting another bill that would allow home schooling under a choice of arrange ments (using correspondence course, one parent with college degree, scor ing above the 40th percentile on a standardized test, obtaining a profes sional assessment of adequate pro gress, etc.) CONNECTICUT: The legislature is planning to set up a committee to revise the homeschooling statute . The committee would have recommendations in Dec. '85 for a bill in '86 . The CONNECTICUT HOMESCHOOLERS ASSOCIATION is trying to get homeschoolers on the committee . FLORIDA: Ann Mordes writes, " On Jan . 25, Karen Jackson of Tallahassee graciously hosted a cover~d dish luncheon at her home to bring home schoolers in the area and Dr . Patter son Lamb (head of non-public schools) together to discuss the impending leg islation. Dr . Lamb told us that the legislators were being 'bombarded' with letters asking them to kill House Bill #50, which requires test ing by a licensed psychologist ... She told us the D. O.E . did not care what type of legislation was passed allow ing home education, just so some was. Lamb stated that she was 'tired of go ing to court with her little rule book, just to read the private sc h ool law. ' "We parents asked just what type of legislation she and the D. O. E would like ... She said that we should have some sort of evaluation. I remem bered reading in GWS about a por t folio method. She really liked th e idea and now this has been wri tt en

i n to ou r bi ll . .. " This bill, backed by t he FLORIDA PARENT EDUCATOR ASSOCI ATION, is H.B . 326 and was introduced by Re p. Daniel Webster in March. Meanwhile, H. B. #50 was amended, removi n g testing by a licensed psycho logist and ins t ead requiring an "annu al educational evaluation," exact nature to be described later by the State Board of Education . Ann says, "I must tell you all how the represen tatives said that they had never had so much interest about any single sub ject as this . . . " IDAHO: As a result of heavy pub licity over the Shippy case (see "Court News,") the House of Represen tatives quickly passed a bill that would end t h e requirement that home instruction be comparable to public education, and require parents only to make a good faith effort to in struct their children in "the basic skills of reading, writing, mathema tics, and the knowledge of history and civics." However, opposition grew and the Senate decided to set up a special committee to study the matter over the next year. KANSAS: Of the three homeschool ing brrrs-Tntroduced this session, H. B. 2178 is the one supported by most homeschoolers since it calls for standardized testing instead of mini mum-competency testing, and it also leaves alone the question of accredi ted vs . unaccredited private schools. The official position of the State Board of Education is that homeschool ing should be allowed, although they do not support anyone bill. Betty Jones wrote in the newslet ter of the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PARENT EDUCATORS - KANSAS CHAPTER, "We have written weekly communiques to the edu cation committee members and will con tinue to do so . It was obvious from the discussion of the committee that they are being read .. . Caution: One legislator complained that letters from homeschoolers contained grammati cal errors. Have someone check your letters with you, or make phone calls ... " However, all bills were tabled in February until a question of tax exempt status could be resolved. It seems that sixty years ago, Kansas Wesleyan University won a court case regarding a building that it claimed was primarily for educational purpos es although it also happened to be the residence of the university presi dent. Hence someone raised the possi bility that homeschoolers might use the same argument to declare their property tax-exempt. MISSOURI: Of the four homeschool ing bi ll s under consideration by the legislature, FAMILIES FOR HOME EDUCA TION decided to back the one authored by Sheila Lumpe ( number not given). Others are H. B. 214, H. B. 441, and a bill by William Whitehall; all of the bills would permit homeschooling, under various conditions. NEBRASKA: Legislative Bill 495 would change the tenor of last year's private school bill from "Schools which elect not to meet the usual requirements shall do the following," to, "Schools that request exemption

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #44, Vol. 8 No.2.

ISSN #0745-5305. Pub l ished bi-monthly by Holt

Assoc i ates, 729 Boyl ston St. Boston MA 02116.

S15 /yr. Dat e of Issue, Apr. 1. 1985. Second

class postage pa i d at Boston MA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GWS, 729

Boylst on St, Boston MA 02116.

ADVERTISERS: Dead l ines are the 15th of odd

numbered month s. Discou nt for ads in 3 consecu

tiv e iss ues. Contact Patrick Farenga for rates.

4 from the usual requirements shall do which would require home educators to that some were under the impression tfi"efollowing." It would give the register and for the children to that it would. It will be much less . state the power to deny or revoke an ... The board is being cooperative and score in the 50th percentile or bet exemption if it determines that the ter on an annua l test . After home trying to ease the strain on home school does not offer an adequate pro schoolers objected, the representa schoolers as well as the schools ... " gram. tive filed a substitute version which MAINE: GUARDIANS OF EDUCATION IN NEVADA: Homeschoolers are draw would also give the option of enroll MAINE~68 Box 127, Cushing) is con ing up-a-orll that would modify last ing in a homeschooling program under cerned about a child protective ser year's law. Miriam Mangione of Las the supervision of a private or paro vices bill, L. D. 207, concerning Vegas says, "Mainly we want to drop ch ia l school . Homeschool leaders sug "Deprivation of an appropriate educa the requirement for a credentialed gested t hat a bill be introduced tion." teacher [ to work with the family] and wh ich would either add homeschooling MARYLAND: The MARYLAND HOME EDU the exemption renewal approved only to t he list of exemptions to school CATION ASSOCIATION reports that Janet on the basis of the SAT or CAT, and at t endance, or, alternatively, to Knight of Howard County, whose local instead be able to submit samples of include home schools within the term school board has denied her home the child's work, or a log, or tran "pr iva t e schools ." H. B. 29 has been schooling request, will be the first scripts, or a test . . . [ As i t is now] aba n doned . Meanwhile, another repre to appeal to the State Board under each individual is left trying to sentative in t roduced H.B . 431 which the current guidelines. The State figure out what this county wants and provides for exemption based on a sin Board has postponed the proposed how it wants it written. Parents are bylaw on re-defining a school (GWS cerely held religious belief or con typing up 25 pages of curriculum for viction . #43) . MHEA will be sponsoring a "Mid each child (one parent has 9 child WASHINGTON: Homeschoolers put Atlantic Homeschooling Conference" on ren!) only to have to redo them. And toget her a bi ll which has passed the June 29 in Columbia; for info call we can't find teachers for everyone . " Senate in March and which Jon Wartes Manfred Smith, 301-730-0073. NORTH DAKOTA: A homeschooling is 98% sure will pass the House . It MASSACHUSETTS: A proposal to bill, S . B. 2263, was defeated in Janu pr ovides two option s for home based amend the state Constitution to al l ow ary; we don ' t know any further de e duca t ion : (a) working unde r the pub l ic aid to private schools has tails. However, Senator John Olson s upervision of a certifica t ed teach cleared the first r ound of legisla submitted a study resolution on home er , wit h a minimum of one contact tive committee approval. If given sim schooling, to prepare the legislature hour per week, or (b) the parent may ilar approval again this year, it work independently provided s/he has to d eal with the issue again in the would appear on the 1986 state ballot. next session . a high school diploma or GED, and pro NEW HAMPSHIRE : The NEW HAMPSHIRE OREGON: The PARENTS EDUCATION vided the child's educational pro HOME EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION has pre ASSOCIATION is supporting House Bill gress is adequately evaluated. All pared an "Information Packet II " 2475 which would delete the existing home schooled children would either be which could be useful to those in oth requirements that homeschoolers get given an annual standardized test or er states as well . In particular, it written permission from the local be annually assessed by a certified gives a summary of recent homeschool school district, and that home teacher . - DR ing laws (Louisiana, Montana, Ari schooled children be tested . zona, Georgia, etc.) Send $2 to Elaine Rapp, 9 Mizoras Dr, Nashua NH On the other hand, Candace Syman-Degler tells us that the Oregon ·03062 . OTHER LOCAL NEWS VIRGINIA: Theo Giesy sent us a Educational Coordinating Commission I LLINOIS: Mary Friedl writes, copy of a letter she wrote to the held hearings around the state and "H.O.U . S.E. had t he most wonderful state Superintendent of Public concluded that the state should be "informed of the existence, nature, expo at t he Museum of Science and Instruction, in which she said that and enrollment of all schools," and Industry on March 2 . I don't know how at least two division superintendents (Virginia Beach and Norfolk) were that there should be "uniform testing ma ny people there were but 1,000 or requirements" for all school stu more would not surprise me. It was a insisting on standardized tests for evaluation even though nothing in the dents. For their report, "Charting two-day event with 4 workshops going law or the state's Memo 105 requires the Course," write 225 Winter St NE, at a time, a new set every hour ... I Salem OR 97310 . them to do so. She wrote, "Those of hope H. O. U. S . E. is able to put on us who worked so long and hard to get PENNSYLVANIA: Because school such a get together in the future the home schooling law wanted to superintendents are varying so much again because of the incredible feel assure that there would be a real in their treatment of homeschoolers, ing of unity it fostered' Susan and Howard Richman, Peter Berg " The Illinois State Board of Edu alternative to standardized testing . son, and Tom and Madalene Murphy have ... The legislature considered the cation seems to have finally acknow drafted possible homeschool legisla ledged that they do not have the stat hypothetical case of the child who tion, based on John Holt ' s model (GWS might never have tested above the uto r y authority to regulate home 35th percentile in school, and then, #30) and recently-passed laws in oth schoo l ing . One of their staff has taught at home, tested at the 39th er states. They are asking homesc hool said t hat that is what they must fix . percentile. They could see that it ers across the state for feedback. It We wi ll have to keep an eye on what would not be reasonable to require is likely that either Rep . Friend of happens. A homeschooling group in that child to return to public school Peoria, APACHE, had Jim Redfield of Delaware County or Rep . Livengood of because he could not show a score Armstrong Co. will soon introduce a Wisconsin speak last weekend about above the 40th percentile ... " influencing legislation . . . I think we revised version of this draft in the WASHINGTON: In April, the stu have a good chance to cause any legis House of Representatives . dents participating in the "pilot" lation that appears to change in our TENNESSEE: The Senate failed by state homeschooling project (enrolled one vote to pass S . B. 178, which favor, or to disappear. . . " in Debra Stewart's FAMILY CENTERED IOWA: Barb Tetzlaff, who is dis would have required homeschooling par continuing the O'KIDS newsletter, cau LEARNING ALTERNATIVES or Richard ents to have a high school diploma or Wheeler's CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOL tions homeschoolers to study the pro GED to teach grades K-6 and a college SERVICES) will be given a standard posed amendments to the Iowa educa degree for grades 7-12 . The vote was ized test, and the results will be 16-11 in favor, but 17 votes were tional laws . LOUISIANA: CITIZENS FOR HOME EDU compared to their scores a year ago needed . The matter had not yet been and the scores of 100 public and pri CATION, Northwest La . Chapter, acted upon by the House . vate school students. Barbara Because two county courts have repor t s t hat a meeting was held with Mertens, director of the state's the s t ate board of education, home ru l ed that the compulsory attendance Office of Private Education, is over law is unconstitutionally vague (GWS sc hoole r s, and Representative Woody seeing the testing. - DR #42), the state is trying to get some Jenkins ' office, to work out some sort of new law passed, but the gover problems with the latest home study nor threatened to veto S.B . 178 if law . " Under the first option that the college degree requirement were listed things that you could send to FAMOUS UNSCHOOLERS removed . Another bill up for consider BESE to prove you were offering a sus Deirdre Cox (IL) saw an article tained curriculum, they have changed ation, S . B. 633 & H.B . 215, would in which Gloria Steinem, the editor to read, 'Materials such as .. . ' The simply say a private school can not of Ms . Magazine, stated, "I know my way i t was first written indicated mean "any program of instructioncon mother must have had a teaching certi that you had to send all those ducted or primarily controlled by a ficate, because she used it to ward thi n gs . In regard to testing cptions, parent or guardian of any participa off the truant officers . " Deirdre th ey wi ll allow the parents to test ting child. " (So even the director of wrote to inquire about this, and th eir own c h i l dren . Previously, it a posh school could no t send h is/ her Gloria Steinem's assistant rep l ied, had bee n sta t ed t hat only a certified child t here?) " Gloria was ' at home' until age 12 t eac he r coul d. If you wish t o have TEXAS: Accordi ng t o the Texas in t hat the family travelled . She th e sc hoo l s t es t you r chil d re n . . . it Home EOUCators Newsle tt er , in Nov . would attend sc hool a few months a wi ll no t cos t an ywhere near th e $35 ' 84 , House BLI I 29 was Lnt roduced

GROWING WI THOUT SCHOOL ING #44

year . At age 12, she started to attend school regularly." From an article in Horn Book Magazine (1/85) about Patricia Wright son, whose book A LITTLE FEAR won the 1984 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction: · .. Patricia Wrightson, for me Australia's foremost contemporary wri ter for young people, has never cre ated a book that is not exciting in its freshness and originality. Per haps one of the reasons is the fact that she grew up in a remote area and received part of her education through the state correspondence school - but only part of it . For she says she was also educated by he r father in "literature, philosophy, and wonder" - quite a legacy for a future novelist, and especially a children's novelist ... A FAMILY IN NORWAY

From Sue Read (Norway): · . . We have three daughters Alyson (15), Andrea and Tessa (tw ins of 13 ) . They had been in Norwegian schools un til the summer of '83, when we decided not to send them back . .. Since then we have taught them at home. The first year we had no rigid plan, but emphasized extensive read ing. The second year we started cor respondence courses - INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE's 7th grade for the twins and English WOLSEY HALL courses for A1yson in preparation for possible 0 level exams. In September we received word fr om the School Administration that what we were doing was illegal . . . We are permanent residents and are sub ject to the same laws as Norwegian citizens . The law says that "Children shall go to elementary school (nine years) .u....~~not ~equhvalent instruction in another ~ . .. ana- "The school 'EiOard will supervise obli gatory education for those who do not go to the community school and shall, if there is justification for it, ca1r-them in for special t~ · .. Your office gave me the address of Mosse Jorgenson [ teacher and writer on alternative educationJ who was very sympathetic and anxious to help . She knew of only two cases in Norway in which parents had attemp ted to keep their children out of school. One was a Lapp family in which the father wanted his son educa ted in the Lapp language instead of the required Norwegian, and resorted to the only possible means to escape such schooling - he literally kept him hidden in the mountains and plains. The other family had two young daughters. They had received permission to teach them at home, but that permission was revoked two or three years later because the family, it was said, lacked the neces sary equipment. The family then emigrated to Holland where it would be easier to teach them at home. Mosse feels that the School Administra tion is very narrow-minded and tyrannical and she welcomes any little chink in the fortress, I think . She took me to a good lawyer, who thought that we should not have any trouble because I am an experi enced certified teacher, and because the girls are planning to go to high er schools in America or England. He suggested that if we did have trouble they would never force the girls to

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #44

go to No r wegian schools because t hey are relatively near the school leav ing age (16) . We submitted a lengthy report ( 23 pages) telling what we had done and planned to do, with documents to certify my experience and qualifica tions. We included a very long list of English books and supp l ies that we had obtained . I felt optimistic about their decision because I didn't see how they could refuse. They did agree to let us continue, but only if we agreed to the following: 1) We take over all responsibili ty for the girls' education . 2) We follow correspondence courses . 3) We allow them to inspect us as much as once a month . 4) We agree to having the girls tested twice yearly in all the re quired subjects for children of their age. The testing is to be done in a school, preferably Norwegian, but if we insist they would agree to the English or American schools here . This last point is ridiculous, because as we have said all along, the girls are academically behind their English peers, and if they are tested in Norwegian after two years of English instruction they will obvi ously not do as well as their Nor wegian peers. We finally agreed to the testing if the tests were based on the correspondence courses they were taking, and if they did not serve as intimidating interruptions that would impede their progress. We have had no reply to this last state ment of ours which was sent two months ago ...

no cases more than five, and that th e schools themselves have found that-- this is enough to keep students up with their classes . I pers onall y don't think that ~ hours of formal instruction is necessary, since I believe, and have said countless times, that unless it has been asked for, all such instruction impedes and prevents rather than helps learning. I repeat, it is the schools them selves who believe, and prove-Dy rnerr-actions. that for students get ting one-on-one instruction, 3-5 hours a week is en?u~h . -- -----now-someone Wit legal training could make such a hash of my plain words is a mystery to me . In this case, I hope I may be able to get that misquote corrected during the Prentices' appeal. In any case, above all in Ontario, we must try not to let it spread further. - JH COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE NEWS

A number of items concerning attempts to lower the compulsory school age or making all-day kinder garten mandatory . First, f rom Mary Friedl (IL) : .. . An Illinois committee of state representatives and senators has dropped their idea to lower the compulsory attendance age from 7 to [GWS #4lJ for now . We homeschoolers were not the only ones to protest. The committee also suggested that l6-18 year olds be allowed to take the GED exa~s to get their high school diploma . Now the y must be 18 and their high school class must have graduated ...

SERIOUS MISQUOTES

Early this yea r the national daily USA Today interviewed me for a story on-Komeschooling. One thing they asked was h ow many homeschoolers are doing it for primarily religious reasons. I said, first of all, that I did not know, and did not think that anyone knew. I then said that though it has been publicly claimed that 85-90% of homeschoolers are doing it for religious reasons, I doubted very much that for the country as a whole the figure was much over 50%. What they printed in the story was that I had claimed that the correct figure was 85-90% . Since I did not hear about their mistake until some weeks after the story appeared, when a GWS reader sent it t o me, there seemed no way to correct th e mistake - at least until they interview me again, if they do. An even more serious misquote was made during the trial of an Ontario homeschooling family named Prentice, who lost in court but are planning to appeal . Some representa tive of the government claimed that I had written that 3-5 hours of instruc tion were sufficient, the implication being that I meant that 3-5 hours of instruction ~~ were necessaEY ' From this they-Grew the conclusion that since the Prentices did not give their children that much formal instruction, their plan could not be approved. This misquote is an incredibly garbled version of something I have said often. Let me now say it again. When children who ordinarily go to school are for reasons of illness or injury unable to go, the schools ordi narily send to these "home-bound" pupils visiting instructors who teach the home-bound students on the aver age about three hours ~week, and in

Miriam Mangione (NV) told us about Assembly Bill 133 that would have lowered the compulsory school age from 7 t o 6, and later wrote: ... The good news is that all of the bill that wou ld have lowered the age was killed. On Feb . 26 there was an Education Commi ttee hearing on the bill. About 50 people came in who opposed the bill, not t o mention all the rest of us phoning, writing let ters to our assemblymen up north, etc . In a conversation wi th the chair man of the Education Committee before the hearing, he said th at th e bill would probably not pass since they had been receiving many calls oppos ing the bill and no one called in fav or of it . .. Betty Jones wrote in the news letter of the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PAR-

Soon after the latest talk about stream lining income taxes began, this appeared on our wall:

Sim p Hned

'1l i,ll!fY UlW~\w

Fe der.l lncome Ta x Form . ",JR ... . ...... s.n.I(;,

o.o.~1 of .... "" ..

1 How much money did you make I.. t year '? Sleol

2 Send it In .

)J.O~([Jl

6 ENT EDUCATORS - KANSAS CHAPTER: . . . With 270 phone calls last April we were able to thwart the attempt to lower the compulsory school age attendance in Kansas. Your input is vital! ... Jim Shaw ( OH ) sent this follow

up to our story in GWS #43, a clip

ping from the Dayton Daily News,

2/22/85:

STR ONG OPPOSITION SURFACES TO ALL-DAY KIND[RGARTEN IDEA ... Strong resistance to the two-month-old plan is coming from educators, school administrators, parents, teachers, and legislators. The officials haven't even been able to find a legislative sponsor to introduce the plan as a bill. "The reaction to it has been far greater than expected," said G. Robert Bowers, state assistant super intendent. "I haven't found a kinder garten teacher who is in favor of it . " "It will not go anywhere this session," State Rep. Robert Hickey, D- Day ton, predicted . Critics' complaints about the plan, which would start whenever legislators de c ide, are many. The pro posed 5-hour day is too long, and could force too much of an academic burden on children who are not physi ologically ready, they claim . Or it could be little more than a babysit ting service for the benefit of work ing mothers. And they say the esti mated $330 million cost for extra teachers and materials is too high . Currently, Ohio law requires school districts to offer kindergar ten, but children are not required to attend. Most programs are 2~ hours long, but some districts, such as Northmont public schools in Montgom ery County, have extended day pro grams of four or more hours. .. . Already, "we've pushed the curriculum down. What was mostly first grade work is now what is ex pected in kindergarten," said Dr. James Uphoff, Wright State UniverSity education professor. Yet, many 5 year-olds are not physically ready to write letters and numbers or perform certain skills, Uphoff said. That could lead to frustration that could become "a lifelong learning problem . " . . . Jim also sent an editorial from the Dayton Journal Herald that said, "New York City nasadopted all-day kindergarten, and five states recent ly have made [kindergarten] atten dance mandatory . " What are these five states? Could one of them be yours? We would like GWS readers all across the country to check into the situa tion and let us know of any recent changes . The January GEORGIANS FOR FREE DOM IN EDUCATION newsletter says that one of the many provisions in a big education reform hill (H.B. 225 & S.B . 82) would ma k e full-day kinder garten mandatory. On the other hand, the Michiga n Superintendent of Public Instruction, Phillip Runkel, wrote to a homeschoo l er who was concerned about the state's proposals to provide pre sc h ool education: . .. Please be assured that I

agree with your basic philosophy. Early childhood education should be a time of grace, of wonder, joy, and natural growth; growth that can best be enhanced by the natural inquisi tiveness of little children . The Mich igan Department of Education will do everything possible to see that the time of natural growth and wonder will not be taken from our young children and has no intention of atte~~toJmaKe t h is a mandatory program .. . Unfortunately, sometimes the

same battles have to be fought over

and over . Connecticut homeschoolers

tell us that an attempt to lower the

compulsory school Age was made agaA~

this year, even though last year t e

idea had been dropped after a flood

of protests. Kathy Reilly tells us

that this part of the 1985 legisla

tion has been dropped again, but will

probably be tried again next year.

In GWS #36 we quoted a bit of research that should help anyone in this fight - a study cited in USA Thd 8/30/83, showing that more c i ren who waited a year to start school had above-average grades than those who did not wait. And of course, the British study done by Dr. Barbara Tizard and Martin Hughes that we quote in this issue has much useful ammunition . - DR

1a ,

NEWS ON PART-TIME SCHOOLING The Detroit Free Press : "SHARED TiME" WINS IN STATE'S HICHEST COURT - Michigan public schools must open their elective and supplemental classes to private school students who get their basic education elsewhere, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. "Public schools are open to all residents of the school district ... This statutory right to public educa tion is not conditioned upon full time attendance," the high court said in a 4-3 decision . The decision in favor of " shared time " came in a suit filed in 1981 by the parents of a private school stu dent who was barred from joining a band class at Charlotte Junior High School. The Charlotte School District made its decision under a policy against part-time students . The dis trict was upheld in both Eaton County Circuit Court and the state Court of Appeals . Reversing the lower courts, the Supreme Court majority noted that "shared time" has been allowed in Michigan public schools for 60 years and "is consistent with the state's policy of providing and fostering edu cation and the right of all school age children to public education." More than 40 of Michigan's 528 public school districts have some ver sion of "shared time" with local stu dents who learn their core subjects in private schools, according to the state Department of Education. .. . In its decision, the state Supreme Court said public schools do not have to open their basic classes to non - public students, because the state requires private schools to offer a basic curriculum . But public schools that offer their students " non-essential, elective courses .. . must also offer t h em to resident non-public school students," the court said .

"Some relationship between church and state is inevitable," the court said. "The state must accommo date, not merely tolerate, all reli gions." The purpose of "shared time," the court said, is secular - "to pro vide educational opportunities at pub lic schools for all resident, school age children whether they attend pub lic or religious or secular non public schools ." Attorney General Frank Kelley, who defended "shared time" before the high court, said the decision set "a reasonable tone" that is "fair and equitable for students, school dis tricts and taxpayers alike . " "It only seems reasonable," Kelley said, "that if parents pay taxes and the student can work his or her schedule out, and taking a public school course will not create a bur den on either the student or the dis trict, then the student should be able to take the class . " Joining the Charlotte School Dis trict in fighting "shared time " were the Michigan Association of School Boards and the state ' s two major teachers unions, the Michigan Educa tion Association, and Michigan Federa tion of Teachers. ... Charlotte schools Superinten dent Elwood Larsen said: "In recent years, the state has been hard pressed to financially support public education. Once you start serving the private schools, you're compounding the problem." ... From an article by Sandy Madkiff (NJ) in School Watch News, reprinted in the New Jersey Unschoolers Network: . . . The Administrative Code, NJAC 6:27-1.4(a)1:(4)(B), which is known as Plan B for high school graduation, allows local boards of education to give credit for curricular activities other than the regu l ar school pro gram. The code also specifically allows a local board to grant up to three diploma credits for private music lessons. A 1977 survey commissioned by the Committee on High School Gradua tion Requirements indicated that at least fifty New Jersey high schools were using Plan B at that time ... A few years ago, a student was excused from physical education because she was practicing several hours a day for the OlympiC ice-skating team . The decision to excuse her from physical education was made as a result of a court ruling. A State Department official I spoke with verified that Plan B is still in effect, and explained that it is designed for independent study. He said that a student needs program objectives and a cooperating teacher and the program is usually approved. He said also that there are no guide lines for the program ... It took several phone calls for me to find someone in the State Department who was familiar with the plan ... From the Shawano, Wisc . Evening Leader, 1/11/85, reprinted in the HOMESCHOOLERS OF WISCONSIN newsletter: ... A program to allow parents to provide alternative education pro grams to individual classes was approved by the Bonduel School Board Wednesday. The unanimous approval for the policy came after lengthy discussion of a specific elementary school

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #44

situation.

The parents of an elementary

school student pulled their child out of a language arts class last week because of a conflict between the stu dent and teacher. The child is now involved in a tutored language arts program in place of the formal class ... District Administrator Lyman Franzwa ... said he had no fears that approval of the policy for the family in question would set a precedent for other families to pull students out of classes. But the mother of the student said she hoped it would set a prece dent and that other parents should have the same right for the sake of their children. However, she doubted many other parents would follow . Elementary School Principal John Reinke spoke against the policy, say ing it could set a precedent for stu dents to pick and choose which class es they wanted to attend ... Reinke also said ... that lots of students have problems with lots of teachers. He said part of the education was learning to get along in such situa t ions ...

FINGERPRINT LAW-CALIF. Pamela Pacula (CA) informed us of a new state law that is making some homeschoolers uneasy. Signed by the governor on Sept. 12, it reads:

SECTION 1 . Section 33191 is add ed to the Education Code, to read : 33191 (a) Commencing October 1, 1985, the affidavit or statement filed with the Superintendent of Pub lic Instruction pursuant to Section 33190 shall, under penalty of per jury, include a provision that the private school requires each new em ployee having contact with minor pupils and not possessing a valid state teaching credentia l, to obtain a criminal record summary from the Department of Justice pursuant to the requirements of Section 44237 as a condition of employment. (b) In the case of any private school where the instructor also serves as the administrator of the school, the affidavit or statement shall be made available to the par ents or guardians of all pupils cur rently enrolled in the school and to any parent or guardian considering whether to enroll his or her child in the school. S£C. 2. Section 44273 is added to the Education Code, to read: 44237. (a) Pursuant to the re quirements of Section 33191, the De partment of Justice shall issue a criminal record summary for each new employee having contact with minor pupils in any private school required to file an affidavit or statement with the Superintendent of Public Instruction under Section 33190 and which is not exew.pt from the require ments of Section 33191. The criminal record summary shall be issued by the department sub sequent to receiving fingerprints and a request from each new employee and exawining criminal records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investiga tion and the Department of Justice. The criminal record summary shall only contain convictions invol ving any sex crimes, drug crimes, or crimes of violence for new employees having contact with minor pupils. The department shall furnish the informa tion to the employer designated by the requesting employee.

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLI NG #44

(b1 Each new employee shall for ward his or her fingerprints and the request for the criminal record sum mary to the Department of Justice on or before the first day of his or her employment . (c) As used in this section, the following terms shall hav e the follow ing definitions: (1) "N ew employee" means any per son hired to work in a private school on or after July 1, 1985, on a regu lar, paid full-time or regular, paid part-time basis who will have contact with minor pupils . ... (4)(f) The Department of Jus tice may charge each applicant for a criminal record summary a reasonable fee to cover costs associated with the processing of the criminal record summary . In no event shall the fee exceed the actual costs incurred by the department. [DR : 1 I don't see any explana tion of what is to be done with the fingerprints, and if I lived in Cali fornia 1 would certainly want to know. Are they used simply to obtain the criminal record summary and then discarded? Or are they kept on file, and if so, for what purpose? To be used for investigating any "s ex crimes, drug crimes, or crimes of vio lence" that may occur in the communi ty? Or could the government later be tempted to use them for something else? In John's opinion, homeschoolers do not fit the above definition of " New employee" as they are not hired or paid. They would not even have-to draw attention to themselves by claim ing that they are exerrpt from this law. What does the law require them to do? To sign an affidavit which says they will require new (paid) employees to get a criminal record summary. Fine, homeschoolers can sign that since they won't have any paid employees . Second, to make available copies of the affidavi t (not the crim inal records) to any-other-parents of children in the school . Well, that's easy, particularly since there probab ly won't be any other parents . Taking the experience of Wiscon sin homeschoolers as a lesson, home schoolers in California should make sure that the revised affidavit real ly does comply with this new law and does not exceed its authority or con fuse matters further. This incident shows how easily and quickly states can pass new laws that on the surface may have nothing to do with homeschooling yet could still make it more difficult . Accord ing to Parade magazine of 3/17/85, parents-Concerned about crimes that victimize children lobbied the state capitol en masse last fall and got such legislation introduced and passed. Homeschoolers in other states should be alert for similar crusades. RESEARCH ON ALASKA HOMESCHOOLERS Sue Greene of Anchorage writes :

... During the spring of 1984 I undertook a research project ... the purpose of which was to describe the current school-age home study stu dents and families in Alaska. Among the items for description were the reasons for selecting correspondence study, backgrounds of parents or oth er adult home teachers, general atti tudes of the parents and students toward the home schooling experience, and approaches taken by the home

teachers in teaching by correspon dence study . .. I am providing a copy of the report on that study and a sum mary article which might be appropri ate for use in GWS. I appreciate keep ing informed through the newsletters and hope that this information might be helpful to others .. . [JH: 1 Well, it surely will be. Along with the study of homeschoolers in Washington State (available here, $7), this is one of the most exten sive studies of homeschoolers that I know of, and its conclusions, very favorable to homeschooling, should be of great interest not just to home schoolers but also to legislators, school boards, and the general public . We hope to be able to add this report to our catalog. Meanwhile, here are some signficant excerpts: ... Centralized Correspondence Study (CC/S) is the state funded ~ro gram of elementary and secondary cor respondence instruction offered to Alaska students who have no school in the vicinity of their residence; who are traveling ~ith their families; who are working, institutionalized or homebound; or who seek an alternative to the regular public school. In addi tion, the program is available to adults who have not completed school and wish to prepare for the General Education Development test. The home study program has been available in Alaska since 1939 and is currently offered free of tuition to all stu dents accepted for enrollment. ~ntil 1976 only rural and traveling stu dents were eligible for admission to the program. No~ CC/S is available even to those with access to bus and school . According to Department of Ed ucation information, correspondence study options are presently offered by thirty-one Alaska school dis tricts. Enrollment in the K-12 CC/S program for Fiscal Yeer '83 stood at 1,154 and the other districts' enroll ments added another 553. . . . Students are from both the rural, isolated regions and the lar ger, more urban areas of Alaska ... They enrolled both out of necessity and as a voluntary option. Most stu dents are taught by the mother, who customarily manages the experience with a flexible schedule but somewhat traditional methods of reciting and questioning . .. In 1981-82 the Alaska Department of Education initiated a study to assess the effectiveness of the CC/S program. A sample of 193 CC/S enroll ees in grades 1 through 8 was cho-

CJfefbes

&-' GJcons

'World Wistory reduced to 1000 people GEasy to learll GEasy to teach foR FR.EE. INFO: S.l. L. Assoc. T?o . 8o~ ;(I:J.. NEIiJ HOPE,PAI ~q3~