red flags for oklahoman homeschoolers

FYI: if you homeschool or know someone who is, let them know of this legislation. we do not want this to happen. who knows where it will stop if it does. this article is from The Oklahoman in today's paper, Tuesday, January 20, 1009 in the local/state section. if you live in oklahoma, you can go to www.ochec.com to find out who your legislators are so you can write to them and let them know how you feel. i plan on doing it.

Two bills raise red flags among Oklahoma homeschoolers

BY SHEILA STOGSDILL

Published: January 20, 2009

Parents who homeschool their children are troubled about two proposed Senate bills they say take aim at their civil rights, said Rick Williamson, Oklahoma Christian Home Educators’ Consociation spokesman.

Senate Bills 308 and 472 are scheduled to be introduced Feb. 2 when the state Legislature convenes.

Senate Bill 472 would require parents or guardians who homeschool their child to notify the local school district and provide a report of academic progress to school officials. Senate Bill 308 would let local police or truancy school officials interview and temporarily detain a child not in school.

"Both Senate Bills 308 and 472 would violate the child’s fundamental 4th Amendment rights,” Williamson said.

Williamson, whose four children were homeschooled, said the exact number of students who are homeschooled in Oklahoma isn’t known, but it’s somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000.

Currently, the state has no jurisdiction over homeschooled students, said Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 308.

Sen. Mary Easley, D-Tulsa, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 472, did not respond to messages left with her office.

On the average, homeschooled students who go into public schools are two years behind students their age, Wilson said.

"You hear examples of homeschool students excelling, but that is not the norm,” Wilson said.

Wilson cited potential abuse among some of the homeschooling parents as the reason behind the bill.

Some parents are not teaching their children but are putting them in front of a television, he said.

"I call that child abuse,” Wilson said.

Parents of homeschooled children don’t want any regulation or accountability, he said.

"If they are doing a good job, they shouldn’t mind anyone looking at their curriculum,” Wilson said.

Opponents say plans infringe on their rights. Williamson said legislation to regulate home education is usually an attempt to answer the question: "How do we stop parents who say they are home-educating and are not doing so?”
Sen. John W. Ford, R-Bartlesville, Senate Education Committee chairman, said he has received 400 to 500 e-mails opposing the bill. Ford said he opposes the bill.

Public schools are a good way to educate children, and the vast majority of Oklahomans educate their children in a public school, he said. But Oklahoma law says parents have the option of private or public schooling or homeschooling, Ford said.

With homeschooling, the state does not set the standards as in private or public schools.

"I think the way we do it today is perfectly fine,” Ford said.

"It’s up to parents what is the best way to educate their child.”

Also FYI: i got these statistics from www.ochec.com.

HOMESCHOOLING STATISTICS

Academic Statistics

The average homeschool 8th grade student performs four grade levels above the national average (Rudner study). One in four homeschool students (24.5%) are enrolled one or more grades above age level. Students who have been homeschooled their entire lives have the highest scholastic achievement. In every subject and at every grade level of the ITBS and TAP batteries, homeschool students scored significantly higher than their counterparts in public and private schools.

Homeschool profile

Median amount spent on home schooling per child in the US - $450.

Household incomes.
18% of home school families earn less than $25,000, 44% of households between $25,000and $49,000.

Religion
Over 75% attend religious services.

Television
65.3% of 4th grade homeschoolers spend one hour or less per day watching television

Regulation
States with High government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 86
States with Moderate government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 85
States with Low government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 86

Certification

Performance of 4th grade home schoolers where at least one parent was certified - Composite Percentage Score 82

Performance of 4th grade home schoolers where neither parent was certified - Composite Percentage Score 82

Minority Performance

Home school - average reading score (white) - 87 percentile; Public school - average reading score (white) - 61 percentile

Home school - average reading score (minority) - 87 percentile; Public school - average reading score (minority) -49 percent

Home school - average math score (white) - 82 percentile; Public school - average math score (white) - 60 percentile

Home school - average math score (minority) - 77 percentile; Public school - average math score (minority) - 50 percentile

For data above reference Brian D. Ray, PhD, Home Schooling on the Threshold (NHERI Publications, PO Box 13939, Salem, OR 97309), and HSLDA, Home Education Across the USA (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132), and HSLDA, Home Schooling Works, Pass it on! Rudner Report, (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132).