Posted on 02/07/2011 5:43:08 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
SPRINGFIELD — Parents of home-schooled children would have to register their kids with the state under a proposal that could be debated in the Illinois Senate in coming weeks.
State Sen. Ed Maloney, D-Chicago, says his proposal could be a way to track how many students in Illinois are schooled at home.
“I was surprised to learn that in Illinois, there are virtually no rules or regulations relative to the concept of home schooling,” Maloney said.
“This is just the first step toward establishing, I think, some accountability.
I think people do a good job at this, but how do we know that everybody does?”
Home schooling advocacy groups such as the national Home School Legal Defense Association and Illinois Christian Home Educators were quick to oppose the idea, saying existing mandates are enough.
Home-schooled students must receive an education equivalent to public schooling, according to current Illinois state law.
The pending legislation contains no provisions for measuring home-schooled students’ academic progress or otherwise expanding the state education mandates.
Christine Martin lives near Neoga and teaches her fifth-grader at home. Martin has home-schooled some of her five children and put some of them through public schools, she said.
Martin is part of the East Central Illinois Home Educator Network, a Christian-based group that organizes field trips, testing and social connections for home-schooled students. She said she has access to the same resources public schools use.
She said she didn’t think registering home-schooled students would solve the problem of parents who might try to avoid educating their children by using home schooling as a cover.
“I personally don’t think more legislation is going to solve that problem,” Martin said.
“I don’t think registering as a home-schooler is going to fix that.”
Home-schoolers aren’t required to register their children with any government entity, but parents can choose to notify their regional office of education or the state board of their intention to teach their children at home.
Mary Fergus, a spokeswoman for the state Board of Education, said the state doesn’t track home-schooled students.
“They really are considered to be another form of private education,” she said. “We’re not out there monitoring children in their homes.”
There also are no state testing requirements for home-schooled students.
The legislation is Senate Bill 136.
I’m thinking that’s basically what was said by the parents home school organization.
He is kidding? Isn't he? Illiteracy and innumeracy isn't hard to beat! :-)
I don’t know what would prevent some parents in AZ from claiming to home school their kids while actually sitting them in front of Oprah type programming for 7 hours a day; except perhaps self shame.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Parents who would do that are more than willing to turn them over to the state for free babysitting. The **last** thing these lazy parents want is to have the ankle biters around to interrupt Oprah.
why don't you just concentrate on making sure every public schooler does a good job, jackbutt... i can't stand these meddlers...
Nanny state ping.
And he's ASSuming that PUBLIC SCHOOLS have accountability and do a good job?
Who bought him off? Or what's he been smoking?
Here’s the HSLDA analysis:
Senate Bill 136: Requires Registration of All Children Attending Home-Based Private Schools
Sponsors:
Sen. Edward D. Maloney
Summary:
This bill would change existing law to require that the parents of all children attending private schools in Illinois annually register their children with the State Board of Education. Additionally, the Board of Education is given authority to prescribe the procedure by which parents must register their children, meaning the Board would be free to require almost any kind of information as part of the registration process.
HSLDA’s Position:
Oppose.
Action Requested:
1. If you live in his district (Senate District 18, which includes parts of Lyons, Palos, Worth, Chicago, and Orland Townships in Cook County) contact Senator Maloney and ask him to withdraw his bill. You can also use our legislative toolbox to find your Senate district. Personal visits and phone calls have the most impact. Letters and emails are useful as well. Your firm but courteous message can be as simple as:
“Please withdraw SB 136. Studies show that private education prepares students for college better than public schools. There is no need for government to expand into an area that is already so successful. Existing mandates on private education are sufficient.”
Springfield Office:
Senator 18th District
119A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-5145
(217) 557-3930 FAX
District Office:
10400 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 881-4180
(773) 881-4243 FAX
Additional District Office:
6965 W. 111th Street
Worth, IL 60482
(708) 448-3518
(708) 448-3535 FAX
Home:
Edward D. Maloney
2808 West 11th Street
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 233-6638
2. After you contact him, call or email us to confirm so we can keep a tally of how many people have contacted him.
3. Pass this message on to other homeschoolers in Senator Maloney’s district.
Status:
1/27/2011 Senate - Filed by Sen. Edward D. Maloney
1/27/2011 Senate - First Reading
1/27/2011 Senate - Referred to Assignments
Background:
Right now, Illinois homeschools are not required to register because
they are classified as private schools. Many other states
likewise do not require homeschoolers to register, including New
Jersey, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, etc.
There is a common myth that Illinois homeschools are unregulated.
While Illinois homeschools don’t waste time processing bureaucratic
red tape, they must comply with significant substantive mandates,
including the requirement that they teach the branches of education
taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
schools, that they teach in the English language, and, if challenged,
meet the burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an
adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning.
This sensible combination of no red tape plus meaningful mandates has
protected freedom in Illinois and produced outstanding academic
results.
SB 136 would give the Illinois Department of Education literally
unlimited power to dictate what information homeschoolers must submit.
Since the Department is composed exclusively of staff who are
appointed or hired, rather than elected, they have little or no
incentive to respond to the voice of citizens. In other states, when
education departments have been given power to act against citizens’
wishes, they have sometimes brushed aside overwhelming opposition and
done as they pleased to homeschoolers.
SB 136 is the greatest threat to Illinois homeschoolers in more than a
decade. HSLDA and Illinois Christian Home Educators are united in
opposing the bill and are committed to protect your freedom. This
fight belongs to every Illinois homeschool family.
Thank you for standing with us for freedom!
“This is just the first step toward establishing, I think, some accountability. I think people teachers do a good job at this, but how do we know that everybody teacher does?”
except that its none of their damned business. They don’t need to track, grade, test or anything. They should have NOTHING whatsoever to do with it.
Thats the scary part from the mouth of the Nazi.
When I first started homeschooling in Oregon 17 years ago, we had to register and test every year and file the test results with the Educational Service District.
Then they changed it to test every other year, then on the same schedule as the public schools.
We are now supposed to keep the scores “available” rather than file them with ESD. The assumption is that they don’t want the records available to journalists or the public. If they don’t collect and collate them, then they don’t have the information to provide upon request. “Sorry, we don’t keep those records”.
HS were kicking the PS butts on statewide testing, makes for bad publicity when they want raise taxes “for the chilrun”.
“I think people do a good job at this, but how do we know that everybody does?”
Spoken like a veteran bureaucrat.
“We know damn straight that the public schools aren’t doing the job, but let’s focus on the home schoolers. We get them straightened out and then we can get the public schools on track.”
I doubt he can walk and chew gun without concentrating...
Bingo.
PA law requires the homeschooling parent to be a high school graduate, and affirm on the notarized affidavit that he or she has not been convicted of any of various moral turpitude offenses in the past 5 years. The student must have received all mandated health services (medical and dental exams). The parent must keep a log of 900 hours of study. The parent must submit a list of academic objectives to the superintendent of schools. Get the student evaluated by a professional every year (about $100). Bring the evaluator’s report, log, medical documentation, and next year’s objectives and affidavit to the superintendent of schools, for approval and “permission,” ie absence of an objection, if you’re lucky.
Also, superintendent’s approval on a work permit is still required even though school attendance is not, at 17.
If that doesn’t make you mad...
Then mandates.
Then taxation.
Then banning.
Stop them before registration.
Camel’s nose. Cut it off before it gets under the tent.
Not legislatively, no. The irony is that in a state run by statist where every human act is limited, monitored and/or controlled they forgot to control homeschooling.
We were so far off their radar they wondered, “who wouldn’t be enrolled in our wonderful government schools?”
We’re the loosest in the 50 states that I know of. I was going to move to Florida or Texas, but they’re more draconian that “wild, wild west” Illinois. Go figure.
Speak for yourself. I enjoy my liberty and the law is unnecessary. We don't need it.
Excellent post.
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