Representative Barnitz Gets "Frank" with Home Educators

Representative Barnitz Gets "Frank" with Home Educators by Lois Ann Marler May 6, 2002

In February 2002, Representative Frank Barnitz from the 150th District (Salem area) issued a questionnaire in the Salem News, asking several questions, two of which concerned home education. The questions were loaded and misleading, and prompted two meetings held recently in the Salem area, sponsored by concerned home educators, in an attempt to educate the public on home education issues. (A video of these two meetings are available for viewing--contact me if interested.) The disturbing results of his questionnaire are included at the end.

On March 1, following a visit with Barnitz at the Capitol, I sent him a questionnaire of my own about his home education positions. He answered me today and I have included his full answers following my original questions. In a nutshell, Barnitz favors mandatory declaration, ie. "registration," of home-educated students, standardized testing and certification standards for parents who wish to teach their own children.

It's time to take a serious look at representation in the 150th. Barnitz alluded to some legislative tightening of home education when I spoke to him in his office, but I never expected him to put it in such graphic terms on official stationary. In his letter to me he states: "Again, allow me to emphasize that there was never an intention to offer legislation based on these two questions." He also wrote that he voted recently against raising the compulsory attendance age to 17. Barnitz is being challenged in the election this fall by Republican candidate Gary Leonard.

In recent days I have received a barrage of articles from around the country that challenge our home education freedoms: from the Colorado man who registered his dog as a home schooler (in an attempt to prove that the state has no oversight with home educators) to Rob Reich of Stanford University, who claims that home schools will threaten a free society in his article entitled "The Civic Perils of Homeschooling." There is a reason for the challenge. It's contained in Barnitz' answer to question #3. Home education most definitely IS a threat to public schools. Keep in mind that Barnitz is a Dent-Phelps R-III School Board member and serves on the Elementary and Secondary Education committee in Jefferson City. Will Dent County become the petri dish for legislative changes for every Missouri home educator?

1. A written declaration to home school pursuant to RSMo 167.042 is no guarantee against an investigation for educational neglect; therefore, what purpose would be served in requiring Missouri home educators to file a written declaration of intent to home school?

While you're correct there is no guarantee against investigation, it is my opinion that with a declaration on file it would relieve any question or frivolous investigations initiated against a home school parent for not having a student in a school facility during what would be considered by most as typical hours of education.

2. You claim that there is a truancy problem in your district. What evidence do you have to verify this? Have you contacted the county prosecutor on this matter?

As stated during our conversation in my office, I don't make public assessments on non-substantiated beliefs. Therefore, I will not make any specific comments until I can be sure that the truancies reported to me are factual. I will, however, tell you that on more than one occasion I have seen children loitering outside schools, in parks, or around court houses with no adult supervision present. I have spoken with prosecutors from around the state since our conversation in March. Their comments are that while they do have the authority to prosecute, it is difficult and does not use their time in an efficient manner. This information was offered by prosecuting attorneys in rural areas with limited staff available to assist in prosecution. I did not speak with any prosecuting attorneys in the major metropolitan areas.

3. In your questionnaire you mention that “The number of parents seeking to home school their children has grown substantially… .” What relevance is there (to you) in the number of families who are seeking alternatives in education? If the number of private/parochial school students increased would you see a need to pass laws to further regulate them? Do you view increasing numbers of home-schooled students to be a threat to the public schools of our state?

My statement regarding "the number of parents seeking to home school their children" is no different in intent than the statement made by Mr. Paul T. Hill in the article you submitted to my office. Mr. Hill stated "More than 1.2 million students are now being taught at home, more students than are in the entire New York City public school system." Both statements are factual in nature. Nothing more. The increase in the number of home school students is in no way seen as a threat to public schools. I would also like to point out that no legislation was filed in an effort to regulate alternatives to public education. Your concerns were based on two out of sixteen questions contained in an opinion survey intended for the residents of the 150th District.

4. Are you in favor of laws to establish qualifications for home educators? If so, please list what you would recommend.

I would be supportive of legislation that would set a minimum qualification of a high school diploma or equivalency (GED) certificate for home educators. I believe the educators should possess a minimum level of education equal to the level of education they expect to instill in their children.

5. I am aware that besides serving in the Missouri legislature, you are a school board member for the Dent-Phelps R-III School District. Does the Dent-Phelps School Board maintain a membership with the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA)? Do you serve MSBA in any specific capacity? What about the Missouri Schools Alliance Political Action Committee (MSAPAC)?

Yes, the board does maintain a membership with the Missouri School Boards Association. No. I do not serve the Missouri School Boards Association in any capacity. No, I am not a member of the Missouri Schools Alliance Political Action Committee. In fact, I don't know who or what this group represents.

6. Do you currently belong to any other professional educational organizations? If so, what are they and is your membership paid with public funds?

No, I do not personally belong to any professional educational organizations. However, our school board does also belong to Missouri Association of Rural Educators (MARE).

No, I believe it should be based on individual beliefs on what funding is received to help with a persons needs. If funds are used that come from public dollars, I do believe the public should have some say in who uses it, how it is used, and where it is used.

I do favor a testing requirement. I haven't seen a test that is suitable for all students or all situations. Some students achieve better results with a verbal examination, some with written exams, and others with structured multiple-choice tests. I have visited with a few home schoolers who choose to use the Iowa achievement tests. I do think that there should be a minimum level of education at a specified age, but don't know what those requirements should be or at what age they should take place.

9. Do you favor mandatory, state-approved curriculum for home-schooled students?

No, I don't believe state approved curriculum would prove anything. Children learn in different ways and at different speeds. The educators should be responsible for finding the best methods for the class/child and teach in a manner conducive to the students progress. Teaching materials do not always meet the needs of the child and should be determined by the educator.

I personally know nine families in my district. I have requested information regarding the total number of home educators in Dent County, but it has not been provided.

11. Have you considered writing your own questions for a questionnaire instead of using ones from House Research?

I may write some of my own questions in the future if I felt the issue was controversial.

Should Missouri make filing a written declaration of intent to home school a mandatory act for all home schooling families? Yes 67%, No 28%, Undecided 5%

Should Missouri establish an official list of qualifications necessary to be a home school educator? Yes 62%, No 34%, Undecided 4%

The two questions were prefaced by the following statement: The number of parents seeking to home school their children has grown substantially in the state of Missouri, and especially so in rural communities. Laws we have regulating this alternative form of education may need to grow and change as well. Currently, parents who choose to home school their children are not required to file a written declaration of intent to home school. Having these declarations officially filed with the county recorder of deeds can help to minimize unnecessary investigations due to reports of truancy. In addition, our state has no official guidelines outlining the qualifications necessary to be a home school educator. This oversight can lead to serious questions regarding whether qualified teachers, or those with minimum education requirements, are schooling these young people.

This is local politics but interesting for homeschoolers.

People who desire to limit our freedoms need to be taken seriously and ousted.

Even if the public school systems were half worthwhile one could not consider their efforts valid in view of the travesty of limiting Constitutional rights.

I think this nutjob ought to spend one week with a homeschooler. Don't know if it would change his mind but maybe he'd be more useful helping some kids do their times tables. That would be a darn sight more than the people of the state of Missouri are presently getting out of him.

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