Homeschool law doesn't need "fixing"
Wild Wisconsin asked Todd Stelzel, candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, for his thoughts on home schooling (in the post below.)
Here’s Mr. Stelzel's answer:
Again and again, home schoolers have demonstrated that they succeed in academics, work, and college.
A system that works well for homeschoolers to educate their children also, in turn, works well for the state, by preparing young people to assume their roles in society. According to this article, homeschooled children are perhaps even better prepared to assume their roles as civic-minded adults.
Under current state law, home schoolers are required to keep a record of attendance, and must sign a statement attesting that they will provide 875 hours of instruction in the six curriculum areas required, in addition to any other subjects they want to teach.
By law, homeschools in Wisconsin are private schools. It would be blatantly unfair as well as counterproductive to treat homeschools as public schools, since we receive absolutely no public money. We provide our own classrooms, books, materials, extracurricular activities, sports equipment, transportation to field trips and other events, and most of all, teachers (mom and dad, usually, and sometimes other teachers for, say, piano or foreign language lessons).
I would suggest Mr. Stelzel focus his energy on fixing the broken public school system, rather than trying to make successful home schools more like public schools.
Cross posted at Stand in the Trenches.
Here’s Mr. Stelzel's answer:
I am in favor of school choice. Home schooling is one of those choices. It is another option for parents and students. However, guidelines for home schooling need to be improved. For example, accurate records of student progress must be maintained and evidence of curriculum development demonstrated by the home school instructor, since this is what is required of the public school teacher.As a homeschooling parent for the past 10 years, I respectfully disagree that “guidelines for home schooling need to be improved”. The system as we have it today has been in place since 1984, and has been used successfully by thousands of families. There is no need to change a system that has worked so well for so many homeschoolers.
Again and again, home schoolers have demonstrated that they succeed in academics, work, and college.
A system that works well for homeschoolers to educate their children also, in turn, works well for the state, by preparing young people to assume their roles in society. According to this article, homeschooled children are perhaps even better prepared to assume their roles as civic-minded adults.
Under current state law, home schoolers are required to keep a record of attendance, and must sign a statement attesting that they will provide 875 hours of instruction in the six curriculum areas required, in addition to any other subjects they want to teach.
By law, homeschools in Wisconsin are private schools. It would be blatantly unfair as well as counterproductive to treat homeschools as public schools, since we receive absolutely no public money. We provide our own classrooms, books, materials, extracurricular activities, sports equipment, transportation to field trips and other events, and most of all, teachers (mom and dad, usually, and sometimes other teachers for, say, piano or foreign language lessons).
I would suggest Mr. Stelzel focus his energy on fixing the broken public school system, rather than trying to make successful home schools more like public schools.
Cross posted at Stand in the Trenches.
posted by M.E. @ 6:39 PM
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