Why don't people believe it can happen here?

The New American reported on the new education law that effectively banned homeschooling in Sweden and made any kind of alternative to government schooling illegal.

OK, so the picture is German, but the principle is the same.

FTA: "The Kingdom of Sweden took a dramatic turn toward totalitarianism with the adoption of a sweeping new education “reform” package that essentially prohibits home schooling and forces all schools to teach the same government curriculum. The draconian 1,500-page law — deceptively referred to by the Swedish government as “The new Education Act - for knowledge, choice and security” — was approved by Parliament last week amidst strong criticism and opposition. When it goes into effect next year, the entire educational system will be transformed, and alternative education abolished."

Particularly in countries where the UNCRC has been adopted, this is definitely the wave of the future.

There seems to be a particular antipathy toward religious instruction, as explained by Education Ministry press secretary Anna Neuman. “[Religious schools] can’t make any children to pray or confess to the God, but they will still be allowed [to exist].”  So what she is saying is that there will be no more difference between "religious" school and a government school.

Swedish homeschoolers are considering leaving the county.

Let's Talk About the UNCRC

About a year ago, I wrote in this space (again) about the hazards posed to homeschooling by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  I referred my readers to an excellent article, and received a number of interesting, thoughtful comments.

Now that the Obama administration has conquered healthcare, it has turned its attention to immigration for the time being. But we have been hearing rumblings that a player soon coming up to bat will be our old nemesis, the UNCRC.

One of the comments to my old article was by "Anonymous", who, in a nutshell, felt I was overreacting - but it not that comment that I want to highlight, but my typically long-winded reply to him/her.  It is every bit as relevant today as it was, if not more so.

Anonymous, I am glad that you are being open and honest with your children. So am I. But I disagree with your comment "no one who is open and honest with their children, no one who does not try to 'inflict' their ideas and 'beliefs' on their children needs worry about what the UN proposes."

This statement or some variant is usually used by people who are disdainful of Christian parents' insistence on teaching their children about Christ, and feel that they limit their children's experiences by promoting their Christian beliefs, and teaching their children about others' beliefs through the grid of their Christian worldview.

But if I don't believe in Jesus Christ enough to teach my children about Him, then why bother believing?

If my child is in a burning building, I believe he is in grave danger and I am going to use whatever means I have to get him out of there. If I am beating down the door and he opens the door and tells me its ok, the fire is not going to burn him and (insert other belief system) says the fire is not even real, I am still going to try to rescue him from the fire regardless of his beliefs. This is especially true for a young person who has no idea that he is not indestructible. If I actually believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God, and I believe that my child's soul is in grave danger, that is just as much an objective truth to me as when I see a building on fire. I am going to try to rescue him from that danger regardless of his beliefs.

Let's forget about the religion question for a minute. Should parents of any persuasion be forced to allow their children unrestricted access to any kind of media, or to associate with any person they want to or have any kind of experience they think they want to try? When they are old enough to make these decisions for themselves, they are going to do what they want anyway. But when they are very young, should they have the "right" to watch porn, or go out alone to meet some pedophile they met in an online chat room? Should government be able to override any and every decision of the parent because some government hack decided that it was in the "best interest of the child" or have the child removed from the house even if there is no evidence of wrongdoing?

Since you submitted this comment, the mother of a homeschooled girl in New Hampshire who was academically superior by most every standard, was forced to send her child to school because the judge thought the child was too firm in her belief in Christ. From his perspective this could only happen by indoctrination, like only someone who didn't know any better would believe in Christ.

You may agree with this ruling, but this is a dangerous precedent. One day something you believe may be on trial. 

I have written at some length on the UNCRC, and you can find additional posts here.  I'm sure there are many opinions about this, from homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers, from Christians and non-Christians, from Americans and from others who live in countries who are already signatories on this treaty.  If you will express yourself in a respectful way, your opinion is welcome here!  No flamethrowing, please. If you are fighting mad right now, please calm down before you write. Also, I do not want debate about what I believe (or what you don't believe) about Jesus Christ, but about whether you think the government knows more than you do about how to raise your children. I really do want to be able to publish every comment, so watch your language!

What, if any, has been your experience with this treaty?

Choice Sought in Driver Training

by J. Michael Smith
President, HSLDA
Washington Times Op-Ed

Although homeschoolers have won their freedom to teach their children at home in every state, one issue continues to be a problem. It’s whether parents should be allowed to teach their children how to drive.

Despite the freedom to teach every other subject at home, parents in most states are forbidden to teach classroom driver’s education. (Maryland does not allow parents to teach the classroom portion of driver’s education, but Virginia does. The District of Columbia has no classroom requirement.)

Home School Legal Defense Association strongly supports the position that since parents are able to teach all the other subjects and parents are responsible for the well-being and safety of their children, they also should have the right to teach their own children the classroom part of driver’s education.

It was not always this way. In the 1940s and ’50s, parents were the primary driver’s education teachers for their children. In the 1960s and ‘70s, the focus shifted to school-taught driver’s education programs. This shift was made in the hopes of assisting teenagers with their driving skills and tests. However, this has not improved teenage driving safety.

More 16-year-old drivers are dying in vehicle crashes than ever before, even though the number of traffic deaths has declined among the driving population in general. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2006, 6,964 people were killed in crashes involving drivers age 16 to 20, and 3,374 drivers age 16 to 20 were killed in 2005.

The crash risk is particularly high during the first year a teenager is eligible for a driver’s license. The problem is worse in the United States than in many other countries because we allow teenagers to get driver’s licenses at an earlier age, and licenses are inexpensive and easy to obtain.

If there’s a better method of training teens to drive, shouldn’t parents be allowed to make that choice?

In October 2000, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs conducted a research project on the effectiveness of parent-taught driver’s training. In comparing teens who had completed a National Driver Training Institute parent-taught driver’s education program with National Insurance Co. statistics for teen drivers, the study found the parent-taught teens had fewer speeding tickets, fewer accidents, fewer tickets for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and fewer traffic fatalities.

The insurance industry and many state legislatures have been moving toward a system of graduated driver’s licenses, in which a student has certain restrictions imposed—they must drive with an adult in the car, for example—until they reach a certain age. The requirement for driver’s education has been maintained in many states as part of this program. Also, due to financial challenges, many public schools are dropping their driver’s education programs. This forces parents to pay for commercial driving schools when they could just do the job themselves.

If you live in a state that doesn’t provide for parent-taught driver’s education, the only way to change the law is through the legislature. At a time when our country needs to see more parent-child interaction, parent-taught education is the right step to encourage more quality time for parents with their teens.

We have no doubt the effectiveness of parent-taught driver’s education will become evident because of the same principles that make homeschooling successful academically. The tutorial method with the low student-teacher ratio and individualized instruction produces outstanding results.

The bottom line is that no one cares more about the safety of their children than the parent as no one has more to lose than the parent when a child is ill-prepared to receive a driver’s license.

If you would like to see your state adopt parent-taught driver’s education as an option, contact HSLDA by email or at 540/338-5600.

Michael Smith is the president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. He may be contacted at (540)338-5600; or send email to media@hslda.org.

Other Resources

GOOD NEWS In New Jersey for Homeschoolers

One of the benefits of the recent battle in NJ is that I have become familiar with some of the players who have been our co-laborers, working behind the scenes and on the front lines to secure and defend homeschooling freedom in our state.

Carolee Adams of Eagle Forum of New Jersey has been a tireless advocate and consensus builder in our state for homeschool freedom, and one of the things she spearheaded for this most recent fight was a Facebook group called "SAVE HOMESCHOOL FREEDOM IN NEW JERSEY."

Eagle Forum, and the other united members of the New Jersey Home School task force kept us informed of the status of A3123 through this group, and recommended particular UNITED actions.

This unity has paid off, as you will see in this message to our Facebook group today.

Carolee Adams sent a message to the members of SAVE HOME SCHOOL FREEDOM IN NEW JERSEY!

--------------------
(no subject)

Dear Home Educators of New Jersey,

We now have the opportunity to share good news!

A little over three weeks ago, you first read about a new threat to New Jersey homeschooling freedoms in the form of Assembly Bill A3123. A task force consisting of Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (CHNJ), Eagle Forum of New Jersey, Education Network of Christian Homeschoolers of NJ (ENOCH), Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), New Jersey Homeschool Association (NJHA), and the Unschoolers Network worked to unite all NJ homeschoolers by apprising you of the threat and recommending united and focused actions.

Due to our recent conversations with key legislators in the State of New Jersey, we believe all of our exemplary calls, personal conversations, and meetings with lawmakers regarding principled reasons to oppose A3123 have been respected. For now, and in the foreseeable future, there is little likelihood that A3123, or any amended part of it, will be introduced at a hearing in the Assembly Education Committee. Although the Bill has not been officially withdrawn, that is not unusual in the State of New Jersey. Countless bills die in Committee and are not re-introduced in a new term. And, many legislators will continue to stand with us to protect our freedom to home educate. Importantly, we will, as always, remain vigilant. Thus, no further contact with your legislators about A3123 is advised at this time.

With sincere appreciation, our 40-years of home school success in New Jersey continues unabated because of all of you who continue to home educate with extraordinary love, wisdom, and dedication; who are committed to defend your right to home educate with respect and fortitude; and who quickly unite as one voice for such a noble cause as proven in the last few weeks.

Congratulations! It has always been this parent’s joy and blessing to home educate; an honor to be part of the esteemed home school community; and a privilege to continue to support the freedom to home educate in New Jersey and in the USA with you!

Faithfully,
Carolee Adams, State President
Eagle Forum of New Jersey

Addendum: Representative of many conversations with legislators and their staffs we enjoyed, I share one in particular. A chief of staff happily reported that she went home “chipper” the night before after taking many of your wonderful calls herself. (In fact, while we spoke at 5 pm, the phone was still ringing.) After working in legislative offices for over a decade, she expressed that she had never experienced such a high quality of calls with each of your! Then, she rendered this heartwarming compliment: “Because of the tenor of those calls, now I know why home education is so successful!”

Home educators of New Jersey – you rock!!!

From ENOCH of NJ: Latest Update on NJ A.3123 Homeschool Bill

ENOCH of NJ Legislative Alert!

Date: October 10, 2008

From: Mark August, Legislative Liaison

Re: New Jersey Assembly Bill 3123 (Update #5)

Phase I of our mission to oppose A3123 is complete! Thank you for responding to the charge to call and email the sponsors of A3123 and members of the Assembly Education Committee. There is no doubt that our message has been heard. Here is a report of what has been reported to us at this point:

1. Chairman Joseph Cryan of the Education Committee's office has confirmed that Mr. Cryan is not supportive of the bill. While we still do not know the strength or scope of his opposition, we can confirm that he is NOT planning some fast-tracking of this bill (as some rumors have suggested).
2. Assemblyman Diegnan of the Education Committee has voiced his opposition to the bill.
3. Assemblyman Ramos of the Education Committee has written: "Thank you for your correspondence regarding bill A3123. You make valid points which I will consider as this bill is discussed in the legislature. The decision to home school has become popular. I will bear your sentiments in mind."
4. Assemblyman Rumana's office (of the Education Committee) states he is against these regulations specifically stated in this bill. One of his staffers mentioned that there is already a law regulating home schoolers.

Now is the time to stop the coordinated phone and email campaign. It has accomplished the goals of making our position known, helping the Education Committee and the bill sponsors understand our passion for this issue and our ability to unite in defense of our freedom.

The task force has also received many good reports from the Assembly offices staff members that your calls, while clear and firm, were gracious and winsome. Thank you. Your calls have not alienated any potential friend in Trenton and may actually have opened the door to form some new friendship.

We now know that the Assembly Education Committee hearing, scheduled for October 16th, has been canceled. The next possible hearing date would be November 13. This gives us time for the next phase of action.

The task force met late this afternoon by conference call, and agreed that we can stop making calls at this time. We believe the next step will be for the task force to be joining a few of you in face-to-face meetings with Mr. Cryan and as many of the Education Committee members as possible. We will also be pursuing meetings with the bill's two sponsors.

During this phase, while the task force may not be asking all of you to participate in any particular political action, I am asking you to continue to pray and stay vigilant. The political climate can change quickly, and another call to action could come at any time.

The task force has received copies of emails circulating a call for a Rally in Trenton next week. The task force has not organized such a rally and we do not endorse a rally for the issue of opposing A3123 at this time. If you wish to attend a rally for any other purpose, then we encourage you to do so. However, if the stated purpose of the rally is to oppose A3123, then we ask that you refrain until such time as a statewide effort has been initiated by the task force. We had a great success four years ago with our rally, and much of that success came from our unity across the state.

To conclude: We are not out of the woods yet, as the sponsors have not actually withdrawn the bill. We remain confident however that A3123 will never make it into law. By uniting in the past, we have been able to maintain our status in New Jersey as having one of the best, most homeschool-friendly laws in the nation. It is clear in how quickly we have united this past week that we are on the same road to success this time.

Faithfully and gratefully,

Mark August
ENOCH of NJ

Reporting for the task force opposing A3123:
Kevin Kiernan, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (CHNJ); Carolee Adams, Eagle Forum of New Jersey; Mark August, Education Network Of Christian Homeschoolers (ENOCH) of New Jersey; Scott Woodruff, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Nan McVicker, New Jersey Homeschool Association (NJHA); Nancy Plent, Unschoolers Network

Many thanks to Carolee Adams of Eagle Forum and the Facebook Group "SAVE HOME SCHOOL FREEDOM IN NEW JERSEY" for leading the charge in keeping us informed. If you are on Facebook, you should consider joining this group to stay abreast of future developments.

Latest Update on NJ A. 3123 Homeschool Bill

Please see previous posts for lists of legislators who still need phone calls! Please do NOT call Assemblyman Deignan. He has publicly stated that he opposes the bill. I want to personally thank everyone who has called or written their Assemblyman, and for those outside NJ who are supporting us.

Latest Update on NJ A. 3123 from the Education Network Of Christian Homeschoolers of NJ (ENOCH).

Thank you! We've gotten many reports of the many phone calls received by our lawmakers today. Our message is definitely being heard!

I have received many emails about some pretty disturbing rumors circulating through email or the loops. One of the most disturbing, said that the Chairman of the Assembly Education committee has decided to "fast track" this bill and would be pushing it through the legislative process as quickly as possible. We have attempted to verify this rumor, and so far we have not been able to get anyone in Assemblyman Joseph Cryan's office to validate this rumor. As far as we can ascertain, this rumor is false. While the task force certainly does not have an inside track to the legislature, we are committed to checking our facts before disseminating any news. Before responding to any alarming news, look for a note or an alert from one of the task force members attesting to its validity.

If you have not made your phone calls today, or you were unable to get through, please continue to try tomorrow.

The list of organizations and representatives on the task force have been listed before but here they are again:

Kevin Kiernan, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (CHNJ); Carolee Adams, Eagle Forum of New Jersey; Mark August, Education Network Of Christian Homeschooler (ENOCH) of New Jersey; Scott Woodruff, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Nan McVicker, New Jersey Homeschool Association (NJHA); Nancy Plent, Unschoolers Network

As a Christian, I cannot emphasis enough how much effect your prayers are having and will continue to have. Please continue to pray for our lawmakers.

I thank you, as well, that so far, the only reports I am receiving from legislators' offices is that your message is coming across strongly, yet not arrogantly or angrily. Well done.

Proverbs 25:16 "By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone." Let us continue to be persuasive and break some bones!

Your fellow servant,

Mark August
ENOCH of NJ

NEW JERSEY - Calls Needed IMMEDIATELY to Block Restrictive Homeschool Bill

==============================
From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
==============================


New Jersey--Calls Needed Immediately
to Block Restrictive Homeschool Bill

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

Now is the time to speak with one voice and tell New Jersey lawmakers that the homeschool restriction bill, A. 3123, must be stopped.

This bill would rob you of your freedom, tangle you in red tape, and let bureaucrats force you to stop homeschooling. Bureaucrats could mandate subjects and control course content. The bill demands that you keep mountains of records and interferes with your medical privacy.

New Jersey residents have already paid enough for expensive public school disappointments. A. 3123 will increase taxes yet again for New Jersey families because more bureaucrats will need to be hired and paid to enforce it. Also, millions of dollars in added taxes will be necessary, if even only a small percentage of homeschoolers put their children in public school rather than endure the crushing new weight of paperwork and the threats of school superintendents. And state revenues will be lost if homeschool families avoid living in New Jersey.

ACTION REQUESTED

1. If either bill sponsor, Sheila Oliver (District 34, East Orange, Clifton, Glen Ridge, Montclair, West Patterson) or Harvey Smith (District 31, Bayonne City, Jersey City) is your assembly person, call them and courteously ask them to withdraw this bill. Your message can be as simple as, "Please withdraw A. 3123. We don't need our taxes raised to pay for something as pointless as regulation that helps no one. Studies show that children in states with high homeschool regulation do no better than those in states with low homeschool regulation."

2. Call all the members of the assembly Education Committee (listed
below) and courteously convey your message. It can be as simple as, "Please stop A. 3123, the homeschool restriction bill. I don't want my taxes raised to pay for something as pointless as regulation that helps no one. Studies show that heavier homeschool regulation does not help children. The law already requires that homeschooled children get instruction equivalent to public school instruction. That is enough." Keep calling until you get through.

3. While telephone calls and personal visits have the most impact, e-mails, faxes and letters can also have an effect.

4. Contact other homeschool families and ask them to help.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sponsors

Sheila Oliver
15-33 Halsted Street
Suite 202
East Orange, NJ 07018
Phone: (973) 395-1166
Fax: (973) 395-1724
aswoliver@njleg.org

L. Harvey Smith
485-7 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Jersey City, NJ 07304-2305
Phone: (201) 536-7851
Fax: (201) 536-7854
asmsmith@njleg.org

Education Committee

Joseph Cryan, Chair
985 Stuyvesant Ave.
Union, NJ 07083
Phone: (908) 624-0880
asmcryan@njleg.org
Fax: (908) 624-0587 (Note: fax machine not working right now)

Joan Voss, Vice-Chair
520 Main Street
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 346-6400
Fax: (201) 346-5385 (Note: home line)
aswvoss@njleg.org

Patrick Diegnan
908 Oak Tree Ave.
Unit P
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Phone: (908) 757-1677
Fax: (908) 757-6841
asmdiegnan@njleg.org

Amy Handlin
890 Main St.
Belford, NJ 07718
Phone: (732) 787-1170
Fax: (732) 787-0356
aswhandlin@njleg.org

Mila Jasey
15 Village Plaza
Suite 1B
South Orange, NJ 07079
Phone: (973) 762-1886
Fax: (973) 762-6118
aswjasey@njleg.org

Joseph Malone
311 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ 08505
Phone: (609) 298-6250
Fax: (609) 298-6359
asmmalone@njleg.org

Paul Moriarty
129 Johnson Road
Suite 1
Turnersville, NJ 08012
Phone: (856) 232-6700
Fax: (856) 401-3076
asmmoriarty@njleg.org

Nellie Pou
100 Hamilton Plaza
Suite 1403-05
Paterson, NJ 07505
Phone: (973) 247-1555
Fax: (973) 247-1550
aswpou@njleg.org

Ruben Ramos
70 Hudson St.
7th Floor
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: (201) 714-4960
Fax: (201) 714-4963
asmramos@njleg.org

Scott Rumana
155 Route 46 West
Suite 108
Wayne, NJ 07470
Phone: (973) 237-1362
Fax: (973) 237-1364
asmrumana@njleg.org

Joseph Vas
276 Hobart St.
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Phone: (732) 324-5955
Fax: (732) 324-1879
asmvas@njleg.org

David Wolfe
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724
Phone: (732) 840-9028
Fax: (732) 840-9757
asmwolfe@njleg.org

BACKGROUND

Here is a summary of what A. 3123 would do:

1. Give the superintendent and school board power to force a family to stop homeschooling if they believe the child is not getting an "appropriate education." This means whatever the superintendent and school board say it means because it is not defined. A bureaucrat would have power make a life or death decision over your homeschool program.

2. Give the Commissioner of Education power to mandate courses and
course content ("objectives"). Families would no longer be free to
decide what to teach.

3. Require parents to list objectives in every mandatory subject. Any family whose list does not satisfy the superintendent will be in trouble.

4. Require parents to send a notarized letter and register every homeschooled child annually.

5. Require parents to prove that the children have received all medical services and immunizations the law requires.

6. Require parents to certify that adults in the home have not committed certain crimes.

7. Require that parents provide 180 days of instruction and turn in these records annually (and also as often as the superintendent requests, if he has "reason to believe" the student is not getting "an appropriate education"):
> list of reading materials
> writing samples
> worksheets
> workbooks
> creative materials
> standardized testing in grades 3, 5 and 8 (with parents being
prohibited from administering the test)
> an annual evaluation by a person other than the parent, after an
interview and review of materials. The evaluator must certify the student is receiving an "appropriate education". The evaluator must be a: (a) licensed psychologist, or (b) certified school psychologist, or (c) New Jersey public or private school teacher, or (d) New Jersey public or private school administrator.

The organizations of the New Jersey homeschool task force are united in opposing this bill: HSLDA, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (Kevin Kiernan), Eagle Forum of New Jersey (Carolee Adams), Education Network Of Christian Homeschoolers of New Jersey (Mark August), New Jersey Homeschool Association (Nan McVicker), and Unschoolers Network (Nancy Plent).

Thank you for standing with us for freedom.

Sincerely yours,

Scott Woodruff
HSLDA Staff Attorney


=====================================
The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:

Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
Phone: (540) 338-5600
Fax: (540) 338-2733
Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org

UPDATE Restrictive New Jersey Homeschool Bill

=====================================
From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
=====================================


New Jersey--Prepare To Oppose Restrictive
Homeschool Bill

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

On September 22, New Jersey Assemblywoman
Sheila Oliver and Assemblyman Harvey Smith
filed a bill that would cause a catastrophic
destruction of homeschool freedom in New Jersey.

For decades, homeschooling in New Jersey has
thrived, producing astonishingly good results
at no taxpayer expense even while public schools
serve up one expensive disappointment after
another. There is no justification to cripple
the most successful form of education in New
Jersey with increased regulation. Studies show
that children do no better in states with heavy
regulatory burdens.

The organizations of the homeschool task force
are united in opposing this bill, A. 3123, and
are developing a unified response. No benefit,
great or small, can possibly compensate for the
loss of freedom. The task force opposes this bill
in every detail. There is no compromise position.
The bill must be defeated.

ACTION REQUESTED

The time for action will be very soon, but not yet.
Please wait, but be prepared to take action when
HSLDA recommends it. 

BACKGROUND

These organizations form the homeschool task force:
HSLDA, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (Kevin
Kiernan), Eagle Forum of New Jersey (Carolee Adams),
Education Network Of Christian Homeschoolers of New
Jersey (Mark August), New Jersey Homeschool Association
(Nan McVicker), and Unschoolers Network (Nancy Plent).
These same organizations unified to help stop the
infamous A.B. 4033 in 2004.

A 3123 would do the following:

1. Require an annual notarized letter of intent to
register every homeschooled child.

2. Require parents to list objectives in every
mandatory subject.

3. Require evidence of immunization.

4. Require proof that the children have received
all medical services the law requires.

5. Require a certification that adults in the
home have not committed certain crimes.

6. Require 180 days of instruction.

7. Empower the Commissioner of Education to
decide what subjects are mandatory.

8. Empower the Commissioner of Education to
determine course content "guidelines" starting
in kindergarten.

9. Require that parents keep the following records
and submit them annually to the school district,
and also as often as the superintendent requests,
if he has "reason to believe" the student is not
getting "an appropriate education":

> list of reading materials
> writing samples
> worksheets
> workbooks
> creative materials
> standardized testing in grades 3, 5 and 8
with parents being prohibited from administering
the test)
> an annual evaluation by a person other than
the parent, after an interview and review of
materials. The evaluator must certify the student
is receiving an "appropriate education." The
evaluator must be a: (a) licensed psychologist,
or (b) certified school psychologist, or
c) New Jersey public or private school teacher,
or (d) New Jersey public or private school
administrator.

10. Empower the superintendent to ask the school
board to terminate homeschooling if he believes
the records (above) show the homeschool program
is "unsatisfactory in providing an adequate education."

11. "Adequate education" is not defined, so the
superintendent and school board have wide latitude
to decide what they think it means.

A. 3123 would turn New Jersey into one of the worst
homeschool states in the country. The bill is very
similar to Pennsylvania's homeschool law, which is
generally recognized as the second worst in the nation,
surpassed only by New York's. A. 3123, however,
includes features that make it even worse than
Pennsylvania's. 

Some families have stayed in New Jersey and endured
high tax burdens because the homeschool law is
favorable. If A. 3123 passes, some families will
leave the state, reducing the tax base without any
corresponding savings from reduced state or local
education expense. At the same time, the mountain
of paperwork it will create for superintendents
will raise expenses that will ultimately be footed
by the already put-upon taxpayer.

Sincerely Yours,

Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Staff Attorney

Restrictive new bill threatens New Jersey Home Schoolers

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

I have been sounding the alarm all summer about possible restrictions on homeschooling freedoms here on this blog, and it is coming home to roost.

A new bill has been introduced in the New Jersey legislature (A. 3123) that threatens homeschooling freedoms in New Jersey. I was alerted by ENOCH of New Jersey today of this bill, introduced September 22, 2008.

It's a doozy, as my dad used to say. Let's let the bill speak for itself.

This bill requires a parent or guardian seeking to educate his child at home to register with the resident school district prior to the establishment of the home education program. The bill provides that the registration must include: certain descriptive information about the child, his home education supervisor, and the program; a statement that the child will be provided instruction in such subjects as required by law; evidence that the child has been properly immunized and has received necessary health and medical services; and a certification that the supervisor, all adults living in the home, and persons having legal custody of a child in a home education program have not been convicted of certain criminal offenses.

Under the bill, a home education program must provide instruction for a minimum of 180 days each year and must include courses in such areas as determined by the Commissioner of Education. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for home education programs that provide for a sequential course of study for each grade, K-12. The bill directs the resident school district to lend the parent or guardian of a home schooled child copies of the school district’s planned curriculum, textbooks, and other instructional materials, as requested. The bill also provides that the resident school district must permit a student registered in a home education program to participate in the district’s extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics, provided that certain conditions are met. Under the bill, the district must provide the student with access to a medical or physical examination, if one is required as a condition of participation in the activity and if the school district offers the medical or physical examination to its enrolled students. The bill requires the supervisor of a home education program to maintain a portfolio of records and materials demonstrating the student’s work and progress, including the results of standardized tests and an independent evaluation of the student’s educational progress. The bill provides a process for reviewing the adequacy of home education programs. The bill also provides a process for the termination of a home education program determined to be inadequate.

Some of you who are reading may not find this any more burdensome than laws in your state, but to put it in perspective, the only thing is included in this bill that we are required to do right now is the part about 180 days.

So this is like making your car go from zero to sixty in 10 seconds.

I am hopeful that nobody will get sucked into this because of the provision that allows homeschoolers to participate in district sports. To me, that is SO not worth having them sticking their nose in my business.

I will continue to keep you informed of the threat this bill represents, so that you can become informed and make sure channels of communication are open for any call to action in the next days and weeks. New Jersey homeschoolers covet your prayers at this time.

"You are hereby sentenced to 90 days in prison"

HSLDA brings an update this week on the plight of two home schooling families in Germany.

I wrote earlier this summer about the "final solution" that Germany has begun to implement in the homeschool community there.

Exterminate them.

OK, maybe that is an extreme characterization, but only a little. Germany does not tolerate homeschooling for any reason, citing laws dating to the Hitler era.

A recent member of a German homeschool network wrote to the country’s top education official, Dr. Annette Schavan, asking that the topic of homeschooling be put on the agenda for a national conference of state education leaders. He was told “The topic would not be discussed because it is impossible to homeschool in Germany.”

Even foreigners who are there temporarily, such as US military families stationed in Germany, are not supposed to homeschool.

So in practical terms, that is the same as extermination. This is unconscionable.

In a nutshell, this week we have good news and bad news. The good news was that the Jugendamt decided to release the Gorber children to the custody of their parents pending a family court hearing on September 25. They are in a public school, but were not required to attend "special schools" a long distance from their homes, or live in the state-run group homes conveniently located near the "special schools"

Meanwhile, Rosemary and Juergen Dudek have already been sentenced to 90 days in prison for homeschooling, and have had a new round of criminal charges filed against them. They continue to fight these charges, and have applied to be considered a private school.

Can you say, "Ja wohl, Herr Kommandant?" I used to laugh when Sgt. Schultz said that to Col. Klink on Hogan's Heroes when I was a kid. But I am not laughing now.

Could that happen here? It is by the grace of God that the eleven Christians arrested in Philadelphia for the "hate crime" of sharing the Gospel at a homosexual event a few years ago did not actually have to go to prison for the incredible 47 years they were faced with serving. Even though video of the events clearly showed that the Christians were not violent, Philadelphia police and officials insisted on interpreting their every move as hostile. Four of the defendants were charged with ethnic intimidation and rioting -- among other things.

Right. So what does that have to do with homeschooling?

It shows that things we really don't believe could ever happen here are already happening. If people can't be sure they have First Amendment rights on a public street, how can parents be sure they have the right to teach their children at home, privately and away from Big Brother's watchful eye? As I said in an earlier post, these things are the germ of the same idea that is resulting in the prosecution of these German parents.

Would YOU be willing to serve 90 days in prison for homeschooling?

My earlier posts on the German homeschooling problem can be found here:

Ill Wind Blows for Homeschooling
Germany Strikes Again
Germany Declares War on Homeschooling

"Anonymous" Revealed

Mary,

Your respecful reply is very much appreciated. You have succeeded where supposedly neutral journalists failed - to discuss what happened plainly and objectively.

You have a rather well thought out perspective as well as knowledge of the course approval procedure. Are you affiliated with the University?

You know, I could only go on what I heard from the sources I looked at. The articles I read on both sides were designed to persuade me that the other side is wrong, and of course, I brought my own opinion to the table.

A key element for me is the understanding about the "primary text". I guess as a homeschooler I don't always have a "primary" text.

Frankly, your explanation also clarifies for me why our online Christian school frequently includes secular offerings in its science and elective courses like sociology and psychology that seem out of character for its mission statement. But I was on the site today doing some planning and scheduling and noticed that the courses are accredited.

Can I have a light bulb, please?

I'm not a journalist, just a blogging mom who is concerned about this ruling being twisted in the future to further prevent the Christian worldview - including intelligent design - from seeing the light of day anywhere on college campuses, ever. Couple that with an innate distrust of home schooling on the part of some state schools especially, and you have the potential for increased discrimination against Christian home schooled students rising out of this ruling.

This concern is neither new nor unfounded. If you have never seen the discussion on this website about discrimination against homeschooled students on the part of colleges, I hope you will take a few minutes and read this discussion from The Chronicle of Higher Education from 2003.

Thanks again for your response - and for including your name. :) You still aren't quite revealed, but you are not anonymous anymore, either.

Best,

Susan

As I was saying...

Well, the LA Times suggested Friday the same thing I told "Anonymous" might happen.

If you missed the fun, I posted on 8/15 about the ruling in which the courts upheld University of California's decision to disqualify several classes offered by Calvary Chapel Christian School of Murrieta for being "too narrow or not academically rigorous enough to fulfill UC's entrance requirements."

"Anonymous" chided me for ignoring reality regarding this subject which is clearly emotional for me.

My reply to Anonymous included my concern that even though this case was about specific students and specific texts, a victory for the University could open the door for other universities to step up their restrictions on texts written from a Christian worldview.

David Masci, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington, D.C. agrees with me. The case could influence admission practices at public colleges nationwide. "No one is questioning the right of Calvary Chapel to teach what they want to teach. But what the case says is that when you do that, there may be consequences," Masci said Tuesday.

Historians testifying for the university said that a history class titled "Christianity's Influence on America" failed to teach critical thinking and relied on a book that attributed historical events to divine providence. The book also contained inadequate material about non-Christian groups, the historians said.

So why isn't the reverse true? Christianity's influence in America has been all but excised from texts from K-12 and beyond. Today's elementary school children are taught more about Sojourner Truth than about the faith of George Washington. I once had a conversation with my niece that revealed that she was taught that Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrims giving thanks to the Indians!

Are you serious?

I am not objecting to school children learning about strong women in history or Sojourner Truth's specific importance to the abolitionist movement. Neither am I opposed to a balanced and realistic treatment of Indian relations with whites or with the US Government. I am a Chickasaw Indian, among other things, and had family members who knew up close and personal about exploitation by whites AND the Government.

But please, let's not ignore or suppress the Pilgrims' beliefs about God or their acknowledgment of His favor in our zeal to be politically correct.

I doubt that Feminine Roles in Literature or Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in Literature, books that were approved by UC, contained much in the way of words of wisdom from dead white males, or information about Exodus International or PFOX, except in the most negative terms.

Well, of course not. And, more to the point, you wouldn't expect them to.

So why were they approved when the Christian book was rejected in part for not containing enough material about non-Christian groups?

This is kind of where I was going the other day with my Santa Claus remarks. Would you not find it patronizing and insulting to have what you believe regarded as being on a par with believing in fairy tales? Through the use of statements like "teach what they want to teach" and "a book that attributes historical events to divine providence fails to teach critical thinking", they are patting us on the head and saying "There, there. If you want to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, that is OK with us."

For the record, we do actually believe God is in control, and that historical events can indeed be attributed to divine providence.

This does NOT mean we hide the fact that some other people may think the chronology of events was different from what we are teaching.

It does not mean that we teach about other cultures and religions without according them respect.

It does not mean that we ignore those individual players on the stage of history who were the agents of change, or consider their contributions and motivations, even if we do not agree with them.

It also does not mean we refuse to use the History Channel and other aggressively secular resources as supplementary materials that can challenge our students to think through why they believe what they believe.

ADDENDUM: Here is an old link from the Calvary Chapel Christian School website showing an article from the Wall Street Journal about this lawsuit when it was first filed in 2005. This article is dated Oct. 28, 2005. So far I have linked to articles from parties rooting for the university. Here is a WSJ reporter who comes down on the side of Calvary Chapel, and presents a lot of what I would like to say, but more eloquently.

Faith and science - a response to "Anonymous"

I was going to respond to you on the comment that you left, but this got so long I decided to make it a general post. I'm sorry you didn't leave your name. You needn't have posted anonymously. As long as someone uses a respectful tone, I am open to anyone posting comments. I don't expect everyone to agree with me.

Anyway, "Anonymous," thanks for your response. Once I got going, I did get off on the Santa Claus tangent :-) - which is definitely a more emotional topic. But I don't believe I ignored reality at all.

The reality is that my worldview is increasingly under attack, and my concern is that this ruling, which today may be directed at specific students and their specific high school texts, will ultimately be redirected to penalize all Christian high schoolers, and Christian home schoolers who would like to attend UC schools.

Here is another reality: "As California goes, so goes the nation." Once the first inch is ceded, it is only a matter of time before they take the mile as well. So "all UC schools" could eventually become "all schools".

I firmly believe in evolution, if defined as the observed changes in populations of organisms over time. But I did teach my children that they were under no obligation to believe the "Theory of Evolution" as dogma.

I tell a story earlier on in this blog about using Bill Nye the Science Guy in my elementary science curriculum, which provided many opportunities to talk about science and faith and that the two are not mutually exclusive. In oversimplified terms, we considered science the "how" and faith the "why." Once in high school, we used an excellent science curriculum that supported our worldview, but I still made a point of familiarizing my children with the evolutionary curriculum and terminology they were expected to "know", using texts that contained evolutionary material.

In public schools this is called "teaching to the test." Perhaps this is what you meant by "adapting the teachings to fit the requirements." See, we didn't disagree after all!

I guess my main beef is that the theory of evolution has evolved - pardon the pun - into a kind of competing religion from which no dissent is tolerated. Kind of like the Inquisition, minus the burning at the stake.

Ill wind blows for homeschooling - part 2? part 3? Where does it end?

I have written several posts lately about how there is a chill in the air regarding homeschooling in the last few months.

Well, the People's Republic of the District of Columbia has decided to spread its tentacles over the homeschool community by requiring parents to be approved by the state board each year in order to be allowed to home school, along with other restrictions and increased regulations.

Incredibly, they claim that they based their decisions on more than "2,800 e-mails and written comments and 400 phone calls" from homeschool supporters around the country.

"The participation of the homeschooling community was a very significant component of this process. The voice of the community helped to ensure that we approved regulations which are sound and balanced," D.C. State Board of Education president Robert Bobb said.

Say what? That is like saying they received over 2,800 emails and 400 phone calls from gun owners who were not satisfied with the restrictions on gun purchases and ownership. Or 2,800 emails and 400 phone calls from abortion advocates who were urging them to support the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Sound and balanced. Right.

People home school for many reasons, but one of the things that keeps us going is having the state off our backs and the freedom to teach our children according to the dictates of our own consciences. Freedom, not restriction.

You can read the article from the title link or here.

Germany strikes again

Can you imagine having your home raided and five of your children seized as "endangered" because you are home schooling?

Click on the title link (or here) to read a truly horrifying article about the ordeal being experienced by the Gorber family. In January of this year, representatives of the Jugendamt (child welfare agency) and police took five of the family's children while the father was visiting the mother in the hospital after complications with the birth of their ninth child. They are now in foster care pending the results of a court ordered psychological exam of the parents.

More homeschooling families have left Germany to escape this kind of persecution, and it now appears that family court judges and the Jugendamt are ready and willing to take children away from their parents simply because they are being homeschooled.