Active Homeschooling Advocacy

Good for CT homeschoolers! I wish we had some more of that in Illinois. Maybe we'd have a little less coercive messages pitched by Illinois ps administrators here and there to serve their over-compliance demands. On Dupage's Regional Office of Education site they have this statement:
"For more information regarding home schooling fillout the form below." leading you to a homeschool form asking for way too much information. Annoying.
Back to CT, Deborah Stevenson, attorney for NHELD and Judy Aron, who wrote up the NHELD article regarding mental health assessment did a great job stirring up this pot along with their fellow homeschoolers. Here's the CT Post article:
Homeschoolers dial Rell for state ed law changes

HARTFORD — The governor's office fielded about 60 phone calls Wednesday from homeschoolers unhappy with the way local school officials are treating them.

The call-in, orchestrated by a national home education association with Connecticut roots, asked Gov. M. Jodi Rell to direct school districts to stop requiring letters of intent from homeschoolers and eliminate misleading language in the state law that allows home schooling.

Wonder what the Commissioner and the attny general don't understand about a clear cut word like "voluntary". Kinda like "voluntary" mental health screening, I guess.

"I can tell you that Gov. Rell fully supports the rights of parents to home school. The governor also supports [Commissioner of Education Betty J. Sternberg's] right to seek an opinion from the attorney general whenever there is a question regarding this topic," said Liegeot. "We are currently awaiting the decision of the attorney general."

Marie Drew won't sign the form because it is supposed to be voluntary and because she would be pledging to attend annual portfolio reviews she believes would be pointless.

It'll be interesting to see Mr. Blumenthal's opinion. Glad homeschoolers sent a message beforehand. Hats off to CT. homeschoolers.

Sternberg has asked Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to spell out the rights of parents and responsibilities of school districts in ensuring instruction is taking place. Blumenthal has promised an opinion this summer.