Homeschooling in the News
There have been quite a number of homeschool-related articles in the past couple of weeks:
A German homeschooling family that has been living in Tennessee for several years has been seeking asylum in the U.S. because homeschooling is not allowed in their native country of Germany. They withdrew their children from German schools because the school teachings on sex, violence and other issues conflicted with their Christian faith. They face high fines and tension with local authorities (in Germany) because of their desire to homeschool their six children. A judge had granted them asylum, but the Obama administration objected to allowing them to remain in the U.S. and won an appeals court reversal of that asylum ruling. The Supreme Court is now being asked to hear their case and will be asked to protect the family from persecution they would face if they had to return to Germany. Read more in this article, Supreme Court Being asked to Rule on Homeschool Persecution and this April article in the Washington Post.
Iowa: Branstad Signs Home Schooling Law — An education reform bill was signed into law (Thurs. July 18, 2013) that includes new freedoms for homeschoolers. For example, the law eliminates the paper work that homeschoolers have to submit to their local public school. Also, a parent who is homeschooling their own children may now teach four unrelated kids.
Seattle, WA: The Rise of Homeschooling — This a general article about homeschooling, giving a brief vignette of one family, some of the reasons for homeschooling (academic benefits, flexible schedules), as well as some of the challenges (being with the kids all the time).
Las Vegas, NV: Homeschooling Allows Parents to Individualize Learning — Again, this article shares a couple of vignettes about homeschooling families and shares some resources in the Las Vegas area (including some Homeschooling 101 classes). Both families talk about the advantage of being able to individualize the education of their children.
Ohio: Homeschooling on the Rise: A Popular Alternative to Public Education — According to this article, there are 2.3 million homeschooled students in the U.S. Home education affords parents the opportunity to pattern an education that is unique and individualized to the needs of their child. Whether it is the Classical, Literature -ased, Christian Education, Unschooling, or Online Schools approach, home education offers parents the ability to decide what their child should learn, when, and how. The article says that Ohio is a homeschool-friendly state and talks about some of the requirements.
