Under-reported Number of Homeschoolers?

A panel of Galesburg community members offer their detailed thoughts on: What local, state, national or global story went under reported this year [2008].

Here are Tom Campbell’s thoughts below and homeschoolers can consider whether it serves the homeschool community well to be ignored or not:

Rise in homeschooling mostly ignored
A national story that went under reported in 2008 is the continued increasing number of families that homeschool their children.

The most recent numbers from the National Center for Educational Statistics shows about a 7 percent increase in the number of homeschooled students every year since the early 1980s. That brings the estimated current number of homeschooled students to over 1.3 million in the United States.

The NCES released a report in December that states homeschoolers’ numbers have grown. From their report:

Since 1999, the National Household Education Surveys
Program (NHES), conducted by the U.S. Department of
Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
in the Institute of Education Sciences, has collected nationally
representative data that can be used to estimate the number
of homeschooled students in the United States.

The NCES (primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data..related to education in the US…) study uses this definition of homeschooler:

In this Brief, students are considered to be homeschooled
if their parents reported them as being schooled at home
instead of at a public or private school for at least part of
their education and if their part-time enrollment in public
or private school did not exceed 25 hours a week. Students
who were schooled at home primarily because of a temporary
illness are not included as homeschoolers.

A 2005 Arizona article can make one  apprehensive regarding an accurate # of homeschoolers:

The Federal Department of Education estimates that 1.1 million children were homeschooled in 2002-03, but experts at the pro-homeschooling National Home Education Research Institute say it may be closer to 2.2 million, depending on how states define “homeschool.”

There is quite a range when the number of homeschoolers,as stated, suggests numbers between 1.1 and 2.2 million with these 2 touted studies.

Why study that? Why the ‘research’ when it’s obviously  inaccurate? What data is obtained when implementing these studies? The involved government entities always say it needs to be researched further. Data collecting and tracking is irresistible (besides the obvious enticements in job creation).

Several states, including Illinois, don’t require homeschoolers to register or report so all of those state ‘numbers’ aren’t even on this radar.  But one wonders how scientific this research is.

Summary and Future Research

NCES plans to collect and report data about homeschooled students with future Parent and Family Involvement in Education Surveys (PFI), scheduled to occur on a four-year cycle. The next PFI is scheduled for 2007 as part of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). The PFI surveys continue to provide a comprehensive set of information that may be used to estimate the number and characteristics of homeschoolers in the United States.

Here’s another puzzling part in these ’statistics’. If my kids were living this definition of part time enrollment up to 25 hours/week, when would we have time to live the essence of homeschooling? (The quantity and thus the quality of time just hanging out with your family living and learning?)  25 hours/week  in  a school would mean 5 hours/day in the classroom.

This also means that the public school would likely  receive funding for that student. [See Average Daily Attendance requirements for funding]. Students “enrolled in school part-time” [ 25 hours/week], but placed in the homeschooling category, enable public funding to the schools for their participation.

In our school district here, the kids would be in school from
8:20 until 1:20 every day (excluding lunch time), with 1 hour and 40
minutes left to in the school day.

Who is defining a homeschooler?  Home Education Magazine News & Commentary blogger Valerie Bonham Moon pointed out a 2005 article:

Alaskan strings ensnarl home educating families

How is the media following up on these reported ’surveys’?

Larry and Susan Kaseman wrote an article concerning a Patricia Lines monograph. They addressed some key points concerning her writings:

Is Homeschooling Being Used as Part of a Larger Agenda?

Lines presents misleading statistics and information about homeschoolers…
Lines makes bold statements about homeschooling that she does not support with evidence, statements that, in fact, are contradicted by readily available data.
Lines misrepresents key points of education and homeschooling law…

Tom Campbell stated a fact that is often turned on its head by public school proponents. We are often told that we are costing the school districts money by homeschooling our children.

Homeschoolers even saved taxpayers an estimated $26 billion in 2008 by taking the responsibility to educate their own children instead of the public school system. Homeschooling will likely get more attention if these trends continue. – Tom Campbell

Who is watching out for homeschoolers’ freedoms?

Suburban Cook County-Excessive Requirements

Despite the demands from ROE Supt Flowers’ letter and their ‘homeschool packet’, no Statements of Assurance, no Home School Registration Forms, no “instructional services” hours need be recorded (for school authorities), no “course materials” need be attached, no birth dates, annual reports or other such invasions of homeschoolers’ time and rights are mandated by law.  From the Suburban Cook County ROE in their “Home School Information” link:

SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION
10110 Gladstone •
Westchester, IL 60154
Office: 708-865-9330 •
Fax: 708-865-9338
www.cook.k12.il.us

Dr. Charles A. Flowers,

Regional Superintendent

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The purpose of this letter is to provide a follow-up to your recent inquiry in regard to home
schooling.

With this letter you will find a form to register as a home school, some suggestions from the
State Board of Education on home schooling. Also enclosed is a position paper prepared by the
legal department of The Illinois State Board of Education concerning the legality of home
schooling and further indicating the role of the Regional Superintendent in home school issues.

When a child is not attending school and the non-attendance of the child is reported to the
Regional Superintendent’s office, the truant officer initiates a truancy investigation. In order to
avoid the truancy investigation and the possibility of court action we ask that you fill out and
have notarized the enclosed statement of assurance.

Please remember that you, as the parent/guardian are responsible for researching home
schooling, acquiring the curriculum and study materials, testing ad keeping all school records for
your child.

Although not required, your local school district may assist in providing curriculum and study
materials. They may charge a fee for this service and the rental of books.

Home-schooled children are eligible for enrollment as part-time students in the public school
district in which they live. In such cases the home-schooled child could be enrolled in for
instruction in a particular class or classes. The school district must be notified by May 1st of the
prior school year. If the school is notified after May 1st it is up to the district to determine if they
have room for the student at that time.

Please return the registration form to the address on top of the form. If you have any
questions you may contact Predonna Roberts, Ed.D. at (708) 865-9330.

Sincerely,

Charles A. Flowers, Ed.D.
Regional Superintendent

If the registration form is completed, it will be in the ROE files and forwarded on to the ISBE Data Analysis and Progress Reporting Department in Springfield.  It will likely be requested annually.

It is not necessary or legally required to fill out such forms.

Chicago Public Schools-Homeschool citations

The quotes and links are from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of High Schools and High School Programs. Comments are interspersed throughout.

HOMESCHOOLING

Illinois State Board of Education – Data Analysis and Progress Reporting

The link above goes directly to an ISBE created (Illinois State Board of Education) Home School Registration Form.  That form is NOT mandated and as you’ll notice in the link, it’s updated every year and the personal family information is put into the ISBE Data Analysis and Progress Reporting Dept database. Most homeschoolers would strongly discourage sending in that form for your sake and to prevent precedents set for other homeschoolers.

Harvey Bluedorn wrote wise words in Illinois Homeschoolers –­ Eight Reasons Not to Register

The ISBE Home School Registration Form and this requested CPS Statement of Assurance form linked below is invasive and unnecessary. Illinois homeschoolers are not required to notify (unless transferring from a public school to homeschool), let alone sign a Statement of Assurance.  From the CPS website:

Statement of Assurance – Parent – Taught at Home Instruction

Supplying CPS with your child’s birth date and “instructional services” records of hours per week et al, are not necessary nor required per statute. Course materials…ie curriculum …is not their business either, despite demands from this Statement of Assurance form:

That the instructional services will be provided by the following instructor(s). (Continue list on an attached sheet if necessary.)
That the course materials which will be used are: (Continue list on an attached sheet if necessary.)

Statute 105 ILCS 5/26.1 provides exemption from public school attendance and curriculum rules and demands. If this information is provided in an annual Statement of Assurance and Home School Registration Form, they’ll be back the next year and next with lots of questions.  ‘Why did you change curriculums?’  ‘Unschooling?!’

“Branches of education” are noted in the private school compulsory attendance exemption statute.  It does not list the specific subjects of  “language arts; the biological, physical and social sciences; mathematics; fine arts; and physical development and health“.  Listing private schools’ (homeschool) specific subjects seems very presumptive when individual school districts cover (or don’t cover) subjects such as fine arts.

One of Mr. Bluedorn’s points (Illinois Homeschoolers –­ Eight Reasons Not to Register) was this:

5. Because the notorious “statement of assurance” which once circulated in Illinois was a legal contract which placed you under the administrative authority of the public school system. Once you signed, your legal status changed from a free (non-government) school to a government school.

The Chicago Public School system still requests a Statement of Assurance.

From the CPS website:

Homeschooling – Frequently Asked Questions

What does “commensurate education” mean?
It means “there must be an organized, coherent plan for educating the children in a homeschool
using appropriate materials and teaching methods.” (1991 Illinois Attorney General Op. 92)

Resource List for Private Home Schools

This letter is also included on the CPS website.  Apparently it is part of the homeschool packet (Statement of Assurance, Home School Registration Form, etc) sent out to homeschoolers.  A packet from a school district might seem official and final in their requests.  But yet, a Statement of Assurance and Home School Registration Form are not required to homeschool in Illinois.

October 2007

Dear Parent or Guardian:

This information is made available to provide basic information regarding homeschooling.

Case law and the Illinois School Code permit a parent or legal guardian to educate his or her child at home if instruction is given in the English language (Section 105 ILCS 5/21-1.1).  As the parent or legal guardian, it will be your responsibility to provide your child with an organized educational program using appropriate materials and teaching methods in order to satisfy statutory requirements.

Please be aware that the State of Illinois requests that parents or guardians of homeschooled children complete the Statement of Assurance (attached) from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and provide a letter which describes the manner in which you will be instructing your child at home.  These two documents should be filed annually for each child and either mailed or hand-delivered to the Office of High Schools and High School Programs, Chicago Public Schools, 125 South Clark Street, 12th Floor, Chicago, Illinois  60603.

If your child is entering kindergarten, fifth or ninth grades, you should also mail a copy of your child’s shot record and current physical to CPS.  If your child is entering ninth grade, you should also include verification of your child’s completion of eighth grade requirements, if your child did not graduate from a Chicago public school.

It is important to note the State of Illinois requests parents or guardians of homeschooled children to also complete the Illinois State Board of Education’s Home School Registration form (attached).  The information collected is for informational purposes only and is requested based on the requirement that the State Board make annual reports on education in the state.  Call the Illinois State Board of Education at 1-866-262-6663 to obtain answers if you have questions concerning the report.  The Home School Registration Form should be mailed annually to the Illinois State Board of Education, Data Analysis and Progress Reporting, 100 North First Street, S-284, Springfield, Illinois, 62777-0001.  Please also mail a copy to CPS at the address mentioned above.  Include the date you mailed the form to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Under Article 26 of the Illinois School Code, the Regional Superintendent of Schools is vested with the authority to ensure all children between the ages of seven and seventeen are provided with an appropriate education.  Failure of a child to attend school when s/he is required to do so may result in a referral to the Office of the States Attorney as a violation of Article 26.  If in the judgment of the public school district of residence the home instruction given is not commensurate with the standards prescribed in the public schools, the home instruction will be investigated by the State of Illinois.

In addition to the materials mentioned above, please review the following information the CPS Policy on Home-Schooling and Minimum High School Graduation Requirements at the CPS website at http://cps.k12.il.us.  Attached please find frequently asked questions regarding home-schooling and a resource list for private home schools.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of High Schools and High School Programs at 773-553-3540.

Sincerely,

David G. Gilligan

DCG/lcn

Send questions or comments about content on this site to:
Office of High Schools and High School Programs

CPS Elementary Schools and Support also has FAQs listed, along with the Statement of Assurance form and a 2005  amended and signed off CPS Board Report on Homeschool Policy.

~Susan

Interested in running for local office?

The recent rash of disturbing Illinois political news might inspire some homeschoolers to make a good change in our local elected offices.

John Bambanek is offering help to any Illinoisan who would like to run for local political offices.  For those interested, please email him at jcb@illinoiscitizenscoalition.com .

Also posted at McHenry County Blog

~Susan

Inspired to homeschool-”Children first”

From the Chicago Tribune:

Parents hoping to emulate Barack and Michelle Obama

By Vikki Ortiz December 14, 2008

Tamar Williams, 28, of Bronzeville said interviews of Michelle Obama speaking about her children inspired her to begin home-schooling her own children.

“When you look at the Obamas, you can tell that they spend a lot of one-on-one time with their children, even in the midst of their careers,” Williams said. “It made me want to put my children first.”

12 year old homeschooler in Springfield Journal-Register article

The Springfield Journal-Register has an article about a 12 year old homeschooler using an online high school program, K12.

Amanda Monke is doing well and received congratulations from her teachers in earning the highest marks in her online class.

The article points out the use of K12 in the public school realm. (The Monke family uses the private school/homeschool version, in which they pay the tuition expenses themselves.)

Several states and cities, including Chicago, have created public charter schools that use K12. The publicly held, Virginia-based company has a board full of corporate and Ivy League-educated executives, and K12’s most recent earnings report boasts the company enrolled 40,859 students this year.

If you read the comments below the article, school socialization comes up as an issue.  Here’s a classic from Rico377:

If you live sheltered all your life,when they get free, reality is one course you can’t learn online. People are gonna say things,do things that if don’t know how to adapt and overcome as a child,its going to be twice as hard as an adult. I myself want my child to expierence the reality of public school,the friends,the bullys,the ridicule,the team sports,the dances,etc. Its very important to live that,it will make you tougher,and more reality oriented. I’ve known kids like Amanda growing up,the home schooled kids, they either go wild cause of being sheltered,or end up with alot of emotional problems.I know that online schooling is the future,but you can’t have the same human interaction behind a keyboard and monitor.

Other commenters addressed the concern about homeschooled children not being bullied enough.

StephenD55 says:

As a medical student at SIU who had been home-schooled until college, I have to disagree with Rico377 and TEH23 about the need to mingle in a large social group in order to not have problems. Like Mrs. Monke says, there are a lot more home-schoolers than you think. The socialization argument was cute back when home-schooling was only beginning and hadn’t been seen through the whole way very often, for a while now, the home-school community has corrected some initial problems and produced a pool of people who thoroughly enjoyed their educational experience don’t have the horror stories of their traditionally educated counterparts.
It is not that difficult to find the data online, check it out.

Interview with former homeschooled college athlete

The Minnesota Daily interviewed University of MN’s Junior basketball guard, Brittany McCoy.

Brittany was  homeschooled until high school in Illinois.

OFF TOPIC with Brittany McCoy 12/6/2008

MH: New question this week. What is the weirdest thing you were forced to do in elementary gym class?

BM: I never had elementary gym, I was home schooled until high school. So my gym class consisted of my mom kicking me out of the house and telling me to go run around the block a few times. So we didn’t have any quirky things, but that is a good question.

Homeschooling- Western IL University Guide to Selected Government Information Available

I ran into this looking for something else.

Home Schooling-WIU’s Government Publications Library (Revised — 7/06)

Here’s what they have listed under Legal Information:

National Survey of State Laws

The Compulsory Education section of this book outlines each state’s educational requirements. Mandatory age, home school provisions, noncompliance penalties, and also the relevant Code sections are given. 2003
LEGL REF KF 386.N38 2003 pp. 231-246 current edition located at Gov.Pubs. desk

“Validity, Construction, and Application of Statute, Regulation, or Policy Governing Home Schooling or Affecting Rights of Home-Schooled Students”

Need cases regarding home schooling? This annotation analyzes state and federal case law regarding home schooling.
70 ALR5th 169

Illinois School Code

This section of the Illinois Compiled Statutes applies to compulsory attendance.
105 ILCS 5/26 et. al

“Regulating Home Schooling”

This article examines home schooling and other alternatives to public schools. Reasons for choosing home schooling, statistics, and state requirements are explored.
State Legislatures.September 1999 p.12-16

The Right to Home School: A Guide to the Law on Parents’ Rights in Education

This book offers a pro-home schooling examination of case and statutory law affecting home schooling. 1998
LEGL REF KF 4221.K 56 1998

People v. Levisen

A ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court that parents have the right to educate their children at home and the responsibility to ensure that the children are receiving appropriate instruction.
90 N.E.2d 213 (1950)

Education Law

This six-volume set is kept up-to-date by regular installments and offers a comprehensive analysis of education law, including a section on home schooling in Volume 3 (section 8.03[7]). Table T4 in Volume 7 offers state-by-state analysis of compulsory education requirements and exceptions.
LEGL REF KF 4119.R 36 Vols. 3 & 7

Illinois School Law Survey

A section of this book answers questions relating to home schooling in Illinois and offers relevant case and statutory law. 1998
LEGL REF KFI 1590.A 16 I 45 ed. 5 1998 pp. 184-185

“Home Schooled Children Gaining Limited Access To Public Schools”

Many parents of home schooled children desire that their children be allowed to participate in public school extracurricular activities, but many public schools are refusing this request. This article explores home schooling case law, unsuccess arguments based on constitutional grounds, and state efforts to handle this issue.
Journal of Law and Education. January 1999 Vol. 28, No. 1 pp. 25-35

“Parental Rights and Responsibilities of Control Over Children’s Education”

This article examines whether or not parents have a fundamental right to control their child’s education and addresses the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act.
Journal of Law and Education. January 1997 Volume 26, No. 1 pp. 179-188

“Home-Schools and Interscholastic Sports: Denying Participation Violates United States Constitutional Due Process and Equal Protection Rights”

A look at the growing trend of home schooling and the legislation affecting home school and public school relationships.
Journal of Law and Education. July 1997 Vol. 26, No. 3 pp. 123-132

Wisconsin v. Yoder

This Supreme Court decision allows noncompliance with the Wisconsin compulsory education statute by members of the Old Amish Order due to religious convictions.
406 US 205 (1972)

“Parental Rights and Home Schooling: Current Home School Litigation”

This article studies the development of parental rights, home schooling litigation, and the unique legal problems presented by home schooling. 1999
West’s Education Law Reporter. Vol. 135 pp. 313-329

I embedded a link below to the Levisen ruling that I have on Corn and Oil.  Here’s some constructive information from an IL homeschooler in Growing Without Schooling Issue # 20 (not sure which year….1981?)

PEOPLE VS. LEVISEN

When people in Illinois ask us how they can legally teach their children at home, we usually suggest they look up an Illinois Supreme Court case called “People vs. Levisen”. The legal citation for the case is 90 NE 2d 213, 14 ALR 2d 1364; this just tells you the names of the series, the volume numbers, and the page numbers where you can find the decision. You can usually find a law library open to the public at your county courthouse or city hall, and the staff will help you find what you’re looking for. In an opinion dated Sept. 27 1979, the Michigan Attorney General surveyed what the courts in other states had ruled on home schooling, and summarized “People vs. Levisen” as follows:…The respondent was convicted of violating a comparable [to Michigan] compulsory education statute. The defense was made that the child was receiving private tutoring at home. The facts were that the child, a third grade student, was receiving five hours of instruction at home in comparable courses, the instruction was being given by her mother, who had two years of college work and some training in educational psychology. Further, the child showed the academic proficiency of the average third grade student. It should be observed that the tutor in this case did not possess a teaching certificate. The Illinois court defined a school as a place where instruction is bestowed upon the young. The number of children being taught does not determine whether the place is a school, so that the respondent was, in fact, providing an education in a private school for her child in her home, in lieu of attendance at the public school. But the court pointed out that the parents have a burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning. Finally, the court held that the copulsory education statute was not enacted to punish those who provided their children with instruction which is equal or superior to that which may be obtained in the public schools. To the same effect is the decision of the Indiana Supreme Court in “State V. Peterman”, 70 NE 550, and the decision of the Oklahoma supreme court in “Wright v. State”, 209 P 179… For more info on these last two cases, see GWS #3, page 2. As it happens, we do not yet have copies of these three decisions in our files; if anyone would like to send us a copy, we’d be grateful. – DR

I like referring new homeschoolers to original legal documention and I truly appreciate that DR was doing the same back when very few were homeschooling.

Using someone else’s rehash of legal information  for your own family’s use can be precarious. Knowledge is power.

~Susan

Homeschooling Law Guides- according to education lawyers

This was on Market Watch:

Homeschooling Law Resource Guide - Released by the Education Law Association

Last update: 11:04 a.m. EST Dec. 3, 2008
DAYTON, Ohio, Dec 03, 2008

The Law of Homeschooling is a resource guide that provides information on recent updates to homeschool statutory and regulatory requirements for all fifty states as well as Washington D.C. This publication takes an in-depth look at each state’s legal requirements under which parents may provide a home-based education to their children.
Confusion over homeschooling law exists within a vast realm of subject areas. This resource guide answers those questions. The publication is intended to be used by parents, students, homeschool advocates, and public school officials to do what is in the best interests of the children: to ensure that each child receives an appropriate education within the context and scope of the law.

This statement seemed definitive: “This resource guide answers those questions. “

I question the accuracy as I read on.

The author, Brian D. Schwartz, J.D., is the Associate Director and General Counsel to the Illinois Principals Association. He also maintains an active private law practice in the field of education law and is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois in Springfield. Mr. Schwartz is the immediate past-chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Education Law Section Council and was a member of the Education Law Association’s Board of Directors from 2004-07.

It appears to me that counsel to the IL Principals Association (a lobbying group) would not be neutral in opinions of homeschooling law.

Illinois has no homeschool law, along with several other states.

There is another book that is published by the Illinois Association of School Boards: Illinois School Law Survey -Brian Braun. There were a couple of references to homeschooling in the 8th Edition that I have. Here’s one below listed under Home Schooling:

May a school district or the State Board of Education adopt rules regulating home schools?

Courts in other states have upheld state regulation of home schooling, including certification requirements for home-school teachers and minimum curriculum requirements, finding that the state has a compelling interest in the education of children. In Illinois, however, the General Assembly has opted to not interfere with home schooling and has not enacted legislation.

Local school districts have the authority to regulate their own programs, which has the indirect effect of regulating certain aspects of home schooling to the extent home-schooled students avail themselves of various aspects of the public school program.

~Susan

Another Piece of Illinois Homeschool Freedom Watch

Learning in the Land of Lincoln

Welcome!

Deborah and I have been wanting to do this for some time as another networking piece of Illinois Homeschool Freedom Watch.  The yahoo group is great, but a blog reaches out to others who might want easier access on the ‘net.

Our hope is to make Illinois homeschool networking more user-friendly and informative.  Regional Offices of Education information have been added in these first posts.  Look around and see if your area is included.  If it isn’t, wonderful….hopefully that’s good news for area homeschoolers.  If it is listed in one of these posts, then please comment on experiences; good and bad.

Problems can be more easily fixed with widespread support from our homeschool community.

If any would like to become a member of the Illinois Homeschool Freedom Watch list, please link over to yahoo groups here and join in.