WA and AEPs
howlinlady
I'd like to add my two cents about our concerns about the Alternative
Education Programs in Washington State.
As Nichoel stated, these programs are getting people in their
programs by telling them they will be homeschooling, but once
enrolled in the program, by statute they are not "homeschooling".
They are in a public school program. We are concerned about the
disctinction because of accountability. The people in these programs
are held up as examples of homeschooling. These people don't mind
being supervised, being tested etc. The people are told they must
take the WASL - homeschoolers are not required to take the WASL test
and public schooled children can opt out of it as well - but they
aren't told this. So we are concerned that they are not being given
the facts as outlined in the statutes of the state. We don't object
to their choice but we are concerned about how this "model" of
homeschooling can affect our right to homeschool in the future. One
of the reasons I homeschool my children is because I don't believe I
need to be guided and supervised and I don't believe that testing is
the best way to evaluate how much my children are learning. So when
these programs are used as models of homeschooling - with supervision
and testing - and the public sees this "model" of supervision and
accountability as the new wave in the homeschooling community, we are
concerned that the laws will be changed to reflect the "model" as the
only way to legally homeschool in this state. Personally, I am
comfortable with the homeschooling laws as they are. And I believe
that it is every parent's right to choose how their children are
educated, be it public, private, AEP or homeschooling. We are not
trying to be critical of parents choices, nor are we trying to be
divisive. Many of us are concerned about changes to our laws based
on the trends we are seeing of homeschoolers flocking to these
programs - and under false pretenses. Then the powers that be see this
trend, and in their concern that all children be given a quality
education and their belief that the state has an obligation to make
sure homeschooled children are getting that quality education, they
then work to tighten the reins on all of us - for the public good of
course. And they are using the AEPs as examples of successful
homeschooling with accountability.
That's my rant - did I make my concerns clear?
Lisa
Education Programs in Washington State.
As Nichoel stated, these programs are getting people in their
programs by telling them they will be homeschooling, but once
enrolled in the program, by statute they are not "homeschooling".
They are in a public school program. We are concerned about the
disctinction because of accountability. The people in these programs
are held up as examples of homeschooling. These people don't mind
being supervised, being tested etc. The people are told they must
take the WASL - homeschoolers are not required to take the WASL test
and public schooled children can opt out of it as well - but they
aren't told this. So we are concerned that they are not being given
the facts as outlined in the statutes of the state. We don't object
to their choice but we are concerned about how this "model" of
homeschooling can affect our right to homeschool in the future. One
of the reasons I homeschool my children is because I don't believe I
need to be guided and supervised and I don't believe that testing is
the best way to evaluate how much my children are learning. So when
these programs are used as models of homeschooling - with supervision
and testing - and the public sees this "model" of supervision and
accountability as the new wave in the homeschooling community, we are
concerned that the laws will be changed to reflect the "model" as the
only way to legally homeschool in this state. Personally, I am
comfortable with the homeschooling laws as they are. And I believe
that it is every parent's right to choose how their children are
educated, be it public, private, AEP or homeschooling. We are not
trying to be critical of parents choices, nor are we trying to be
divisive. Many of us are concerned about changes to our laws based
on the trends we are seeing of homeschoolers flocking to these
programs - and under false pretenses. Then the powers that be see this
trend, and in their concern that all children be given a quality
education and their belief that the state has an obligation to make
sure homeschooled children are getting that quality education, they
then work to tighten the reins on all of us - for the public good of
course. And they are using the AEPs as examples of successful
homeschooling with accountability.
That's my rant - did I make my concerns clear?
Lisa