I fully support the right of people to home school their children if that's what they feel is best for their kids but when you choose to do so you voluntarily give ups some things. The social aspects of attending school with your peers is one. Another IMVHO is the PRIVILEGE of playing interscholastic sports.

 

Agreed, I'm on board with AT on this one...

The homeschool laws in Ky are pathetic. I do know a few parents who truly embrace homeschooling their kids and go to great lengths to provide a quality education. However, I often see "homeschool" as a way for parents on the hot seat to escape. Social services reports often lead to a parent pulling a kid to be "homeschooled". A family about to be sent to family court for truancy or educational neglect - homeschool is an option for these parents. Sign a couple of papers and no more pressure, no more home visits from the school district, no more truancy to earn a court appearance. There is no accountability.

That part would need to be seriously addressed before I could support a bill like this one.

The abuses that you cite are rare compared to the cases of high achieving home schooled students. I graduated from a high school where you could graduate with a GPA of 3.0+ with a very poor education or with a very good education - it all depended on what you wanted to achieve. Accountability has always been a big problem in many of Kentucky's public schools. Far more students in public schools are deprived of a quality education than in home schools and private schools.

 

Unless things have changed in recent years, home schools are subject to the same requirements as private schools in Kentucky. I was our school's principal for the two years that we home schooled and we were required to name the school. The biggest problem with home schooling is the expense. It requires one spouse to stay home and devote a large portion of the day to teaching, although with less distractions, kids can learn much more on their own than they can in a school setting.

 

We (mostly my wife, who has a degree in Education) taught our kids the same number of hours that they would have been taught in school. Had we cut the instructional time in half, the kids would have still easily covered more material than they would have in a public school - but our goal was to focus on their weaknesses and then re-enroll them in a better public school.

 

I am sure that there would be some parents and athletes who would abuse the proposed law, but many athletes graduate from public high schools and cannot meet the ridiculously low bar of NCAA eligibility.

I fully support the right of people to home school their children if that's what they feel is best for their kids but when you choose to do so you voluntarily give ups some things. The social aspects of attending school with your peers is one. Another IMVHO is the PRIVILEGE of playing interscholastic sports. I don't like this at all.

 

Let's think about the potential abuses. Who is going to be responsible for making sure the "home schools" are actually educating their kids? And what about private schools, as someone pointed out could someone that is home schooled decide to play for a private school, any private school and if not why not. Could a kid play for a school in another district that accepts students on a tuition basis? What school will the kid play for. In Jefferson County it is open enrollment. Could you pick what school you decide to play for or only be allowed to play for you resides district school?

 

This whole idea is rife for potential abuse and is an awful idea as far as I'm concerned. If parents feel that their child would benefit from playing sports then enroll their kids in the school.

 

I lean towards letting them play sports for their district state school because of the tax the parents are paying. I don't think the private school comparison holds water because every other student there has to pay tuition correct?

 

You make some valid points but again I tend to lean towards letting. If not should the family be exempt from paying the tax?

I lean towards letting them play sports for their district state school because of the tax the parents are paying. I don't think the private school comparison holds water because every other student there has to pay tuition correct?

 

You make some valid points but again I tend to lean towards letting. If not should the family be exempt from paying the tax?

 

If you do that then what about the families that do not have children, or single people, or older empty nesters?

I lean towards letting them play sports for their district state school because of the tax the parents are paying. I don't think the private school comparison holds water because every other student there has to pay tuition correct?

 

You make some valid points but again I tend to lean towards letting. If not should the family be exempt from paying the tax?

Private school comparison holds water as they pay taxes too???

I lean towards letting them play sports for their district state school because of the tax the parents are paying. I don't think the private school comparison holds water because every other student there has to pay tuition correct?

 

You make some valid points but again I tend to lean towards letting. If not should the family be exempt from paying the tax?

 

Then should families that send their kids to private schools be exempt from the taxes? Both are choices. You choose to home school your kids and there are positives and negatives. Same with putting your kids in a private school. As someone else asked, if you're going to make the exception based on taxes paid should a student enrolled in a private school be able to play sports at a public school, particularly if the private school doesn't have a team that the public school does?

 

I strongly believe that high school sports can be a very positive experience and one that home schooled kids are not able to partake of BUT their parents made that choice.

Some discussion on this issue lead to a question, How will these athletes be covered under insurance policies in order to compete? School districts will not be able to cover kids not attending their district, and if Homeschool, they will not be attending, so how do they cover them?

I shake my head sometimes at people who say they are going to homeschool their kids.

 

My twin sons are taking FIVE - count 'em FIVE - AP courses this year as Juniors. So I smh right back at ya'.

 

Funny thing when I did take them to public school, they were all nice and everything in the office but before I reached my car, they had the boys in a room, testing them. Offered them a place on the academic team and put them in accelerated math and science classes. They definitely were not "harmed" by home education. We studied WWII, visited Pearl Harbor. Studied the Revolutionary War, went to Philadelphia and then to DC. Saw a shuttle launch at night down in Florida. Kids their age were going to the zoo - for the third or fourth time, the aquarium if they were lucky.

 

I feel so guilty.

My twin sons are taking FIVE - count 'em FIVE - AP courses this year as Juniors. So I smh right back at ya'.

 

Funny thing when I did take them to public school, they were all nice and everything in the office but before I reached my car, they had the boys in a room, testing them. Offered them a place on the academic team and put them in accelerated math and science classes. They definitely were not "harmed" by home education. We studied WWII, visited Pearl Harbor. Studied the Revolutionary War, went to Philadelphia and then to DC. Saw a shuttle launch at night down in Florida. Kids their age were going to the zoo - for the third or fourth time, the aquarium if they were lucky.

 

I feel so guilty.

 

I said in a previous post there are some good home schooling going on. I have a friend who homeschools her 6 year old and does a great job.

 

I was just saying I shake my head sometimes at some that say they are doing it because they have no clue what it takes.

Then should families that send their kids to private schools be exempt from the taxes? Both are choices. You choose to home school your kids and there are positives and negatives. Same with putting your kids in a private school. As someone else asked, if you're going to make the exception based on taxes paid should a student enrolled in a private school be able to play sports at a public school, particularly if the private school doesn't have a team that the public school does?

 

I strongly believe that high school sports can be a very positive experience and one that home schooled kids are not able to partake of BUT their parents made that choice.

Also good points. Just not sure where I land in this one.