2 Comments to 'No homeschooler left behind'
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No homeschooler left behind
Posted By katie allison granju
Homeschoolers are way unhappy at the idea that the state might start requiring their kids to take the same state-administered standardized tests schooled kids must take:
Several lawmakers reported getting thousands of calls and e-mails about the issue. J. Claiborne Thornton III, president of the Tennessee Home Education Association, said requiring tests would limit parents’ flexibility to teach what they wanted.
“Part of the reason people enjoy being in a free society is that that they can believe what they want to believe - within bounds - and they can teach that to their children,” he said.
All students in the state, whether they’re in private, public or home schools, are required to follow state-recognized methods that include testing and assessments, according to Bruce Opie, director of legislation and policy for the Tennessee Department of Education, but students educated at home or in private schools are not required to take state-mandated standardized tests.
Feb 29th, 2008
The article doesn’t present what possible punishment there might be if the homeschooling parents do not abide by the policy. I’d be curious to know what sanctions there might be in such a case.
As part of opting out of sending our kids to public schools, many homeschoolers feel that we should be able to also opt out of the testing, and I feel we have good reasons to do so.
Testing my children along with public school children will not accurately reflect what my children have learned as we do not follow along with the public schools.
I’d be curious to hear an explanation of what existing issue suggests that homeschoolers need more oversight and more tests.