FLORIDA

Official Ignores Home School Law

The Senior Executive Director of the Division of Student Services & Attendance in Dade County Public Schools has established a reputation as one of the more obnoxious school officials in America. He recently sent letters to a family demanding a copy of their evaluating teacher's certification. The family provided the copy of the teacher's certification which documents the five-year period from July 1, 1995, through June 30, 2000. In response, the director placed the family on "probation" because the five-year teacher's certificate does not cover the evaluation that was performed on June 26, 1995. It is stunning to see your tax dollars at work.

But that's not all! He sent a letter "terminating" the home education program of another family who failed to submit an annual educational evaluation for one of their children. The mere fact that the child was not yet of compulsory attendance age during the 1994-95 school year did not seem to matter to this gentleman. He insisted that the family enroll the child in public school or face truancy charges.