Kentucky
Watching for Attack on Home School Freedom
All signs point toward another legislative battle over home schooling in Kentucky in the year 2000. Home School Legal Defense Association is certain that a challenge to home schooling freedom will be introduced, similar to a 1998 attempt.
The education elite and some state legislators are beating the same old drums. They claim concern over the state’s lack of qualification requirements for home school teachers and its inability to monitor whether a bona fide home school program is taking place.
In response, HSLDA and other home school proponents have pointed out that the standardized test results of thousands of home school students over many years indicate little correlation between test scores and parents’ educational level. And, students in non-regulated states, like Kentucky, test just as well as students in highly regulated states requiring teacher qualifications and mandatory testing under state or district supervision.
The bottom line is control and money. Every child schooled at home represents a loss of funding for the local school district. Minimal regulation of home education means that school officials lose control over the education of a significant group of children.
Legislative bullets will soon be flying thick and fast at home school freedom in Kentucky. Now is the time to gear up for these legislative advances. To receive HSLDA’s time-sensitive updates instantly, simply obtain an e-mail account and send us your e-mail address. If you do not have a computer, try to find a support group with active e-mail and phone trees. Snail mail is too slow for urgent battle strategy messages and reports. Home schoolers need to work together to protect this hard-won liberty. – J. Michael Smith
