Nevada
Responding to challenges
It has been a busy year for Nevada homeschoolers. First, Clark County refused to allow homeschoolers to file their paperwork unless they came in with a photo ID. Next, the Nevada Department of Education (DOE) announced its plans to "disapprove" certain religious science curricula because they did not match the state's Content and Performance Standards for public schools. Then, the DOE decided that every homeschooler must prove that their program complied with these new standards.
Homeschoolers responded to these challenges admirably. In a matter of weeks, a new statewide organization sprang up. The Nevada Homeschool Network (NHN) was formed by homeschoolers old and new to meet the challenge. Many families rallied at the Nevada State Board of Education meeting on September 14, 2002, in Carson City, where the state board agreed to draft new regulations to deal with the problem. While the board only intends to make limited changes to one section of the current homeschool regulations, there may be a chance to correct several nuisances that have plagued Nevada homeschoolers for years.
As this article goes to press, the process is not yet complete. We urge all Nevada homeschoolers to work with their local and state organizations to stand together for freedom.
— Scott W. Somerville
