| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 11/21/2006 9:46:12 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Virginia--Unlawful Level of Detail Demanded in Curriculum Description |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Virginia--Unlawful Level of Detail Demanded in Curriculum Description Dear HSLDA members and friends: Many families were surprised to receive an October 17 letter from a Greene County Public Schools school social worker indicating that she would expect homeschool families to submit a much more detailed curriculum description for the 2007-2008 school year. The social worker's letter was prompted by an email she had received from the state Department of Education. The Department's email gave the following as part of an example of an appropriate "curriculum description:" "U.S. History: 1877 to the Present > This course will provide the student with an understanding of the history of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the present. > The student will learn about major political, economic, and social events impacting the country during this time period and examine the political, economic and social challenges its citizens faced. > The student will review and understand events and life in this country. > The student will review and understand maps of this country. > The student will use maps, pictures, and tables to learn about this country's physical features. > The student will learn about this country's natural resources, transportation and industrial development. > The student will review and understand how life changed after the Civil War. > The student will review and understand how the United States became involved in military conflicts with other countries during this period and the challenges the country faced during and after these wars. > The student will review and understand other issues that impacted this country during this time period." Homeschoolers would be alarmed to hear that this level of detail might be required. Underlying this situation appears to be confusion between two different concepts: a course description, and a curriculum description. A course description describes the contents of a particular course--like the example above. A curriculum description, on the other hands, simply lists the courses required to complete an educational program (e.g., the 8th grade). The American Heritage Dictionary defines "curriculum" as: "All the courses of study offered by an educational institution." There is no need for a superintendent to have a description of each course within the curriculum. State law does not require that homeschool families teach any specific course content (except for families under Option 4a). Even if the superintendent determined that the content of a course was below his expectations, he would have no lawful authority to do anything about it. Requiring a course description, therefore, would be a classic example of the waste of administrators' and parents' time and effort that we call "red tape". HSLDA Attorney Scott Woodruff, along with representatives from Home Educator's Association of Virginia, and the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers met with representatives of the Department of Education in Richmond on Wednesday, November 8 to discuss this and other issues. Our thanks go to Celeste Land of the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers for providing us with a copy of the Greene County school social worker's letter. HSLDA will continue to advise families to provide a curriculum description--not a course description--and will let you know if the Department issues a revised statement. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What's the shortest distance between two homeschoolers? HSLDA's elert service! When threats to homeschool freedoms arise, you want to be able to respond. We make it possible. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: ##ToAddress## - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
