Jan. 21, 2009 - NH Homeschoolers, if you haven't heard...HB 367 and 368
I recieved this via the HSLDA email notifications. This is outrageous and I plan to contact my local representatives, as well as attend the February 10th meeting:
January 21, 2009
New Hampshire--Action Needed to Oppose
Threatening Homeschool Legislation
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:
New Hampshire homeschoolers will have to pull together to defeat
Representative Judith Day's ill-conceived homeschool bills (H.B. 367
and 368). H.B. 367 is the most significant threat to New Hampshire
homeschoolers since New Hampshire's homeschool law was passed in 1990.
If enacted, H.B. 367 would make New Hampshire's homeschool law one of
the most restrictive in the country. Because of its scope, the bill
would create new burdens on homeschoolers and participating agencies.
HSLDA is coordinating with homeschool leaders in New Hampshire and we
are asking for your help now to defeat this unnecessary and irrational
legislation.
We are asking for your help.
ACTION REQUESTED
1) Please use the alphabetized list at
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6004 to contact the members of the
House Education committee (or contact your own representative if he is
on the committee). Please tell them in your own words to oppose this
bill and to ask them their position on the bill. Report the
legislator's position to NH@hslda.org. If your representative is not
on the committee use the alphabetized list at the link.
"H.B. 367 and 368 should be voted ITL. A majority of last year's
homeschool study commission voted not to change the law. RSA 193-A
was drafted in 1990 with all stakeholders involved, but it appears
that Representative Day has ignored the recommendations of the
commission and consulted none of the stakeholders for input about her
proposed legislation. This bill is misguided and unnecessary.
Twenty years of experience show that the New Hampshire home school law
works well--no changes are needed or wanted. A growing body of
national research continues to show that homeschooling works and
produces superior academic results. Research also shows that there is
no positive correlation between increased regulation and performance.
This bill would impose unnecessary and harmful restrictions on
homeschoolers in New Hampshire where there is no evidence to suggest
any change is needed. For this and other reasons please vote ITL on
H.B. 367 and 368."
2) Attend the February 10 meeting of the Home Education Advisory
Council ("HEAC"). In attendance will be members of the House
Education Committee and Members of the Department of Education. This
will be a further opportunity to demonstrate opposition and concern
about this unnecessary and radical change to New Hampshire's
homeschool law. The meeting will be held in Room 12 at the Department
of Education located in the State Office Complex in Concord at 101
Pleasant Street.
Here is what this Bill will do:
Instead of having four methods to comply with the annual assessment
requirement, EVERY homeschooler EVERY year will have to submit to BOTH
standardized testing AND a portfolio evaluation administered by a
"credentialed educator".
Superintendent or non-public school principals would be required to
review BOTH test results AND the portfolio evaluation to determine IF
a home educated in the opinion of the superintendent or nonpublic
school principle" has demonstrated satisfactory "academic growth" and
MAY continue without probation.
Following a one year probation the superintendent or non public school
principal would be able to terminate a home education program. The
program would be able to appeal to the State Board of Education whose
decision would be FINAL.
New Hampshire homeschoolers would have to pay for two evaluations
instead of just one. Participating agencies would have to use their
scarce and valuable time to comply with unnecessary bureaucratic
filing requirements for no goo d reason.
Parents would not be allowed to choose the best method of assessment
for their student.
Superintendents and principles would have to use their own subjective
judgment to determine whether a student has demonstrated "academic
growth".
The bill creates undefined terms (Such as "credentialed educator" and
"academic growth") that would increase the chances of arbitrary
decision making by superintendents or principals who would have to use
their own subjective opinion to decide whether home education programs
are put on probation or terminated.
H.B. 367 and 368 are unnecessary. The bills impose a needless burden
on homeschoolers and shift authority to determine whether a child
should be homeschooled from parents to others. Parents have a
fundamental right under the United States Constitution to direct the
upbringing and education of their children, and legislation like
Representative Day's undermines this right by going against the
presumption that parents act in their children's best interest.
Thank you for your work to support homeschool freedom in New Hampshire
and for taking action to defeat this harmful legislation.
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Jan. 16, 2009 - Our week 1/12-1/16
We had a fantastic week of school this week!
For FIAR Noah rowed Snowflake Bentley and with Abby it was Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. We did many different lessons with each, but the most fun was probably snowshoeing! I knew that sub zero weather was coming in towards the end of the week, so I wanted to get outside and do something fun while we could. This related to our lessons in many different ways. I LOVED it, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, plus it was a great workout. Noah liked it okay, he got bored and dawdly. Abby loved it, but got tired very quickly. I've decided I am buying a pair of snowshoes, Kris and I haven't decided whether it's worth it to invest in some for the children yet or not.
We went to Beaver Brook Association Land in Hollis. It was really peaceful and nice, their boots weren't sufficient to keep out snow, I went to LL Bean and bought them new ones right after this:
In Science Noah learned about sweat glands and oil glands. Also about fingerprints. In history it was the ancient Greeks, and in Reading has read about 3/4's of the way through Stanley in Space.
I downloaded the Inauguration Fold 'n' Learn from FIAR. Noah put it all together through the week. He LOVED doing this and the hands on aspect of it really helped him retain the information he learned about. I am going to buy more of the FNL units to do with both kids, soooo fun! On Tuesday we will watch the Inaguration and Noah said he wants to hold his lapbook while we watch so he can follow along more:
Abby did two Bob Books again this week, number 2 and 3 in the second set. She is doing subtraction in math, right now we are working on doing up to -4 facts. She also started doing division lol! Not on paper, just out loud. She basically taught herself, I just told her it was called division and explained the concept and she started doing it. I think we are going ot end up finishing the K book early in the year, at first I wasn't going to move onto 1st if she finished early, but I'm thinking at this rate I will. She seems to genuinely enjoy being challenged.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm missing a million things we did during the week, but I need to leave to do errands.
Have a great weekend everyone! Stay warm!
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Jan. 16, 2009 - #116 Now Youre Playing With Power (Nintendo)
Genesis 7:24 The water held power over the earth for 150 days.
Introduction: The only witnesses to the Flood are Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives - 8 people. And then there’s the animals, 2 of every unclean animal and 7 pairs of every clean animal. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark, they offered sacrifices and praised the Lord for preserving them.
Assignment: What kind of catastrophe have you lived through? Weather? Fire? Car crash? Did you feel the oppression of the power of the disaster, or the protection of the Power of the Lord? Tell us the story of how you rejoiced and praised Him through it and after it.
________
We've lived through a few catastrophes. I had to take a few days and really think about which one had the greatest impact...
The first thing that comes to mind was surviving a job loss (Kris was a Sales Manager at Staples at the time) about seven years ago. It was VERY unexpected and caught us completely off guard. It was a miracle that we didn't fall behind on any bills and that Kris found a job within six weeks. There were SO many life lessons for us in that experience. First was probably humility, the second was that no matter what happens, it will be okay, the third was probably that you are as replacable as a light bulb at any job, it doesn't matter how important you think you are, they can replace you, (this goes along with humility), fourth to never take a blessing for granted, you never know when you'll walk in thinking it's an ordinary day of work and be shown the door, fifth was probably the perspective that no matter how much you love your job, it's not the most important thing in life, jobs come and go. That was in general a very difficult time in our life for various reasons, which I won't post here. Very dark days.
Through that experience, it was amazing to see the plans God had for us. Kris found a job in six weeks as an Assitant Store Manager at CVS, eventually he was promoted to Store Manager, the job was a blessing and provided enough to support his family while he went back to school to study for what he really wanted to do. That job was really the prompting that made him realize he didn't want to do retail management forever. When he finished school and sent out resumes, what was hilarious was that one of the managers doing the hiring at his current job (he's a software engineer), was also a Store Manager at CVS for a number of years. Of all things from his resume THAT got his hiring manager's attention. If he hadn't lost that first job and been forced to take the second, the third never would have happened...crazy!
During the time of the job loss and the time he was going to school while working crazy retail hours, it was hard to see what was in store for us. Now, it's so amazing to see that God's hand was in this the whole time. We know that no matter where life takes us or what comes our way, we'll get through it because He has a plan, HE IS GOOD, He can be trusted!
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Job 1:21 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away....blessed be the name of the Lord.
Matthew 6:27 Who that by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
