Background (Preamble):
Please help us keep our freedom to home educate as we, and our children, see fit.
Please support us in petitioning the Prime Minister of Great Britain to reject the recommendations of the Report to the Secretary of State on the Review of Elective Home Education in England by Graham Badman.This report is a totally disproportionate response to a `perceived' problem full of unsubstantiated allegations that home educated children are more at risk of abuse than those at school. This simply is not true, as the report itself makes clear. Enacting the recommendations in this report would establish the state as "parent of first resort", even though current legislation makes parents responsible for providing a suitable education for their children.
The report proposes to introduce monitoring and registration of home educators. Local officials would be given automatic access to private homes to interview children without their parents or any other trusted adult present. This is outrageous and a serious challenge to civil liberties. Registration may be refused or revoked on safeguarding grounds, though so far it is unclear what these grounds may be and Badman in his report stated that such grounds could be "any other concerns" that the local official had. Under such conditions, "registration" could really mean "permission" especially when home educators come up against inspectors who are anti-home education.
The proposals also introduce the need for the parent to submit an approved 12 month plan and for their child to "exhibit" at the end of the year that their plan has been successfully implemented. This will put an end to autonomous education/unschooling, as any such child-led philosophy would be decimated by having to implement such a structured scheme. This would also seriously curtail the flexibility that many structured home educators enjoy.
Across many countries there seems to be an attempt to undermine home education and to make sure that all children receive the state's approved version of education, Sweden is moving to ban home education and it is already against the law in Germany.
Please help us stop this happening in England. This is becoming a global problem for home educators/homeschoolers. Let us unite and say with one big voice, "enough is enough!"
Petition:
We the undersigned call upon the Prime Minister of Great Britain to reject the recommendations of the Report to the Secretary of State on the Review of Elective Home Education in England by Graham Badman.
SWEDEN: The Govt is trying to make Home schooling illegal --- Please sign the outside of Sweden Petition
Apparently there is a new law pending in Sweden to make homeschooling totally illegal.
The Home educators in Sweden have started two petitions to help in their fight to be able to keep home educating their children.
One Petition is for those in Sweden the other linik is for those outside of Sweden:
You are welcome to sign our petition – for you living outside of Sweden
The Swedish Government is trying to pull the rug from underneath the home-educated children in Sweden, in their proposal for a new School Law.
We will not sit still and passively watch while our kids are forced to attend a school, after so many years in what they love: To learn in their own pace, in a safe environment, and to develop without social limitations.
A legal and very successful alternative to school is about to be erased, without any grounds or research! Rohus is a review-organization, and we will write a massive review.
For this reason, we ask you to join in supporting our work – sign the petition! We will use it together with our review, among other things.
To read more and to have your name added to the Petition go to this link:
YOU MAY HAVE TO COPY/PASTE THESE LINKS AS THEY DIDN'T TRANSFER
TO THIS BLOG AS HYPER LINKS.
HB1110 prohibiting school districts from using information from the declaration-of-intent form to market public school at-home programs to homeschoolers, has passed out of the Education Committee!
DiAnna Brannan of CHN and Diane Altman of WHO, along with several local homeschool moms gave compelling testimony at the hearing in the House Education Committee. Thank you to the busy moms who came to the hearing and showed their support and also for those who testified.
HB1288 Exempting the declaration of-intent to homeschool form from public disclosure. DiAnna Brannan of CHN along with several homeschool moms again gave compelling testimony in support of this bill in the State Government and Tribal Affairs committee. Thank you to the busy moms who came to the hearing and showed their support and also for those who testified. We even got to hear a young homeschooler testify! Good job mom and dad!
This bill was a great opportunity for homeschoolers to interface with a committee other than the Education Committee and in such a positive way.
CHN handed out a packet of information to all members of the committee, which included an informal opinion from the Attorney General’s Office (which we had requested in preparation for this bill) that validated our concerns.
Scott and DiAnna Brannan of CHN have spent many hours preparing for this bill and many days in Olympia meeting with most of the members of this committee. While many support this bill, a few wanted to see what happened at the hearing. They wanted to see who would support and who would oppose the bill. Having members of the homeschool community in attendance reinforced support for this bill and hopefully will sway their vote. Also, prior to the hearing CHN was able to talk to three of the most influential organizations who’s opposition would have stopped this bill. All three agreed to not oppose it!
CHN will be in Olympia the rest of the week meeting with legislators and staff to keep these and other bills moving.
Call or e-mail your state representative and ask them to support HB1110 and HB1288
Each session there are 3000-4000 bills introduced during the legislative session. Only one-third of these bills will have hearings. Most bills will die due to time constraints or majority leadership will chose not to work on them. Of all the bills introduced in a legislative session only 200-300 will pass into law.
CHN lobbyist Scott and DiAnna Brannan have been in Olympia three days a week since the session started, meeting with key legislators and staff to make sure our bills move through the process, lobbying for the bills, testifying at the hearings, networking with others, and tracking other bills that may not be favorable to home educators. Thank you to those who support us. Together we can make sure Washington State stays a great place to homeschool and preserve our freedoms for future generations.
Is your support group or co-op planning a trip to the Capitol? We would love to have you join us in our lobbying activities, or meet with your group. E-mail us at chnow@msn.com
Preserving homeschool freedoms for today and tomorrow!
In our recent newsletter we shared some of the potential legislation that we have been working on in preparation for this legislative session.
The first week of session we were very thankful to have several homeschool students join us for our Lobbying Days. The students worked with DiAnna Brannan our volunteer lobbyist. They spent time lobbying for bills and also passed out 160 packets of information promoting home education to all legislators and key personnel. Some students even got the opportunity to help DiAnna “run a bill” and “drop it” into the system!
As a result we were successful in introducing three bills plus a companion bill.
Two of these bills have hearings next week and we need your help.
We have worked many hours to get these bills introduced and hearings scheduled. However, this is only the beginning. We have some very powerful and influential opposition to these bills. CHN has met with some of these organizations. One has committed not to oppose the bill but we are still waiting to hear back from the others.
We have met with most of the committee members and while many legislators support these bills; there are still many who need to be swayed.
Ways you can help pass this much needed legislation:
Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Ask your State Representatives to support HB1110 and HB1288.
Come to the hearing and show your support.
Come to the hearing and testify. We need home educators to testify who have had issues with the school district using or sharing information from the declaration-of-intent form. If you are able to testify please call DiAnna Brannan at (253) 639-3325 or her cell (206) 854-9122.
Hearing Tuesday January 27, 2009 at 10:00 House Education Committee.
(John O’Brian building 1st floor, hearing room not yet scheduled)
HB1110 An act relating to prohibiting advertising and marketing to students receiving home-based instruction. This bill makes it clear that information from the Declaration-of-Intent (DOI) form is not to be used by school districts for advertising public school-at-home programs. The purpose of the DOI form is to show compliance with the compulsory education law and was not meant to be used by local school districts nor is there any compelling reason for them to do so.
Hearing Friday January 30, 2009 1:30 House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee.
(John O’Brian building 1st floor, hearing room not yet scheduled)
HB 1288 An act exempting the annual parental declaration of intent to home school from the public disclosure act. This bill would close a perceived loop hole in federal law and clarify in state law that the declaration-of-intent (DOI) form is exempt from public disclosure. In the past some school districts have misinterpreted federal and state law and have given out information from the DOI form to third parties. This law makes it clear they cannot do that.
NOTE: CHN has introduced these bills in cooperation with Christian Heritage Home Educators, Home School Legal Defense Association and Washington Homeschool Organization.
HB1110 and HB1288 do not touch the homeschool law. CHN will oppose any bill that amends the homeschool laws and would hope that all homeschoolers would join us.
For more information on these bills or others we are working on, please go to our Legislative Activity page http://www.chnow.org/page59.aspx
I strongly encourage you to attend the Department of Revenue hearing this Thursday in Yakima which will impact the future of the horse industry in Washington State. The Yakima hearing will be similar to the one last month, but I doubt there will be the same outcry from the horse industry over in Eastern Washington because they are not as polarized as we have been in the Western Washington/ Puget Sound area. Likewise, many cattle ranchers dont understand the horse industry and how it will affect all horse owners in Washington State.
In fact, I just got off the phone from the Yakima County Assessors office and they will be there. And guess what? They do NOT think horse farms that board horses or give lessons/training should be allowed in the "farm and agricultural" classification of the Open Space Act. They are concerned that horses aren't "used" on "real farms" anymore and since the anti-horse slaughter legislation, we don't export horse meat anymore. While I don't like the thought of horses going to slaughter, I never realized the unintended negative consequences it is having on the horse industry today.
What can we do?
Go to the meeting this Thursday in Yakima (I know it is a long drive but losing places to board/train/race our horses is worth it).
Encourage friends in Eastern Washington to attend and SPEAK UP at the meeting. Now is our chance. If you go and don't talk, how can you convince the assessor's offices that horse boarding should be allowed?
Write your legislator and tell them of your concern. They are our last hope if the DOR kicks horse farms out.
Continue to write the DOR about how the boarding and training of horses contribute to a product, that is a more valuable horse than before which can be sold. Show how if you dont have horse farms to board or train the horse, you dont have a product.
Write DOR before Dec 17th. The 31st of December is the DORs deadline to issue their emergency rule.
The DOR has scheduled a meeting in Yakima for Thursday, December 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Upper Terrace Conference Room of the Red Lion Hotel at 607 E. Yakima Ave, Yakima, Washington 98901.
Thank you for your continued support to preserve the equestrian industry in Washington State.
As Election Day nears, Google Inc. has created a Web site to help voters
find the location of their polling places by typing in an address and
clicking a search button.
Gresham, OR
Happy Valley, OR
Spokane Valley, WA
Welcome to First Class!
Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the LORD - Psalm 33:12
Welcome to a special edition of the FCHM monthly newsletter. As you know, this election is happening at a pivotal time in the life of our nation. There is much to be prayerful about! As homeschooling families, we have the gift of time with our children. Time to pray. Time to shape young hearts to reflect the heart of the Father. Time to talk about the things of the Lord.
Here in Washington state, we are voting on critical issues like Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) and in other states, marriage is up for re-definition. Many ministries and even other Christians have chosen to remain silent because of fear or because they do not feel that God should be part of the political process in this great nation. However, Scripture is clear: God is not silent on these issues, and we must not be silent either.
We have heard that there is a "mandate" being set before us this election - and we agree - but we believe the mandate has been set by the Lord in Scripture. We must vote for those who most closely represent God's heart for people, and His heart for LIFE. We also want to encourage you to engage in the upcoming elections by voting and through prayer!
Have you ever really considered engaging in the electoral process through prayer? Prayer is the most significant way you can impact our country. When you bring the political process before God, things happen-by God's initiative, and in your mind and heart. It's a powerful and empowering process. We urge you to try it and see!
This Tuesday, we are challenging First Class families to fast and pray for this election. Much hangs in the balance. Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It's goal is to keep your heart and mind in a prayerful state. Each time you feel hunger pains - that is your reminder to pray. Will you join us?
As a family and as a ministry, we urge you to pray earnestly about this most critical point in history. As we seek the Lord's blessing this November, may we also seek His heart, and follow His ways.+
Praying for our nation,
Jay and Heidi St. John have been married for 19 years and are the homeschooling parents of six children who range in age from seventeen to three. Heidi speaks to mothers with humor and grace on many subjects dealing with homeschooling. If you are interested in having the St. Johns speak at your event, please contact them through FCHM.
There are many ways to GET CONNECTED with the community at FCHM!
Check these out:
FCHM on Facebook Come by and see who's posting on the FCHM Facebook page. Our "Facebook" page is new and we are close to 100 members already! You'll meet other parents and teens from all across the United States and Canada!
Firstgiving.com
YOU can help us start homeschool co-ops around the world through financial support! Recently, First Class was introduced to a wonderful way for friends of FCHM to support the ministry, share the opportunity, and track the growth of the ministry. Take the First Class Challenge and support FCHM at just $10 a month, and let's see what God will do!
FCHM Message Boards
The FCHM Message Boards are a great place to talk about anything that interests you. From homeschooling to holidays, parenting to politics, we're talking about it online!
DID YOU KNOW??
FCHM is a support-based ministry, and we rely on monthly support. Currently, our support level is at roughly 34% of what we need to operate the ministry effectively.
You can get involved! Did you know that if every family who received this email supported FCHM with just $10 a month, it would make a tremendous difference?
Join with us - become a monthly supporter of FCHM and help us impact the homeschooling community with the love of Jesus Christ!
Please be sure to choose "monthly support" when you are directed to e-giving. First Class Homeschool Ministries is a federally recognized Non-profit ministry, or 501(c)3. All donations are tax-deductible.
Your support allows us to help parents and pastors start homeschool co-ops all over the world!
We just wanted to take this issue to encourage each of you (in the U.S.) to get out and vote next Tuesday. I know that it can be hard to get away from the house to go vote, but, with so much at stake, it's worth the effort. In fact, maybe you could even call a few friends from your support group and set up a playdate so that moms could go out to vote while the kids are playing.
As the quote says, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
There are a lot of other great words of encouragement and helpful links in this newsletter about the election and election process, so I'm just going to give you some updates on all that is going on at TOS.
Homespun Holidays will be available for sale in our Schoolhouse Store next week, but you can get your very own copy for FREE with a new 2 year U.S. subscription this week. Offer ends October 31, 2008. Be sure to let your friends know.
Has your family been enjoying this fall weather by creating an interesting leaf collection? We'd love to show off your photos in our online gallery. Read the details and submit your photos by November 7, 2008.
Oh, and the Schoolhouse Store staff has been really working hard. They've already put up the November free E-Book in the store. You can go ahead and download your copy of the Letter Links eGame. It's a $6.95 value!
You can also save over 35% on our November module, Amusing Mathematics E-Book this week only. They sent me a copy to look over and I think it may be one of our bestsellers. It's filled with delightful brainteasers and at only $5, you can't go wrong!
P.S. Check out this month's Classical Astronomy e-newsletter for details on some exciting events in the sky Friday and Saturday night. Subscribe to the Classical Astronomy newsletter and have information emailed directly to you or join the Classical Astronomy Yahoo Group for more discussion!
This subject reminds me of a story in the Bible about some folks who wanted a ruler other than God. They just had to have a king. And not just anyone - they wanted someone who looked good and sounded good to lead them. Who cares if he was godly or not, they just wanted a king like the other nations had. We all know the story of Saul and his own demise (if not, read 1 Samuel chapters 9 - 31).
Today is not much different. Many want leaders and rulers who look good and sound good whether or not they are good, godly men and women. We need to heed our history and look to God for His appointed ones.
I won't tell you who to vote for, but what to vote for. Vote for biblical morality and righteousness. Do not vote for anything God would not vote for; or that which would go against His commands.
If a candidate does not believe in the sanctity of human life, don't vote for them because the Bible says that all life is God breathed and knit together by Him; made for His purposes. If a candidate believes in stealing from one to give to another, don't vote for them, for the Bible says that stealing is sin. If a candidate says that parents don't have the right to choose the educational direction for their children, don't vote for them because the Bible says that parents are mandated to teach their children.
As you are teaching your children the process of the elections, don't forget to teach them who should set the precedence of the elections. In other words, don't forget God and His Word. It is the most essential voter guide there is to give us wisdom in our electoral decisions. That coupled with prayer and repentance may bring our land the healing it desperately needs.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
The Martyr's Victory, by Emma Leslie, begins by introducing us to Egbert, a young frail Saxon living in the country of Mercia. He is continually scorned and laughed at by his family and the world. Resolving to run away and die in the woods, he meets an elderly monk who invites Egbert into the church's realm of safety. Forsaking all he has ever known, Egbert follows the monk, Osric, to a new life at the monastery. There he learns to read, write, and copy the scriptures.
But danger arises as the savage Danes of the north threaten to destroy the monastery and all of Mercia. A meeting is held in the church and it is decided that six monks shall venture to the Danish lands bringing not only the seed of grain, but also the seed of truth found in the Word of God. Egbert wishes to come along but cannot, because he is too weak. Told that he, and several others, may join the party of six in about a year's time, he is content to remain.
Upon arriving in Ea, an island in East Anglia, the six monks meet a young girl named Elswitha. They soon find out that she has just escaped from being sacrificed to Odin, their false god. Later in the village, Osric encounters a Danish warrior who has been drastically wounded in a single-combat battle and now believes that he is destined to die. As he is a skillful leech, Osric uses all in his power to work to cure the unfortunate Dane. Will he succeed? If he does succeed, will it help in saving Mercia from the warlike Danes? Will Osric's faith impact the Danish people? And what will happen to Egbert? Find out in The Martyr's Victory!
Are you looking for a great way to learn about the election process with
your kids?
When citizens elect a president, who is also called the Chief Executive and
Commander in Chief, they are choosing who will lead the nation. Students will learn about the presidential election and follow the 2008 election process as they complete a lapbook using The United States Presidential Election 2008 Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child.
Get this item for 20% off through the rest of October!
To find other election related sale items click HERE.
Before watching the presidential election returns, help your children understand something about the electoral college that is specified in the U.S. Constitution:
Each state shall appoint, in such a manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress (Article II, Section1, from paragraph 2).
How many electors in your state? Each state specifies how its electors are chosen and how they can or must vote. In 24 states the electors are not bound to vote according to the ballot counts in their districts and in 27 states they are bound by law or pledge to do so. This totals 51 because Washington, D.C., is included.
With this system it is possible at times for a candidate to lose by the electoral college votes, yet to receive more of the "popular vote," the count of all individual ballots. For this reason there are often attempts to change the law, all of which have failed so far. The slogan "one person, one vote" sounds fair to a lot of people.
But think through that popular vote system. Presidential candidates could campaign in a few large cities and gain enough votes to win. And while in office they could direct most benefits to those areas to keep their support, and the rest of the country would be neglected.
You and your children can cheer or groan as the state votes are reported on election night, beginning with the eastern time zone. The official results occur later when the electors transmit the state votes to the president of the Senate.
Election time is where the homeschool rubber meets the road. Do we really believe God sets up kings and presidents and that "He's got the whole world in His hands". . .or do we show our children by our gloom and doom predictions that all we've taught them about God is a bunch of hooey (to use the Greek word)? To hear some Christians talk, you'd think that God steps down from His throne on November 4th.
We can teach them all we want about God through reading the Scriptures and memorizing Bible verses. . .BUT they LEARN the most from the way we live when "school" is not in session.
We don't watch TV, but on November 4th, we plan to plug in the TV and watch the presidential coverage. I'm sure we'll cheer on our favorite. . .but afterwards, no matter who walks away as winner, we will pray for our new president and thank God for setting him in place. Then no complaining.
Oh, here's one more thing to leave you with. . .the absolute truth is that what takes place in YOUR house is way more important than what happens in the White House.
We realized, early in the presidential election process, that this is the last time our oldest son will be too young to vote for president! (How did that happen?) That has definitely raised the interest level in the election at our house! There are a lot of great FREE election studies on the Internet! Here is a list of the ones I have found helpful.
HERE is the link to the Election Lapbook my 14 year old did. HERE is the link to my 14 year old's report on all 42 presidents.
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
While every effort is made to ensure that the recommended sites are family-friendly, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and its writers do not own the sites recommended. Content and advertising can change without notice. Please exercise caution when viewing websites and review all websites before allowing your children to visit them.
Meet Our Friends
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For more information go to www.worldservants.org or call 1-800-881-2170. .
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Free "Financial Stewardship Activity Book" for Kids - Teach your kids about giving and sharing from a biblical perspective. Through the activities in this 28 page booklet, your children will become reflective, learn to make good money choices, and shine in the glory of giving. The Financial Stewardship Activity Book is free at http://tinyurl.com/5xlbv5.
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Favorite Quotes From Our Readers
"Education - compulsory schooling, compulsory learning - is a tyranny and a crime against the human mind and spirit. Let all those escape it
who can, any way they can." - John Holt
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School should not be a preparation for life ~~ school should BE life. - Elbert Hubbard
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"Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein
We want to hear from you!
Share your thoughts on this week's newsletter. We love to hear from our readers. Also, feel free to pass along this newsletter to your family and friends. You can click on the Forward to a friend button below.
In case your friends aren't aware, they can still register to vote up until tomorrow,
October 4th, in Washington State according to the Seattle times, (and as late as the
29th in some states.)
On the Just Vote Organization Site it says, the deadlines to register for
Washington State are: Sat., Oct. 4 (or until Mon, Oct. 20 in person)
This link will tell you by state when the deadline is to register to vote.
Here's the link, you will have to copy/paste it into your browser:
A LOT OF VOTERS MAY NOT REALIZE THEY CAN STILL REGISTER, and MANY
HAVE BEEN TOO BUSY TO REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW IMPORTANT
THIS ELECTION IS, even if NEITHER CANDIDATE CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS.
News, events and Information as it pertains to Homeschool Families in Washington State. Please note, posted information has not specifically been reviewed or is endorsed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine or the volunteer blog coordinator. Please review posted information carefully to determine its suitability for your family. God bless your homeschooling journey.
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