Wow, has this become a hot topic around here lately.
Our state Senate has introduced just such a bill last week (
SB2476, if you would like to track it). The scary thing is, read the wording:
"A home schooled child who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity must meet the participation requirements and restrictions for that activity, including, but not limited to, maintaining appropriate grade point averages...The department shall adopt rules to effectuate this section and to provide procedures by which a home schooled child may apply to participate in extracurricular activities.
Since our homeschooling regulation is only written into DOE regulations, this could conceivably give them carte blanche to rewrite these regulations, which could lead to more restrictions on homeschool freedoms.
The homeschoolers who helped draft this bill are using Tim Tebow as their example, just as in this Utah article:
http://www.heraldextra.com:80/content/view/253024/3/
What they fail to consider is that Florida homeschool regulations (where Tebow played high school football) are much more restrictive than Hawaii's. If a Hawaii homeschooler plays high school sports under current regulations, the school would only have access to the required 10th grade testing, and the yearly progress report. Would they be able to consider that adequate to determine eligibility under the guidelines of the conference governing board?
I'm afraid that they would NOT find it adequate.
I am not against homeschool participation, as long as it does not infringe on our hard-gained rights; they way it is written seems dangerous to me.
Posted by
Thursday, March 6, 2008 - SPORTS PARTICIPATION
We homeschoolers are indeed an independent bunch! We homeschoolers who support this legislation understand the battle that had to be fought nationwide to be able to exercise the God-given responsibility and the right to educate our children at home if we deemed it best for the student. But frankly that is a past battle. Homeschooling is well accepted as part of the educational options for many citizens. While it will take the educational system a while to accept this, it is occurring. In our zeal for homeschooling, lets not forget that it is not about the right to do this or do that but it is about what is best for each child that is important.
Many extracurricular activities can be provided to students on an individual basis, such as tennis, golf, piano lessons or art. However, some sports or activities require groups of students and cannot be achieved on an individual basis. Children have different gifts. Not all can or want to play football or baseball, but each deserves to have the opportunity to develop his or her talents.
Equal access is available at some level in over 24 states already and we have not found one state that experienced adverse effects or instances where the freedom or rights of homeschoolers has been harmed. In 2006 when a local Pennsylvania school tried to retest a homeschooled athlete they were quick to drop the requirement when confronted by facts from the HSLDA.
HSLDA also states that in the states where equal access laws have been passed there has not been one case where additional laws have been passed that affect the homeschool population of that state.
I encourage homeschoolers who have problems with this bill to avoid knee-jerk reactions and get the facts. You just might decide to join us in this fight for more rights for homeschoolers.