Clarification May Be in Order

On October 8th I was contacted by Rob Daniels of the Iowa City Press Citizen asking me about doing a profile story about the group. I took the question to the yahoo group and enough members were okay with meeting with him so I began working to set things up. In the interest of providing Mr. Daniels with some background about the group I sent this information back to him in an e-mail.

The IC Secular Homeschool group is composed of both independent hs’ing families and hs’ing families that are registered with the district homeschool assistance program (HSAP). So while the testing out at the center doesn’t impact all of our members, I think attendance may be low at activities this week and it would be better to try to connect next week, if that would work for you.

As a bit of history, the IC Secular group has been around for many years however in previous years it was known as ICHEN. The group changed its name and clarified its policies a couple of years ago. Our official tagline states, “This secular homeschool association welcomes all Iowa City and surrounding area families who are interested in creating community with homeschooling families of all backgrounds and lifestyles.” We have a blog, a facebook group and a yahoo group. The blog (which we don’t update as frequently as we should) address is http://iowacitysecularhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Mr. Daniels then turned that information along with personal interviews done on October 20th into an article which appeared in today's edition of the Press Citizen.

Suffice it to say that we feel that quotes were about as accurately relayed as the information from the e-mail and I have concerns that the article could create a great deal of confusion that we should try to clear up.

First of all, the IC Secular Homeschool group has nothing to do with organizing testing. In fact, not all of our members choose to test. I have no idea where that came from. The only time the testing was mentioned was in the context above. It never came up in the interview.

Secondly, as to our groups association with the ICHSAP; I don't think Mr. Daniels quite grasped the distinction between the two groups. I don't know how I could have made it much clearer than I did in the e-mail. So I guess that is why the HSAP figured so prominently in the article, because it wasn't something we talked about a good deal.

I thought I did a good job of pointing out that we were a different group than the HSAP. I mentioned our group is able to extend support to families who might live in outlying districts or who might not be interested in joining an HSAP. I also think I mentioned that I hosted a coffee for members of our group to meet Jan back in the days when the HSAP was just getting started. I do know that I said, "We were here first." in a very affected, petulant manner so there shouldn't have been any confusion unless Mr. Daniels just wasn't listening to us at all.

Sarah's comment about the HSAP was made when we were discussing curriculum choices and homeschooling methods and my understanding was that she made the comment referencing the fact that the ICHSAP was hands off in terms of those decisions.

To be clear, those members of this group who also belong to the ICHSAP see it as fantastic source of help and support. Dan and Kathryn work very hard to create educational programming and to provide learning opportunities and those of us who do participate appreciate their hard work very much.

But I would also like to make it clear that we are a distinct and separate group. We are creating a community of homeschoolers which welcomes ALL families and offers friendship and support. I am not sure that article made that clear.

Thanks to the Cedar Rapids Gazette

The Iowa City Secular Homeschool group thanks the Gazette for their supportive stance on homeschooling as evidenced in today's Gazette Editorial.
In addition, I would like to personally thank Meredith Hines-Dochterman for her positive portrayal of homeschooling in the Iowa City area. In both her recent front page article that ran in last Sunday's Gazette and a previous article she wrote about our homeschool floor hockey day, she has been very objective and open-minded.

Given how little interest the Iowa City papers have taken in Iowa City homeschool events and information, it might be to members' advantage to subscribe to the Gazette if we want to keep track of news pertaining to our community. The Gazette has been doing a good job of following the HSAP legislation debate in Des Moines, as well.

Home Schooling: More are choosing it, for many reasons

http://www.thegazette.com/2010/03/07/home-schooling-more-are-choosing-it-for-many-reasons

Elizabeth Klein saw the stares when she took her children to the grocery store in the middle of a weekday.
Someone would ask why they weren’t in school. Klein’s children would say they were home schooled. And Klein would get what she calls “the look.”
“Now we get a smile,” said Klein of Coralville. “They know someone who does it, and there’s an understanding.”
With an estimated 1.5 million students home-schooled in 2007, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, home schooling is increasingly an education alternative for families. In Iowa, an estimated 30,000 children are home-schooled. Around 474,000 students are in Iowa’s public schools.
“I would say it is hard to find anyone who doesn’t know someone who is home schooling,” said Tom Ertz, director of the Marion Home School Assistance Program.
The reasons families choose to home school are as many as the families who do it. Some want to spend more time together as a family. Others want to tailor a child’s education to suit his strengths. Some wish to take away stress for students who learn at a slower speed. Some students have health issues or medical reasons that keep them from attending a public school. Some wish to incorporate religion into academic studies.
Ali Alldredge of Ely calls herself an accidental home schooler. She never intended to home school her three children — ages 4 through 8. But then her oldest started elementary school, and life was stressful.
“She was doing great in school, but it just seemed she didn’t have time to do what she wanted,” Alldredge said. “There was no time for her to be a kid.”
That was two years ago. Now the Alldredge children spend a few hours on academics in the morning and again after lunch. When they complete their lessons, they play.
Alldredge appreciates the convenience home schooling has brought to her family. Nothing is set in stone, meaning her children can spend an entire day on one subject if something appeals to them, a benefit that Stephany Hoffelt of Iowa City also cites.
“When the kids are really into something, I just let them go,” she said. “When they are ready to move on, we move on.”
Hoffelt has home-schooled her four children — ages 5 through 17 — for four years. Her older children attended public school, but eventually opted to stay home with their younger siblings.
“The kids need to be taught at their own individual pace to their own individual skills,” Hoffelt said. “I just don’t think the public schools can do that.”
How it works
All home-school families must file a form with their local school district that shows the family’s home education plan. It also asks whether the children want to “dual enroll” with a local school district or participate in a home school assistance program, or do both.
Home school assistance programs, run by school districts, pair families with a licensed educator to provide instruction supervision. The programs also provide classes for students, such as foreign language studies; organize field trips and other activities; and offer resources and support, including a library.
School districts aren’t required to have a home school assistance program, but the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Linn-Mar and Marion school districts all have programs. They are funded by state education dollars, with districts receiving one-third of its per-pupil amount for each home-schooled student.
Marion’s home school program is the biggest in the state, with 770 students either dual-enrolled or in the program, or both.
“Our program is somewhat uniquely positioned,” Ertz said. “We are immediately adjacent to two large school districts contributing to our open enrollment population.”
Cedar Rapids opened its home school assistance program in 1988 in the back of Kim O’Meara’s art classroom at Garfield Elementary School. The program now has 309 home-schooled students and operates in the lower level of Wright Elementary School.
“Home schooling is a very challenging job and a lot of responsibility,” said O’Meara, one of the program’s lead teachers. “We certainly don’t want anyone to feel they are going it alone.”
Iowa has 1,588 students enrolled in home school assistance programs this year, while 3,189 participate in a program and dual enroll in a local school district. Dual enrollment allows home school students to attend certain classes or extracurricular activities at a public school.
Another 2,293 students opt to just dual enroll and not participate in a home school assistance program. Some home school parents feel the program is the state’s attempt to control their child’s education.
“The law states that the home school assistance program can impose requirements on a child,” said Kim Brenneman, a home school parent from Parnell. “The current educational system is a failure and participating children are suffering. We don’t see the benefit of placing our children in any part of the system, including a home school assistance program.”
Rep. Mary Mascher of Iowa City, a teacher who is also a state representative, said one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to education.
“Public school teachers really try to create an environment where children are safe and can learn and can succeed,” Mascher said. “Does that happen 100 percent of the time? No. Obviously, parents always have an option.”
Making the choice
The decision to home school is personal. It can be costly, too. Parents buy instructional materials for their children. Even families who participate in home-school assistance programs or dual enroll in districts might pay a participation fee.
This is in addition to paying property taxes that support public schools.
Six years ago, Klein and her husband, David, created Virtual Homeschool International to give parents access to education materials. Members pay an annual $20 service fee to access the site’s materials.
“We wanted to make curriculum and resources available to families,” she said. “Usually home schoolers are giving up an income to provide their children with a home education.”
Still, despite the resources available for home-school families and their growing numbers, families are still questioned about their choice. People want to know if home-school students receive a solid education and are prepared for “the real world.”
Iowa law requires home school students to be assessed annually. Children who score at or below the 30th percentile of their grade level could be required to attend public school.
MacKenzie Dreeszen, 18, of Iowa City, said home schooling provided her with opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise. The flexibility of a home education allowed her to pursue her interests — personal and academic — at her own pace.
Dreeszen is enrolled in two classes at Kirkwood Community College. She’s taken Spanish, art and composition through the Cedar Rapids Home School Assistance Program and is active in 4-H and her church. She plans to study nutrition in college, and was accepted at both Cornell College and Iowa State University.
“I’ve learned how to be independent and to think for myself,” Dreeszen said. “I definitely think I’m ready.”