SC “republicans” want to further regulate homeschoolers. ’cause ya know the public schools are working SO well!
The saying “different strokes for different folks” certainly applies to homeschooling. It’s a bold decision made by a growing number of families around the state, and decision that requires a huge amount of effort and sacrifice. While homeschooling may not be the perfect fit for every family, it’s hard to argue with the positive results for so many who pursue it.
A 2009 study on homeschool academic achievement showed that average home-school students scored at the 89th percentile for language, 84th percentile for math, 86th percentile for science, and 84th percentile for social studies. In the core studies of reading, language and math, the average home-schooler scored at the 88th percentile.
In comparison, the average public school student scored at the 50th percentile in the same subject areas.
Apparently, academic success isn’t enough for some of our elected officials.
Just a few days ago, House Representatives Jenny Horne (R. Charleston), Doug Brannon (R. Spartanburg), Mike Anthony (D. Union) and Joe Jefferson (D. Berkeley) introduced legislation that would place new restrictions on the homeschooling families doing just fine on their own.
House Bill 3478 would require all homeschool students to take state approved standardized tests administered by a certified district official. That’s right. Parents who dedicate themselves to the arduous process of homeschooling are somehow incapable or unconcerned about their own child participating in appropriate achievement testing. The irony is sickening, considering the public school testing scandals that have come to light over the last few years. It doesn’t end there. This legislation would also require well-respected homeschool associations to report names of participating students to the state to “ensure compliance” with the state laws.
In a deeply troubling way, this legislative power grab makes sense. After all, South Carolina’s General Assembly shoots down parental choice legislation year after year. While other states – 19 of them, to be exact – have expanded educational freedom through school choice, academic straggler South Carolina keeps fighting for more government control. It’s a recipe that has never worked, but the educrats don’t care. After all, they still have control.
It’s also fitting that Representatives Horne and Brannon are helping to lead this charge. For years now these “Republicans” have worked aggressively to shut down school choice bills in the State House. It isn’t because they don’t know school choice is a Republican platform issue.
It isn’t enough to oversee a $9 billion education system that fails to graduate thousands of children every year. These representatives – and the establishment education groups they bow to – can’t rest until everyone comes under their control. Don’t think for a second this is about education, “standards,” or doing what is best for students. This legislation is about power, pure and simple. It galls the administrative bureaucracy to see students succeeding without their direction, and they are finally taking steps to bring them into their fold of failure.
That’s the big government approach, isn’t it? Look to someone who is succeeding, and patronizingly regulate away everything that produced success in the first place.
Freedom loving South Carolinians don’t need to look to Washington to find insatiable politicians and bureaucrats. It looks like “We the People” have plenty of our own to deal with right here.
If you’d like to let legislators know your opinion on this, CLICK HERE for the House Education and Public Works committee members.
CLICK HERE for a list of House Members. You can find contact info for:
Mike Anthony
Democrat – Union
District 42 – Laurens & Union Counties
Columbia Address
432D Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Business Phone (803) 734-3060
Doug Brannon
Republican – Spartanburg
District 38 – Spartanburg County
Columbia Address
530A Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Business Phone (803) 212-6876
Business Phone (864) 573-0048
Jenny Horne
Republican – Dorchester
District 94 – Charleston & Dorchester Counties
Columbia Address
308D Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Business Phone (803) 212-6871
Business Phone (843) 873-1721
Joe Jefferson
Democrat – Berkeley
District 102 – Berkeley & Dorchester Counties
Columbia Address
304D Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Business Phone (803) 734-2936
Cell Phone (843) 991-0519
Business Phone (843) 567-4386
February 7, 2013
Tags: Doug Brannon, H3478, Jenny Horne, Joe Jefferson, Mike Anthony Posted in: Uncategorized
12 Responses
Ridiculous - February 7, 2013
This is incredibly offensive. They can’t teach kids to read, but demand to oversee the testing of someone who has made the choice to avoid their control? Total statism. Does Doug Brannon not know how many homeschoolers are in Spartanburg County? The superintendents pulling his strings better come up with A LOT of votes for Doug come election time.
Thanks - February 7, 2013
Thank you, Karen!
Dianne Belsom - February 7, 2013
The other thing that’s ridiculous is that homeschool parents are ALREADY complying with the things in this bill (subjects taught, record keeping, 180 instructional days, etc.), PLUS my homeschool accountability group requires yearly testing of the student. This bill adds NOTHING– homeschool parents are already doing all this– minus the government interference!! If these “public servants” are interested in improving education in SC, they might want to start with the failing PUBLIC schools!
Holly - February 7, 2013
Excellent article. You hit the nail on the head.
Paula Kinziger - February 7, 2013
Great post Karen, I contacted Raye Felder and her office gal Joan said Raye didn’t have an opinion until she hears both sides of the argument… so thanks to this article you posted I gave her something to consider and also, if your a representative how about she does some of her own homework on the subject!
How do these folks get elected??? To me she’s an establishment Republican.
Joshua cook - February 7, 2013
Just more government control…this is a war against homeschoolers. they don’t like us teaching our kids the Bible and not government propaganda.
Jane Price - February 8, 2013
This is the old “eternal vigilance is the price of freedom” maneuver. My first year to homeschool was 1984. There was a small, hardy group of folks who dedicated themselves to this Godly calling even before SC had a law on the books. I’m still at it. My eldest child is a homeschooler herself. If you love personal liberty, defend the right for parents to make educational choices for their children. And by the way, please connect the dots… If you take a government voucher (read, dollars or tax credits), the proverbial “hand that feeds you” will require you to sell your soul. The government will be in your business. Home educators can’t have it both ways. I choose to maintain my freedom by schooling under the third SC law, the one which our so-called “representatives” want to eradicate.
Janet Clark - February 8, 2013
SC Rumor Mill says Anthony & Brannon will run for SC Superintendent of Education next term. One would hope that this bill is a political ploy to show support for the one-size-fits-all educational bureaurocracy but for this group, you only have to look at their voting records on other educational choice legislation and see this is their norm. God bless SC if one of them is in charge of our children’s education.
Rapture Damone - February 8, 2013
Enough with the government telling us how to educate our children. That isn’t their business and never should have been. Enough of expecting every child to meet certain test requirements and be within certain percentiles in order to be deemed successful. Enough lies about providing safe, productive learning environments that are conducive to growth. Enough handing over our taxes to pay for an outdated and obviously failing system. We home school our children. We teach them things that they would never be taught in B&M schools. Things like manners, respect, consideration for others to name a few.
David - February 9, 2013
This is what this state gets for electing ALL Republicans who are ALL in the good old boy system!!!! They claim that they are for expanding freedoms, but they pass a law for EVERYTHING…RESTRICTING OUR FREEDOM AT EVERY TURN! There is NO balance in the 2 party system in SC and that is the main problem! They are like a dictatorship and all STICK TOGETHER and VOT TOGETHER!! We are going to be a “China” state if they had their way!! Losing freedoms and restricted at every turn! I SUPPORT YOU in this effort bc they have NO RIGHT to tell parents how to educate their children..as long as they are being well educated, it is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!!!!
Mark Sanders - February 9, 2013
I do not know the others, but I do know Mike Anthony. He shook my hand and promised me he would NEVER vote yes for an education issue in Union County. There was no misunderstanding and things could not have been more clear. He is a bold faced liar and is in the back pockets of the educrats. Word is, he wants to run for state superintendent. God help us all if he was to win something like that. I do not believe he has the ability to run the position and would just be the lapdog of the educratic, big government, more money to fix it, types.
Patrick A - February 10, 2013
A good article, but just curious where Mick Zais is on this and why this is not a State Sup. of Education decision. I can’t imagine he or the Gov would support this, unless there is more to the story than what is here.
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