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  • IT’S ALL OUR FAULT

    Filed at 9:59 am under by dcobranchi

    The ABJ is back! This time the dynamic duo of Oplinger and Willard set their sights on cyber charters. It seems that the schools are growing very quickly and draining more tax dollars than anticipated. Of course, home education is to blame.

    Private schoolers, home schoolers and dropouts — children who previously cost the state little or nothing in tax dollars — are joining charter schools in increasing numbers. In fact, while the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that the number of Ohio school-age children has declined 2.5 percent since 2001, the number of children educated at public expense has risen about 1 percent.

    …[House Speaker Jon] Husted said lawmakers never intended to enroll home schoolers in online schools.

    “We do have situations where we have students who are taking advantage of the e-school (online) option that were not part of the public system,” he said.

    One possible solution, he said, would be to follow Colorado’s example of requiring a semester in a public school before allowing a child to enroll in an online charter.

    “We are looking at different changes in the law,” he said.

    I would expect charters to fight such a proposal tooth and nail as it would undermine their business model. Likewise, school districts that are benefiting by attracting former HEKs would not be in favor. Home educators are a prime market.

    2 Responses to “IT’S ALL OUR FAULT”


    Comment by
    Helen
    March 26th, 2005
    at 10:36 am

    Thanks for the heads-up, Daryl. I’ve noted your post over at the AHA News. FYI the AHA is working on a focus paper on homeschooling and cyber charters, and this article will come in handy as that project develops.


    Comment by
    Mary N.
    March 26th, 2005
    at 11:42 am

    Despite a law that forbids it, corporations and district driven e-schools have promoted themselves as “homeschooling” and “home-education with an expert” here in OH. Many legislators have been told by the promoters and enrollees that the schools are home education.

    Some say that it’s unkind of us to claim that these schools are not homeschooling nor home education. However, there is nothing unkind about “truth” in advertising and when one enrolls in a school, even a school at home,they are enrolled in a public school. They should be informed of the rights and responsibilities that accompany their choice. To do so, they must understand the choice they have made.

    If you visit homesc...om.org and click on “OHEC”, scroll to the bottom and you will see that there has been a great deal written on the subject by the Ohio Home Education Coalition.

    Homeschooling is a wonderful choice, but it is not the only choice. I oppose school reform on the coat-tails of home education, but that is what is happening. Cyberschools should be considered school reform and not become the reforming of home education.

    Mary