HEADS UP: AK
The state is looking at regulating home ed:
Alaska has the most lax home-schooling law in the country.
No one even knows how many Alaska children stay home instead of attending a public or private school — they aren’t tracked or monitored.
Home-school advocates say the lack of reporting and regulation is the way it should be because it leaves parents free to make choices for the child. But others say it leaves an uncounted number of children at the mercy of parents who don’t have what it takes to give kids what they need to avoid being left behind in life.
The tension between the two camps — traditional bricks-and-mortar educators and fiercely independent home-schooling parents — has existed for years with each bad-mouthing the other for real or perceived inadequacies.
Should Alaska join the ranks of other states by tightening its home-schooling laws?
State Education Commissioner Larry LeDoux wants to at least ask the question.
The newspaper article is very one-sided. Lots of quotes from educrats; none from home educators.
4 Responses to “HEADS UP: AK”
 Comment by Helen September 25th, 2009 at 12:48 am |
I covered that article back on the 15th: There have been over 200 comments on that article at the Anchorage Daily News website since the piece ran, and people have written many excellent letters to the editor which have been posted in the opinion pages since then. We seem to go through this song and dance routine every couple of years up here when some reporter’s or bureaucrat’s sensitivities are tweaked by their “suddenly discovering” our terrific hands-off homeschooling law. I’m not sure why it always comes as such a big shock to them, but it does, and we go through this whole waltz again. |
 Comment by dcobranchi September 25th, 2009 at 3:55 am |
Interesting. The re-print linked above cut out the whole section on the unschoolers. Makes the tone much more harsh. |
 Comment by COD September 25th, 2009 at 10:18 am |
I wonder if Sarah Palin bringing all the attention to the right wing is at least in part for the sudden interest in tightening up the homeschool laws? Karma can be a real bitch. |
 Comment by JJ Ross September 25th, 2009 at 11:55 am |
Maybe if they ever they get the rates of domestic violence, child abuse, incest, rape and drug abuse down, then concern for Alaska’s children can turn to education issues. (my state of FL too, not dissing Alaska.) But I see no correlation in any of this to home education. |