WILL I BE CASSANDRA OR NOSTRADAMUS?
I suppose it depends whether anyone believes me that we’re clearly into phase two in some parts of the country:
“We’re very eclectic,” said Laurie Wheeler, who home-schools Sara , 12, and Yousif, 9.
The family often joins Bec Thomas and her three home-schooled children, Jonas, 10, Aaron, 6, and Connor, 4.
“The sky is the limit,” said Thomas, noting that the women tailor lessons to their children’s interests.
These Camano Island families are among the dwindling purists. The number of traditional home-schooling families in Snohomish and Island counties has dropped off in recent years as school-sponsored programs have grown increasingly popular.
Home-schooled students registered with the state through Snohomish County school districts dropped 8 percent in the last five years, from 2,346 in fall 1998 to 2,166 in fall 2003, the latest year figures were available. Nearly 130 fewer families registered as educating their children at home.
Meanwhile, enrollment in parent partnership programs grew by about the same amount in one year alone, up 200 students to 2,000 this school year, according to the school districts.
[…]
In Washington, the number of traditional home-schooled students remained flat over five years, at more than 19,300 in both 1999 and 2003, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The state does not track parent partnership enrollments; it will start doing so this summer.
6 Responses to “WILL I BE CASSANDRA OR NOSTRADAMUS?”
 Comment by Daryl Cobranchi February 16th, 2006 at 8:32 am |
I thought you were the Peacemaker. |
 Comment by Tim Haas February 16th, 2006 at 8:40 am |
No, I was only ever the Peacemaker-Pointer-Outer. |
 Comment by Susan February 16th, 2006 at 10:57 am |
“In Washington, the number of traditional home-schooled students remained flat over five years, at more than 19,300 in both 1999 and 2003, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.” No, the number of registered traditional home-schooled students remained flat. One can only hope this means that fewer and fewer parents are registering their children with the state. (Imagine if they held a home-school registration drive and nobody came….) |
 Comment by Spunky February 16th, 2006 at 12:25 pm |
Who needs the government when you have homeschoolers who go for convenience or conviction. |
 Comment by Andrea February 16th, 2006 at 10:26 pm |
Susan made just the point I was going to. 🙂 I know in our province *offical* numbers are down. If it keeps them off my case, so much the better. |
 Comment by Bec Thomas February 17th, 2006 at 1:04 am |
Up here in Washington we all know OSPI’s numbers are usually wrong, and the Alt ed numbers are pulled out of thin air altogether, but hey what do I know I’m just a purist! |