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| P. O. Box 22100, Lexington, KY 40522 |
Phone: 859-255-5400
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Regulation of home schoolers could be on the agenda of the state legislature in 1998, if several legislators have their way.
Rep.Freed Curd, chairman of the House Education Committee, has indicated hisintention of trying to hold home schoolers more accountable to the state.
Curd andother legislators are concerned about the growing problem of students who wishto drop out, but because a 60-day notification to schools is required in suchcases, elect instead to register as home schoolers. No notice is required forstudents wishing to quit school in order to home school.
Severallawmakers believe that a number of children purported to be home schooled aremerely being kept home by parents involved in criminal activities.
DavidLanier, president of the Kentucky Home Educators Association hopes to show thatthese instances are the exception and not the rule among home schooling parents.
In a Julymeeting of the state’s poverty commission, Louis Hammond, a representative ofKentucky’s directors of pupil personnel,and Lanier made a joint presentation. Both testified that they felt an agreementwas being worked out.Traditionally,directors of pupil personnel and home schoolers have been at odds. An agreementbetween the two could eliminate the need for a law.
Oneproposal mentioned by legislators would require testing of home schoolers as ameans of ensuring that they are receiving an education.
However, state educationofficials may not be anxious to test the state’s home schooled students, sinceaccording to many reports they outperform public school students significantly.
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