Should homeschoolers participate in public school extracurricular activities such as sports and athletics? That’s what a bill soon to be introduced to the Florida legislature will allow, if passed. The bill honors Tim Tebow, a homeschooler who is now a Florida Gators quarterback. While he was being homeschooled he was allowed to participate in a high school sports program.

However, whether other Florida homeschoolers will be welcome is still a matter of debate. Some say that homeschoolers might overwhelm the athletic system; they express concern about academic standards and costs such as liability insurance. Someone even brought up the idea that students ineligible for athletics would use homeschooling to get back on their teams.

“The whole objection is based on the fact that these students have chosen homeschool over public school,” Rep. Jeremy Oden said. “But our argument — and my argument — is that the tax dollars from these individuals’ moms and dads pay goes to these institutions.

Other extracurricular activities may be included, including music and arts programs. Homeschooled students in Florida must register with a legal umbrella that has curriculum approved by the state, so academic standards should not be questioned, according to Oden.

My opinion on this is divided. Though I’m totally in favor of the separation of school and state, I know from my years of homeschooling that entry into some public school programs may be a necessity for many students. Where I live, in a very small town, there are few other opportunities for children to do anything with other kids. Exclusion from public school programs, even the dances, was a real problem for us. Though I’d like to see all public schools disappear forever, it is a sign of the times that I’m in favor of this bill. So long as the society allows public education to dominate, homeschooled students should be allowed to participate in the programs their family pays for.

Source: Florida Homeschool bill revisited by Evan Belanger of the Cullman Times

In a heartwarming article about two homeschooling families in Pennsylvania, we’re told that ‘cyber school’ students are not counted as ‘homeschooled’ in state statistics:

“Since homeschooling was authorized by the state Legislature in 1988, the number of homeschooled students in the state showed a steady increase through the 1990s and early 2000s before topping off at about 23,000.

Though Pennsylvania’s numbers have leveled off, some observers see it as a signal of strength, because other states have declined significantly in recent years. Pennsylvania’s homeschool enrollment remains strong, experts say, because the state committed early on to a certification program — a recognized graduation/diploma provision in a variety of fields — “that still has (Pennsylvania) ahead of most other states,” according to a report on pahomeschoolers.com.

Also, cyber school numbers are climbing across Pennsylvania, and those enrollments are not included as homeschool enrollments, which likely reduced the overall homeschool figures.”

Source: Families change face of homeschooling - from the Meadville Tribune.

Hi! I’m Linda Jo Martin, the mother of five, ages 33 to 16. I homeschooled my two youngest children for nine years. I’m done homeschooling now as I had to enroll my dyslexic son in a special education program last year. But I’m not done being an advocate for homeschool.

My focus in this website is to be an advocate for independent homeschooling - the kind of homeschooling done without enrollment in any government school, charter school, or independent study program. I’m doing this because I believe homeschooling parents have enough to think about without having to constantly fill out forms to comply with government programs. I can see doing one or two forms per year if needed to comply with law, but not daily or even weekly.

With that in mind I will be seeking all kinds of information about homeschooling, but will especially be looking at state homeschool laws to determine which states are most homeschool friendly, and which ones need modifications to their homeschool laws.

Long ago I trained to be a paralegal and earned an Associate of Science degree in legal assisting. I never went to work to use it because I was too busy being a stay-at-home mom and homeschooling my kids. So if I can put this skill to work now by helping homeschoolers achieve the freedom they deserve, I will it to be so.