NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Democratic FUDdites
It is several weeks since the Free State Project announced New Hampshire as the
winning state, but the comments of Kathy Sullivan, chairwoman of the New
Hampshire Democratic Party, are still echoing. In The Fosters Daily Democrat
on October 2, 2003, Sullivan had said, "Why is Governor Craig Benson supporting
a group that wants to legalize prostitution, legalize drugs and eliminate
public schools?" Shamelessly working to instill fear, uncertainty, and doubt,
Sullivan went on to say, "Craig Benson should explain to the voters why he is
supporting such a radical, anti-family agenda." Perhaps it is Kathy Sullivan
who should explain to voters why she is so afraid that she has to resort to FUD
tactics?
For over a year I have been a member of the Free State Project, and for (far
longer) I have been a member of the New Hampshire Republican Party, in the
libertarian wing. I supported Governor Benson-New Hampshire needed a
non-politician governor with innovative and 'radical' ideas. I have seen him
work hard towards the budget cuts that the New Hampshire economy so badly
needed. Sullivan's predictions of Benson losing votes because of his support
for the Free State Project are wishful thinking, but it is her comments on
public schools that I wish to address in detail.
Since the publication of my essay
Happily Homeschooling in
NH on the FSP web site, I have been contacted by several individuals from
all over the United States about homeschooling in New Hampshire and
homeschooling in general, and from non-FSP people who wanted to know more about
the Project. While I cannot speak for all members of the FSP, I have not heard
from one who believes that the public schools will be "eliminated" in a free
state. Sullivan's accusation is an unfair attempt to exploit fears and cast
doubt on the Project, with obvious political motivation. The FSP mission does
support a family's right to homeschool their children without government
intrusion. It is my goal and that of several others I know to work within the
existing political system to preserve and perhaps enhance a family's right to
homeschool in a free state.
Homeschooling our children has enhanced the bonds within our home. We are a
stronger and closer-knit family then we ever dreamed of being when our children
attended the local public school. I do not see any "anti-family" agenda in
homeschooling and enhancing homeschooling laws. In fact the only square peg in
the house is the one child who does attend the local public middle school. I
am not mindlessly opposed to schools; as a mother I want what is best for my
son, and in his case homeschooling does not work well, so I enroll him in a
traditional school. I would never politically strive to deprive another family
of that right.
My own political goals include opening doors of free competition, which I
believe would ultimately improve public schools in New Hampshire. With the
threat of competition, organizations improve. I view the public school as
nothing other than a municipal business which, if faced with real competition,
would find ways to improve. That improvement would benefit all children in New
Hampshire. How is that political view "anti-family"?
We must protect the rights of parents who choose to have their children attend
schools, whether public or private. There is very little recourse for parents
in New Hampshire if they find that the teachers and administrators of a public
school are not performing satisfactorily; even amidst allegations of serious
misconduct, unions protect the teachers. I base these comments on what I have
witnessed myself as a parent.
Democrats who are truly pro-family, want our children to get the best education
possible. I have several liberal democratic friends who are very interested in
the Free State Project. I reject Kathy Sullivan's fears and I do think that
there is a welcoming spirit here in New Hampshire!
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Happily Homeschooling in NH
by Julie DiCarlo
I recently attended an informational meeting for the FSP in Dover, New
Hampshire. It was a very small crowd, which unfortunately, did not include
interested non-members. We did, however, have a nice talk about what New
Hampshire has to offer. A comment was made about how hard it is to homeschool
in New Hampshire. Until that very moment, I had wondered if I had anything to
offer to the members of the Free State Project. It suddenly occurred to me that
if and when people start to migrate to New Hampshire they may actually need me
as a resource for homeschooling. I started to talk about how easy it had been
for my husband and I to start a homeschool program, even though we started in
the fall of the 2001-2002 school year. It was suggested that I write up a
little article to help dispel the notion that New Hampshire is tough on
homeschoolers.
From the time that our oldest son was in first grade until he was beginning the
fifth grade, my husband and I became increasingly dissatisfied with the
elementary school here in town. The school principal did not act quite right,
and became quite aggressive towards the children and me. The principal's verbal
abuse peaked during November 2001 and it became clear to Ron and I that we must
take action for the safety and emotional health of our children.
The very same day that we "pulled the children," I hand-delivered a letter of
intent to our local school administration unit. The basic requirement of the
letter is to state that you intend to homeschool your child, the date that your
homeschool program starts, the full name of the child, the age of the child and
the child's birth date. From the date of that original intent letter, a
homeschooling family has 30 days to submit a scope and sequence letter which is
a basic outline of the materials that the family intends to use for the school
year. This letter should include a statement that says, "We reserve the right
to change any and all of these materials to meet the needs of our child."
Within 3 weeks, the homeschooling family should receive a letter that
acknowledges the homeschooling program.
At the end of the school year, the family has two choices for evaluation of the
child. The results must be submitted to the participating agency no later then
July 1st of that school year. The first method is to have the child complete a
recognized standardized test, for example a CAT test. The second and most
popular method is the portfolio evaluation. The portfolio consists of samples
from the beginning of the homeschool program year and samples from the end. The
portfolio is then examined by a licensed evaluator of the parent's choice. A
letter is then sent to the participating agency stating that the child has made
progress and is at an appropriate level for age and ability. These letters are
very standard, and each family tends to use the same set of letters each year
by simply changing the dates and ages of the children. Examples of these
letters can be found
here.
We have just completed our second year of homeschooling. The 2002-2003 school
year was the first full year for us. This year I filed my paperwork directly to
the State of New Hampshire Department of Education. So our participating agency
this year was the DOE rather then our local SAU 16. Due to our conflict with
the Newfields Elementary School, we felt it was best to work around the local
school district. This turned out to be a blessing for us, as the above
mentioned principal was arrested this past March for unspeakable behavior.
I found the homeschooling division of the DOE amazing. These people work hard
to make sure that the freedom to homeschool here in New Hampshire is preserved.
I find the team up there hard working and dedicated to the homeschooling
alternative. Ms. Angie LeBel keeps the files on homeschoolers who file directly
to the state. She works very hard to educate the superintendents in the state
as to what is required of homeschoolers. She has written a booklet and has
spoken to school administration all over the state. Ms. LeBel is currently
working on a book about homeschooling being an alternative for education in NH.
She invited my children to her office in Concord last week so that we could
bring our portfolio evaluation paperwork in person rather then mailing it. The
children were able to stamp their letters with the official "received" stamp,
which made them feel so important. The children were also able to meet and
thank the individual who takes care of the legal requirement so that they can
continue to learn at home.
There are dozens of support groups here in New Hampshire. A family can find a
group with or without religious affiliation. These groups usually have
portfolio seminars in the spring which are very helpful. There are also dozens
of email support lists. If the FSP group moves to New Hampshire I intend to set
up a homeschooling email list for FSP members for example, possibly through the
NHHR. I am also available for support once the project moves here. I am
actually looking forward to the day when a large group of homeschooling FSP
members can gather to exchange ideas and to let the kids socialize. I am urging
people to give New Hampshire a chance for the first Free State as NH offers
much in the way of freedom in respect to the choice for homeschooling. I am
available for any questions that you may have at any time.
Please feel free to write me, or to call if you need any help. We welcome
visitors to our family web-site for additional information and resources.
Happily Homeschooling In NH,
Julie Ann DiCarlo
ilove3kids@prowebtechs.com
www.LittleRedHomeschool.com
Back to Essays
Participants
in New Hampshire
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
LinkedIn