" I don't understand why homeschoolers don't have to pass any exams. Why should they get special rights? To me, this is common sense legislation. "

" Homeschoolers DO NOT receive "special rights". Currently, EVERYONE in the state has the same right to educate their own children by homeschooling. If you choose not to exercise that right that's your choice. "

" Many home schoolers do have their children evaluated using standardized tests. The results are used by those who know best what to do with them: the people actually instructing the children.

Schimek comments that there is little evidence on how well children are being educated in home schools. Her assertions are based on ignorance, not fact. She should do some research. On one test given last year in the Lincoln area, over 100 home-schooled students of various ages were assessed. Their average composite scores ranked at the 81 percentile.

Home-schooled students also consistently score higher on the ACT and SAT than public schooled students. "

" As usual, the point of this bill is totally missed by most. It has nothing to do with "quality education" or "accountability." As with most "education" legislation in this state, it's all about money and control. The state wants to dictate what and how the children of the state are taught, and the teachers union want's every child in the government schools. More students = more money "for the children." "

" I'm sure some home-schooled students are well-educated, but I KNOW that some aren't. I've known women who 'home-schooled' their kids by doing absolutely nothing. The kids sit around and watch TV all day. Their mothers have neither the time nor the inclination to teach their children, and they are CERTAINLY not qualified to do it. It doesn't make any difference if these are a distinct minority among home-school advocates - and without testing, you can't say that, anyway. The fact is that we don't know how every child is doing, and we have an obligation to see that ALL of them are being educated. We know who's trying to return our state and our country to the Dark Ages, and it certainly isn't Sen. Schimek! "

" Of course Home-Schoolers don't want the state meddling in thier curriculum. Home-schooling has never been about making sure those kids get a better education, its about keeping them from being exposed to ideas that might conflict with thier parents' narrow world-view. Without some kind of educational guidelines, I wonder how any reputable college or university would even consider accepting a home-schooled student. "

" I was on jury service in the Panhandle with a woman who homeschooled her children. She brought her kids, ages 6 and 8, to the four-day trial under the claim that they would be learning about the justice system. Instead, the kids ran wild in the courtroom all day, every day, disrupting the trial. Their mother was distracted from jury service by watching them but obviously she couldn't leave the jury box and go parent (or "teach") them. Judging from her comments in the jury room, I question how good of a "teacher" she would be for children at any rate. Home school needs regulation because there are "teachers" out there like this woman. "

" We have compulsory education in this country. And for good reason. There has to be a legal definition of "education", and that means standards to be adhered to. "

" The irony is, Nebraska has a bizarre policy that allows each local school district to design its own tests for No Child Left Behind. So Schimek is in effect trying to impose a higher standard on home-schoolers than the state imposes on its own public-school systems.

I'm all for standardized testing, by the way, but I think it should be uniform, not the current 'design a test your kids can pass' system. "

" May I ask for clarification as to why any person would propose or believe they are more qualified than my wife and I to determine what is “best” for the children under our authority? Over the last several days, I have been diligently reading comments suggesting that "teachers" or the "government" somehow know best. Do you believe that a teacher certification of a college education better qualifies you to make decisions for me as a parent? Do you really believe in your heart that you can train our children better than we, or have you just bought into the NEA indoctrination? Last time I checked, I believe am fully responsible and capable for determining my children's best interest, whether it be their physical well-being, proper bed time, friends, peers, environment for socialization, education, or religious training. I never have, and never will, give up that right to anyone, and neither should any parent. It is clear to me that God gave parents both that right and responsibility. He did not automatically re-assign this role or responsibility to some other “higher authority” at a certain age. I acknowledge the freedom under the arrangement He provided, to request others to assist me in that process, should I so choose. But please let me be the one to choose those teachers and influences which I determine are in the best interest of my child’s upbringing. We alone as parents will have to give an account to God one day for how well we carried out the task assigned. Provided some government agency or school district administrators feel they know best for our children from say ages 5 to 17, what is next? Maybe the next not-to-distant-step is for parents to be forced to enroll their children in “public” facilities/schools/daycare at birth. After all the reasoning might follow that we cannot be trusted to do the first years well either. Maybe we will be indoctrinating our children, spanking them, not catering to their selfish wills. It is time we make a clear distinction regarding who has both the authority and responsibility for our children. You already know my thoughts. Might I also caution some of you who are posting so strongly that you know for absolute certain what things are best for a child, that you may also one day have to give an account to a power higher than yourself, your attempts to exercise authority that is not yours to exercise. This legislative bill is far from a discussion about the best interest of each child. Rather it is about the best financial interest of the school districts who always seek ways to get more money. As a parent who does not have my children enrolled in public schools, I do pay plenty of taxes to the school district. The real key issue that I see in all of this intended legislation is that someone wants my child enrolled so they can access the money. Without enrollment, my tax dollars do not directly go to those who are being greedy. Legislative members and parents of all private and homeschool students beware. This bill is not what it is intended to portray on the surface. "

" It would be helpful for some who are commenting on this subject to actually seek out successful home schooled children. There would be a major outcry and critical comments about lack of fairness if I were to visit a teenage detention center, found out those students were educated in public schools and then made comments about the quality of education in public schools. Let's try to be objective in our comments and deal with the facts related to the issue and the proposed legislation. Do most of you really know from first-hand knowledge how well home schooled students are doing? Have you seen their test results? Would it even alter your biased thoughts if you were shown the truth about how well parents are doing in training their children? Do you have any idea how encouraged colleges are to have home schooled students enroll? My guess is that most of you are simply repeating the "party line" rhetoric. "

" i arr a very smart hoem skooled stoodent. i thinks this is a baad ideeah. pleeze doo not taek mai muther and fathers rite too teech me awai. y shuld i has too taek a test$ mai pairants says i arr dooing a gud jobb at lurning about redding; ritting; and maths. i can maek comepleet centances and addd mynus tymes and deevid.

That could be a real letter written by a home schooled student. But, without some form of testing how would we know. Also, what makes a parent fit to teach their children? Did they attend college? Did they get certified? Do they have to dedicate their summers to continueing education? Nope. But guess what? All the teachers at the abhorrently substandard public schools do. "

" Are you folks writing in the same folks who think the government shouldn't tell you to smoke, have an abortion, wear a helmet....etc?

Just making sure. Or do you want the government to stay outta just YOUR way.

Carry on. "

" Parents have a fundamental right under the Nebraska and United States constitutions to direct the upbringing and education of their children. The proposed bill is very intrusive and has intractable implementation problems that would cost NE taxpayers more money - and for what? What is the problem? The average homeschooler in the United States performs higher than public and private school students - are NE homeschoolers so different? Furthermore the bill would require homeschoolers to be evaluated against public schol standards - the reason parents in Nebraska form private schols to teach their children is so that they aren't controlled by government standards. Nebraska has a long history of the state government trying to overreach in the control of education going back to the Superme Court case Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923) and back in the late 1970s and 1980s when state authorities went after homeschoolers and put fathers in jail over homeschooling - that sounds more like Germany than the United States. The question shouldn't be "What's wrong with a little testing?" the question should be "Why do we need a government solution for a non-problem?" "

" "Yes Mrs Phelps you do know how best to teach your child"
like its good to stomp on the US flag. Sorry Responsible Parent, some times the parent is NOT the best to know what to teach their kids . "

" home school data is done on a limited number of home schooled students selected specifically to skew the numbers in their favor. Nevermind that they are under-represented at many state universities and Ivy League Schools. They do not perform better as your mis-analyzed data and anecdotes would suggest. "

" If they're already outperforming public school students - they'd have no problem passing the test. Unless of course the data is incorrect.

And "Responsible Parent" - this isn't about knowing what's "best' for your child it's about providing them a basic education which any person will need to function in society. Your religious beliefs have nothing to do with it. "

" When it comes to classical education, then the answer to your question is simply: yes. As a person with a degree in education and a teaching certificate, I do know how to educate your children on the issues of math, literature, composition, science, and history better than you do (assuming you do not hold a similar degree).

You are absolutely right, however, that I do not know how to make parenting decisions better than you. I do not know when it is right to punish your child, or to what extent is appropriate in a given situation. I do not know what religion to teach them about or what values to uphold. These decisions, among others, are yours to make and you will make them better than I. That is not the point of Sen. Schimek's bill - she is not seeking to take those rights away from you, nor could she even if she tried. "

" This argument is lame! My wife was home schooled up through 9th grade, and she's very smart. We've talked about home schooling our children someday. I wouldn't mind them having to take some sort of a test at the end of the year to make sure they are learning, because I'm sure there are a lot of kids who get neglected. But I also know there are many that do great. My problem would be if the school system tries to force a curriculum on the home schoolers. There's too much garbage (ie. evolution) that is taught in public schools that I don't need forced down my kids' throat. "

" The problem with any testing requirement is that it can be a way to control what is taught. If a person has to pass a test, then they must be taught what is on the test. Parents should be able to make these choices without intereference. A bill with a "simple testing requirement" unreasonably interferes with homeschools. "

" The problem with any testing requirement is that it can be a way to control what is taught. If a person has to pass a test, then they must be taught what is on the test. Parents should be able to make these choices without intereference. A bill with a "simple testing requirement" unreasonably interferes with homeschools. "

" I would totally disagree with the posting that states "As a person with a degree in education and a teaching certificate, I do know how to educate your children on the issues of math, literature, composition, science, and history better than you do (assuming you do not hold a similar degree)."

I have a PhD in mathematical statistics. Neither my wife nor I have any formal teaching training. you are more qualified than me to teach my kids math? And history? I've learned more world and US history through working with my homeschooled elementary kids than I learned in all of my years in public school (and, sad as this is, I was a valedictorian at my high school).

I had very good science teachers. They would be better teachers of science than I am. I also had two exceptional literature teachers. That said, my kids have read many more wonderful books than I ever did in elementary school.

Blanket statements don't work. "

" What this bill boils down to is a fundamental erosion of parental rights. The people who are for mandatory testing obviously don't understand exactly what that encompasses. Dark ages? More like Nazi Germany. Maybe you folks should sit down and read the bill to see what all it encompasses. Wait...you probably went to public school so you don't fully understand all the big words. Maybe you could find a homeschooler to explain them to you. "

" I am sure that some students are well educated in regular schools, but many are not. Teachers can't discipline, students are given passing grades so they can be on the sports team, there are drugs, guns and shootings at these schools, they push liberal agendas, teen pregnancies abound, many parents don't have any idea what their children are doing after school, and the list could go on and on. Therefore, they should be even more regulated than they are because they are not getting results. My point is that there are people who drop the ball on getting students educated no matter where they go to school. Most of the time the learning atmoshpere for homeschoolers is far better than at regular schools. There are all kinds of social networks for homeschoolers, including sporting activities. But those who oppose homeschooling and say the things they are saying about it, are just plain ignorant of the facts. "

" To make it fair then --- if a public school student fails the standarized test, should their parents have to home school? "

" We had our children enrolled and going to public schools for 2 years. At the end of the second year we found out from the teacher in a conference that our child was not performing as they felt and wanted to put them into Special Ed. My husband and I refused and became very frustrated when the issue was pushed. We ended up pulling our children out and they have more than flourished in the one on one environment of learning at home. By the way, our child that needed Special Ed. is now working at a 6th grade level at only 4th grade. I would ask all of you if you could have your child in a one on one environment learning their reading, math, history, etc. wouldn't you much rather them learn that way? I know that not everyone is cut out to homeschool. Trust me. You know if you can do it or not. I have spoken with many parents that have informed me that they would love to homeschool, but they just don't have the patience for it. You may enroll your child in any school you like. What we are asking, as homeschoolers, is that you not trample on our rights to teach our children at home by trying to restrict what and how we teach. You don't have to like it. You just need to respect it. I don't lecture you on how to educate your child. Please, do not overlook the main idea of this bill. It is to take away even more of our rights and try to control our every move. This type of legislation will continue unless we all put our foot down. "

" If no one knows how the homeschoolers are doing, why are colleges now competing for them? Including all the big ones? yes, HSers may be underrepresented at the Ivy's, but that's not surprising since HSers have been discriminated against for years, partly because there was no data on how they did over all and the whole idea of homeschooling was new. Also, given the values being pushed at the Ivy's, many HSers want nothing to do with them. Now the colleges are competing for them.

In addition to the large 1998 study of homeschoolers taking standardized tests, a new study is being done this year. Contrary to at least one person's assertion, the study is done by simply including some survey information in standardized tests that are being given to students from every kind of schooling environment. The 1998 study showed HSers performance about 30 points higher than public school, I expect that will continue. "

" I am a homeschooling mother who has been successfully homeschooling for the past 16 years. All of my children will graduate from college, all have earned awards on the state level, and two have earned national awards as well. I do not have a college degree nor do I have a certified teacher looking over my shoulder. What I do have is a passion for seeing my children succeed. L.B. 1141 will not affect our school as our youngest will finish classes this spring, but it would be a barrier for my grandchildren to be homeschooled. Until the Nebraska Department of Education can show that they can provide a better education for children in this state, parents deserve the right to educate their children in the manner they choose. Homeschoolers routinely score higher on standardized tests, are good independent learners, and are recruited actively by colleges. Since the closure of our class one schools, homeschooling is often the only choice parents in rural areas have. I feel that this is just a ploy by the NEA to force homeschooling parents to put their children in public schools, thereby gaining additional federal funding for the public schools. Just because a child attends public school does not guarantee a quality education. I have personally know several high school graduates that could not read, and have suffered at the hands of public school teachers that could not teach. Just because someone has a degree does not mean he/she is able to teach effectively. Poor teachers can be found in the home as well as in public schools. However, I believe that most families that choose to homeschool do so out of a desire to give their child the best possible start in life. "

" This bill is discriminating in that not all public school children are tested, children in Special Ed programs (below and above grade level) are not tested. In addition, what happens to the public school children who are tested and do not perform at grade level? Are they put into "homeschool"?

"

" It is unfair to ask homeschoolers to be tested annually to determine if they are learning as much as public school kids are. That forces homeschooling parents to teach to the test. Statistically, homeschooled children have much higher standardized test scores than public school children. Homeschooled kids get into colleges because they do well on the ACT and SAT, and because they are independent learners.
If a scaled back version of LB 1141 is "needed," then why not have the homeschoolers take the No Child Left Behind tests on reading and math at 4th, 8th, and 11th grades? Then the state would be sure the homeschooled students could read and write.
Most of us have personal examples, negative or positive, of homeschooled children. We also have personal examples of the way the public school system has done well, or failed miserably. In my own little town, a public school teacher just told me that she is part of a special meeting for a 5th grade non-reader. This child was in the public system, what happened? If she can't read, then should her parents be forced by the state to homeschool her? Sounds crazy, but that's what the state wants to do with homeschooled children who don't do well on the annual state test: their answer is to force the parents to send them to public school. Whatever happened to parents' rights?
"

" We have recently started homeschooling and find that there are lot of resources that help guide us, curriculums that guide us, many, many experienced homeschooling parents who are very devoted to doing this, who are glad to answer questions or give input on what has worked for them. I used to be pretty ignorant about homeschooling, but fortunately looked into it more and the benefits it offered. The more we get into the more I can see how it is helping our daughter and family. We have learned so much in this process and are continuing to. I think to truly understand whats behind parents educating their children, one should research the resources and know of the immense support that is available while they do this. The people that we have met are very devoted to learning how to best educate their child. My wife and I both came from a public school background and understand what we had and what we can offer to our children through homeschooling. It is amazing the progress our daughter is making and it is great to know that we can help train up our own child and not be worried about what gets slipped into her education.
I really appreciated with the "Responsible Parent" wrote under comments. It really rings true with us. "

" I beg to differ with you. Even though you may hold a degree in teaching that doesnt make you more qualified to teach my children. Maybe in some cases but not in all. I have had my children in publi schools and I can tell you some of those teachers are dim wits who im surprised passed college at all. Just because my degree isnt in teaching doesnt make me any less intelligent. My mother and grandmother were both masters level teachers who went on to get phds and become principals. Growing up witht that influence im sure i can teach you a thing or two. I didnt go into education because its not really my passion but i can tell you that my phd woud makes me highly more qualified to teach someone, especially in my area. moreover, my advanced level of critical thinking, mathematical and writing skills and unuderstanding are higher then most teachers posess who are supposedklly more capable than i to teach my children. If i were to stay ome with them, id hate to have the state intefere and tell me i dont know what im talking about. this is a control and money issue nothing more. "

" Is similar legislation being proposed which will require public school students in Nebraska to be retested within six months of performing poorly on a standardized test, and if they again perform poorly, will be required to transfer to another school? That, after all, is also part of Senator Schimek's proposal.
A quick survey of the homeschool laws in the states surrounding Nebraska shows that of the six, only Iowa requires annual testing. Their annual testing requirement does NOT include the added requirement of Schimek's bill that would send students who perform poorly to public school. Wyoming, Missouri and Kansas have no testing requirements. South Dakota requires testing in grades 2, 4, 8 and 11, while Colorado requires testing in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Should Nebraska's testing requirements go up, I would be surprised if homeschoolers on the borders of our state did not move to friendlier climes.
Perhaps Senator Schimek's efforts would be better directed at ensuring that students in schools under government supervision are performing well, and ensuring that those students are being properly remediated as needed, before interferring with home schoolers.
I'd agree that the state has a compelling interest to see to it that its students are literate. After all, the ability to wade through legislation such as LB 1141 is vital to being informed and active citizens. I challenge the average high school graduate of any Nebraska public school to do just that. "

" Most homeschoolers, like myself, have no real issue with testing. However, we do have a problem with the rest of this bill which, as the editorial states, is unnecessary. "...But her bill goes much further than simply providing accountability and ensuring that home school children are receiving an adequate education. It sets up a system of state intervention. The dramatic change in the status quo seems unnecessarily onerous." It is interesting that she is waiting until her last year in office to bring this to a head! "

" All of you who are in support of annual testing need to read why I believe it would be wrong to require annual standardized tests. First, the big factor in home-educating my children is that I do not want them learning what public school children are taught. What they would learn, if handed over to government schools, would go against my strongly-held religious convictions. Second, it would be inconceivable to have home-educated children assessed using the same tests that the State's public schooled children take. Each family, at no expense to the state, purchases their own curriculum. With hundreds of curricula to choose from, what is taught year to year varies widely. Third, since such high stakes (ie. money) exist for students in public schools to perform well on standardized test, teachers must teach to the test. So, really, the kids in public schools are only learning what is on the test and I assure you this is not providing for an adequate education for them. I will never spend my valuable hours in a day, teaching to a test, when I need to be teaching my kids how to think, and gain knowledge and understanding of each subject from perspectives that are in stride with my beliefs. Fourth, since parents would not be able to see what is on the assessment, how would we know if appropriate questions were being asked of our kids. My research has shown that the true purpose of national standardized tests are not to evaluate the education that a child is receiving, but has an agenda to establish a nationalized curriculum, with the hopeful result of social engineering our society (as others in the past have done, like Hitler). Fifth, I cannot imagine the mental trauma that will result in the children that must "achieve 6 months of academic progress" or they will be taken from their loving home, from parents who nurture them and care more about their academic progress than any school teacher ever could, and consequently forced into a public school. This would be child abuse on the part of the State. Also, since every home-educated child is not a genius, what is to become of the student who is already a struggling learner. Imagine the damage and pressure that will result if the proper scores aren't achieved. I assure you that my children will never participate in such a system.
"

" It is a bit scary that some of the comments here seem to accept that the state "owns" our children.
As for the examples of home schooled children who aren't being taught what they should know, there are equal examples of public school children. Only public schools are financed by your tax dollars.
There are examples posted of "neglectful" home schooling parents. Yet, there seems to be no mention of the Nebraska teacher who was accused of sexual relations with her student.There are many more stories like that in the media.
Our society has become a "dark" one. Young girls are dressed to look like adult women. Teenagers are told there is no hope for them so why bother. Life is cheap and meaningless.
So, yes, home schooling families are not socializing their children in these ideals.Instead they chose to be active in organizations, politics ,and in their communities.That certainly is frightening,isn't it!?!
A State Senators job is to serve their constituents.So,I guess a lot of parents of publicly schooled children must of got together and talked with Senator Schimek!?!Who is really being represented here? "

" Why the assumption that enough are breaking the current law to validate such a change and take Nebraska back into the dark-ages of homeschooling - as on of the most home-school restricted state in the nation? For those home-educators who are in error, it would be my hope that the current law would be into put in full force, with those parents being charged with truancy. But, please, let me home-educate my children in peace.
"

" I really do understand that this legislation is not out of concern for the academics of home-educated students, but for government control and power and the usurpation of my parental rights. If it were about academic achievement, the facts state that home-schooled children succeed. Home School Legal Defense Association has these facts summarized at the following website: http://www.hslda.org/research . I hope that you will spend time considering these facts. "

" We tried the public school system-didn't work for us. Our daughter is in a wheelchair and was kept inside because the teacher didn't want to deal with helping her out of her chair onto the handicapped accessible playground,(this was a 2 teachers to 6 kids ratio here-not too tough to deal with) and there were other problems also-too many to mention at this school. We decided to pull her from there and educate her ourselves. She is tested and quizzed at least 3 to 4 times a week on her subjects (math, language arts, social studies, science) and is doing very well with the one on one attention. I am not opposed to the year end testing of homeschooled children but how are they going to individualize it for everyone? What if the child learns at a faster pace in one subject and is slower in another?? Are they going to consider learning disablilities?? I just would like them to know that not everyone is the same and they can't expect them to learn that way. This is why I think Senator Schimeks bill is a bad idea. "

" If your thesis was correct I would assume that all public school kids would be passing classes, attending school consistently, understand how to read by kindergarten or first grade, etc because they are being tested. That isn't the case. Many kids are failing, truancy is a problem, and behaviors at school are getting worse. I work with the school systems and the teachers work hard and have many, many demands on them. They have some many more roles placed on them than just teacher. As a homeschooling parent, one on one attention to the curriculum and my child, and the devotion I have as a parent really does add up to my child doing better educationally. WE ARE SEEING THAT NOW. I still think that the parent should have say in what their child learns and the curriculum they choose to follow. I don't believe that the school has better intentions or more of a commitment to my kids than I do. "

" The point of home education is to prepare students with the skills and knowledge that will be needed for life. If passing an annual test becomes the goal, then preparing to pass an annual test will be what drives the curriculum. Passing "tests" is not a necessary life skill: reading, researching, writing and communicating are far more important. Discipline, self-initiative, trustworthiness and skill development added to the above would make for a bright future for any young person. Thus, standardized testing is NOT the solution to better education. The best education is developed in one-on-one mentoring relationships where a positive environment is present; this is the strength of home education. "

" Testing is nothing more than the Nebraska Department of Education trying to regulate a process of education they don’t understand because it involves parents teaching children. There are other ways to find out how "well children are being educated in home schools" than testing. Ask people in the community who know homeschoolers. Check out the community colleges and universities and find out how homeschoolers do in relation to other students. Talk to public school teachers who know homeschoolers. Talk to professors who have both public-educated and home-educated students in their classes. Check out the community arts venues, sports teams, libraries. The truth is out there without asking parents to test their children or be under the supervision of certified teachers who are already overwhelmed with their own jobs.

The public education system in Nebraska is in serious trouble and they regulate that system. Regulation through testing and then putting a student back into the public system is nothing more than a way to receive more money to continue poor eduation. To believe the DOE can do anything positive, with our tax money, to regulate home education is just an excuse to focus on the wrong issues. This is not going back to the Dark Ages, for even in the Dark Ages, parents were free to teach their children many things including trades and personal values. No, this is the Age of Enlightenment where poiticians and government officials believe they know better than parents on how to educate children.

Everyone, those in the public arena and those in home education, must look at the results of public education before pursuing and consenting to any further regulation on home education in Nebraska. For whatever regulations they impose on home educators, they must impose on their own system. Those who have done that, researched and looked at the results, have seen the failure and the illiteracy in all areas of public education and have chosen to home educate. Let home schooling alone and allow it to continue to be a viable option for parents who truly want to touch their children's lives through excellence in education. "

" There are many success stories of homeschooled children out there. Tim Tebow, the most recent Heisman Trophy Winner, from the University of Florida, was homeschooled by his mother, along with all his siblings. "

" I respectfully think that there is a misunderstanding regarding standardized testing. These were put in place, by most of the states that utilize them, in order to justify the tax payers expenditures on education. This was never meant to allow the government to dictate what specific curriculum should be followed by each individual educator. As a homeschooling parent, I am not costing the tax payers anything. Studies show that home schooled children perform at least as well as traditionally educated children. So it does not appear to be an area that needs our governments attention in times like these. I personally would think that instead of increasing costs in areas where no problems exist, the government should focus their limited resources on improving the economy. There is not enough money to go around as it is. I have read many studies which state that children who are able to eat nutritious meals, have a roof over their heads, and in general live in economically stable environments, perform better in all areas of life. Until we have accomplished this goal, let's not waste time, money, and energy on other, less important goals. "

"
Homeschooled students have repeatedly won the national spelling and geography bee contests - enough to make the NEA want to ban their presence to eliminate the "threat." Satire is very powerful when welded by the informed. In the hands of the ignorant, it simply reveals...ignorance. "

" "I have given up many things in life, so my children can have a better education. I think this bill is unfair and could cause more problems then the government thinks. I have two children and the last time I checked, I had the right to raise them the way I see fit. This is just another way for the government and the school system to punish parents of homeschoolers." "

" For those who feel homeschoolers should be held accountable for what is being taught. Do you know Nebraska's rules in regards to what parents must do in order to homeschool? Each year we are required by law to inform the Dept of Ed of what children, including their age and grade, we will be teaching. We also have to include how many hours for the year we are going to teach as well what curriculum we are teaching. Each homeschooling family has to teach mathematics, language arts, health, science and social studies. We have to give acccount for what company we are using our curriculum; such as, Abeka, Bob Jones, Alpha Omega and the like. If the state is not familiar with the company then we as the parents are required to provide a scope and sequence of the curriculum being taught.

Since we are choosing to homeschool, our teaching is then considered non-accredited. Not every parent chooses to homeschool for religious reasons either, there are many parents who are homeschooling for purely educational reasons. There are many parents who have their children tested annually, but forcing parents to have their children tested each year and then taking their children away if they don't pass. This goes against the reason many parents opt to homeschool in the first place. "

" This conversation and the above article seem to focus mainly on the testing issue. This bill is more far-reaching than that one issue. There are also a lot of preconceived and unfounded notions about homeschooled children and their families flying around. I have two suggestions:

1 - Please read the bill before you argue about it, no matter which side you are on.

2 - If you are 'against' homeschooling, please be informed about it before you speak.

In both suggestions, knowledge is power. An intelligent debate is called for in this matter. People who homeschool should be very, very concerned with the ramifications of this bill as it pertains to their children and their families and the freedoms it will take away. As fellow taxpayers, people on both sides of the issue should be very, very concerned of the expense to the public should this bill go into effect. The administrative costs of Senator Schimek's proposal would be outrageous.

Please be informed and then engage in respectful debate for the sake of all of us and our children, publicly and privately schooled. "

" Please don't forget the kids who are struggling with emotional or learning disorders. These kids don't fare well on standardized tests, they have been through medications, different schools, with no avail. academically they are learning, just through a much needed one - on - one environment that can be provided through homeschooling. Standardized tests don't help these kids. We must leave decisions up to the parents who are really the ones, who at the end of the day, lose sleep over the futures of these children. "

" If homeschooled children who do not score well on the test are forced to go to public school does that mean that all the public schooled children who don't do well on the test will be forced to be homeschooled? When I was in school any time a student was struggling in schoool they were given one on one help. Homeschool children have that every day. Isn't that an advantage? Our oldest was homeschooled and has now completed 2 years of college with a 4.0 gpa. The proof is out their. Take the time and get to know some homeschoolers! "

" I just had a public school educated high school senior ask me if Ohio was out "west by California". I just had occasion to try and play a game with two children educated in two different public school systems. One child in 6th the other in 7th grade---we had to scrap the game because it required them to know what adjectives, nouns and verbs were--neither one could do it--they didn't know what these were. I saw a list of 8th grade spelling words---3 pages worth, from a NE public school student. The words were all of the teachers and school staff member names. Had a letter sent home from a 5th grade teacher with simple words misspelled in it. Had another 6th grade teacher tell me a few years back that she herself could not do an assignment she gave her own students. These are just a few examples from my own personal experience--I have others. To contrast, the level of learning and knowledge I have seen exhibited by homeschooled students has been far above their publicly educated peers---across the board. I ask you---where do testing requirements etc. need to change/happen? How about with the teachers in our public schools? "

" I have homeschooled my children for 12 and 1/2 years in three different states. Nebraska currently demands more information from me than the other states I have lived in. No matter where I have lived, I have taken my job as an educator seriously. I decided to send my younger two children to public school this year. My 9th grader has a 4.0 GPA; my 7th grader has a 3.5 GPA. My senior, who I still home school, has a 4.0 in her 2 college classes at Chadron State College. We don't need more government regulations. Questions? If a public school child fails an annual test, will the public schools demand that his parents home school him?!? "

" What do people really need to know? How to read at a 5th grade level. How to drive a car. How to balance a checkbook. How to pay your bills on time. How to take care of your house. Stop most people on the street and ask them about something they should have learned in science class, history class or math class and see if they can answer it- I'm betting many public school graduates can't. I think part of the problem here is that people tend to lump all homeschoolers into one group. Some people homeschool because they figure they can do it better than the public school (and some of them really can). No problem there, some of these kids might be even better prepared for college. Some people homeschool because they don't like the public school curriculum (e.g.: TG's comment about evolution). Well who cares about them? It's not like they're going to obtain employment as physicians or rocket scientists. That Verizon call center needs employees too. Actually, the real problem here is that being a lawmaker appears to require very little education of ANY kind. "

" After reading some of the comments below, I wonder if those opposed to home based education really understand how the current system works? Home schoolers already get permission to homeschool and receive approval from the state for their curriculum. This system has worked well for many years.
The comments against homeschooling seem to be made by people who have conformed to the norm and have given up their rights and responsibilities. They are opposed to people who have refused to give up their rights and responsibilities. As homeschooling has grown, so has the fear of the education establishment that too many people will learn that there may be a better way.
Many of our founding fathers were educated at home. Individual attention in the education of those people produced some pretty fantastic results. For centuries the wealthy and well bred have required individual education for their children to provide heirs who could run financial and national empires. Why should anyone deny a family who wants to give their children an individualized education so they may better serve their fellow man and country.
We are told continuously that we have choices. This legislation is effectively eliminating a choice. Are parochial schools next? "

" Yes, Kirsten, lets ensure no responsible educator ensure homeschooled kids actually learn. Heck, lets make sure they all know that the earth is only 6,500 years old, and that man and dinosaurs coexisted. Its certainly working for most of the GOP Presidential candidates! Why, we can even have them learn the earth is flat! "

" " When it comes to classical education, then the answer to your question is simply: yes. As a person with a degree in education and a teaching certificate, I do know how to educate your children on the issues of math, literature, composition, science, and history better than you do (assuming you do not hold a similar degree). "

That's assuming an advanced degree in 'Education' is better than no training at all. That's not been my experience of such programs. Most people could figure out how to teach kids basic arithmetic, unless they learn about 'whole math' in an education program, which equips them to turn out an entire generation of math illiterates.

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" Most of those in favor of testing including Schimek are worried about the exception to the rule--which is those that do a poor job at homeschooling. If we used that kind of reasoning for everything, just imagine the kind of laws we would have. You don't punish or squash the rights of those doing the right thing just because there a few idiots in the world. "

" As a homeschool parent, I choose to test my children every year with the Stanford Achievment Test, that is my choice as I desire to see how they are doing. I don't believe the state should set up a special test for homeschoolers to take and I don't believe this should be forced upon us.The restrictions set forth for homeschoolers in this bill are very unreasonable. As for homeschoolers falling through the cracks, what about the children in public schools who fall through the cracks. When we decided to homeschool 5 years ago, I brought my then 4th grader home who was making B's in math. To my dismay, when we dug into his math he didn't know his basic facts and we had to start all over again with the basics. "

" I think we need to hold those that would require this testing accountable. I think they should be tested for PHD level knowledge of all aspects of government. If you are a State Legislator you should be intimately familiar with every governing body you hold sway over. In fact I would require them to meet with every School Board, Every NRD board member, every councilman etc in their district. With the plethora of idiotic laws and poorly written laws this body spews out every year it's very clear most aren't qualified to shine a boot. "

" Many home-educators have excellent credentials. I am a former Physics and Chemistry teacher, now choosing to homeschool my children. Most of the other homeschool moms I know also possess a degree in higher educaion

The only thing this bill offers is government regulation at the expense of taxpayer money. Although I pay taxes for education, my school district does not bear any cost for the education of my children. This bill will cost thousands of dollars to taxpayers. However, research clearly demonstrates that homeschoolers excel in education. Why are we trying to fix what isn't broken? And at a huge cost to taxpayers? Do you need to pay more taxes? "

" Every taxpayer has a right to know how his tax money is spent. And that the money is spent in a responsible way. Public schools need to be held accountable, not the home educators. The over 5000 home educated students save the taxpayers of this state anywhere from 25 million to 40 million dollars a year. Since there is no public money spent on home educating, why test it?
Let's test all public schools and give vouchers for students that fail to make 6 month gains to go to private schools instead. That would be better accounting to the taxpayers. "

" I know a family that home schools their children and the children are used as slave labor. This isn't something that happened 20 years ago, but is happening right now in our state. The decision of these parents to remove them from public school has left them with limited education and likely limited opportunities later in life. While I certainly can appreciate the opposition to this bill and the intrusion felt by home-schooled parents, the reality is that there is a compelling state interest in seeing that all children are afforded an opportunity to education. If imposing a testing requirement is a way to make sure that home school children are really that--home schooled--I see the legislation as long overdue. The legislation calls for an advisory panel and alternatives to testing for those that may feel pressured to educate their child solely for a test. To say that some of the comments posted here are overreactivce is an understatement. This isn't about you or teaching your children. It is to protect those children who aren't otherwise getting an opportunity to learn. "

" I disagree with this editorial. Homeschoolers have chosen to take back their right to educate their children.
Good for them, leave them alone and let them get on with it. "

" Sen Schimek, knows full well she will never be able to pass this bill in its current form; this is just the bait she is using in the hopes of ending up with a less strict, modified version of what she proposes right now. The Senator would probably be happy just getting the testing portion of it approved. Even the testing aspect would be very intrusive into the yearly learning plans of every home schooling family in Nebraska. In my family, the objective is not teaching our kids to pass a particular test, any idiot cat accomplish that, but rather to teach a subject until the kids have a full understanding before moving on to the next; a luxury the public school doesn't have and a small part of the reason for why we homeschool. Having to prepare our kids to take an annual state test would also mean forfeiting what curriculum we deem appropriate for our children and being forced to accept what the state thinks is best for our children; then to add insult to injury we have to flip the bill for taking the test..