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Reading, Writing, And Regulation
 
Tuesday, Jul 10, 2007 - 05:05 PM Updated: 09:30 AM
 
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By Connie LeGrand
E-mail | Biography

Homeschooling your child has been a legal option in South Carolina since 1992.  While it's a successful, rewarding experience for many families, at least one family believes the law may allow children to slip through the cracks.

 

Another homeschooling mom says the opportunity to homeschool her children is a gift.

"I just enjoy teaching my children."  She has six.  "My children are starting to leave the nest now and I know them inside and out and I don't have regrets because of that.  I think they're well trained, they're well equipped for the world.  It's ok.  They're ready to fly."

So far they are successful - attending college and receiving scholarhips.

 

In the 1990's legislation was passed that gives South Carolina parents the right to homeschool one of three ways.  The first option is through the school district.  The second is via an organization called the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools.  There is also a third homeschooling association option.  The third option does not require children to take tests to check their progress.

 

“I would like to know why there is no regulation.”  That’s what the father of an 8-year-old boy who is homeschooled by his mother wants to know.  While he says his son recognizes simple words, he says he can't read.  The boy's grandma is concerned too.  "He said, yesterday don't worry Granny, if I don't get in school soon, I can get caught up when I get to high school.  I said baby, if you don't get to school now, you'll never get to high school," says his grandma.  She and the father say they took video of the boy trying to read.  We asked a reading tutor with more than 20 years of experience teaching elementary education to take a look.  "From what we could see it was a frustrating level for him.  This is a first grade level here," said the teacher.

    

The father says, "My biggest fear is that when the school district pulls their head out and takes a look at this situation, it's going to be too late.  It's gonna be adult ed classes for a kid who can't read, it's gonna be minimum wage for the rest of your life. He deserves more."

 

So how many students are being homeschooled under this third option with no checks and balances?  No one knows.  "I just found out this morning, and this doesn't satisfy me, that those local districts have no responsibility to send that information to Columbia.  We have no idea how many students are being homeschooled right now and that bothers me a little bit," says Education and Public Works Chairman Rep. Bob Walker. 

 

The associations are required to report the number of members they have to their local school district.  "But we have no clue as to who they are - who the individual children are out there," says Spartanburg County School District 1 Superintendent Dr. Jimmy Littlefield.  He adds, "There is no accountability back to us, or the State Department or the State Department of Education." 

 

While homeschooling turns out successful students all over South Carolina year after year... "Colleges love them.  They know that they've worked hard to get what they are doing.  They know that they are self motivated.  A lot of them are very motivated to do what they need to do," says one homschooling mom who also admits there is opportunity for people to take advantage of the system.

 

She says, "The what I call "mom and pops" that are popping up.  They can be very fly by night, I get calls every year saying I used to be with an association.  I can't get in contact with them.  They don't have an office or business phone.  They didn't send me any paperwork,  and I thought, how can they not send you paperwork?"

 

It means children could be slipping through the cracks.

 

After the promotions for our story aired, the mother of the child returned our calls.  She says she is working with professionals to address her sons reading skills and the mom tells us they are working hard to get him caught up.

    
Meanwhile, Rep. Walker tells us we can expect legislation in the fall which will seek to strengthen homeschooling regulations and at least require homeschooling organizations to report to Columbia the data collected on the members of their association.

 

 
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