Many readers may have heard of this secondary effect from a law designed to improve Indiana's public school graduation and attendance rates. Some schools have complained about drop out students who avoid efforts to keep them in school by claiming to home educate. However, it is also true that many school leaders appear to be telling drop out students and parents that they should claim to "home school" in order to avoid harming the school's drop out count.
Somehow, this problem has been twisted into an indictment of home education or our freedom to home educate with very limited restrictions. No one seems to consider that a child not interested in public education, will probably not value home education either, (if it is even tried), until the school of hard knocks causes him to get a GED or to reinvest in his education.
Senate Bill 374 has been reviewed for us by attorneys with the Home School Legal Defense Association. They very strongly oppose parts of the bill. Section 6 is particularly problematic and unacceptable for home school families in Indiana because it creates new curriculum approval authority for public schools over home educating families.
I have met with the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, who is also the author of this bill. He has agreed with the HSLDA review and does not want to give the bill a hearing. However, I expect that he, (Sen. Kruse), may take some pressure and criticism for this decision. We need to keep our eyes on this bill and any similar effort in the Indiana House.
If you would like to read SB 374 you can do so through this link: http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/IN/IN0374.1.html
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