Home Schooling Is Alive And Well In Florida
Florida residents who want to home school their children can be grateful, because they live in one of the home-school-friendliest states in the country.
Home Education Week
Last year the Florida governor issued a proclamation celebrating the contribution home schooling makes in Florida, and he declared the first week in April to be observed by the entire state of Florida as Home Education Week.
Proclamation About Home Schooling In Florida
In the proclamation praising home schooling in Florida, the governor recognized the importance of parents' involvement in their children's education, and he acknowledged how the state of Florida is committed to a public policy "that strengthens the family and recognizes parental choice" in the pursuit of excellence in education
The Purpose Of Home Schooling In Florida
The proclamation went on to spell out the purpose of home schooling: to use the nurturing environment of the home to develop a child's character and to encourage the highest academic achievement. The governor's proclamation also stated that making home schooling official in Florida returns the ultimate authority and responsibility for a child's upbringing where it belongs - to the parents.
Studies Prove Home Schooling Works
In his proclamation, the governor cited studies that show how successful home schooling is. Children who are home schooled exude high self confidence and good citizenship. The studies found that home schooled children were fully prepared academically for college and for the challenges of society today.
Legislation Challenges Home Schooling In Florida
In spite of the governor's praise for home schooling in Florida, the legislature has introduced several bills that threaten home schooling.
A bill that raises the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 18 years erodes the parents' ability to choose the right pace of education for their children. This bill would also require that home schooling educators keep their portfolio and keep assessing their children for an additional two years.
Another bill that poses a threat to home schooling in Florida is a bill that expands the use of virtual schools in Florida. Home schooling parents must not mistake virtual schooling, with its secular, government-selected curriculum, for a viable alternative to home schooling, where parent control is absolute. Indeed, 80% of virtual school enrollment comes from students who were formerly home schooled.
Parents who enroll their children in virtual schools must remember that a virtual school makes their children public school students, subject to public school oversight and testing.
