Homeschooling Freedom in NH

1:55 pm PDT, Oct 27, Marion Pipa, New Hampshire
Neither the schools nor parents need the cost in time or money of having extra paperwork. As a rule we don't make our citizens sign petitions stating they will obey the law. Why should parents be treated differently? HB368 is just one more hindering regulation to add to a process that already imposes restrictions and deprives me of valuable time which I need to instruct my child as is best for him. All children should have an "individualized education plan" and the best "individualized education plan" is the one the parent who knows the child best sees fit to implement - whether it be in the form of instructing him at home, a private school, a public school, or through some mixture of any or all of these. 5 Years of Early Intervention and Preschool did nothing to improve my child's condition, yet proposals such as HB 367 would have put my child right back into a system that failed him to begin with. Because he is severely brain damaged, speechless, and almost paralyzed he would not have been able to pass a standardized test, whether taught at home or in a public school. Why should my child be taken away from my care and instruction holding me to standards that the schools cannot even meet. CHILDREN ARE NOT STATE PROPERTY IN A FREE SOCIETY.

3:25 pm PDT, Oct 19, Name not displayed, New Hampshire

10:42 am PDT, Oct 16, Tahleah Cullum, Indiana
its ridiculous and disappointing that still in this day and age the same argument is being made against home-schoolers and their parents...

7:01 pm PDT, Oct 12, Ashlee Michaud, New Hampshire

2:09 pm PDT, Oct 8, Mark Seppala, New Hampshire

5:39 pm PDT, Oct 4, Tammy Hale, New Hampshire

5:53 am PDT, Oct 1, Grace Hartford, New Hampshire

8:40 am PDT, Sep 21, Troy Chase, New Hampshire
enough government

4:50 am PDT, Sep 20, William J Bry, Massachusetts
To think that a government that imported Prussian Education to our free and independent states that built the Fourth Reich in Germany, wants to force children to be institutionalized in the Live Free or Die state in incomprehensible! Has NH gone mad? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBNh543A81U&feature=player_embedded William J. Bry Sui juris, all rights reserved UCC 1-207 www.billbry.com

4:28 pm PDT, Sep 17, Diana Porritt, New Hampshire
Given our failing schools and students declining abilities,we need to give our caring homeschool parents more control,and freedom. It has been proven that most homeschoolers are well educated,and it can be personalized for the learning styles of each student to enhance learning style.

6:41 am PDT, Sep 15, Christine Archie, New Hampshire

4:37 am PDT, Sep 15, Connie Roberts, New Hampshire
As I understand it -RSA 193-A creates inequality - a situation where some programs are based on termination based upon outcomes and some are not, where some programs are required to produce evidence on the academic progress of students and some are not. I urge careful - first hand - research by the reps on the House Ed Committee on this issue of inequality in RSA 193-A

6:37 pm PDT, Sep 14, Name not displayed, New Hampshire
Parents have a right to provide the best educational opportunity to meet their individual child's needs. Homeschooling has proven to be an excellent method to meet those needs. It is unfair and unreasonable to hold homeschooling parents to different/more demanding standards than private schools in this state.

7:03 am PDT, Sep 14, Linda Grass, New Hampshire
It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure and pursue a higher excellance of education for their child. Our school district is wonderful and support of homeschoolers. If a parent does not meet, or can not meet the requirements of the state, our district can and will take the appropriate steps to help that family. We do not want misled government agendas to impede our rights and abilities to teach our children.

11:18 am PDT, Sep 13, Donna Clark, New Hampshire
I am a college professor, and many of my very best, most motivated and active learning students over the years have been home schooled. The evidence was so compelling, I now home educate my own children. Our society needs people who love to learn, who come from families that were dedicated enough to their children to make the tremendous sacrifices necessary to home school. Many people feel guilt ridden they "cannot" or will not make these sacrifices for their own children and oppose homeschooling from that unfortunate vantage point. If someone cares about their children enough to do this, it is simply immoral to try and hinder them. Let freedom ring! We need more dedicated and involved parents. Help them, do not hinder them!

7:12 pm PDT, Sep 12, Nikki Powers, New Hampshire
Those who want more regulation for homeschoolers do not realize that we do not need to be accountable to the "STATE" to do a great job homeschooling our children. That isn't what drives us. We have our neighbors, our friends, our relatives...our community at large - we all want them to see that homeschooling can and does work. We have our children's future in our minds every day as we do whatever we can to prepare them to be ready for that future (whatever it may bring). We choose to homeschool - often - because we do not feel that our children will get that same quality of education from the public school option. How strange then it seems to us...to have to answer to the state when the state (most of us feel) has far to go to attain the level of success and quality of learning that our own students are experiencing. If someone isn't teaching their child - and they aren't sending them to public school...then they aren't homeschoolers - their simply truant. The rest of us shouldn't be punished with more regulation because of these few (extremely few) and far between cases. Most of these cases involve students who were falling through the cracks or outright failing in the public school option.

2:57 pm PDT, Sep 12, Jodie Lucci, New Hampshire

12:45 pm PDT, Sep 10, Margaret Pillsbury, New Hampshire

4:53 am PDT, Sep 10, Suzanne Cummings, New Hampshire

12:19 pm PDT, Sep 9, Bridget LeRoy, New Hampshire
I have two brilliant children who were being ignored in the public school system. Not only that, but I barely got to see them! The school system is punitive to both parents and children: it destroys families. I homeschool my children because I want the very best for them....not for religious or libertarian reasons. I simply want to spend time with them because I know how quickly that time ends. As a homeschooled child myself, I have founded several multi-million dollar companies in different venues, and have a wonderful relationship with my mother, who imbued me with a sense of myself and the world around me. Please don't take away my right to do the same with my own children. Thank you.

11:17 am PDT, Sep 9, Marilyn Priest, New Hampshire

6:04 am PDT, Sep 9, Elizabeth Bardsley Labbe, New Hampshire
First and foremost I want to thank our Representatives for their service. Secondly I implore you to keep the right to educate with the parents not the "government". We just got done listening to President Obama's speech. It is our right moreover it is our responsibility to educate our children not just school them. Thank you for your time, Elizabeth B. Labbe

6:40 pm PDT, Sep 8, Lynn Bolser, New Hampshire

5:40 pm PDT, Sep 8, Laura Syria, New Hampshire

4:45 pm PDT, Sep 8, Jaquelyn Peterson, New Hampshire

4:35 pm PDT, Sep 8, Elise Cloutier, New Hampshire

4:16 pm PDT, Sep 8, Karen Peterson, New Hampshire
Parental Rights are inherent and like Our Constitutional rights shall not be infringed. It is about time we make our representatives understand this and stand up for us.

3:12 pm PDT, Sep 8, Laurie MacKeigan, New Hampshire

12:50 pm PDT, Sep 8, Kimberly Rechkemmer, New Hampshire
Please protect parentel rights and let us make the best choice for our children! Public school does not work for every child and my children should be able to have the best. For them the best choice is homeschooling in an eviroment that is structured around their leanring abilities. Thank you very much!

11:46 am PDT, Sep 8, Julie LaChance James, New Hampshire

10:47 am PDT, Sep 8, Lori Arel, New Hampshire

8:47 am PDT, Sep 8, Carol Carey, New Hampshire

7:14 am PDT, Sep 8, Kristie Holladay, New Hampshire
I think it is truly unfortunate that homeschoolers are getting such scrutiny, while many school kids are falling through the system. If you look at the evidence of homeschooled kids, you will see a high percentage that do very well then those who fail! And if that child first attended a school, like mine did, they exceed far more from homeschooling then being taught in a classroom. Why would we as a parent NOT want to see our child succeed? In fact, if you talk to parent vs. teacher, you would see that the parent is more passionate in seeing their child be a well rounded individual. How our kids do reflect on us as a parent! Therefore, please carefully consider why you are asking more of us, then the regular schools. Our children are our investment and our future! Thank you. Respectfully, Kristie Holladay

6:29 am PDT, Sep 8, Jerrilee Maille, New Hampshire
Please protect parental rights.

7:13 pm PDT, Sep 7, Name not displayed, New Hampshire

12:49 pm PDT, Sep 7, Timothy Pillsbury, New Hampshire

3:38 am PDT, Sep 7, Pamela Berube, New Hampshire
Studies on homeschooling has shown academic excellence in all areas. Homeschoolers are know to score higher than public or private school children. Therefore, this information shows that parent's of these homeschoolers are educating their children well beyond the standard. Why then is the education committee looking to change a law and require more government intervention. Please don't try to fix what is not broken.

5:27 am PDT, Sep 6, Diane Rider, New Hampshire
We have been homeschooling for fourteen years and have observed that the very few, highly publicized problem cases with homeschoolers really reflect a problem in an individual family (usually divorce) not a true academic failure. I am very surprised that so much time and energy is going into "investigating" a relatively small population of generally high achievers. I would prefer that my tax dollars go to much more pressing needs like improving the academic performance in our underperforming public schools.

7:56 pm PDT, Sep 5, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
Can you provide Teachers that teach the 7 different ways of learning or do you only provide a one size fits all kind of education?

7:27 pm PDT, Sep 5, Kelly Bender, New Hampshire

2:58 pm PDT, Sep 5, Brian Ageieff, New Hampshire