Search Results for: hslda

HSLDA: The Ugly

This is the conclusion on my series on the HSLDA. My previous articles are entitled The Good, and the Bad. In this installment The Ugly, I will delve a bit further into some of the more disturbing aspects of the HSLDA. Not an Insurance Policy: The Home School Legal Defense Association represents itself as a type of prepaid insurance. You pay $100.00 a month and they come to you rescue should you neighbor claim you are neglecting your children by homeschooling. That is not the entire story. In fact, many families complain that they have paid the membership fee for … Continue reading →

HSLDA: The Bad

Yesterday I started a discussion on the Home School Legal Defense Association. I mentioned that the HSLDA has many good aspects and services. For the cost of only $100.00 a year, it is easy to justify joining this homeschool protection organization. However, may people still have qualms about joining the HSLDA. Here is my list of the features that many homeschoolers consider bad. Religious Exclusivity: The HSLDA caters specifically to Christians, and often-non Christians often feel excluded based on the legislation for which they fight and lobby. One might notice that on the page that directs potential homeschoolers to support … Continue reading →

HSLDA: The Good

A discussion on the homeschool forum about the HSLDA(“nonprofit national membership organization of families who homeschool their children.”) inspired me to write this series called the good, the bad and the ugly. I will start with the good. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has numerous positive attributes and is incredibly useful to the new homeschooler. The HSLDA provides a large and up to date database of information for homeschoolers. This list includes state laws, and suggested curriculum. Whether you homeschoolers believe in the usefulness of the organization or not, they know where to turn for pertinent information. The Homeschool Legal … Continue reading →

Should You Join HSLDA?

For those of you who don’t know, HSLDA stands for the Homeschool Legal Defense Alliance. Many Christian families join HSLDA for legal ‘protection’, should the need arise. Many other families are completely against HSLDA and what it stands for because it is exclusive. Still others feel like it is a waste of money because they live in “lax” states. Every year around this time, this topic comes up in our homeschooling group. This is what I always tell new homeschooling parents: Why You Should Join HSLDA. . . HSLDA is (in their own words) an advocacy organization. This means that … Continue reading →

Homeschool Letter of Intent

It is time again to send out letters of intent to homeschool to the superintendent in your local school districts. Not every state requires a letter of intent so you must check your state laws if this coming fall will be your first year homeschooling. The letter of intent seems daunting to many first time homeschoolers. Questions range from what should be included to how to format the letter. The letter of intent is the first step to filing legal paperwork regarding your homeschooling choice. What is a letter of intent? Simply, the letter of intent is exactly how it … Continue reading →

Gearing Up for Your First Home Schooling Year

So, you decided to make the big leap and home school your children? As significant as this decision was, you will be faced with many more as you embark on this journey. Here are some basic advice to guide you through the first questions and decisions you will face. Of course, things are not always this simple, but it’s best to keep our perspective and not get too overwhelmed. Home schooling is a learning experience for the parent as much as the child. What curriculum should I use? This is the question mainly asked by new home schooling parents. What … Continue reading →

Homeschooling With Charlotte Mason

After watching my two oldest girls struggle with public school due to boredom and friction with “the cool kids,” I decided to home school my three youngest. It was an easy decision, but creating my own curriculum was often confusing. I didn’t want to use the traditional Christian home school programs such as Alpha Omega, Abeka and others. Aside from the fact that they’re quite costly and need to be purchased for each grade, I found them to be more stringent than what I was looking for. While doing some research on homeschooling programs, I came upon the Charlotte Mason … Continue reading →

Homeschool Parents in Germany Still Fighting Nazi Laws

“The ‘Schulpflicht’ – the laws that require school attendance – are on the books in the German states, and have been traced back to the ‘Reichsschulpflicht Gesetz’ [federal compulsory attendance laws] which was passed in 1938. Except for the removal of references to the Nazi party, these laws are identical or substantially the same as the laws passed by Hitler’s government, criminalizing parents who keep their children home for school.” This is what the parents Juergen and Rosemarie Dudeck of Archfeld Germany have alleged in court in their fight to homeschool their children. To date they have been wholly unsuccessful … Continue reading →

Homeschoolers Get Swine Flu Too

This school year began with three girls in my kids’ homeschool program (1 day a week) coming down with swine flu. That was the first week. Since then many of the other kids have come down the the ailments some getting more sick than others. My kids homeschool group visited a college last week for a competition and both of my kids came home sick. I don’t believe they had swine flu because they had no fevers, but the point is, my kids do get around, and they do get sick. With tech week starting it is also common for … Continue reading →

Homeschooling Loses a Champion

Last week, Christopher Klicka lost his fight to Mulitple sclerosis. He had suffered for the last 15 years and still continued to work for the HSLDA in spite of his severe illness. Mr. Klicka was the first full time employee of the organization that led the fight for homeschool rights and continues to lead the battle. He worked in the roles of attorney, spokesman, and lobbyist. He fell into his final bought of severe illness while at a homeschool convention. While I strongly disagree with some of the aspects of the HSLDA, particularly the some of the lobbying, I can’t … Continue reading →