New Hampshire Homeschooling Resources
New Hampshire Homeschooling Resources
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Minutes
Those in attendance: Elaine Rapp (chair), George D'Orazio, Mike Faiella, Rob Drye, Joseph Rega, Dennis Wyman, Paul Krohne, Don Jones, Harvey Harkness, and Jackie Teague.
Discussion notes:
Welcome Paul Krohne replacing Sue Shumway from the School Board Association.
Acknowledge and welcome visitor Abby [sic] Lawrence.
Letters have been sent to Judy Fillion and Clint Hanson expressing our appreciation for their service on HEAC.
We agreed the chair would continue to be Elaine Rapp and Dennis Wyman will continue to take the minutes. Michael Faiella will continue to be vice-chairperson.
The list of HEAC members was handed out and will be updated for the next meeting including recognizing the terms are three years from now on.
We verified the updated list of home school associations (attached).
The minutes of the May meeting were passed out at the meeting and approved with the following corrections:
We need a representative from the non-public schools - Jackie is having difficulty in getting a nomination letter.
The school districts should all have either practices or policies by now on how they relate to home schoolers. It is suggested a survey letter could allow the Department of Education to compile this information. Not only would it be useful to districts to know how others do it but it would be useful to homeschoolers to know how supportive their public school district is likely to be. Please develop your ideas for discussion at the next meeting.
Immunization records. It is unclear where records for home schooled students must reside. Elaine and Jackie will contact the Department of Health for undated information which may help.
Mike reviewed a list of concerns from some people who have contacted him (attached). In most cases when a district is found to be following an unlawful practice a call from Jackie should be and is all that's required to correct the situation. However in some cases they continue the unlawful practice - what is then the recourse? Jackie is not surprised that her calls don't always have the desired effect. We would like to meet our new commissioner and perhaps explore this question with her as well.
How we should communicate with the commissioner needs to be clarified.
What is the proper response if a home schooler turns in no evaluation or does not cooperate at all. "Written and substantiated evidence" should be prepared as provided for in the law and the rules.
Many home schoolers are notifying after August 1st. It makes record keeping difficult in that districts are not required to report those who notify after that date.
A statute was passed this year pertaining to dual enrollment (attached). How will this affect the way home schoolers relate to their local districts? Probably not much other than to encourage more cooperation.
When DCYS receives charges of educational neglect because a child is home during the day they determine whether a home schooling program is in place. If one is they stop further inquiries. Again the resonable safety net includes the superintendent's ability to bring "written and substantiated evidence" to the commissioner if necessary as mentioned above.
The next meeting will be held at the Department of Education in Room 15 at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, November 1, 1994.
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Dennis Wyman
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