But Kris, what if the kid is questioned, shows an ID card or whatever to show he's hs'ed, and then STILL taken in? The bottom line is that our kids aren't tied down to their schedules, nor should they be held accountable to their schedules.
Yes, we should not be treated any different. However, in some cities, homeschoolers and private school children are being forced to stay inside during public school hours 8:30 to 3:30. This means homeschools and private schools are also made to follow public school holidays. Quote From Article: Homeschoolers, kids who attend private schools on different schedules than the public schools are targets to be stopped. Even public school kids within the same district who might be on year round schedules (or visa versa) will be detained with the assumption of guilt until proven innocent. In these cases, ID does not matter. You will have to prove it in court.
Kris, I see no prob with the police stopping the kids and checking on them, that makes perfect sense, i mean after all they arent physic, but as long as they have an id, and are not causing prob. it should be fine. Im not talking about sending them out on a joy ride for hours, im talking about an hour or two for errands, or a science project, or and hour or two at an art museum. It is bad enough we have to pay taxes that go to the public school, now they want us to follow their same robot schedule, and sorry, but it just doesnt work that way to me. If i have taken on the task of educating my child then let me do it. They are mine, not the states! I bore these dc, and i would lay down my life for them, and i dont like the states assumption that they know how to better care for my dc than i do? Why on earth would it be safer for a dc to be out at 4pm vs 10 am??? I mean at least most people are at work at 10am, not out driving home etc. JMO
I was thinking the library, too. But I doubt the police would confront a kid there unless they had a call from someone. And the children and teen librarians where we go regular KNOW my kids by name, know who I am, know we homeschool so I doubt there'd be a problem. And (assuming my kids aren't running around causing trouble!) if an officer would confront them in the library when I wasn't around, I've no doubt they would support my kids.
If you join hslda there is a question that refers to whether or not your kids are left alone. Personally, in the 13 years that I homeschooled, I did not allow my kids to walk the streets without me being present. I figured it would bring a lot of attention if my kids were gallavanting around during school hours. The only time my kids were out and about was when they were 14 and 16 and they walked two blocks with their guitars in their cases to the guitar teachers house. It was pretty obvious what they were doing when they were carrying their guitars and I would only allow them to walk, weather permitting. We live in a small town and what they dont know about you, they will make up. It's a small zoo and we have one of each of them. When my kids finished their school work I allowd them to play in our back yard. I do not like the idea of restricting anyone's freedom of movement.
See, Katie that is exactly the kind of thing im talking about, walking 2 blocks to a lesson. I mean, some state trooper could have been just passing through, saw your boys and thought, hey, look at these punks, they must be running away to start a band. now, i see no issue like i said about checking on the kids, but unwarranted harrassing and taking to headqters is rediculous. A simple call to parent should resolve the issue either way. I mean, any kid could wear a bracelet that says they are homeschooled, but if you call the parent and they tell you yes, you are permitted to be where you are, then that should be it. Like the library, that should be no issue, IMO
You know, if a Black person was in a predominately white area and a cop decided he "looked suspicious", stopped and questioned him, it would REALLY hit the fan! Yet that's what they're doing with our kids. No difference. They decide that these kids should be somewhere else and have no business where they are when they're there.
A couple of reasons FOR my dc being out during ps hours... ) *disclaimer*: this was just for 'us' LOL We hsed our two older dc in CA. We lived on a very quiet street and the neighborhood was wonderful.....that is important to know. *Everyone* knew our two dc were hsed. Part of our teaching stewardship, fellowship and charity involved our dc 'doing' things for our elderly neighbors and others. Both of our dc did yardwork, helped carry in groceries/items etc for those who loved the help (not to mention how much joy it gave some of these folks to have some *yungins* to talk with once in a while LOL) Our dc took in mail, newspapers, deliveries etc when people were on vacation or ill. They delivered baked goods etc to those farther away than our immediate neighborhood and were therefore often 'out and about'. Our dd ran a dog walking service for a number of people. It began when she was only old enough to be allowed to walk them up and down the street and her area grew as she did ) Most of these things occured during ps hours esp since I would not have had them out like that after dark 'anywhere'.......... There were many other occasions for them to be out but these were things that were hard to argue with when other people wanted to know how I justified not keeping my kids locked up indoors at all times. I kept my dc safe, they were not running wild, but even if they had gone to parks etc when older...they had good heads on their shoulders KWIM? OK, sorry for the soap box feel to this, just wanted to offer a pov...And I do not think that dc should be out running around alone in these days and times...... For His Glory! Sherri
I see ps kids punkin around all the time. Screaching up and down the street on recess and lunches in their cars, etc. Before they regulate whether or not hs-ers can be seen in public during school hours they need to regulate the ps kids who are getting into trouble.
But how do they tell the difference? Obviously, if they're getting in trouble, they should be dealt with regardless of homeschooling or not. But if they're NOT getting in trouble, how do they know if they're truant or not?
I really can't imagine that anyone would look at my two boys who are very clean cut carrying guitar cases and mistake them as punks. I think you can usually tell which kids are gangstas and which are clean cut kids.
Around here it doesn't matter if children look like punks or clean cut kids. If they are caught out and about during the "public school" curfew, without parental supervision, they are questioned or hauled in. Looks can be deceiving. A perfect example would be of a lady, in her 20s, who was clean cut and walking down the street. The officer thought she was a teen and took her in. After she proved her age, she was released. Still, she shouldn't have had to go through this and her clean cut appearance made no difference. The officer thought she was truant and he was ready to charge her.
I'm sure your children are good kids. However, children who commit crimes look like your children, your neighbors children, and my children. The curfew laws are for all minors under the age of 17. If the police only stopped children who were not considered "clean cut", they could be accused of police profiling.
I have mixed feelings about this one. Idealogically/politically, I despise the idea of government imposing on a law-abiding citizen's right to be wherever they want to be, when they want to be there. That is too Big Brother-ish for me. Yet, I do understand how such a law would make life easier for law enforcement officers. I took my kids with me to a small coffee house last week. It was early in the morning, and I was meeting friends, as we do occasionally. This particular set of friends all send their kids to school, but even though there aren't other kids to talk to, my boys love going to the coffee house with me. They bring their schoolwork, work at their own table and sip hot chocolate while I chat with my friends. But you should see the looks they get sometimes when we're there! No one has ever said anything, but they sure do look at them--and me--like they want to ask why they're not in school. I used to let my kids go ride their bikes on play breaks or lunch breaks, but I've stopped doing that because too many nosy neighbors (and UPS guys, FedEx guys, etc.) stopped to ask them why they weren't at school. I do NOT like strangers approaching my children like that, so even though it's a quiet, safe area, I only let them play in the back yard if it's before 3:00. And yeah, part of me resents that, because it isn't fair that we have to limit them in that way. But, whoever said life is fair?
Did she not have her ID on her? Which I could see if she was out jogging or something. I think I'd be having fits with that one!!!
We live in a small town of 600 and EVERYONE knows us, so, like I said, I truly don't believe anyone would hassle my kids.
Police do profile whether it be age or color of skin. If they got a tip of a suspect who was a white male wearing jeans, well, every white male wearing jeans would be questioned. Unfortunately, that is what they do!
Yes. The fact that we're discussing this at all shows them profiling those that they think should be in school. I mean, I GUARANTEE you they're not going to pull me over because they feel I should be in school!
I think they should just not pick on home schoolers, they should target all school age kids if they need to question them as to why they are not in school. That being said, a police officer would not know if a kid was home schooled or in ps unless the home schooler was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Home Skoold", so I find it hard to believe that hs kids could be singled out in public. They could be singled out in a written law though.
I think I'm on the "wrong" side of the fence with this one too If there wasn't a problem then someone wouldn't be pushing for the curfew. Obviously in the towns that are creating these rules, they've had enough problems with truancy (and the resulting crime/vandalism/whatever) and it's gotten to the point where they are having to deal with it in a manner that's going to inconvenience some to better the whole. Yes, I believe that I should have the freedom to let my son play outside if he is taking a day off, or needs a break. Unfortunately there are many times we are inconvenienced because of the actions of others. A prime example would be the multitude of complaints I hear about how long it takes to get through security in an airport these days. We have to take off our shoes, bring tiny amounts of cosmetics and lotions, etc. But the minute a criminal causes a problem or endangers passengers the same people are screaming that "someone should have done something". Perhaps the best solution for these townships that are having to go this route would be for the police station to issue an "official" i.d. to those of us who are in a different situation. It's too easy for a p.s. student who is skipping school to learn to say "I'm a homeschooler". Just saying that shouldn't be enough. If I were the police I wouldn't believe it either without proof. But how hard would it be for a local homeschool group to coordinate with the police to make an official stamp on a small card you could laminate? I'm sure that the police don't want to waste manpower and money on issues like this either and would appreciate the community involvement. And if they don't, the issue should be raised respectfully at community meetings with solutions ready. I may be biased because I live in a fairly high crime-rate county and I really feel for the police who are having to deal with way too many issues, especially with the cutbacks and layoffs. But rather than feeling that no one should infringe on any of our rights, perhaps we can help come up with ways to assist them in making our communities safer so that there is no need for more and more restrictions.
