Some key points on Homeschooling vs. Public Education

• Homeschoolers, on the average, out-performed their counterparts in the public schools by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects.

• There was no significant difference between minority and white homeschooled students.

• These findings show that when parents, regardless of race, commit themselves to make the necessary sacrifices and tutor their children at home, almost all obstacles present in other school systems disappear.

• Dr. Ray found the average cost per homeschool student is $546 while the average cost per public school student is $5,325.

• The 1998 study by Dr. Rudner of 20,760 students, found that eighth grade students whose parents spend $199 or less on their home education score, on the average, in the 80th percentile.

• Whether a state had a high degree of regulation (i.e., curriculum approval, teacher qualifications, testing, home visits) or a state had no regulation of homeschoolers, the homeschooled students in both categories of states performed the same. The students all scored on the average in the 86th percentile regardless of state regulation.

HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION

Obama is coming to YOUR HOUSE

Well, actually, his Obamacrats are:

It's all supposed to be voluntary, those 'home visits' that are tucked into the mammoth Obamacare bill.

If you have a strong stomach, and a stronger bottom, you can find home visitation on pages 568-595. That's Section 2951 of H.R. 3590, the Senate [health care] bill....

The bill provides for federal funding and supervision for this vast expansion of government intrusion into family life. This is the Nanny State on steroids. Is your family being 'targeted' for such home visitations?

Let's see if you fit into one of these very broad categories:

• Families where Mom is not yet 21. (No mention here whether she is married or not.)
  
  
• Families where someone is a tobacco user. (Does this include the White House? Watch out, Sasha and Malia! Does Grandpa, whom you love and have taken in, enjoy his after-dinner pipe?)
  
  
• Families where children have low student achievement, developmental delays, or disabilities.

As if that list were not wide-ranging enough, here's the net that can encompass tens of millions:

• Families with individuals who are serving or formerly served in the armed forces, including such families that have members of the armed forces who have had multiple deployments outside the United States.
  
  
• Do you spank your children? You should know that HHS bureaucrats think you are an abuser.
  
  
• Do you support the Second Amendment? How would you like HHS bureaucrats asking your children if you maintain firearms in the home for family protection?
  
  
• Do you home-school your kids? Take care. Members of Congress who have tried to abolish home-schooling are big backers of this health care bill. Do you wonder why?

One thing is clear: For life and liberty, we must defeat ObamaCare.

--columnist Ken Blackwell