Embracing Grace Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Hello! What do you think are the pros and cons of a homeschooler on a public school board? I have a first grader, and a three year old, and am committed to homeschooling for the long haul. It was suggested to me to try running for school board, and I just scratched my head.... I have strong feelings about education, as most homeschoolers do, and am wondering if it is an automatic disqualifier... I am just beginning to think through this, and would really appreciate some brain-storming feedback. :) :lurk5: Thank you in advance for your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverland Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 There was a homeschooler on our local school board a few years ago. I wish he was still there, because I think homeschoolers are more open minded. If I recall correctly, he was not voted out of office, but rather stepped down after serving for multiple terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) In the early '90's, our small town had a person representing a large group of homeschoolers (he was the dad) run for school board. It got very ugly with the local newspaper making him look horrible to the public. But he had the support of the homeschool group, Christian Coalition (political group) and many churches -- to the surprise of many teachers and locals, he won the election. I was an Elementary School teacher when he was elected and was terrified of having him come into my classroom to observe. Every quarter, the superintendent or school board member would arrive into all of our classrooms unannounced and stay to watch a lesson for 15-20 minutes and then leave quietly. I had heard many stories about this man from my teaching friends. We were all alarmed. Back then, there was a HUGE bias against homeschooling. Well, I discovered later that he was not a bad guy. He was very fair in his decisions regarding purchasing curriculum and budget issues. He never slammed us public school teachers and was PROFESSIONAL when he spoke personally to us -- he really wanted to know why we chose teaching as a career. He helped usher in a new charter school for K-8 students that was a classical model. I was impressed by the school and got hired as a result. Got introduced to Saxon Math, Writing Road to Reading, and met some really wonderful (former) homeschooling families who had their kids enrolled at our school. Years later, everyone loved the charter school once test scores were so impressive that we had state assemblymen come to our school and ask what we were doing. Again, the school board member was part of the delegation. He served many terms and finally retired to enjoy his grandchildren. HTH Edited May 22, 2012 by tex-mex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 If I had my kids in public school and would vote for school board, I would prefer board members with a vested interest, i.e. kids in school. I would not vote for people who choose for their kids not to attend the school (either homeschooling or sending them to private school) Homeschoolers can be great people, but I would question how much somebody believes in the "product" they are in charge of if they don't use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 There was a homeschooling dad on the school board here for quite some time. I think it's part of why there is such a positive feeling for homeschoolers among many higher ups in the public school system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embracing Grace Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Do you think it is valid to argue that since I am paying my property taxes and reside within the community that I automatically have a vested interest in our public schools? Thank you all for your replies, by the way. Keep them coming! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialClassical Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 On the one hand, if the the home school parent intends to place their children in the system at some point it could be seen as an investment in their own children and an interest in the welfare of all the children. On the other hand, if the parent never had a child in the system, never intends to use the system, and was never an active part of that particular system his/herself, I think it would be a very hard sell to the voters. My father recently asked me if my husband's brother might be interested in running for the school board. My brother-in-law has a daughter graduating from the local school this year. She was home schooled through 8th grade. His next daughter is currently home schooled, but will go into the system at some point. I think that while he could be seen as having an interest in the system, people will be offended that his current school-aged child is "too good" for the schools. That is just how some people think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama_Rana Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I think we all have a vested interest in the education system whether we are "using" it or not: this generation will be the ones taking care of us when we're old, making the laws that either help or hurt us, running the country when we no longer can. As a nation, we need to build a strong society of well-educated people capable of thinking through problems and coming up with solutions that help the most and hurt the fewest. Some of us choose to provide that education personally to our children in the home. Others are relying on an institution, public or a private, to do that. Even if you don't have experience directly with the local school system, doesn't mean you don't have ideas about education. It doesn't mean you can't care about the future of the children that ARE being education through the public system. If you choose to run, be prepared to answer the, "Why do you homeschool?" in a way that doesn't make it sound like you think the public system is failing and without any redeeming qualities. Approach it with the idea that you have some out-of-the-box ideas, and/or that you believe in public service and feel you have some value to add to the discussion, and/or .... I'm sure there are lots of ways to fill in that blank, but I'm tired. There was a local woman who ran for school board who was a homeschooler. I voted for her, even before we started homeschooling, because I thought maybe she would bring needed revitalization. [but I can't remember if she won; isn't that sad?] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Why not? In our state, we still have to report to the county school system. Shouldn't homeschoolers have an advocate at the table too? If the board is sitting around and coming up with (in their minds) perfectly reasonable local regulations for homeschoolers, it would be nice to have an actual homeschooler there to point out what's not going to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embracing Grace Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Thank you guys! I love hearing this... Sobering, but encouraging at the same time. I am currently trying to feel out the atmosphere and vibes in our school district, and discern what the major issues are. I've found a number of blogs on both sides of the fence, and things appear very obviously heated. I definitely feel out of my depth, and the animosity that is present between the various "factions" in our school district is alarming. I have a couple of friends deeply involved in this (one of them suggested I run), and I don't really understand why they mentioned this to me! I feel so innocent and naive about it all, particularly the highly charged negativity within. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I, too, was asked to run and my immediate reaction was to question whether anyone would vote for a homeschooling parent. But then I realized that not everyone on the school board has a child currently in the district (eg if your kids graduate should you be forced to retire?). Also, the school board should have diverse views--especially those of the taxpayer--the owners of the school system. Assuming your a taxpayer, you have a major vested interest in how your tax dollars are spent. We currently have a homeschooler on our school board. She was elected during an anti-levy sweep at the polls. Our district made national headlines for canceling sports after yet another levy failure. ESPN and another news network (can't remember if it was CNN) covered it. Enormously embarrassing for our community. Another current school board member also briefly homeschooled one of her kids and had another in a private school. She has called me to ask my advice on some issues. In Columbus, Ohio (our neighbor), one popular school board member was chased off the board b/c her child was in a private school. I may consider it in the future (but am looking more seriously at city council). I am extremely concerned about the direction of education in our community and think that is yet another reason why homeschoolers should be on school boards. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I was going to run. I was actually encouraged to run for school committee, and people knew I was a homeschooler. I pay taxes, I have my reasons as to why my children do not attend public school HERE in the town of which I reside. I had a daughter that went to the Regional Vocational School in our town(again, it is a Regional school, just happens to be located here), because the local high school in our town is in danger of losing its accredidation. Plus teachers are quitting left and right. So yes. I would run. If you pay taxes, you are supporting the school system. You should have some experience though, with the public schools. I did, as 2 of my kids went to the PS here for a few years and I pulled them out. In the end I didn't run. I didn't want the hassle of people getting all up in my business, or the ones who thinks homeschoolers are weird. But, I say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick_Mom Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Although I've never had an interest in being on the school board, I would support a homeschooler in that capacity. I used to attend school board meetings regularly. My vested interests were twofold: 1. I was a taxpayer. 2. My school board had the power to make decisions that affected homeschoolers. IMHO, it's hypocritical for a school district to collect taxes from a resident because "the schools are everyone's responsibility" but then try to exclude that resident from the school board because he homeschools. Who do they think "everyone" is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We recently had a homeschooler on our school board. He had a lot of support in the election from people who agreed with his platform if not is choice of education, but he....hmm, it wasn't homeschooling that made him look bad. :tongue_smilie: At the time the make up of the board was entirely retired people whose children had grown. Many had grandchildren, but the majority of their grandchildren where in charter or private schools. The argument that he didn't have a vested interest in the schools kind of fell flat due to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embracing Grace Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 I agree, Wendy, and I would have to address this issue with great care. I'm working on some definitive, well- refined, responses, and you guys have already helped me to focus in on some valid and important points. I am greatly intimidated, at this point, by the fact that not only will I have to prove that I am a good candidate, but I will have to publicly defend my choice to homeschool..... All the while treading a fine line between the two major factions at war within our district- the GOP and the Teacher's Union. Right now I'm waiting for some more feedback from the friend who mentioned this to me. She is very attuned to the current climate in our district, so I am just sitting still, but inwardly percolating. Thank you for all your input guys! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdrumm4448 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I also plan to run in the next election. I also have friends (homeschoolers)on school boards. School boards tend to make more moderate decisions when the board is comprised of a variety of individuals in the community, not just people with kids in that district. So, you should have retired people, business people, homeschoolers, public schoolers on the board. Two thirds of my property tax bill go to the schools. I would like to have more influence over how that money is spent. I would also like SSR instituted in the schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 My dh ran for the school board here, and there was a lot of negativity because of our hsing. But, our SB has a lot of issues, and I know that many of the members had opposing viewpoints from my dh, and they sort of led the attack against him. I think that any taxpayer should be concerned with what's happening in their local school, because whatever happens with the school & students effects the community, whether you have kids in ps or not. Plus, I always had dh tell people "We are currently hsing & plan to indefinitely, but you never know what will happen in life, and if we would need to send out dc to ps we also have a vested interest." Plus, we have a lot of friends whose dc are in the ps, and we do care about them & their education. And I really do feel that it's very hypocritical to say that a hsing parent shouldn't be on the board bc they don't have kids in ps, yet the majority of our board members are older & don't have any kids or grandkids in the ps! I say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristangrace Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Just read the OP, and skimmed some of the posts on the first page. My oldest kiddo was in public pre-school for a year, had a great relationship with her great teacher, and at the end of the year, when I told her that we'd start homeschooling in the fall, she really encouraged me to join the school board. They are required (I think) to have a certain number of the board selected from the community (i.e., who do not have children in the school), and she thought I'd be great. (I declined--did not have the time.) I don't agree, at all, with the idea that homeschoolers don't have a vested interest in the success of public schools. Good grief! How many cops, storekeepers, doctors, engineers, etc., are products of public schools? Isn't it VERY MUCH in my interest that they receive a good education. I would find it mildly insulting if someone were to imply that I don't care about my neighbors' children because I homeschool my own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Do you think it is valid to argue that since I am paying my property taxes and reside within the community that I automatically have a vested interest in our public schools? Thank you all for your replies, by the way. Keep them coming! :bigear: Absolutely. I would attend the current meetings if I were you. That way you will know what the issues are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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