Posted by Howard Richman on November 10 2005 at 20:25:20:
Martha Raffaele, AP education writer, has filed a news story about the signing ceremony. Here´s a selection:
HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania´s public schools will have to open their sports teams, drama clubs, marching bands and other extracurricular activities to home-schooled students starting Jan. 1 under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Ed Rendell.Howard"To deny these girls and boys the opportunity (to participate) is wrong," Rendell said as nearly 40 home-schoolers and their parents looked on during a bill-signing ceremony....
Sen. Bob Regola, a freshman legislator who sponsored the Pennsylvania bill said he became aware of the debate when several home-school parents approached him at his first campaign event.
"I said I would definitely support home-school legislation if I became a senator," said Regola, R-Westmoreland. "These parents pay taxes just like everyone else."
Among the home-school families in attendance were Alison Weber, 58, and her daughter Samantha, who had her soccer ball autographed by Rendell, Regola, and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer, a co-sponsor of the bill.
The Webers live in the Freeport Area School District in Armstrong County, where Samantha´s older brother, Zachary, unsuccessfully petitioned the local school board to allow him to play high-school soccer in 2002. Samantha, 13, is hoping to play soccer at the high school next year.
"I just really like to play soccer, and I want to get involved," Samantha said....
Rendell said he expects local school districts will apply consistent standards for home-schoolers´ extracurricular participation.
"It doesn´t mean that a home-school parent´s son who wants to play in the band can play in the band if he plays off-key. ... They have to compete just like everyone else in the school," Rendell said....