Posted by Howard Richman on November 11 2005 at 08:57:19:
The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article about the ceremony by Dan Hardy. Here´s a selection:
Home-school parents "deserve our respect, and their children are entitled to be included in the activities of their school districts," Gov. Rendell said in a statement yesterday. "I found it disheartening that 221 of [Pennsylvania´s 501] school districts do not permit home-school children to engage in school sports, plays, clubs or other programs that promote good social values, integrate our communities, and clearly contribute to the positive social development of our children."HowardAfter signing the bill, Rendell gave the pen to Peter Hrycenko, of Allentown, who had led the lobbying effort over the last five years in Pennsylvania for the legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Bob Regola (R., Westmoreland). Hrycenko had successfully fought officials in the Allentown School District to have his son play high school soccer.
Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer (R., Blair), an advocate of the legislation who joined Rendell at the bill signing, said: "We should be diverse. We should get to know each other."...
Carol Rudloff, the mother of three home-schooled children in Bucks County´s Quakertown Community School District, was pleased with the law´s passage.
"I am glad. It´s great," she said.
Rudloff´s daughter Carrie switched from home-schooling to a cyber charter school two years ago so she could play on the soccer team. The state´s cyber charter students had already been allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.
"There are children that I know that have had to sacrifice playing football or other activities," Rudloff said. "This will open the door" for them.
James Newcomer, the Quakertown district´s assistant superintendent, said the district had not allowed home-schoolers to participate because "we believe that the activities are part of our overall program - that they should participate in our academics in order to participate in extracurricular activities."...
Susan Richman, a founder of Pennsylvania Homeschoolers, a support and advocacy group for home-schoolers based in the western part of the state, said that she did not expect "a stampede."
"Most home-school families have very busy lives already," she said.
Home-school parents and students have organized their own institutions, she said, including a series of coed home-school volleyball tournaments and, in the Philadelphia area, an annual Shakespeare play production.
Still, Richman said, "it will foster good relations... . What does it hurt? It may be a valuable interchange."