November 13, 1995
Greg White
Policy Office
PA Department of Education
333 Market St
Harrisburg PA 17126-0333
Dear Greg:
As you know, Susan and I were very pleased when, during our meeting with the Secretary of Education and Sean Duffy on September 19 in the Capitol Rotunda, Secretary Hickok designated you to look into and solve problems between the Department of Education and the homeschooling community. He made an excellent choice. We know that you are a strong friend of the family, and that as the person on the House Education Committee who wrote the bill, with the trust of both Representatives Joe Pitts and Ron Cowell, you know the home education law backwards and forwards.
Just the sort of problem which requires your intervention has come up. It threatens to blow up in December as increasing numbers of homeschoolers contact their state representatives in order to ask them to intervene. It also threatens the trust which has been building between Governor Ridge and the homeschooling community.
I refer to a BEC circular 8-95 on the subject "Age Limits for School Attendance" issued by Dr. Nobers, Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, on October 30, 1995. This BEC would change current procedure regarding homeschoolers in three detrimental ways:
1. Lowers Compulsory School Age. Previously the Department of Education position was that a student turning eight during the school year did not have to enter school or file a home education program affidavit until the beginning of the next school semester. (See the enclosed March 9, 1989, letter from Joseph Bard expressing this position.) This circular contradicts the Department's previous position.
2. Places New Entrants in First Grade. Previously if a child above age 6 would enter school the student would be placed by the school at the grade level appropriate to his or her ability. This circular substitutes a bureaucratic mandate that students entering school at age 8 be placed in First Grade. (Thus an 8- year-old child working at a third grade level is sentenced to two years of wasted time.)
3. Urges School Districts to Contact Parents of Seven-Year-Olds. Although there is no basis for such a statement in law or regulation, the circular urges school districts to contact parents to enroll their children at age 7. Specifically it urges districts to "notify parents of children who are not yet enrolled and are seven years old of the... [school] code and the school district calendar... [and] encourage, not require, a parent to enroll their soon to be eight year old child." We anticipate that these contacts will be perceived by homeschoolers as attempts to intimidate them.
The reasoning behind this circular may be this statement which appears in the circular, but not in statute:
The Department of Education recognizes the importance of early education as well as the difficulties a child may experience entering school for the first time at age eight.
This argument was rejected by the legislature when bills to lower the compulsory school age were introduced in the House and the Senate during the past two legislative sessions but died without passing either chamber.
Similarly, in response to our pre-election questionnaire, Governor Ridge went on record as opposing expansion of the compulsory school age. Our questions, and Governor Ridge's answers, were published in the PA Homeschoolers newsletter prior to the election. (Enclosed is a copy of Governor Ridge's campaign FAX and the page where it appeared in our newsletter.) His position on this issue contributed to homeschool support for him in the election. Specifically we asked him:
What are your positions on the proposals for lowering the compulsory school entrance age to age 6 and for raising the compulsory school age from 17 to 18?
He replied:
I do not support any changes in the state's compulsory attendance laws to either lower the school entrance age or raise the exit age. Pennsylvania's current entrance age requirement gives parents a great deal of freedom, as it appropriately should, as to when their child is ready to begin school. Maintaining the current law's requirements is consistent with maintaining that parental freedom.
Please give this matter your attention as soon as possible. I am sure that if Governor Ridge or Secretary Hickok knew about this Basic Education Circular they would have it rewritten immediately and replaced with one which is consistent with the law and with their belief in parental freedom. Please get back to me on this issue by November 30.
Sincerely,
Howard B. Richman, PhD
Enclosures:
1. March 9, 1989 letter from Joseph F. Bard
2. FAX from Tom Ridge
3. Page 2 from August 1994 PA
Homeschoolers Newsletter
cc
Sean Duffy
Members, Homeschool Liaison Committee to Dept. of Education
Dewitt T. Black III, Home School Legal Defense Assn.
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