I never let my schooling interfere with my education  attributed to Mark Twain

It’s often heard by homeschoolers that others don’t know how we do something so difficult as homeschooling.  I’ve always said it is SO much easier.  We pick and choose what works best.  We don’t have someone looking over our shoulder, but maintain our own accountability instead. 

And we’re on our own schedule.

Our county extension staff member called me the other day to see if our kids wanted to participate in the 4-H Legislative Connection this year in the State Capitol (Springfield).  Of course - I - said: Absolutely!  I’ve been wondering when one of our kids would get a State Fair Superior rating on their projects, so that I they could go back to the Capitol for that fun adventure.  I wanted another Blissful Day.

The Illinois 4-H Legislative Connection enables 4-H members involved in Science, Engineering, and Technology to exhibit projects in the Capitol hallways. They can visit with elected officials and the general public about 4-H involvement. They will get to eat dinner in our unoccupied Governor’s Mansion, and scout around the Illinois governmental historical sites.  My Their dream come true.

Errr…I’d better ask the boys if they want to go to the Legislative Connection.

THANK goodness, they thought that would be ok.  We’ll have fun, and their dad gets to come too.

The crazy part is this March 9th event is smack dab in the middle of the 10 day ISAT testing window for all publicly schooled IL kids.  Many of the public schooled 4-Hers in the middle of "test week" will not be able to go to Springfield with their parents and visit legislators, see our Capitol, observe all the lobbyists standing with their cards in front of the big door, eat lunch in our unoccupied Governor’s Mansion, and see all the historic sites that will never be well explained out of a textbook or squirming in a desk chair. Unfortunately, those kids will be sitting in that same chair with a #2 pencil filling out oval spaces all day.

The 4-H Legislative Connection could have a mostly homeschooled population represented on March 9th.  Stupid tests.

If you’re available on March 9 and you’re an Illinois 4-Her, check out this information: 4-H Legislative Connection 

Following that, I caught this article about a NY teenager finding help with a Chicago attorney. Rhonda Mangus’ blog has rulings and more information about this educational neglect charge against this teen’s mother.

Chicago Attorney Lends a Helping Hand in Gay Teen Homeschooling Case

NEW YORK / CHICAGO — Since 2005, when Rhonda Mangus removed her then 13 year old son from classes at North Tonawanda High School in New York, it has been an uphill battle. Michael had identified as gay, and was bullied and subjected to the vitriol of classmates, and the apathy of school officials. When he received a written death threat, Rhonda no longer felt that he was safe within that setting. But she never dreamed that homeschooling him - with the approval of two physicians - would lead to her inclusion on the state’s child abuse registry.

Nothing suprises me anymore.  But she found help through friends:

This past winter, after a grueling battle, the Supreme Court of New York failed to amend the ruling, and Rhonda was left feeling defeated, ill served, and understandably cynical about the state’s system of justice. Now, however, fortune appears to be smiling on her: The Jay Paul Deratany firm in Chicago, IL, has come to her aid. That he is advising and assisting her pro bono seems almost a miracle. Mangus is seeking to have the ruling regarding her "child educational neglect" overturned , and considering a lawsuit against the county. In any case, her burden has been made lighter by the benevolence of Jay Paul Deratany.

When school bullying issues and ‘remedies’ became a side industry of the Edu-Industrial system, there is surely a huge problem needing a viable remedy.  I don’t think it revolves around bringing homeschoolers into the public school fold. 

I just like to take note of that here every so often.

Just sayin’: Homeschooling is “viable”