"...It is the furthest that any network has gone to try to discredit homeschooling. To suggest that parents need criminal background checks to homeschool their children goes beyond the pale of anything that has been done before. I don't think even the National Education Association (NEA) would go as far as this piece did."- Marc Morano, CNSNews.com

"In a way, the fact that we are facing attacks such as the CBS report is a compliment. Homeschooling is now big enough to matter. It is no longer marginalized; it merits real attention."- Stacy McCain, Washington Times

"I was surprised that there was no sociological method applied to the report. There were no statistics at all. The evidence they presented was purely anecdotal. Strangely enough, CBS did not seem to be aware that they were not using valid methods." - Stacy McCain, Washington Times

"We have shown that the homeschooling community is networked. We do share information and work together when there is a direct threat to homeschooling. We are not sacrificial lambs..."       -Hal Young, President, NCHE

"We were unaware of the content of this specific news segment when the advertising spots were purchased several weeks ago. We pulled out advertising spots from the second portion of the news story." - Claritin, Consumer Relations

"As members of Congress who homeschool our own children or support the rights of parents to homeschool, we were deeply offended by the recent 'Eye on America' dealing with homeschooling" - Congressman Akin and Signers

"...Homeschool law and monitoring mechanisms allow persons who maltreat children to maintain social isolation in order for the abuse and neglect to remain undetected...It is not known how widespread the problem is. It has never been investigated in a comprehensive way." -Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News

On October 13, 2003 the homeschool community was shocked by a national CBS Evening News report called "The Dark Side of Homeschooling." The story was a compelling, if unfair, representation of homeschooling as a method of hiding severe child abuse. Even more frightening, the report indicated that the solution for the problem lay in greater governmental control of the homeschooling parents. However, the real story here is not the media bias of CBS. The real story lies in the fascinating events that followed and in the lessons that the homeschooling community can learn from this unprecedented media attack.

In case you missed (or forgot) the report, here is a short recap, based on observation of the report as well as transcripts found on the official CBS website. In the report, Dan Rather and CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales presented a grim picture of "homeschooling" fatalities in our nation. The first night focused on the Warren family, a former homeschooling (truant) family in NC who came home one day to find their three children dead as the result of a tragic murder-suicide. The squalid conditions of the home and the suspected abuse of the children served as ample illustration, the report indicated, that homeschooling was dangerous, if left unregulated.

This idea was supported by comments from Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens, a representative of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute and a member of the state's Child Fatality Task force which reviewed the Warren Case. Her comments suggested that the problem here was really homeschooling and the lax laws that allowed parents to homeschool without any kind of criminal background checks. The Warrens had been previously convicted of child abuse in Arizona, where they had also homeschooled, the report stated.

"I think there's so little supervision [from state officials] that we are really not protecting these kids." Herman-Giddens said. She further suggested that North Caroline's lenient homeschool laws "allow persons who maltreat children to maintain social isolation in order for the abuse and neglect to remain undetected."

The first night's report ended with a tantalizing invitation to view more homeschool abuses the following night, suggesting that the problem was too large to be covered in just one report. "Homeschooling parents say that they are watching the children," the announcer dramatically intoned, "but who is watching the parents?" Viewers were then urged to watch the second report which was given the provocative title "Home Schooling Nightmares."

Scary stuff. Quite appropriate for the Halloween season in which the reports were aired.

The second night focused on a handful of other homeschooling abuse cases. Andrea Yates, the mentally-ill young mother who drowned her five children in a bathtub, was touted as one of the examples, even though only one of her children was of legal school age. Two other child fatality cases were trotted out and one other instance of abuse was mentioned. Statistics were never given, but the reporter darkly suggested that "dozens" of these cases had been uncovered by their intense investigation of homeschooling parents across the entire nation in the past few years.

Dr. Herman-Giddens appeared again, this time with a slightly more moderated message. "The genuine homeschoolers are doing a great job with their children, "she said, adding sadly, "but there is a subgroup of people that are keeping them in isolation, keeping them from the public view because children often do have visible injuries."

According to the CBS reporter, "It's hard to know how widespread abuse might be because the government doesn't keep track." After this implication that CBS had no verifiable statistics simply because homeschooling parents, aided by a trusting government, were so clever at concealing their crimes, the reporter added his own diagnosis of the problem: in most cases, "parents need virtually no qualifications to homeschool. Not one state requires criminal background checks to see if parents have abuse convictions."

The only comments from the homeschooling community that were presented in the two reports were small sound bites from Hal Young, the President of North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE). Hal Young tried to defend the homeschooling cause in the brief amount of air time allotted to him. He reminded the public that these cases were in no way representative of the homeschooling community at large. The CBS reporter even threw in a mild disclaimer or two to that effect. However, buried beneath the emotional images of dead homeschooled children and the haunting warnings of Child Fatality experts, these comments were easy to disregard.

"The CBS piece was unusual by any network standards," said Marc Morano, Senior Staff Writer for CNS News.com. In an interview with TOS, he explained, "It is the furthest that any network has gone to try to discredit homeschooling. To suggest that parents need criminal background checks to homeschool their children goes beyond the pale of anything that has been done before. I don't think even the National Education Association (NEA) would go as far as this piece did."

The report had an immediate and far-reaching effect. Those who were not familiar with homeschooling began to look askance at their homeschooling acquaintances, wondering if they, too, were part of the mysterious "sub-group" of abusive parents. Some homeschooling parents began to face tough questions from concerned friends and relatives who had viewed the program. Some legislators began to reconsider the effects of their states' homeschooling laws. "The report raised questions in the minds of those who had not thought of this aspect of homeschooling before," said Hal Young.

However, there were positive effects as well. The homeschooling community began to come together in unexpected ways in the face of this onslaught. We learned to more clearly define our positions, and we learned a great many other lessons as well.

WE LEARNED THAT HOMESCHOOLING IS BECOMING MORE NEWS WORTHY

The past year, more than 700 articles have been published nationwide about homeschooling. This is in addition to the many media reports on television and radio. Homeschooling, which was once considered an oddity fit only for the feature page, has found a national audience.

Stacy McCain, assistant national editor for the Washington Times, a large newspaper based in our nation's capital, is in a good position to view the media world. McCain is a homeschooling father who was chosen to speak in Virginia this past fall at the National Christian Homeschool Leadership Conference. His topic was "The Media, the Culture, and the Homeschooler." In an interview with TOS, McCain offered this comment: "In a way, the fact that we are facing attacks such as the CBS report is a compliment. Homeschooling is now big enough to matter. It is no longer marginalized: it merits real attention."

But, as Hal Young can testify, the attention is not always positive. Young was suspicious about the CBS report even as he was being interviewed. "It was plain from the way the interview was conducted that the piece was already planned," he said. "They were just looking for a sound bite from me to try to make the piece look balanced." The Youngs were warned by CBS, before the piece aired, that they would probably not be happy with the report.

I interviewed Hal Young and his wife Melanie at their church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The church, which is attended by several homeschooling families, was having a dinner on the grounds that day. As I interviewed Hal, I looked at the families around me: children dressed in their Sunday best were talking and playing in the church yard. The sounds of children playing the piano wafted from the church windows. Fathers were wiping the messy faces of toddlers who had feasted too well, and mothers were zealously guarding little ones from straying into danger. Melanie sat across from me on the porch, casually nursing the youngest of her six sons as we talked about the media storm into which their family had been tossed. I could not help wondering if Vince Gonzales knew that this soothing scene was more representative of the homeschooling community than what the CBS report portrayed.

The CBS report brought the Youngs into the media spotlight in a way that they never expected when they began homeschooling ten years ago. When Hal is not out defending the rights of homeschoolers everywhere, he is a mild-mannered electrical engineer and homeschooling father who is serving his first term as NCHE president. His wife, Melanie, who chose homeschooling as a research project for work toward a Master's degree in Elementary Education, is also on the NCHE board.

Hal was pleased at the response to the report from conservative sources. He and his organization received offers of help from the John Locke Foundation and the Rutherford Institute. In addition, World Net Daily, CNS News.com, American Family Radio, Lifeway.com, Crosswalk.com, the Cato Institute, and numerous other print, radio, and internet media outlets presented portrayals of both the success of the homeschool movement and the unfairness of the CBS attacks. "We are gathering goodwill with both hands," Hal said, "and that cannot be bought."

WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE HEAR ON THE NEWS.

Just after the first CBS report aired, Melanie Young got a phone call from Vince Gonzales, the reporter who conducted the interviews for the report. In the course of the conversation, Melanie asked Vince Gonzales why the report had not mentioned the fact that the NC Department of Social Services department had been in contact with the Warren family numerous times before the death of the children, indicating that this tragedy was a result of the failure of the DSS to intervene rather than that of lax homeschool laws. According to Melanie, Mr. Gonzales replied that he was well aware of the involvement of DSS, "but that was not the story that we were trying to tell."

As a journalist, Washington Times correspondent Stacy McCain felt the CBS broadcast lacked many of the elements that one would expect of competent reporting. "I was surprised that there was no sociological method applied to the report." McCain said. "There were no statistics at all. The evidence they presented was purely anecdotal. Strangely enough, CBS did not seem to be aware that they were not using valid methods."

In case you are still concerned about the CBS report, here are some other small facts that the reporters left out. Note these statistics culled from the Child Maltreatment Study 2001: Summary of Key Findings prepared for the children's Bureau by Walter R, McDonald and Associates, Inc. The study was based on information collected through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

· In 2001, there were more than 3 million referrals made to various Child Protective services organizations nationwide. Of these more than 3 million allegations of abuse, only about ¼ resulted in findings of actual abuse. Nearly 903, 000 children were found to be maltreated in that year. Most were children under school age. Compare that figure with "dozens" of homeschool abuse cases CBS claims to have found over a period of several years. Guess where the rest were going to school.

· Eighty-five percent of child fatalities occurred in children under the age of six- before they would even attend school Would anyone dare suggest that ALL parents be given background checks before taking home an infant from the hospital? Would anyone dare argue that all infants and preschool children, the age-group most at risk, be put in day care settings in order to be monitored and protected from potential parental abuse?

· About 16% of suspected child abuse cases are reported by teachers, though the data do not make clear how many of these reports came from teachers of pre-school aged children where abuse more frequently occurs. Another 43% of abuse allegations were made by family members, neighbors, and members of the community (who still have access to homeschooling families). The rest were made by doctors, police officers, social workers, and other professionals who are as likely to see homeschooled children as they are other children.

· According to the most recent figures from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), there were 47 "school-associated violent deaths" in the 1998-1999 school year. Thirty-eight were homicides. In addition, there were "about 700,000 non-fatal violent crimes" reported at schools. In fact, a study conducted by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1993 determined that 25% of public school kids had been victims of violence at or near their public schools. Did the kind and watchful eye of school officials protect THESE kids from abuse and dangers that they never would have faced at home?

WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

By the time the first report aired on that Monday, NCHE had alerted their members and other homeschooling organizations nationwide about the upcoming report. Word spread throughout the homeschool community. By Tuesday morning, NCHE had posted CBS contact numbers on their website. CBS was promptly flooded with calls and emails from homeschool parents and their supporters.

By Tuesday afternoon, the phone number at the CBS-LA bureau had reportedly been disabled. That same afternoon, Gonzales personally called Melanie Young and asked her to change the contact numbers on the website and to remove his email address. Melanie politely explained that they had obtained the information legally and refused to delete the information.

"We have shown that the homeschooling community is networked," Young commented. We do share information and work together when there is a direct threat to homeschooling. We are not sacrificial lambs. We won't take these attacks lying down."

Also, as a result of pressure from the homeschool community, Claritin removed their ads from the second broadcast. In a response, a representative of the Claritin Consumer Relations department stated in a letter: "We were unaware of the content of this specific news segment when the advertising spots were purchased several weeks ago. We pulled out advertising spots from the second portion of the news story."

"The response from the homeschool community was unbelievable," said CNS News staff writer, Marc Morano. "The decision by Claritin to pull ads from the second part was unprecedented. CBS clearly did not expect this. CBS found that that their actions do have consequences."

We tried to contact CBS regarding the homeschool response to the report, but they refused to grant an interview or to even acknowledge the interview request.

WE LEARNED THAT WE HAVE POWERFUL ALLIES

One of the most amazing results of the CBS broadcast was the way that we saw United States legislators come to the aid of the homeschooling cause. On October 22, 2003, U.S. Congressman Todd Akin fired off a letter of rebuke to the President of CBS News, Andrew Heyward. The letter was signed by Akin, himself a homeschooling father, and 32 other members of Congress (see "Homeschool Friendly Legislators" sidebar at the bottom).

The letter stated in part: "As members of Congress who homeschool our own children or support the rights of parents to homeschool, we were deeply offended by the recent "Eye on America" dealing with homeschooling...Rather than focusing on such a rare and remarkable case in a report on homeschooling. CBS News could have done itself and its viewers a great service in reporting the success parents have in educating their children at home. Instead, you chose to take a handful of tragic incidents and, from them, cast aspersions on the entire homeschool movement. Your report was unfair and indicative of both bias and ignorance. We sincerely hope reporting of this kind is the exception and not the rule at CBS News."

Marc Morano feels that the letter is another indication of the growing voice of conservatives who are tiring of the bias found in some media sources. "About the same time that CBS received this letter, they also were receiving a crushing response from the conservative community about a biased representation of Ronald Reagan that they planned to air-and have since pulled. CBS is finding that, when you go after cultural institutions with smear tactics and half-baked truths, there will be a reaction."

Though CBS would not reply to us, they did reply to the Congressional letter. However, the reply, when it did come, was neither apologetic nor remorseful. We obtained a copy of the letter from Congressman Akin's office. In order to present a CBS response to the charges leveled against them, we are quoting part of the letter here. Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News, strongly defended the segment entitled "The Dark Side of Homeschooling." To read his letter to Congress, see our current issue, Winter, 2004 of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. It may surprise you!

WE LEARNED THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR HOMESCHOOL LEADERS

"The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority over us," Melanie Young said. "I never really understood why until now. However, sometimes those in leadership are required to face challenges or make decisions on their own. There is not always time for a board meeting or a phone chain appeal. We need to pray daily for our pastors and our support group leaders on all levels. People don't always realize the impact of even the simplest decisions that these leaders need to make."

Melanie was also eloquent about the support that they received during the trying weeks following the CBS interview. "We got many emails of support and encouragement from South Africa to Alaska. People will never realize how much that meant to us during that time. Leaders need that kind of encouragement."

WE LEARNED THAT WE NEED TO BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE MEDIA

According to Hal Young, the attitude of the media to homeschooling had gradually shifted over the years. "Twenty years ago, the media was asking, 'Is this legal?' Fifteen years ago, they were asking, 'Is homeschooling effective?' In the past ten years, the question has been, 'Can homeschoolers function normally?' All that has been proven. Now some members of the media are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are asking, - What can we find wrong with homeschooling?"

Hal admits that he is necessarily a little wary of the media now. "We need to realize that there are people out there who do not trust us to raise our own children," he said.

"This should be a wake-up call for homeschooling parents in our nation to guard our freedoms." Melanie Young added. "There are many who do not know or remember how hard these freedoms were to gain. We have enemies. Lots of people disagree with homeschooling because they don't want us to pass on our own values to our children who may then one day grow up to fight against their agenda."

The CBS report has shown to us how just how fragile these freedoms can be. We, as a homeschooling community, need to be more aware of the potential blessings and banes of the media in today's world. We need to become more active about getting out the positive messages of the good aspects of homeschooling. We need to be more vigilant about responding to those who would distort the motives of homeschooling parents or try to persuade others to strip away our precious liberties.

We aren't suggesting that governmental regulations on the media be increased in order to prevent further media abuses. To suggest such a thing in the face of a few isolated examples of abusive or incompetent reporting would be illogical and ridiculous-almost as ridiculous as suggesting that homeschooling come under stronger governmental regulations because of a few tragic cases of child abuse nationwide. What logical person would suggest such a thing?

Does this also mean that we reject any negative message regarding homeschooling? Of course not. Fairness in journalism dictates that an issue be reported from all sides. There are many positives to report in homeschooling. But, like any human endeavor, there will be individual failures and flaws. However, we should demand accountability from those who distort the message and who offer solutions that restrict the homeschooling freedoms we hold so tenuously within our grasp.

For this effort, we need your help. Media Spotlight will become a regular feature in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine In future issues, we hope to spotlight more media issues that affect the homeschooling community. We want to prepare the homeschool community for the media challenges ahead. We want to highlight articles and programs which present homeschooling in a positive or balanced light. We also want to inform our readers about articles and programs which portray homeschooling unfairly, so that you can take whatever action you feel is appropriate.

Homeschool-Friendly Legislators

Below is a list of the thirty-three signers of the CBS letter drafted by Rep. Todd Akin to show support for homeschooling. These men and women deserve our thanks and we urge you, if you are in their district, to contact them and express your appreciation for their actions in defense of homeschooling rights. This is a list only of those who had the opportunity to sign the letter. It in no way implies that there are not others who are equally supportive.

W. Todd Akin (MO-2)
Phone: (202)-225-2561
Email: rep.akin@mail.house.gov

Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Phone: (202)-225-2731
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Peter Hoekstra (MI-2)
Phone: (202)-225-4401
Email: tellhoek@mail.house.gov

Trent Franks (AZ-2)
Phone: (202)-225-4576
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Stevan Pearce (NM-2)
Phone: (202)-225-2365
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John Sullivan (OK-1)
Phone: (202)-225-2211
Web: http://sullivan.house.gov/

Joseph R. Pitts (PA-16)
Phone: (202)-225-2411
Email: pitts.PA16@mail.house.gov

Robert B. Aderholt (AL-4)
Phone: (202)-225-4876
Email: robert.aderholt@mail.house.gov

Mike Pence (IN-6)
Phone: (202)-225-3021
Email: mike.pence@mail.house.gov

Jim Ryun (KS-2)
Phone: (202)-225-6601
Email: jim.ryun@mail.house.gov

Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Phone: (202)-225-2452
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21)
Phone: (202)-225-4211
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Darrell E. Issa (CA-49)
Phone: (202)-225-3906
Email: congressman.issa@mail.house.gov

Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46
Phone: (202)-225-2415
Email: dana@mail.house.gov

Mark Souder (IN-3)
Phone: (202)-225-4436
Email: souder@mail.house.gov

Marilyn N. Musgrave (CO-4)
Phone: (202) 225-4676
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Mark R. Kennedy (MN-6)
Phone: (202)-225-2331
Email: mark.kennedy@mail.house.gov

W.J. (Billy) Tauzin (LA-3)
Phone: (202)-225-4031
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John Shimkus (IL-19)
Phone: (202)-225-5271
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John A. Boehner (OH-8)
Phone: (202)-225-6205
Email: john.boehner@mail.house.gov

Lee Terry (NE-2)
Phone: (202)-225-4155 phone
Email:HYPERLINK "mailto:Email:talk2lee@mail.house.gov"talk2lee@mail.house.gov

Steve King (IA-5)
Phone: (202)-225-4426
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John N. Hostettler (IN-8)
Phone: (202)-225-4636
Email: john.hostettler@mail.house.gov

Donald A. Manzullo (IL-16)
Phone: (202)-225-5676
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Phone: (202)-225-3261
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Curt Weldon (PA-7)
Phone: (202)-225-2011
Email: curtpa07@mail.house.gov

Ed Whitfield (KY-1)
Phone: (202)-225-3115
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep /

Virgil Goode (VA-5)
Phone: (202)-225-4711
Email:HYPERLINK "mailto:Email:rep.goode@mail.house.gov"rep.goode@mail.house.gov

Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
Phone: (202)-225-2778
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Barbara Cubin (WY)
Phone: (202)-225-2311
Email:barbara.cubin@mail.house.gov

Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)
Phone: (202)-225-5136
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Roscoe G. Bartlett (MD-6)
Phone: (202)-225-2721
Email: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Zach Wamp (TN-3)
Phone: (202)-225-3271
Web: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Interviews

CONGRESSMAN TODD AKIN

U.S Congressman Todd Akin, a representative from the Second District of Missouri, wrote a letter rebuking CBS for their coverage of the homeschooling issue. The letter was signed by Akin and 32 of his Congressional colleagues (see Homeschool Friendly Legislators sidebar). Akin and his wife are long-time homeschooling parents themselves. Three of their six children have graduated high school while homeschooling; the other three are still being taught at home. Akin has a B.A. in Management Engineering. He also has a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Seminary. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2000 after serving 12 years in the Missouri House of Representatives. Let's go talk to him now.

TOS: Congressman Akin, as homeschool families, we truly appreciate your efforts on our behalf. I understand that your family homeschools. Could you tell me about your family and your own homeschooling experience?

Congressman Akin: My wife and I have been homeschooling for over 20 years. My wife first heard about homeschooling from a friend at church and was interested in the idea. At the time, I was on the board of our Christian school. When my oldest son was in first grade, he was the youngest boy in the class and we felt that he was not emotionally ready for that setting. My wife decided to give homeschooling a try. I was skeptical for the first six months-until I saw how well it was working. We have homeschooled ever since.

When our older kids reached high school age, we began to enroll them in college courses. They have each entered college with several semesters of college credits. My second son, Perry, was homeschooled all the way from kindergarten to college. Last summer, Perry graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was ranked 11^th in a class of about a 1000. Homeschooling has worked well for us.

There were others who were homeschooling in Missouri when we began, but there were no clear homeschooling laws on the books. Some homeschoolers began to face legal challenges and I got involved-one of the first things I ever did politically. We were able to get laws clarifying homeschooling rights about 1987. Later, I ran for a seat in the State House of Representatives and then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000.

TOS: What motivated you to write the letter to CBS?

Congressman Akin: When the CBS report was called to my attention, I saw what an obvious hit it was to the homeschooling cause. The piece was really offensive. I have good relationships with several of my colleagues who have a positive view of homeschooling, so I contacted them and asked them to sign the letter with me.

Some of the names on the list are fairly significant. Billy Tauzin is the Head of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. John Boehner is the Head of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

TOS: How is homeschooling generally viewed on Capitol Hill?

Congressman Akin: It is my impression that homeschooling is generally viewed favorably. I am more familiar with the Republican response, but they seem to be more friendly toward homeschooling than Democrats on the whole. I think the primary reason is that the National Teacher's Union (the NEA) is very anti-homeschooling and very supportive of the Democrats.

TOS: How do you view the future of homeschooling in this country?

Congressman Akin: The future is bright for homeschooling. I see it as one of the more encouraging movements in our country. I am seeing homeschooling become much more mainstreamed.

In my opinion, one of the main weaknesses in the homeschooling movement in the past has been the lack of athletic teams. Most school systems would discriminate against homeschool students who wanted to participate in sports. Many parents felt that they had to put their students in school in order to participate in sports.

I have been pleased to note the development of many new homeschool sports teams. I have seen some of these teams play very competitively with other schools. I think this is a good direction for the homeschool community.

TOS: Thank you taking the time to speak with us, Congressman Akin. We appreciate your efforts on Capitol Hill.

Readers, if you see a noteworthy television program or episode, a news special, an internet piece, or a written article in a national or important periodical, please let us know so that we can examine them for possible mention in future issues. You may contact us at Amelia@tosmag.com or Heather@tosmag.com . Please help us as we watch the media together.

Did you know…

1 That during the 2002-2003 school year, an estimated 1.7 million to 2.1 million K-12 level students, or 3-4% of the school-age population, were home schooled? (NHERI)

2 That in nearly every state, the number of children being educated at home is rising about 10% a year? (USA Today, Sept. 3, 2003)

3 That over 1,000 selective colleges have admitted homeschooled students? (NHEN)

4 That on average, homeschooled children outscore their public school counterparts by 15 to 30 percentile points on standardized achievement tests? (Dr. Brian Ray, Research Shows Good Things)

5 That the stereotype of homeschoolers as religious separatists or the offspring of New Age seekers has not been true for years? (USA Today, Sept. 3, 2003)

6 That research has found that only 35% of teaching mothers have a college degree or higher, yet their children score no higher on standardized achievement tests than those being taught by mothers without a college degree? (Charleston Gazette, Feb. 21, 2003)

7 That companies are learning homeschooling is a rapidly growing market that means business? The Census Bureau estimates some 30 million children could eventually stay home to learn. (J. Colby, CBS Evening News, Nov 9, 2002)

Copyright, 2004, The Old Schoolhouseâ„¢ Magazine.

Amelia Harper, TOS Magazine's News Correspondent, is a free-lance writer with over eight years of print journalism experience. She is a pastor's wife and mother of five who has homeschooled for over 15 years. She has a B.A. degree in English and has taught in schools on the elementary, secondary, and community college level. Her new literature curriculum, Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings will be published in May, 2004. For more information, please go to www.homescholar.org.

Heather Allen has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, concentrating on cognition and information processing, human learning and motivation, sensation and perception, and statistics. She also has 18 years experience as a Human Factors Engineer designing, analyzing, evaluating, and optimizing systems and processes with a focus on the human user. After serving as an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist in the United States Navy, she worked for Sandia National Laboratories for 11 years in the Statistics and Human Factors Department, the last six of which she held the distinction of Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. Heather left the laboratory to homeschool her children, and to embark on a consulting business. She has homeschooled her three children, Edward (11), Joseph (9), and Emily (6), for 7 years. www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.

 
Amelia Harper is author of Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings and a contributor to the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia. In November, she will be presenting a paper on "Worlds of Imagination in the Writings of Lewis and Tolkien" at a C.S. Lewis conference at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Watch for her review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which will be posted on the TOS website at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com in early December.