The home school contingent of parents and supporters are again making their demand for their children to participate in public school\u00a0 athletic activties.\u00a0 This request is not a new one as it has been on the list of proposed legislation in previous years\/sessions.\u00a0\u00a0 For the current session, the process began on September 6, 2011 when parents\/supporters of HB 2395 proposed by Delegate Richard Bell made their requests again to the House Education sub-committee.\u00a0 It has surfaced again this winter in the current session of the General Assembly along with a new attempt by Delegate Bell to affect high school athletics in Virginia.\u00a0 His new piece of legislation is HB 947 which, if passed in its current form, would deny\u00a0 school divisions to participate in a league (read VHSL) that does not allow home schoolers to participate in interscholastic sports.\u00a0 Please see Bet Neale’s January 30th blog for more information.<\/p>\n
The attempts by parents and this member of the General Assembly so far\u00a0have not been successful. Interscholastic sports activities in Virginia do not need this level of pressure placed by parents of non-public school students.\u00a0 Most recently, Dr. William Bosher, former State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia made his thoughts known about this issue.<\/p>\n
“High school athletics are a function of the public or private schools to which they are attached…no matter who pays.\u00a0 There is also the issue of recruitment. As a coach, I may love to have Tebow (a former home school student) but as Delegate Tata notes, high school athletics have never been a free agent system.\u00a0 As for priorities, home school families should fight for access to algebra and chemistry….not football and soccer.\u00a0 The General Assembly should take a knee on this one!”<\/p>\n