CHEWV

Category: Featured Articles

  • HB2777 Tabled For Now

    HB2777 Tabled For Now

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    HB 2777 was a well intended bill. It was introduced by Delegate Kathie Crouse, a staunch supporter of homeschooling and homeschool freedom, and originally endorsed by HSLDA and WVHEA during Home School Day at the Capitol.

    However, as the bill moved quickly through the House near the end of March, CHEWV looked more closely at the bill’s wording and felt concern about its potential ramifications. Delegate Crouse worked hard to keep the bill viable, but CHEWV believed there were just too many potential pitfalls that came with the bill.

    When HB 2777 was passed to the Senate, CHEWV prayerfully prepared to oppose the bill if it surfaced in the Senate during the last days of the session. In just a couple of days, HB 2777 appeared on the Senate Education Committee agenda. Late on Saturday evening, we called for homeschoolers to contact the committee members to voice their concerns with the “committee substitute for the committee substitute” for HB 2777.

    Many answered the call and contacted the senators. Sunday evening, HSLDA joined CHEWV in asking for opposition to the bill. Monday morning, a CHEWV board representative was on hand at the capitol to voice our concerns to the committee in person, if the need arose.

    Instead, we got news that the bill was being removed from the committee agenda. At this point, it seems unlikely that the bill will resurface during this session, but we will continue to monitor until the session comes to an end this Saturday.

    Thank You for Coming Alongside to Protect Homeschool Freedoms!

    We are thankful to everyone who has been praying and participating to defend WV homeschool freedoms — those who have prayed this entire legislative session, who prayed specifically about HB 2777, and who attended Home School Day at the Capitol to give legislators a face to associate with “homeschool.”

    We’re also incredibly thankful for those legislators who seek to do God’s will and govern in a way which gives God’s people freedom to live their lives as God has directed. And finally, we don’t forget those who have come before us and extended the boundaries of homeschool freedom to where they exist today.

    But first and foremost, we’re thankful to God for His faithfulness and guidance. We are not the hero of the story — God is. It is He who is at work within His people “to will and to work” according to His good pleasure. May praise and thanksgiving for His goodness fill our hearts, our lives, and our homes! “The Lord has done great things for us; and we are glad!” (Psalm 126:3)

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  • The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

    The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

    By Jeff Keaton

    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:10

    For some time now, I have been making the case that failure to teach children that God is the Creator of all things produces a lack of respect for and fear of God in our children and society at large. I will go so far as to say that even many in the church suffer from this malady.

    Perhaps one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me and my siblings was a healthy fear of God. From my earliest days, I knew that God was the ultimate source of authority and power in the universe. I knew that He had set an absolute standard to which we would be held accountable.

    I knew that if I were to reject His incredible offer of forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ, I would have to pay the full and horrible price for my sins. I knew there was a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. I knew that He wasn’t the man upstairs and that His Holiness was the guarantee of His justice and righteousness. I knew that He is high and lifted up, seated on a magnificent throne, surrounded by millions of beings who worship Him at every moment. We need a revival in our families, churches, and schools when it comes to who God is.

    Recently, I was reading through the book of Psalms, and came across some powerful words. Listen to these words in verses 6-9 of chapter 33. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

    Right after stating that He is the one who created all things by the word of His mouth, we are commanded to fear the Lord and stand in awe of Him. “For he spoke and it came to be!” When we recognize God as the Creator of all things, it does something to us. It produces a holy awe and respect for the Lord like nothing else.

    Perhaps this is why Satan has made the account of creation a main target of his attacks. If Satan can convince people that God did not create the world, he has then given them every reason to live however they choose. But, when we understand that God literally spoke the world and all its beauty into existence, it produces in us a reverence and great desire to worship this Creator.

    When I was a teenager, I was blessed to travel across America for three years in a singing group. One night, we were singing in the mountains of Virginia and were blessed to stay on a farm in the middle of nowhere. We found an old hay wagon and were laying on our backs looking at the night sky full of more visible stars than any of us had ever seen with the naked eye. We began to sing, “Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed: Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art!” 

    We were just teenage boys, but God’s awesome presence settled down on us, and we knew that a God who could speak the galaxies into existence was a God to be loved, feared, and adored.

    In secularized forms of education, children are never taught to reverence and fear the Lord because they are never taught who He really is and what He has done. Without a proper fear and understanding of the Lord, our children will never surrender their lives to Him, or at best, they will offer Him some small portion of their lives and loyalty. Christian education in the family, church, and school is essential because it instills in the hearts and minds of our children a deep sense of who God is and why He is worthy of our devotion and lives. In verses 18-19 of Psalm 33, we read these words: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”

    God has a special place in His heart for those who fear Him, those who recognize Him for who He really is. As we give our children a proper fear and respect for the Lord, their hope for a wonderful life increases immensely because they will listen to God, follow His direction, and come under His special blessings.

    _______________________________________________
    Jeff Keaton is the founder and chairman of RenewaNation, an organization that promotes a Christian worldview in education. Looking for a follow-up to CHEWV’s reThinking Education? We recommend the practical and inspiring Biblical Worldview available from RenewaNation!

  • Call for New Homeschool Regulations

    Call for New Homeschool Regulations

    CHEWV has been seeing news articles calling for new homeschool regulations in West Virginia nearly every week! Some information in them is legitimate but misplaced; other tidbits are downright frightening. Altogether, it’s evidence that there is a real and concentrated effort to further regulate homeschooling in the upcoming legislative session. Let’s start with one of the frightening quotes.

    “School provides much more these days than academics. It’s a place where kids get food, medical care and in some cases clothing, ” stated Kimberly Miller, president of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators and Ohio County Superintendent, on September 18th’s Metro News Talkline. Miller continued, “I feel that the school is all-encompassing, we are taking care of the whole child, not just academics…” That’s Miller’s reasoning for having eyes on homeschoolers each year.

    Surely parents assume that this role is theirs –  that parents make choices for their children including where they are schooled and how they are educated, as well as what they are fed, what they wear, and what medical care they receive and from whom.

    Who IS Accountable For The Care of Children?

    Think about the implications of Superintendent Miller’s statement. If one accepts the premise that the public school system, instead of the parents, takes “care of the whole child,” then it might follow that all children, including homeschoolers, private school students, IIP students and others, should be on the radar screen of the public school on a regular basis so that school administrators can make sure they are safe and well. If the school system sees itself as being responsible for ALL children, they see their role extending into the homes, regularly evaluating the fitness of parents and ensuring the wellbeing of the children. Accordingly, Miller concludes that if school districts are going to be held accountable for all students [including homeschoolers], then they need to have personal contact with those students.

    Unlike Miller and other school administrators, we do not believe that the school system is accountable for students who are not public school students. We don’t even believe that they are accountable for public school students beyond academics and safety during the time that they are at the school. Ultimately, whether attending public school or not, all parents remain accountable for their own children.

    Therefore, if parents don’t choose the public school for the educational component of their own child’s upbringing, the school system has little accountability for that child.

    Regulations for Privately-Homeschooled Children

    WV homeschools are legally required to provide certain documents to the public school system: notice of intent to provide home instruction, assurance that the child will receive instruction in certain general subjects, and roughly triennial submissions of academic assessment results.

    In turn, the superintendent (or a designee) necessarily must track whether homeschool parents/guardians are timely submitting required academic assessments. If assessment results are not submitted, county school officials can follow up to determine why.

    If the failure to timely submit the assessment is not excusable, then the county can request information to ensure that the homeschooled student is being academically assessed and instructed in the required subjects. Thereafter, when supported by a probable cause showing of educational neglect, the superintendent may petition a circuit court to deny home instruction. The circuit court may grant such a petition upon clear and convincing evidence that “the child will suffer neglect in his or her education” or “other compelling reasons to deny home instruction.”  [WV Code 18-8-1(c)(2)].

    Everything in the homeschool law is about ACADEMICS: instruction, academic progress, academic assessments, and educational neglect. The county’s interface with homeschoolers is legally intended to be all about academics – not an “all encompassing” in-person annual evaluation of child welfare.

    What About Abused Children?

    The recent news stories about children who have been abused are tragic. Thankfully, there is a state agency that ensures the protection of children. However, it is not the school system – it’s Child Protective Services (CPS). CPS received reports on, and did investigations in the homes of both Raylee Browning and Kynnedi Miller.

    If school administrators want to focus on the welfare of non-public school children, they should work to make CPS more effective at identifying and appropriately handling cases of child abuse. Certainly, abuse does happen – even within public schools by public school personnel. In fact, a frightening amount of abuse happens in the school system, both at the hands of school personnel as well as through peer bullying. Allegations of abuse of all sorts should be investigated – by the agency created and funded for that purpose.

    CHEWV is not advocating for ignoring abuse. We are saying that the public school system does not have – and should not have – a legal duty or right to conduct annual inspections of homeschoolers. Abuse claims should absolutely be investigated – with speed, diligence, and sensitivity – by CPS, the agency with the duty and training to do such work.

    It’s the responsibility of school system employees to report suspected abuse to CPS whenever they encounter it as part of their routine job regarding academics. However, situations of physical abuse should not be exploited to expand the role of an academic institution into an “all encompassing” caretaker.

    The Conclusion

    There has always been distrust of – and sometimes downright animosity toward – homeschoolers by public school system personnel. First, it was that parents aren’t really qualified to teach their own children at home. That fallacy has been disproved by many well-educated, successful homeschool students. However, now we face a new charge: parents can’t be trusted to take care of their own children.

    School systems should be held accountable for the safety of children while in their care. However, to say they should be responsible for the safety of every child is a grave mistake.

  • The Mixed Up Coverage of Kynnedi Miller

    The Mixed Up Coverage of Kynnedi Miller

    And Why It Matters

    A young West Virginia teen who died tragically in an emaciated state was said to have had an eating disorder.1 While absolutely heartbreaking, according to an article from the UMass Chan Medical School,2 eating disorders in teens more than doubled during the pandemic. “This is particularly concerning given that eating disorders are among the most deadly of all mental health diagnoses, and teens with eating disorders are at higher risk for suicide than the general population.” You’d think that Kyneddi’s death would bring attention to this horrible, life-threatening diagnosis. But it hasn’t.

    From what information has been released, it seems very likely that Kynnedi was also a victim of the pandemic: first homeschooling from fear of it,3 then hibernating from fear of it4. It appears she was last in public when everyone was masking and staying six feet or more from everyone else. According to the National Institute of Health, doubling of eating disorders isn’t the only fallout for children in the wake of the pandemic.5 Kynnedi’s demise should drive us to identify other vulnerable children struggling in silence. Except it isn’t.

    Instead, the attention of the governor’s office, the news media, and the legislators is on Kynnedi’s school status. At present, everyone is fixated on homeschool assessment submissions.

    The purpose of a homeschool assessment is to determine how a homeschooler progressed in math, reading, language, science, and social studies.6 While no one is questioning how well Kynnedi did academically, the emphasis is on the fact that the 8th grade assessment was not submitted, which is a breach of homeschooling law. The strong implication is that following up on missed assessment submissions would somehow save Kynnedi and others like her. Well-intentioned folks speak of how no one wants such tragedies to be repeated – and then they do the most remarkable thing: they look to the agency charged with teaching math and English to students who attend school.

    Ignoring the fact that investigating abuse and neglect is not the purpose of the school system, would officials following up on her missed assessment submission have made a difference for Kynnedi? Apparently not.

    A visit was made to Kynnedi’s home the same year the assessment was due. It turns out that extended family members had already identified what turned out to be a life-threatening concern. They contacted police who subsequently made an in-person visit, interviewing both Kynnedi and her grandparents, according to the Chief of Staff of the WV State Police.7 This type of follow up is beyond the best scenario the school system could possibly hope for related to missed assessment submissions – yet such a “check up” visit was completed for Kynnedi. The officer even left with concerns – enough so that he made an in-person report to the agency he believed could help her. Things broke down from there.

    Again, let’s be clear that the police visit was better than what is reasonable for assessment follow-up. But it ultimately made no difference.

    When contacts and reports are both made, but to no avail, then arguing for more contacts and more reports doesn’t seem the right tribute to either Kynnedi or Raylee Browning, another tragic death victim for whom multiple CPS reports had been made. Instead, we need to find out what is broken within the agency that is tasked with abuse and neglect cases. And that agency is not the school system.

    Certainly CPS has an overload of case work. State Superintendent Michele Blatt has rightly pointed out that they already have 6000 children in foster care alone.8 Over three years ago, CHEWV fairly identified how Child Protective Service’s hands are tied9 and argued for intervention on their behalf. We’ve tried to bring attention to the issues that seem so clear!

    If the public and legislators actually want to make a difference for future children like Raylee and Kynnedi, we must start by making CPS equal to its mission, fully recognizing the scope of the problems they investigate and oversee. Further, we owe it to Kynnedi to understand why she avoided social situations and why she struggled emotionally and physically – to the point of death.

    Why does it matter?

    1. The school system is not charged with keeping children safe in their homes. When we look to them to do that, we’re on a dangerous slippery slope!
    2. CPS is the correct agency to investigate abuse or neglect. CPS had been contacted on behalf of both Raylee and Kynnedi. We now know that there was life-threatening abuse/neglect for both. What broke down? We still don’t know.
    3. When we look in the wrong direction in order to fix a problem, we end up hurting those who are not responsible.
    4. When we ignore real issues, like eating disorders or emotional fallout in children from pandemics, we actually are not serving future children like Kynnedi. We’re doing quite the opposite.

     

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    1 According to news articles like https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/boone-county-wv/dohs-releases-statement-on-the-death-of-14-year-old-kyneddi-miller/, Kynnedi suffered from an eating disorder. This seems likely given that she died in an emaciated state and her caregivers are charged with neglect, not abuse. Details will not be released due to the criminal case.
    2 https://www.umassmed.edu/news-archives/2023/03/eating-disorders-in-teens-more-than-doubled-during-pandemic/
    3 An email to the school system from Ms. Miller at the time of her NOI indicated that they were homeschooling to keep their family safe from Covid.
    4 As reported by state police during their 2023 visit with Kynnedi and her caregivers.
    5 https://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10242215
    6  https://code.wlegislature.gov/18-8-1/
    7  https://www.youtube.com/live/2dOjT22bZGM?feature=shared
    8 https://westvirginiawatch.com/2024/06/26/only-37-of-wv-homeschool-families-tunred-in-required-assessments-state-education-dept-says/
    9 https://new.chewv.org/a-response-to-raylees-law/

  • Family for Christmas

    Family for Christmas

    Three-year-old Elena’s brothers and sisters were arriving home one Wednesday night. I was trying to get her to sleep, but as soon as she saw the headlights coming up the driveway, she popped up and said, “Is that the Honda? My brovers an’ frwends are home!” Did she call her sisters her friends?

    That comment has tugged at my heartstrings every day for several days now. Every time I think of it, I am reminded of one of my reasons for home educating my children. I want them to know, like, respect and desire to spend time with their family.

    We have attempted to cultivate family friendship by providing opportunities for togetherness: camping trips, lively conversation during dinner, a yearly baking bonanza/Christmas cookie assembly line, Advent readings served with hot cocoa, volunteering en masse at a local community event, etc. Of course, we mothers know what happens when all the family is together in close quarters for longer than a few minutes —quarrels, complaints, making faces, inappropriate and hurtful remarks —but it helps to remember that this very thing is the training ground for life’s relationships.

    If you are looking for ways to strengthen family unity and sharpen relationship skills, consider building family friendships for Advent season, even if you begin a little late. Give your children an emphasis on serving others and the true “Reason for the Season,” Jesus Christ—an emphasis away from the “I want” part of the holiday. Advent is the perfect time to examine and build relationships with one another as we look forward to celebrating the birth of The One who not only teaches us to love one another, but who wants a personal relationship with each one of us.

    _________________________________________________________
    This article was penned several years ago by Kelley Richman, a veteran homeschool mom from Lost Creek. Along with her husband David, Kelley served on the CHEWV board for over a decade. If you’re wondering, Elena and her brothers and sisters are all grown now – and still love each another :-).

  • Soaring Higher Than School

    Soaring Higher Than School

    In the day-to-day of homeschooling, it’s easy to lose perspective. But summer has come, the sun is shining, and it’s time to lift our homeschool sights higher!

    Homeschooling may include college and career. It could involve scholarships and all A’s and B’s. But that’s not all that life is about! Being successful in life doesn’t begin or end with our GPA, our career, or our income.

    Allow homeschooling to give way to home education, then take it another step to home discipleship. That merely means that we can learn to see past “school” to prepare our children for all of life – and beyond!

    While most homeschool parents narrow their scope to “school” subjects, true success in life includes character, godliness, submission to authority, handling money with integrity, and many other things. These things are as important, perhaps more important, than academics.

    We’re not speaking here of deciding between doing a good job with academics versus teaching character and godliness. Rather, we start with character and godliness and build academics on that. A student who is honest and diligent will do better academically than one who is poorly motivated and requires tiring effort on the part of the parent just to complete minimal assignments.

    So, all of these are nice words, but what is the practical application? For now, let’s start with a foundational Scripture.

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

    Repeated two other times in the Bible, this truth is obviously important and foundational. Let’s look at this verse in three small pieces.

    1.  The fear of the Lord…

    The word “fear” here is not the same as “frightened of.” This “fear” is showing great respect or honor. Realizing who God is, being in awe of how big and powerful He is. More to the point, it’s recognizing that God is Creator – not just of the earth and the things in it – but He is also the Creator of math, science and language! God permeates absolutely everything, including every school subject!

    2.  …is the beginning…

    We can’t even begin to be educated without the fear of the Lord. If we’re building on any other foundation, it will ultimately crumble.

    Knowledge, like everything else, begins and ends with God. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

    3. …of knowledge.

    We can’t know anything without God. In Him all things exist and have their being. All things exist in Christ, and nothing stands apart from Him. There’s not a subject called “Bible” and then everything else is the same as the school down the street. The truth is that your math and your science should be about God, too!  Because He is the Creator of math, science, and language, the study of each one helps us understand more about Him.

    For example, math teaches us how orderly God is. The laws of nature (science) teach that as well.  When we learn in physics that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, this echoes God’s emphasis in His Word that our personal actions and words have consequences.

    In fact, absolutely nothing we do – whether sports, piano lessons, math, or washing the dishes – is separate from God. We do all to His glory and all in obedience to Him. That includes how we get up in the morning, how we do school, and how we talk to one another.

     

    It must start with you…

    As recorded in Luke 6, Jesus said, “A student will be like his teacher.” Since you are the teacher, the degree to which you fear the Lord will largely determine your students’ regard and respect for Him.

    Practically speaking, then, your children won’t grasp and operate in the fear of the Lord – His magnificence, majesty, love, grace and mercy – until you do. God gives you the privilege of teaching your child what is of value. Ask yourself, “Do I realize how great God is?”

    Take time to notice the beauty of nature; count your blessings; be grateful for the food on your table and the roof over your head. Instead of always seeing what is wrong in the world, see God’s hand of mercy and grace! When you falter or fall, run to the One who loves and is always merciful. By doing this, you will be teaching your children to do the same – to appreciate God’s goodness and abundance, to value transparency and trust, and to value the power of forgiveness!

    When parents realize that education is ALL about God, it changes our homeschooling! It transforms our lives! Your children may not say anything; they probably won’t. But it will make a difference! Your children will notice!

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

    If you’ve lost sight of our great Creator and Savior, seek out a mountain vista, a majestic waterfall, a roaring thunderstorm, or a tranquil brook, and consider the Almighty God who made these things. For it is written in Romans 1:20 that God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, can be clearly seen by what He has made.

    THAT is the glorious, redemptive God that can do mighty things through your homeschooling efforts! Think much bigger than “school.” Lift your thoughts and lives to Him! Summer is the perfect time to gain perspective!

  • Homeschooling and Hope Scholarship: Distinctions That Matter

    Homeschooling and Hope Scholarship: Distinctions That Matter

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    [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Did you know that Hope Scholarship students do not necessarily school at home?  They can enroll in a private school that is registered with the state to receive Hope funds OR they can choose to have an Individualized Instructional Program.  

    “Individualized Instructional Program” (IIP) is a new term coined by the Hope Scholarship law that distinguishes Hope students who school at home versus those who attend private/parochial school. Here’s what the official Hope Scholarship website says about it: 

    “Although students with Individualized Instructional Programs under Hope Scholarship may share many common traits with traditional homeschool students, there is a distinction between the two under West Virginia Code.” [bold added]

    They are absolutely right.  Homeschoolers and Hope recipients do not fall under the same portion of the WV law.  There is a distinction between the two.

    One difference is that Hope applicants must provide more information to the state than homeschoolers do. For example, required student information includes gender, ethnicity and grade level along with the date of birth and name. Homeschoolers provide only name, address, and age. Hope students are also required to submit assessment results every year.  Homeschoolers must assess every year but need only submit the results in 3rd, 5th, 8th and 11th grades.

    Hope students must have a WVEIS number which assists the state with tracking the provided information.The West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) is the statewide administrative data system used for maintaining records of students in grade PK-12.  Homeschoolers under Exemption c are not required to have EIS numbers.

    The Hope Scholarship is administered by a Hope Scholarship Board with staffing provided by the State Treasurer’s office. According to page 14-15 of The Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook, the Hope board can adopt and amend bylaws governing the scholarship.  It can also develop and impose requirements, policies, procedures and guidelines to implement and manage the program. This means that while homeschoolers are governed only by the wording of the homeschool exemption, Hope recipients answer to a board’s fluid regulations and rules. 

    Homeschoolers often avoid reporting to the counties until compulsory age requires them to submit a NOI.  However, Hope families may choose to submit information earlier in order to apply for Hope funding in kindergarten.

    Here are those differences in chart form:

    Homeschooling Hopeschooling
    Exemption from compulsory attendance Exemption c Exemption m
    How to begin Notice of Intent to County Superintendent as outlined in exemption c2 (OR county approval if exemption c1.) Application is necessary. Notice of Intent depends on the educational choice. Schooling at home via an Individual Instruction Program (IIP) is just one of several options. 
    How to assess Assess every year; submit results in grades 3,5,8 and 11 If using an IIP, assess every year; submit results EVERY YEAR
    Where to find details In 18-8-1c2 with help from traditional homeschooling organizations like CHEWV, WVHEA and HSLDA.  In 18-8-1m and at the official Hope website: https://hopescholarshipwv.com
    Need WVEIS* number? No Yes
    Administered by No government entity. Families follow the law’s requirements. Hope Scholarship Board with staffing provided by the State Treasurer’s Office
    Funding Private Public funding via “participating education service providers”
    Kindergarten considerations No advantage to send NOI before compulsory age Funding available if eligible for kindergarten, even if not of compulsory age
    Reporting considerations Name, age, address of child only.  Assessment results for 5 subjects, 4 times total. Additional information required on application. Assessment results annually. 
    Eligibility Any student at any time Current public school students plus students eligible for kindergarten

    One of the hallmarks of homeschooling is to identify the learning styles and needs of each individual child (see CHEWV’s helpful guidelines), then select the curriculum approach that will help him or her soar.  We encourage Hope parents, if possible, not to limit themselves to the funded providers (Education Service Providers). Many excellent providers may not choose to register with the state and come under the rules of the governing board.  Our free curriculum booklet explains the broader options.

    Neither can Hope students and homeschoolers use the same Notice of Intent. The Notice requirements are different for the two groups.

    Note that homeschoolers may choose among four assessment options, while IIP Hope students have two.  Although homeschoolers do not submit assessment results annually; IIP Hope students do. The assessment requirements are simply not the same for the two different groups of students.

    The point is that the Hope Scholarship is different from homeschooling in key ways, just as private schooling is different from homeschooling in key ways.   

    We reiterate the quote from the official Hope site:     

    “Although students with Individualized Instructional Programs under Hope Scholarship may share many common traits with traditional homeschool students, there is a distinction between the two under West Virginia Code.” 

    Perhaps most importantly of all, when legislators, newscasters, or even parents mistakenly try to mix the two into one, it puts both at risk.  A legislative criticism of homeschooling shouldn’t affect Hope students, nor should a legislative criticism of the Hope scholarship affect homeschoolers. The Hope Scholarship and homeschooling are two of several educational options available to parents. For a fuller explanation of the WV exemptions available, read here.

    In the 2022 legislative session, it was argued on the House floor that homeschoolers now receive public funds and therefore should be regulated.  However, that simply isn’t true.  The only legal WV homeschool exemption is exemption c which never has and does not now allow for state funding.  State or public funding is clearly only a possibility under the Hope Exemption m.  And while many see Hope funding as a big advantage, protecting the private homeschooling option is equally important.  

    As we have for 30+ years, CHEWV will continue to defend the freedom of homeschooling families. Parents have many choices, but Christian Home Educators is 100% committed to seeing to it that private homeschooling – with the fewest strings attached – remains one of them.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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  • WV Homeschool Diplomas Are Just As Valid

    WV Homeschool Diplomas Are Just As Valid

    In 2015, the Diploma Fairness Bill was passed by the WV Legislature and became law:

    “A person who administers a program of secondary education at a public, private or home school that meets the requirements of this chapter may issue a diploma or other appropriate credential to a person who has completed the program of secondary education. Such diploma or credential is legally sufficient to demonstrate that the person meets the definition of having a high school diploma or its equivalent.”

    This law ensures that a person who homeschools his child and is in compliance with the homeschool exemption may issue a diploma upon completion of graduation requirements. And students who have earned such a homeschool diploma must be considered equally for acceptance by a college or for employment in West Virginia. In fact, the Diploma Fairness law further states:

    “No state agency or institution of higher learning in this state may reject or otherwise treat a person differently solely on the grounds of the source of such a diploma or credential.”

    While this bill doesn’t elevate a homeschool diploma above any other, it puts homeschool graduates on equal footing.  A homeschool graduation credential is not inferior in WV.

    As expected: 

    “Nothing in this section prevents any agency or institution of higher learning from inquiring into the substance or content of the program to assess the content thereof for the purposes of determining whether a person meets other specific requirements.”

    Rightly so, it’s not illegal or unethical to ask what the graduation requirements were.  And for that information, the usual documentation is a high school transcript.

    A diploma from any source is worth the weight of the entity that awarded the diploma.  So, for example, is a WV public school diploma worth anything in California?  It would depend on whether California entities respect West Virginia schools.  If not, they might look more heavily at a WV graduate’s standardized test scores, work history (if graduated for a while), undergraduate/graduate/post-graduate degrees/coursework, or references.

    The exact same is true of a homeschool diploma. When homeschool parents award a diploma, they are certifying that the student completed the requirements for graduation from that homeschool.  That homeschool diploma should be respected as any other diploma is respected – and in West Virginia, thanks to the diploma fairness law, it is.

    But a diploma alone doesn’t show what the graduation requirements were. What was studied and learned in order to graduate is generally recorded on a transcript, not a diploma.

    If a parent cannot produce a diploma and/or transcript, the school or other entity may require a GED or equivalent–either because a diploma was not supported by a transcript or not awarded at all.  But when only a diploma is required, no agency in WV may discriminate against a homeschool diploma.

    Diploma and transcript help is available on CHEWV’s website under Helps/High School. We also sponsor comprehensive high school symposiums to specifically help parents with these topics. 

    For more on homeschool discrimination, read this 2015 article from HSLDA. For further reading about the GED/TASC related to homeschoolers, read  this article.

  • Assessment Considerations

    Assessment Considerations

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    While a homeschool assessment must be done every year for students of compulsory age, there are two main options to choose from: testing and portfolio review.  The portfolio review option was hard-won in 1994 to help special needs students and others for whom testing is less appropriate, such as students with test anxiety or pre-readers. For example, there are disadvantages to using standardized testing prior to 2nd or 3rd grade.  We recommend becoming educated about the level of reading required for early-level testing.  If your student is not yet ready for that reading level, you might consider an alternative assessment.

    As you consider your choices, this article about reading-readiness prior to age seven should be helpful.  If you decide that testing is your best choice this year, another of our articles gives prep ideas, many of which need implemented several weeks before testing.

    Keep in mind that testing environment matters.  While students who are good testers (usually those who easily sit still for book work) do well in almost any testing environment, most students gain an advantage when the environment is familiar.  That serves well when testing with co-op buddies or homeschool friends.  But for those who are heading to an unfamiliar test center, prepare your child by helping them relax and not feel pressured from the stress of the new social situation. 

    Private testing in your own home is an option that allows a young student to test in an un-rushed manner in a familiar environment. Short attention spans might also benefit from private testing, as a parent could make arrangements with a private administrator to span the testing over additional days.  

    Using the same assessment option year to year isn’t necessary, as both testing and portfolio review have their own benefits.  While portfolio review is designed to compare the student with his or her own abilities, testing does give credible and useful information about how your student compares with other students.  Standardized tests are also good practice for testing environments down the line, such as college prep exams and dual enrollment classes.  Many parents who use portfolio review in the early years switch to testing by mid-elementary. 

    Hover over the “Assessments” menu option to peruse all your assessment options.  Still have questions?  Email testing@chewv.org.

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  • Sage Advice About Homeschooling

    Sage Advice About Homeschooling

    Are you a new homeschool mom who would love to get advice from experienced moms?  Want to know what they have learned along the way?  We asked some of them, and here are their answers:

    We have been homeschooling almost four years and the biggest thing I have learned is that no two children are alike. They all learn at different paces. My oldest is 12 and was reading shortly after turning 6. She was in public school so they rushed them along. My 9-year-old just started reading last year. She just couldn’t grasp reading or math, but she has a disability. I am working with my 5 and 4-year-olds now. I was told it is okay for them to take longer. It doesn’t mean I am failing them. They just all learn differently.

    – Pamela

    Relationship. When I first read this request, my first thought was, “I could write a book.” But I remembered the one thing I try to remember everyday: homeschooling affords the opportunity like no other educational system for relationship. Relationship with Our Heavenly Father, relationship with our children, and relationship extending outside of our home and family circles. This has been both the most challenging aspect of homeschooling and the greatest blessing. Being home with each other day in and day out poses challenges – and great opportunities to meet those challenges. Early on we focused on obedience (myself included) and true discipleship, continuing to come in line together, looking toward Christ. One of our biggest regrets of parenting and discipleship early on was that we assumed a hierarchy with dad at the head of the line, then mom, and then the children – like a train. As we have matured we truly see that we are all in a line with only One before us, and our role as parents is more of a “come alongside me” than a “line up behind me” process. As a mom of five, sending the first one off to college this fall, having homeschooled from the beginning, my advice is: regardless of style or choice of curriculum, keep your focus on nurturing healthy relationships (think great commandments) and enjoy the adventure. Let love and kindness rule. Remember that His mercy to you was new this morning and yours should be new for your children, husband and friends. His love never fails, nor should ours, because He provides what we need when we seek and ask for forgiveness and for wisdom and for instruction.

      –  Faith

    I would advise to just be prayerful and expect God to guide throughout the school year. Have fun, especially in the younger years. Use those fun-observed days like National Pasta Day to use pasta as math manipulatives, use cooked spaghetti as paint “brushes”, find a video or book on how pasta is made, sing “On Top of Spaghetti”… be creative!  (A website gives the observed days for the month.) Finally, read to your child – every single day!

    – Brenda

    Homeschool is not school at home! Everything does not need to be completed at a desk. With child #3, we called reading “cuddle time” and it took place on the couch. Guess which child LOVES reading!!

    – Tracy

    Pray.
    Embrace everyone’s differences; love each others’ faults.
    Laugh more. Enjoy being together; life is short.
    Time flies, so enjoy all the time with your kids as much as possible. Giggle more at mistakes so they learn it’s all good.
    Teach them to love who they are and care less about what other people think as long as you’re walking with God.
    Embrace what he has given you, but always try to be a better person. Strive to be all you can be. Treat others how you want to be treated. Think before you speak. Always speak Encouragement into others’ lives, build them up, tell them the small things you see that makes them great, be who God wants you to be.
    Always put God first.
    Enjoy life – you only have one chance make it count.
    Strive to let people see God in you – in how you live and treat others. Thank God for online programs because your kids outgrow what you know really fast..lol.
    Be polite, keep and teach manners because they go a long way, especially with the older generations.  “Yes, ma’am, no ma’am.”
    AND ABOVE ALL LOVE, LOVE YOU, LOVE OTHERS, LOVE GOD.
    Phil 4:13

    – Dolly

    I learned to not be like the other super homeschool moms. You know the moms who always make a plan and follow the plan, whose children love every subject, they never miss a day off school. The mom who plans amazing activities and really cool art projects, who plans a field trip through the woods and pretends they are Daniel Boone exploring new territory. I learned to be me, to be the homeschooling mom I wanted to be. I always strive to be a better teacher the following year, but I will always be ME. ALL homeschool parents are amazing in their own way.

    – Michelle

    Going the long route was totally worth it. So many are afraid of the high school years, yet those were invaluable to sealing my relationship with my children. Two of my four sons have graduated and are adults. I just love that they both call me often, tell me they love me, and appreciate all the years I gave them. I just know our relationship will be lifelong and nothing can beat that! Being with them for so many hours and shuffling them to so many events and hosting teen things was hard, but now I see that it made a difference. I no longer fear the high school years for my next two. God was funny in that he decided to space my kids out where I do high school for 16 years! Yep, my kids are four years apart. When I graduate one, I begin another and so on….four times! lol. I am now on number three in 10th grade. I always gear the high school years to their interests more than anything. One son was all about joining the Marines, so we focused a great deal on environmental sciences, survival information, self-sustaining environments, and physical education for his electives. My second son was college-bound and into IT, so we hit college classes early and got many basics out of the way. My third son is likely going into the science fields, so again we are prepping for early enrollment and hitting math and sciences hard. My fourth son is all about using his hand skills, will watch trade skill shows constantly, HGTV, and is always building and creating….we totally see a trade skill school in his future, and I intend to work alongside him for Habitat for Humanity when he is old enough. So when yours get to those years, hone in on their interests and explore!!!!!

    – Dona

    Don’t let first time jitters/anxiety rule you! When you see how much more you can do in the time the public school runs, it will feel freeing!

    – Missy

    I’ve learned to relax because my children are always learning and I’m not failing them (just graduated my oldest last year). I’ve learned that it’s ok to change something in the middle of the year if it isn’t working. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to go off the plan and do something fun to reset the day. I’ve learned that I get so much more out of homeschooling than I’m probably giving. ❤️

    – Lori

    I have learned that each family is on their own journey. I have learned not to compare ourselves with others. There is a real reason God calls us to homeschool. It took me several years to truly find out what God was trying to do and show me. My reasons for homeschooling have actually changed since the beginning which was ten years ago.

    – Tammy

    Homeschooling is not just a feminine or mom thing. It’s a parent thing. My husband is an equal partner on this homeschool adventure…

    – Jorene

    This will be year 7 for our family😁Hard to believe! With each year has come new lessons. I have enjoyed learning how each of my children learn and building their curriculum and learning styles around them. This is something public school just cannot physically accomplish. I have learned that, just like me, they need down days, and that is okay. We have learned that character outweighs any knowledge learned in a book and we work on that everyday❤️ We have learned to focus our attention on raising human beings that love God, love others, and can contribute and change this world❤️❤️❤️

    – Shannon

    I have learned that if you are called to be a parent, God will also equip you to do the job. Too many parents succumb to the idea that they are unable to teach their children, but that is just not true! It is not easy to homeschool, but you can do it! Line yourself up with CHEWV and HSLDA. Find other homeschool Moms that can encourage you and whom you can encourage. Most importantly: seek God’s counsel daily! He knows and loves our kids more than we do and He knows what He has created them to be!

    – Brenda

    Are you new and want to read more?  We highly recommend this outside post for some very wise veteran mom advice.
    If you want to explore the different learning styles as mentioned by several of the moms, you can read more about that here. 
    Are you starting out with kindergarteners or younger?  Then you might enjoy the articles from this page. For high school help, start here.
    God promises that if we seek first His kingdom, all other things will be added to us as well.  Enjoy the adventure!