Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Parents' rights organizations from across Connecticut, including homeschoolers, contend they would be treated unfairly by some public policy recommendations prompted by the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Believing their parental rights are at risks, the various groups have joined forces to form the new Parental Rights Coalition.
Coalition members are opposed to legislative proposals they consider to be an infringement, such as mandatory mental health screenings of schoolchildren. They're particularly concerned about a recommendation in the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission's recent draft report that references individual education programs, or IEPs, for home-schooled kids.
Sandy Hook Advisory Commission members maintain their report only recommends an IEP — which spells out a plan to address a child's unique learning issues — only be followed if it was already in place in a public school before they transitioned to home-schooling. But the parents groups believe the proposal could lead to mandatory IEPs for all homeschooled children.
"The commission's recommendations demonstrate a disregard for both the rule of law and our right as parents to direct the care, upbringing and education of our children," said Donna Person, a board member of the Education Association of Christian Homeschoolers.
The commission is expected to submit its final report to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on March 6. The advisory group was created by the governor to come up with public policy proposals following the December 2012 shooting, which left 20 first graders and six educators dead. Malloy said last week he hasn't determined which of the panel's recommendations might part of legislation for consideration this session. It's unclear whether any will come up this year considering lawmakers are already about two months into their work.
In its draft report, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission focused on how the 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, had become isolated during his adolescence and young adulthood. The panel recommended educating parents about the dangers of social isolation and providing "support structures" to counter such isolation. Records have shown Lanza, who killed his mother before the rampage before ultimately committing suicide, was considered a "homebound" student for periods of time, unable to attend school for medical reasons but still under the auspices of the Newtown Public Schools. He was not, however, designated a "home-schooled" student.
Even so, the Sandy Hook report specifically references homeschooled children in a section about isolation problems.
"The commission finds that some homeschool children with serious social, emotional and behavioral health difficulties may be cut off from needed services if their parents or guardians lack the resources, knowledge or motivation to provide support for healthy development in these areas," the report said. It later recommends the state "require that a parent providing homeschooling to a child with identified emotional, social and/or behavioral difficulties of a significant nature" file progress reports prepared by an IEP team with the local superintendent of schools.
Dr. Harold Schwartz, commission member and psychiatrist-in-chief at Hartford Hospital's Institute for Living, said there's been a misunderstanding of the report's recommendations. He said the panel wanted to make sure that if a child was identified as having special needs while in public school, that his or her IEP plan be followed if they become home-schooled.
"It just means that if a child has been identified as having special needs, some plan for fulfilling those needs continue if the child is taken into home-schooling," said Schwartz, adding how the recommendation was part of a set of proposals from the Office of the Child Advocate. "We are only talking about children who have already been identified as having special needs prior to the initiation of home-schooling."
Dr. David Schonfeld, commission member and pediatrician-in-chief at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, agreed. He said the vast majority of home-schooled children don't have such needs. And those who do, he said, are having them met. He said this recommendation was meant to help those who might fall through the cracks.
"Someone should be meeting with the child periodically to see how he's doing," he said.
Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson, the commission's chairman, said he hopes the report will encourage homeschooling parents to seek help if their child has behavioral issues. Advocates estimate at least 5,000 children are homeschooled in Connecticut.
"That language is actually intended to say, to remind parents who choose to homeschool, that you can still take advantage of everything that the school system has to offer," he said. "It's still a one-way swinging door. If they want it, all they have to do is ask."
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
