Dear Legislator,

March 1, 2010

On Thursday and Friday of last week, your office received several calls regarding cutting funding of the alternative learning programs. Many callers identified themselves as “homeschoolers”. We would like to clarify that term:  Students enrolled in an alternative learning program are public school students and are not homeschoolers. The Christian Homeschool Network (CHN) is the only statewide homeschool grassroots lobbying organization. We have one of the largest and most active legislative networks. We have checked with the other organizations we represent, and none of us sent out any e-alerts on this issue. The source of these calls was not the independent homeschool community.

Many of the calls you received came from the “509” area code. This area includes several Parent Partnership Programs and the Columbia Virtual Academy which offer per-student stipends of $1200-$1600. These are some of the largest stipends in the state.  I have personally been offered these amounts by alternative learning programs and have been told I could use them to pay for my child’s private music lessons, etc. This may explain the large number of calls from this area.

The home-based instruction law was passed in 1985 allowing for home-based instruction—better known as “homeschooling.” With it, the legislature acknowledged that parents have the right to educate their children. And, as with private schools, this also meant homeschooling parents accepting financial responsibility for this education. CHN affirms this arrangement and does not support government funding of homeschooling.

Since 2003, CHN has worked with the State Auditor’s Office, Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, and the legislature to bring reforms to the Alternative Learning Programs.  We know that during this budget crisis you have many difficult decisions to make. We would support cutting the funds of these programs, especially the Parent Partnership Programs. We also would support restructuring the funding model and ceasing the use of stipends. See our attached platform for more details.

In 2005, CHN worked to pass into law and rule a requirement that parents be given full disclosure of the difference between alternative learning programs and independent homeschooling (RCW 28A.150.262, WAC 392.121.182). However, most programs are not complying with this legal requirement.

Last year CHN introduced and the legislature unanimously passed HB1110 which prohibited school districts from advertising and marketing their alternative learning programs to homeschoolers.

We are deeply troubled and concerned by those who have misrepresented themselves as homeschoolers in order to promote their programs. We hope that this letter will help to clarify any confusion this may have created.  If we can be of any service to you please let us know. My contact information is listed above.

Have a Blessed Day,

DiAnna Brannan

Volunteer Lobbyist & Independent Homeschooler for 15 Years

P.S. On Thursday, February 25,   four hundred homeschoolers traveled to Olympia for our Home Educators’ Day at the Capitol Event. You may have received homemade apple pies from some of these families. We asked those who came to support your cuts to the alternative learning programs. I want to make sure you made the distinction between the group that made the calls on Thursday and Friday and the wonderful group I have the privilege to represent—the “Apple Pie People.”