Helping Homeschoolers Outside the Home

Not every family has the time and/or resources to homeschool their children. But the education-choice option has seen explosive growth in recent years. Homeschooling not only works, big time, it saves taxpayers a bundle.

So kudos to Rep. James Strickler (R-Farmington) and Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard (D-Los Alamos), who have introduced HB 270. The bill permits any homeschooler to “organize a team consisting of home school students to participate in academic activities” regulated by the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA). By making them “entitled to regular or affiliate membership in the association,” the legislation will empower homeschooling teams to compete in events such as debates and science fairs. Currently, the only way for homeschooled students to participate in NMAA-sanctioned activities is to join teams under the control of government schools. That’s hardly justifiable, given that parents who educate their own kids pay taxes, too.

Partial homeschooling in the Albuquerque area got a boost this week, with the dedication of a new magnet school where students will “choose 50 percent or 80 percent classroom time, and spend the rest of the day attending home-based instruction.” It is the second such institution, following the “popular … Desert Willow Family School, which has had a waiting list of around 250 for the past five years.”

Interested in homeschooling? This link provides contact info for support groups statewide.