Sick of threats, Connecticut homeschoolers demand bill on leaving public schools
Colin Poitras reports on Fox 61 (2.20.2008):
. . . Within weeks of pulling her children from the public school system in 2006, Formichella received a letter from the local school superintendent requiring her to sign a form and submit more evidence that her children were being properly schooled. If she didn’t, Formichella said, she would risk a neglect investigation by the state Department of Children and Families. Formichella was frightened at first, then incensed. “That’s a heinous, heinous thing to threaten a parent,” Formichella said outside the hearing room Tuesday. “And [the school superintendent] knew me!” . . .
The Consent of the Governed blog has more strongly worded commentary on the situation:
. . . This is by far not a case of determining if the child’s needs are being met - or if the parents are capable of providing an adequate education. This is absolutely and totally about school control. It is the Department of Education and school officials attempt at eroding parental rights and giving schools the means to usurp parental authority by “granting them permission” to withdraw their children from school . . .