I got this email today.

Suzi,

I've got a question.? Do parents receive money for home schooling?? I came across the line below in somc of my notes?

“In some cases legislation permits for-profit charters, and in other cases -as Al Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has pointed out – charters provide a way for millions of dollars to be funneled into the home schooling movement. ”

Thanks. Norma

My answer: No public monies have ever been granted to homeschoolers that I know of. Charters are NOT the same as homeschooling by any stretch of the imagination. Homeschools are operated by parents or guardians. Charters are operated by teachers and administrators. Homeschools, even in co-ops, have small groups. Charters need twenty students a class to make their situation work. In some states homeschools are only allowed to operate under the auspices of a private school. In that case Charters don't count anyway, because they are public schools.

In fact, Home School Legal Defense Association (which is a lobbyist and a legal defense fund) actively works against government monies coming to homeschoolers because once you get gov't money, then they want to impose restrictions. HSLDA works toward as little gov't interference as possible.

I guess you could say that for schooling issues homeschoolers are clear libertarians.