In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing home schooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that home schooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. Denver Bronco Tim Tebow (who was home schooled) is trying to get this passed nationally.

Do you agree with this?

Maybe separately but I don't know about competing on the team of a school they don't even attend. That really isn't fair to the kids of that particular school.

Why not? If they want it, they should get it. We're always bitching about how homeschooled kids never get to socialize. (A complete myth, but whatever) So why not let them have this opportunity to participate with others their own age? It's not as if there are THAT many homeschoolers who will be actively interested in doing this anyway. So why not?

Don't necessarily agree with it. School activities are for students. Why should homeschooled kids, who aren't enrolled at that school, get to participate in its activities?

Impact wrote:

Don't necessarily agree with it. School activities are for students. Why should homeschooled kids, who aren't enrolled at that school, get to participate in its activities?

If schools are competing against each other maybe there should be a "homeschool group" designated. But there's no reason for them to compete on a school's team when they're not a part of that school.

This is one of those tricky issues. The parents of the home schooled kid is STILL paying for their child to go to school, with half of their property taxes going to the school system. And in NJ, the curriculum for homeschooling comes from the school district itself... therefore the kid IS technically a student of the school system.

The problem would lie in lawsuits... which you know there will be some when a child gets injured on a football field, etc. But my issue would be the hypocritical parents. Your kid can't go to public school because of safety reasons, or fear of exposing them to something (whether it be bullies, immorality, or bad teaching), yet you want to put your kids there when it is either convenient for you/your kid or benefits you in some way???? Is completely hypocritical. And you KNOW the homeschooled kid will get bullied cause everyone will know they do not belong. Just sounds like a bad idea all around.

I really don't think people are entitled to pick & choose. They either want to be part of the system or not. And while they pay taxes, so do the people who don't have ANY kids. So that shouldn't give them any legitimate legal standing. I don't think you can condemn the evils of the public school system & turn around & demand the perks of it.

I guess I agree with the last two posts. But I've not had to think about it because I'd never heard this was happening.

I absolutely think they should be able to. As someone else said, parents are paying taxes in the district regardless of their child being home schooled. Also, in many areas, there are not enough same age home schooled kids who could form teams.

There are not a lot of kids who would want to do this anyway, I don't think.

wants2laugh wrote:

And you KNOW the homeschooled kid will get bullied cause everyone will know they do not belong.

That's a bit stereotypical. Not all homeschooled kids are helpless introverts. They might tell the bullies off and make them cry. lol I also don't feel it would be hypocritical to find the academics of the school system to be lacking but using the school for it's sports team or whatever. Again, most homeschoolers probably won't do this anyway. So it's a nonissue.

CeCe wrote:

I really don't think people are entitled to pick & choose. They either want to be part of the system or not. And while they pay taxes, so do the people who don't have ANY kids. So that shouldn't give them any legitimate legal standing. I don't think you can condemn the evils of the public school system & turn around & demand the perks of it.

Most home schooled kids' parents got issues with the public school system, but now you want to lobby for your child playing on their team? LOL.

I don't like the idea of it being made into law that they must be allowed to participate. I think descretion should be left up to the school and coach if homeschooled kid gets to join the team. And if it comes down to there only being one open slot left and two hopefuls, then the enrolled student should get first dibs.

^^^^If it comes down to one slot, I say the better player should get it.