UCHU Homeschooling Community,
To avoid rumors or any misrepresentation of Martha Freitag of PHEA and other collaborating Option 3 Accountability Association directors we are getting the word out clearly.
Be informed!
This post will hopefully help you to know clearly the concerns facing our Option 3 homeschooling community within the state of SC.
July 15, 2016, Martah Freitag, director of PHEA received the below notice from Geri Martin at Department of Education:
“Ms. Freitag,
I have reviewed your home school association Web site and I will not be able to post your home school association on the S.C. Department of Education’s Web site for the 2016-2017 school year. Your Web site promotes the Home School Resource Center offering courses to home school students that are not taught by their parents. Our Web site is to inform parents of Option 3 home school associations based on the S.C. Home School Law.
Geri Martin”
Martha immediately contacted HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association www.HSLDA.org).
Scott Woodruff emailed the four page letter to Geri Martin at Dept. of Education:
The following email was sent to all Option 3 directors on July 27, 2016:
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MOLLY M. SPEARMAN STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION 1006 RUTLEDGE BUILDING · 1429 SENATE STREET · COLUMBIA, SC 29201 PHONE: 803-734-8500 · FAX 803-734-3389 · ED.SC.GOV
TO: Home School Associations
FROM: Roy Stehle, Director Office of Federal and State Accountability
DATE: July 27, 2016
RE: SCDE Website – Home School Association Listings
At the behest of the Office of the General Counsel, State Accountability has revisited the policy of posting home school associations on the South Carolina Department of Education’s website. A review of the statutory authority reveals no legal basis for the advertisement of these entities.
As a result, State Accountability will cease posting, advertising, or displaying any home school association, effective immediately.
Henceforth, State Accountability’s webpage will link to the SC state law (S. C. Code Ann. §59-65-40, et. seq.) and will post Frequently Asked Questions regarding home school processes and procedures.
This change to existing policy assures that State Accountability operates within legal parameters and ensures fairness for all home school associations by eliminating the explicit or implicit appearance of endorsements or promotions.
Geri Martin continues to be our office’s contact for parents, students, associations, and the community. Her contact information is gmartin@ed.sc.gov, 803-734-8320. She is more than happy to answer your questions or concerns.
As of July 27, 2016 all Option 3 groups and Option 2 were removed from Department of Education’s website.
As of this writing we are contemplating any necessary Call to Actions that Option 3 homeschoolers should take.
Again I will know more after contact with Scott Woodruff of HSLDA.
Specifically, please PRAY.
We can have a voice for sure. But until we know what we need to have a voice about we should pray .
Understand that being listed on DOE’s website DOES NOT mean that associations are able to *legally* be an association. This is not the case. We are an association by merit of our agreement under Option 3 law. The ability to be listed on DOE’s website was giving homeschoolers the freedom to have a location to go to find associations in the state.
Listings of associations can still be found at www.SCHEA.net
Serving You and Yours,
Angela Jordan Perry, UCHU owner/director/administrator