This is a bill that I do not support even as a homeschool parent. It would be nice to benefit from the Tax dollars we pay each year for education. Public schools can also offer advantages for students that would privately cost too much for the average family.

However, when homeschool parents start using the public school resource I’m afraid that they will open themselves up to serious regulation requirements. The homeschool cover group that we have been in for 13 years has a large football program and several other sports. For a few years it was a nationally ranked Christian private school in football. But I must admit that to me football there has become just like public school football. All the school pictures and yearbook pictures are sports related. Everyone knows the football players and the “brains” are unknown, ….

Homeschooling in Alabama really doesn’t exist. Alabama has no homeschool law, regulation and/or testing requirements. There are two legal ways to homeschool in Alabama.

1) Tutoring – The parent or a tutor can educate the child by following Alabama’s tutoring laws. This requires a state certified teacher and at least four hours a day of instruction.

2) Church School – A Family can be part of a church school and meet the requirements of that school. The Parent is actually considered a teacher in the school.

What I have heard from people like HSLDA throughout the years of my homeschooling is that Alabama has it much better than states that do have “homeschool” laws. There are no reports to fill out and turn into the state. There is no required testing. Graduates are not required to take the high school exit exam.

But if we as homeschoolers start asking to be included in public school activities then we run the risk of the public school pushing for more regulation. Alabama requires student athletes to have a certain GPA to participate in sports and other extra curricular activities. Someone will complain that it isn’t fair for homeschoolers to participate because they are graded by parents.

Just think of all the complaints especially if a homeschooled student participating will eliminate some of the public schooled students from participating.

What would this do to homeschool sports programs? There are other reasons for not participating in public high school athletics than just not being allowed to.

This is one of those many things that seem great on the surface but then if you are to seriously examine the possible future outcomes it isn’t worth it.

Video: Tim Tebow homeschooling bill stalled in Montgomery

Right now the Tim Tebow Bill, referred to as Senate Bill 329 and House Bill 334, is stuck in house and senate education committees and cannot be brought to a full vote by Alabama’s legislature.

Only three members of the education committee have come out in support of the bill.