House Bill No. 947 is only 185 words long, but it?s generating thousands of words of heated opposition in advance of its scheduled March 1 hearing by the Virginia State Senate.
The bill ? dubbed informally the ?Tebow Bill? in reference to football standout Tim Tebow?s homeschooling pedigree ? would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school sports in Virginia. Opposed to the bill are the Virginia Home School League, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the Virginia Education Association. A common argument against the bill is that it disadvantages state students who have less time to focus on training and more rigorous testing of academic eligibility.
The concern instead is about unfair competition. Student athletes are subject to a host of requirements regarding their academic progress and behavior. The academic requirements include course grade and GPA standards across the entire curriculum and on a quarterly or semester basis?. annual academic progress for home-schoolers can be demonstrated by passing the math and language arts sections of a national standardized test at the 23 percentile. Thus, home-schooled students don?t have to master the same breadth of subject material as public-school students and don?t have to show the same consistency in performance.
Other opposition is more direct in its moral condemnation of home-schooling. VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said,
?We?re not opposed to home school as education alternative. But don?t turn around and ask to receive these opportunities and privileges when you?re turning your back on public education.?
However, the hopes of stopping the bill expressed by these groups may be futile. Twenty-five states already allow home schooled children to take part in state school sports to some degree, and this number only seems to be increasing as prejudices against homeschooling melt away and it becomes a more mainstream and socially acceptable alternative to state schools. House Bill No. 947 has already passed the Virginia House of Delegates earlier this month in convincing fashion. The 59-39 vote was split roughly along party lines with Republican Governor Bob McDonnell a chief advocate actively encouraging support of the bill.
Although the 40 member Virginia State Senate is evenly split, the bill is widely expected to pass again as Republican Lt. Gov Bill Bolling holds the tie-breaking vote. Governor McDonnell has already vowed to sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
The bill is informally called the ?Tebow Bill? by supporters for good reason. The success of the Denver Bronco?s phenom has shined a spotlight on the issue of home school student?s exclusion in other states. Tebow campaigns for equal access to high school athletics so other promising students aren?t denied the opportunities he had just because they live in the wrong state. Another successful athlete given his chance to succeed at high school level as a home school athlete was New York Jets defensive end Jason Taylor who had to fight a legal battle in 1994 to retain his scholarship when it was revoked because of his home-school background.
Virginia Delegate Rob Bell, who introduced the bill, pointed out that many of the arguments against his bill are irrational as in Virginia there are some non-home schooled students who have never stepped inside a public school classroom, but who still play sports for public schools.
?There are students who take classes at local colleges, and even online classes, that never attend their high school, but they get to play high school sports. Only home schooled students are barred from participation.?
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