Director of Pupil Personnel
disputes claims of a
‘witch hunt’ by system

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – Parents of home school children throughout the county have been expressing concern about their rights to home education.

In last week’s issue of the Tribune-Courier, Marshall County School System’s Director of Pupil Personnel Ledonia Williamson outlined her concern for some of the area’s home schooled children. Williamson stated she intended to keep closer tabs on home schools and would be making random checks to those in the county.

Since then, many constituents of the home school community have been outraged.

“She can’t just come in to someone’s home like that,” said Roger Hudson, a citizen of Marshall County. Hudson’s wife, Carolyn, has been educating their grandchildren from their home for the last two years. It’s a decision the family did not take lightly.

The Hudsons and their daughter Lisa chose to home school the children for several reasons. Like many, they felt the children would benefit from a home environment and more personal, one-on-one interaction. Safety and a Christian education for the children were concerns, as well.

“We’ve lost touch with God,” Hudson continued. “I think we could all benefit from reinstating the 10 Commandments in the school systems. I think things would be a lot better off.”

Safety concerns aside, some say Williamson cannot legally infringe upon the right to home education. However, Williamson said KRS 158.040 states all private schools be open to inspection by directors of pupil personnel or officials of the Kentucky Department of Education.

“When a question arises as to whether a child is actually being schooled at home, it is within the authority of the director of pupil personnel to ask for evidence that a bonafide school exists.”

KRS 159.130 further defines the powers and duties of the DPP as, “the director of pupil personnel and his assistants shall be vested with the power of peace officers, provided however they shall not have the authority to serve warrants. They may investigate in their district any case of non-attendance at school of any child of compulsory school age or suspected of being that age. They may under the direction of the superintendent of schools and the Kentucky Board of Education, institute proceedings against any person violating the laws of compulsory attendance and employment of children.”

Williamson said she still intends to make investigating those home schools not meeting established criteria a priority, however, she said most will have no cause for concern.

“I’m not interested, nor do I have the time for some kind of witch-hunt,” Williamson said. “Perhaps I should have worded things differently before, but I didn’t want to pinpoint a very small group within an already small group. I’m sorry the message was lost in translation.

“I have excellent home schools in this county,” she continued. “Some of these people submit me things without me even having to ask for them. For those people, and everyone doing what they’re supposed to be doing, they’re not going to have to worry about me at all.”

Williamson stated there is a protocol she will follow prior to any home visit, including communication with the parents.

“They have the option to meet me on neutral ground,” Williamson said.

Still, many parents are concerned with Williamson’s desire to get the community involved in the matter.

“We take field trips just like they do in public school,” Carolyn said. “That may look like the kids are just playing to someone else. How would they know?”

The Hudsons expressed concern that a misinterpretation by bystanders could cause those home schooling their children undue grief.

Others say Williamson has drawn an unwarranted correlation between home schools and the county’s drug problem.

“The county’s drug use is a drug problem, not a home school problem,” said Mike Driver, county resident and grandfather of home schooled children. “The insinuation that the two are connected at all is an attack on the home school community.”

Driver said he agrees that a very small percentage of the home school population may simply not be educating their children, possibly due to drug use; however, many children receive a better, more well-rounded education from home, and the parents of these children feel their rights are under fire.

“My 6-year-old granddaughter is learning to play the guitar, she’s very involved with other children in gymnastics and she’s reading at a first grade level,” Driver said. “In all our years running a bed and breakfast, the vast majority of the time, the home schooled children we’ve encountered are far more polite, intelligent and can maintain adult conversations.”

Driver’s daughter Cassie Morrow went on to say she feels that the image of home schools is often misunderstood, and Williamson’s comments have cast a negative light on the home school community.

However, like the Hudsons and Morrows, Williamson maintains she has only the welfare of children at heart.

“I’m not about to just go popping into any place,” Williamson assured. “I know who I need to be concerned about, and these are the people I’m going to keep a close eye on.”