By Micahya C.
Tim Tebow is a former football player. He is mostly known for his Tebow bow, where he kneels on the football field and prays to God before every game. When he was younger he was homeschooled, but he also played football for his local public school team. He passed the Tim Tebow Bill in Florida first. That bill states that homeschooled kids are given a right to try out for their local public school team. The bill doesn’t automatically get them on the team, but it gives them a chance to try out. Alabama just passed the Tim Tebow Bill last year.
Dear fellow readers, I believe that this bill should be passed through all the states. I believe that all homeschooled students should get the opportunity to try out for their local school’s team. However, I also believe that we can expand the Tebow bill. Not everyone wants to play sports at local schools, but are interested in other extracurricular activities. Most people think that it is fair to leave the homeschoolers out of public school activities. They think that the situation is the consequence for having the students homeschooled. This, however, is not the whole picture.
Parents pay taxes to the local schools, which helps fund the public schoolers’ education. That basically should automatically enroll a child in the school activities since parents are already really paying for it. We are just talking extracurricular activities at the schools, we aren’t talking about their base curriculum. Their activities are separate from their academic curriculum, and so is homeschoolers’ academic curriculum. Of course, public school activities are not our only option; recreational and competitive leagues and activities are also out there. However, it gives athletes an extra edge in the sport. If the student does become serious about the sport and is considering playing it in college, playing it in a competitive league and school will improve their skills. Students should meet the academic requirements of the school and go by the dress code to participate and try out or enroll in an activity like the other enrolled students. For sports, if the student is good enough to make the team they can be a part of it. If not they get cut, no special treatment needed.
Twenty-nine states already passed a law to let homeschoolers participate in school extracurricular activities. Part of that twenty-nine requires students to be enrolled part time, but the remaining allows homeschooled students to participate with the school’s permission. Why can’t the remaining twenty-one states pass the same law or even expand it? That act would put more emphasis on the state and the school. Which will lead to more students enrolling. Especially if the student is not only a committed athlete but also a proficient student as well. That would set a respectable example to other students and give them something to strive for. Homeschoolers just need the chance to show everyone what they can do. People will be surprised about what homeschoolers can achieve.
Also, tons of people think that homeschoolers are “anti-social.” Although this is not the case, why not fix this “problem” by including homeschoolers in with their activities. They could get to know a homeschooled kid to know the truth about why parents homeschool instead of secretly making assumptions. Whether the problem has to be presented to the school board, or a certain amount of signatures must be signed on a petition, there is some way we could get the bill passed in every state. There is no division between a homeschooler, private schooler, or public schooler. If a student lives in a certain school district, and their parents are paying taxes, the school activities should be open to everyone in that district. No student should be left out in any activity in their area. A school’s purpose is to teach so that a student can learn. What example are they setting for the next generation of teachers and their students if they don’t teach them how to unite as one? Just like there is the No Child Left Out act for students with disabilities, there should be a No Child Left Out act for homeschoolers. Consider the Tim Tebow Bill.