DaySpring Academy Official Statement on Public School

Policy Effective Date: March 15 2011

The goals of the public education system have never been to educate our children. Whether or not a child ever learns is irrelevant; whether the child has attended enough days to allow the system to profit from daily attendance proceeds is the only matter of legal importance or consideration.

Public school policies have become increasingly arbitrary, ambiguous, and discriminatory. These standards were not enacted for the mutual benefit of the school and the student/families, but written solely for the benefit of the school system. Frequently, the State will have one set of guidelines and the counties another; the counties one set of rules and each school yet a different set. As our personal philosophical stands against government intrusion into the educational arena have increased, we have noticed greater amounts of energy and time being spent trying to “prove” that home education is a legitimate way of learning as well as educating officials of the legality of home education as set forth by Alabama Law.

During my 28 years in Home Education, with 15 of those years being spent as Dayspring Academy’s administrator, I have routinely interacted with State officials, the Superintendents of numerous school boards, school counselors, judges, and truant officers. As I believe that DSA is a legal church school as defined by the laws of Alabama as well as my own personal spiritual beliefs, I have always tried to maintain a professional and courteous relationship in any school interaction. However, recent repetitive events have caused me and the other members of DSA to reevaluate the morality of continuing to interact with the public education system other than what is required by law.

We cannot, in good conscience, be an active participant in re-enrolling a child in a system that is cruel and remorseless in the damage that it daily inflicts on people. We cannot, in faith, accept and ignore such blatant abuse to another human being, even if it is being perpetrated in the form or name of “education.” Finally, as a point of conviction, DSA will no longer inquire into and attempt to know the changing, ever-shifting policies regarding students returning to public school with regard to grade placement testing, semester testing or requirements for graduation for the State, all counties, and any individual public schools.

After much meditation and thought, we, Dayspring Academy, will no longer mediate between the public school system and parents, beyond that which is ethically and morally compelling, in order to return any student to a government school. What follows is a summarization of our educational philosophy regarding public schools and DSA policy regarding DSA or potential DSA students returning to public school.

If you think your child will be returning to the government system at any point, you are still welcome to enroll with DSA. We support your right to make all decisions regarding the parenting of your child, including the placement in the government school setting; however, it has always been the parent’s responsibility, not DSA’s, to know the particular requirements of the State, your county of enrollment, and the school with which you wish to enroll/re-enroll. We suggest the following if re-enrollment is a possibility:

1. Contact the Alabama State Board of Education. Ask for a written copy of their policies pertaining to students enrolling/re-enrolling or transferring from non-accredited schools to the public schools in Alabama.

2. Go to your local superintendent’s office, as well as to the school in which you intend to re-enroll your child, and inquire as to whether they follow the state guidelines or if they have their own policies regarding the same. Get their policy in writing and signed by someone in authority.

As with all things, we are continually growing in our beliefs about education, in our commitment to all things that are good, true, honorable, and that best uphold the family’s responsibilities to their child. We strive to avoid involvement in anything directly opposing our own convictions that the government has no place in the education of our children. We can and will be active in our daily position regarding the necessity of the separation of the state and education, which will be reflected in DSA policies.

We do not believe public schools are safe or fit places for children to spend most of their day. Children need guidance and supervision from adults who love and care about them individually and should not be left in the care of strangers for any length of time.

No longer can we, for any reason, accept that the public school system and all of its incumbent participants have the best interest and well being of any child at the core of their organization.

We do not see that the public education system has demonstrated any interest in improving educational levels, nor any desire to make a better learning environment, nor even any truthful attempts at working with parents. Increasingly, the public school system has become political in power and profit-oriented in nature, with our children being their lucrative pawns.

We are morally opposed to the exploitation of children by compulsory attendance laws. Therefore we support the abolishment of this law which does nothing to foster learning but instead condemns a child to be in institutional settings for 12 years of their life without their consent.

We are ethically opposed to a system that demands parents prove a child has learned through home education, but the public school is never asked to prove their way works.

We are spiritually opposed to strangers indoctrinating children with secular/religious/anti-religious propaganda that conflicts with the family’s own personal beliefs. All religion should be left to the parents teachings.

We strongly believe it is the parents? responsibility to direct the education of their own child and we will not usurp this responsibility by working with the system around the parents.

DSA Policy
Regarding Students Returning to Public School

It is up to each parent to personally research options when interacting with your local public schools and gathering information pertaining to possible future re-enrollment. We hope the DSA policies listed below will help you to make a more fully informed decision:

All records held by DSA belong to the parent/guardian of the student. Any public school records sent to DSA will be held in file until the parents request them, in writing, and send proper postage to cover the mailing fees ($5 minimum).

When the child graduates from DSA, a diploma is provided for a fee. If the diploma fee is paid and a transcript is requested in accordance with guidelines, an official transcript will be made at no additional charge. It will be sent to whomever the parent requests (colleges, the military, or employers).

If a child transfers to the public school before graduation, official transcripts will be made and sent to the parent along with all previous records. We will no longer send records directly to the public schools or other church schools. Fees are applicable and completion of Transcript Request Forms is required.

Parents are responsible for knowing all requirements, both state and local, for a child re-entering the public school from a non-accredited school.

A student must complete a full six weeks of work and parents must turn in the applicable Transcript Request Forms (including the attendance forms included at the non high-school level) BEFORE an official transcript will be made. If the student has less than this amount of time with DSA or does not turn in the required reports, we will send a letter stating no work can be verified.

All fees must be paid before a transcript is sent to the parent. A minimum 2-week notice is advised. If the forms are not correctly filled out and completely, they will be returned for correction/completion. Please read them carefully!!

Donna Mitchell

Live Free, Learn Free and Be Free