The meeting occurred at the Maywood Center and was chock-full of insight and action. Participants included Janice Hedin (HSA), Joan Jensen (Central Kitsap S.D.), Lisa Keller (Snohomish S.D.), Felice McGowan (WHO), Bill Guise (Maywood Center, Highline S.D.), Wayne Sweeney (Monroe S.D.), Patricia and Herb Dempsey (Bethel S.D.), Dolphine Roberson (Tacoma S. D.), Nancy Thompson (South Widbey S.D.), and David Graham (Bellevue area).

There was a general sense of urgency, verbalized by Joan, to achieve legislative support for our basic goal (FTE funding of alternative programs K-12) this Fall. Also, there was a sense that the need for FTE funding of alternative programs K-12 is ever more widely and wisely understood.

Bill Guise suggested the word choice in place of the word alternative in our basic statement of goal, and following on this, unless I hear objections, I will use the phrase Choice K-12 to quick-reference that goal.

Herb and Lisa suggested we make a list of things our districts are already doing as or towards Choice K-12. The list will comprise a uniform data base we can speak from with our various contacts, to make the point for choice (alternative) programs K-12. You can compose your part of the list by answering the question, What do we do that we want to make legal and funded?

If you have this list of your district's Choice K-12 activities snail-or e-mailed to me by 9/22, I will have the compilation to you before our next meeting, where it can be amended. District and individual names will not appear on the compilation.

Wayne and I felt the need to propose legislation enabling Choice K-12, our basic goal. Bill drafted a piece last Spring. But action was tabled pending, I think, a clear sense of whom to ask to do the writing.

Felice pointed out that the GCERF mission statement supports by implication Choice K-12.

Dolphine and Nancy pointed out that funding should be of programs, not just of children. This is related to an observation of Patricia's regarding the CSL's experience with conceptualizing learning goals in a non-site-based, interactive (choice) environment. She said that the problem appeared so complex to the CSL that they tabled it. This comment indicated to me that a conceptual breakthrough regarding the nature of the student, themselves, is needed overall, and the piece, Structure as Phenomenology, which is enclosed, was prepared for that purpose.

We are going to use Internet, besides snail-mail, for circulating documents and anything anyone deems needful. Please give me your net address so I can update the mailing list and provide you a copy. My net address is: merovin@halcyon.com.

Our next meeting is scheduled for 9:30am on 10/6/94 at the Maywood Center. We decided it is time to invite to our meetings Superintendents, Businesses Managers and anyone else who is likely to support Choice K-12 or would enjoy participating in the talks. So, invite away!

Prepared by
David R. Graham
Maywood Homeschool Leadership Team