The meeting occurred at the Maywood Center and comprised a pleasant and productive conversation with Randy Dorn, Chairman of the House Committee on Education.

Participants included Randy Dorn, Lile Holland (Central Kitsap S.D.), Tom Schneider (Peninsula S.D.), Gary Albers and Larry Pierson (Battleground S.D.), Bill Guise (Maywood Center, Highline S.D.), Wayne Sweeney (Monroe S.D.), Jon and Wendy Wartes (Northshore S.D. and Washington Homeschool Organization, respectively) and David Graham (Maywood Homeschool Leadership Team).

The district representatives shared with considerable cogency their reasons for desiring a statutory window for FTE funding of alternative programs K-12. In the process, they were able to outline programs their districts have in place and to describe how these are serving several populations and could serve more.

Mr. Dorn was most knowledgeable regarding both the problems and the possibilities. He appeared to have already digested the concept of FTE funding of alternative programs K-12 and to have anticipated means of implementing it and also obstacles to its implementation. He was emphatic on a point C.O.P.E. participants have emphasized repeatedly among themselves, namely, that this concept not be linked to homeschooling.

Mr. Dorn invited the participants to speak to the purpose before the Joint Select Committee on Restructuring. The next meetings of this Committee are August 31 at SeaTac Legislative Office and September 21 at House Hearing Room C. He suggested that the concept be presented as a 1209 performance issue, meaning, genuine restructuring would include alternative programs K-12, for which a statutory window is required. In addition, he was aware that interpretation of relevant WACs and RCWs at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must be in a facilitory spirit.

Lile Holland and Tom Schneider are coordinating the follow-on to Mr. Dorn's invitation. Anyone wanting to participate, please contact them. In addition, it would be valuable for Lile and Tom to have from C.O.P.E. participants succinct itemizations of the problems and the possibilities that drive and attend our basic concept.

Finally, Mr. Dorn desired that we assure our constituencies, and especially homeschoolers, that the federal Education 2000 legislation contains red flags (invasive procedures) only for states that do not have restructuring already in progress, and that, since restructuring is well-launched in Washington State, Education 2000 for us merely promises additional federal moneys for purposes designated locally.

Prepared by
David R. Graham
Maywood Homeschool Leadership Team