Policy Effective Date: July 1 2002

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 23 years in Home Education, with 11 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 Christian 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 prayer 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.  Though we are not politically active due to our own personal and spiritual beliefs, we can and will be active in our daily position and belief regarding the necessity of the separation of the state and education,  which will be reflected in DSA policies.