New York State Education Department Discriminates Against Homeschoolers

In College Admissions and Graduation Policies

Over the past year or so, New York has begun to discriminate against homeschoolers seeking college admissions and degrees. Up to that time, homeschoolers were able to earn degrees at SUNY and New York’s Community Colleges alongside other students. Indeed many schools report that homeschooled students are among their very best students. Nevertheless, NYSED has seen fit to apply archaic and long-dormant regulations and have created a problem where none existed before. LEAH strongly encourages all homeschoolers to inform themselves about the problem, and then to write to the Board of Regents about this problem. It is the Board of Regents that oversees the Commissioner of Education and the SED. It is within the power of the Commissioner to make this problem go away.

Read A Description of the College Admissions and Graduation Problem

Read the Latest Flyer and Call for Action on This Issue

Requested Action:

Sign and distribute a petition asking New York to Stop this Discrimination. Please return by end of June.

Petition

Petition in pdf format

(Please use the pdf version if you have the Acrobat Reader)

Requested Action:

Please write a letter to the Regent representing your county, as well as to the Regents-at-Large. You may use the following as an example. Please rewrite in your own words.

Sample Letter

New York Board of Regents

2005* Bennett, Robert M.; Chancellor; Judicial District VIII -- Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming

201 Millwood Lane, Tonawanda, NY 14150

Phone: (716) 694-6783

2005* Sanford, Adelaide L.; Vice Chancellor; At Large

New York State Education Department, 55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217-1580

Phone: (718) 722-2807

2005* McGivern, Diane O'Neill; Judicial District II -- Kings and Richmond

95 West Entry Road, Country Club Grounds, Staten Island, 10304

Phone: (718) 667-6334

2004* Cohen, Saul B.; At Large

82 Taymil Road, New Rochelle, NY 10804

 Phone: (914) 633-7889

2005* Dawson, James C.; Judicial District IV -- Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington

2 Birchwood Drive, Peru, NY 12972

Phone: (518) 643-9289

2005* Johnson, Robert M.; Judicial District X -- Nassau and Suffolk

2 Skunk Hollow Road, Huntington, NY 11743

Phone: (212) 229-7200

2006* Bottar, Anthony S.; Judicial District V -- Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego

407 South Warren Street, Syracuse, NY 13202

Phone: (315) 422-3466

2006* Tisch, Merryl H.; At Large

9 East 79th Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10021

Phone: (212) 879-9414

2003* Chapey, Geraldine; Judicial District XI -- Queens

107-10 Shore Front Parkway, Apt. 9C, Belle Harbor, NY 11694

Phone: (718) 634-8471

2004* Gardner, Arnold B.; At Large

120 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14202

Phone: (716) 845-6000

2005* Phillips 3rd, Harry; Judicial District IX -- Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester

71 Hawthorne Way, Hartsdale, NY 10530

Phone: (914) 948-2228

2004* Bowman, Jr., Joseph E.; Judicial District III -- Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster

ED 124, School of Education, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222  

Phone:  (518) 442-4987

2003* Cortes-Vazquez, Lorraine A.; Judicial District XII - Bronx

130 William Street, 9th Floor, Manhattan, N.Y. 10038

Phone (212) 233-8955

2007* Rubin, Judith O.; Judicial District I - New York

911 Park Avenue, New York 10021

Phone (212) 535-6942

2007* Tallon, James R. Jr.; Judicial District VI - Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, Tompkins

United Hospital Fund, Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110

Phone (212) 494-0777

2007* Cofield, Milton L.; Judicial District VII - Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates

98 Hickory Ridge Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14625

Phone (585) 248-8494

*Indicates expiration of current term.