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with a national average of almost $6,000 per student [3]. Homeschooled children represent over seven billion dollars out of reach of local government schools and, at its current growth rate, each year more than another billion dollars slips away. Politically, homeschoolers are a force to be reckoned with when their rights are endangered. The most highly publicized and effective example of their growing political clout occurred in 1994 when the House of Representatives inserted language into an educational appropriations bill that would have required all teachers to be credentialed. Homeschoolers perceived this provision as a threat to their autonomy and overwhelmed phone and fax lines to their representatives until the credentialing language was removed by a 424-1 vote. Homeschooling’s economic and political impact is keenly felt by teacher unions, maintain the system hampered the district''s effort to offer other resources. It''s not that CDLN was terrible, but the new system allowed the district to spread its money further. People can now put books on hold via the Web site and can search the library''s database. It also offers Electric Library that lets students research topics through sources such as newspapers, magazines and books. The students really like it, and the new features," said Bismarck High library media specialist Charlotte Hill. very user friendly." One of the new options that has made life easier for students is called the book bag, Hill said. Students can a topic search and then drop each book title that they want into their book bag on the computer screen. Theym,can then make a printout of the titles in a bibliography format and collect their books. They weren''t able to make a printout before," Hill said. They had to all political stripes, including long-standing Tories - are hoping their grassroots movement will bring about a groundswell of support. The full-page ad reads, in part: ``Large classes. Fewer special education classes. Reduced library staff. Fewer arts programs . . . Does this sound like your school?'''' The first one appears in today''s Star. The funding formula is not meeting needs of kids in Toronto, or anywhere,'''' said Joanne Pauli, speaking on behalf of the newly formed Friends of Public She has three children, one at North Toronto Collegiate. Most of the parents have some connection to the collegiate; the idea for the ad campaign came out of a parent council meeting. The one-size-fits-all formula isn''t really fitting anyone at all,'''' Pauli said. In 1998, the provincial government seized control of education spending, taking away individual boards'' ability to raise their own taxes depending on their needs. It now spends $13.4 billion a year.
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