Amid deaths, leaders call for homeschool system changes

Local and state leaders are calling for more accountability to the state's homeschooling system following the tragic killings of two children, who had been taken out of public school to be homeschooled and later were found in a deep freezer.

Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry were found last month in their home at the Martin Luther King Apartments in Detroit by an eviction crew. Their mother, Mitchelle Blair, is facing murder charges in their deaths and has been accused of severely abusing the children, as well as their two surviving siblings, ages 8 and 17, who are in the custody of a relative.

State Rep. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, announced today that, working with Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield, she plans to introduce a bill that would require parents or a guardian choosing to homeschool to provide their address and the names of the children who will be homeschooled to their school district.

It would also require that homeschooled children meet twice a year with a person from an approved list, including physicians, licensed social workers, school counselors, teachers, law enforcement officer or a member of the clergy. Parents would have to keep records of those meetings and make them available upon request.

"Michigan is one out of only 11 states that does not require parents homeschooling their children to initiate any contact or notice with the state about the fact that they are choosing to homeschool," Chang said during a news conference today.

She said neither the state nor school districts have a list of children who are homeschooled.

"This total lack of even the most minimal requirements meant that it was unfortunately too easy for the abuse that Stoni and Stephen and their siblings endured to go unnoticed," Chang said. "We are too late to save Stephen and to save Stoni, but we could act now and do all that we can to save other children from suffering their fates."

John Blair, Stoni and Stephen's grandfather, said he believes "this bill not only would have a part in monitoring children's education, but in some cases, save lives."

Sheffield said the proposed changes are not an attack on the state's homeschooling system, but would provide another layer of accountability.

"The proposed policy changes in my opinion would not have a negative impact on those who are truly homeschooling … properly, but it will close loopholes that would prevent an abusive parent or guardian from using it in a way to hide potential abuse or other improper behavior," she said.

Not everyone agrees. Gregory Creswell protested at the news conference, which was held today outside of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, holding up a sign that said: "Defend home schoolers from nosy and fascist politicians."

He said he is against oversight of the homeschooling system.

"I believe, in a free society, we should have homeschooling and out of the eyes and scope of intrusive government," Creswell said.

Parents can choose to voluntarily register their home school with the Michigan Department of Education. But it's not required unless a child has special needs and is asking for special education services from a public school or intermediate school district.

In 2013, a House bill that would have required parents or guardians to register as a home school stalled in committee.

The proposal announced Friday has caused some waves in the homeschool community.

"I feel like what they're doing is somehow making the assumption that home school parents are negligent and that there has to be oversight or we're not going take care of our children," said Danette Urban, administrator of Ypsilanti-based Adventurers Homeschool Association. "From a broad standpoint, the opposite is true: We are very well-invested in our children. It alarms me because it's more regulation about how you can and can't raise your children."

Charisse Cossu-Kowalski of Clinton Township, who leads a homeschool co-op in Macomb County, doubts that changes would make a difference.

"Registering with a school district is not going to protect any kids (who are being abused at home)," she said. "Laying eyes on children once or twice a year is not going to help them."

The proposal won praise from the Massachusetts-based Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a national nonprofit that advocates for greater homeschool oversight.

"These sorts of things make it harder for a parent to use homeschooling to hide abuse," executive director Rachel Coleman said

Mitchelle Blair, 35, reportedly took her children out of Detroit Public Schools to homeschool them.

Stoni and Stephen are believed to have been ages 13 and 9 when they were killed. After Stoni were found in the freezer last month, Blair's 17-year-old daughter told authorities that neither she nor her siblings had attended school in two years, according to a petition filed in Wayne County juvenile court.

Blair is facing murder, torture and child-abuse charges.

Angela Gordon, Blair's aunt, is caring for the two surviving children. Gordon said a trust has been set up at Bank of America called the Blair Children Fund.

Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com