Home Schooling Threatened in California
By Heather Terwilliger and Greg Toppo,
USA Today
Posted: 2008-03-11 17:54:36
Filed Under: Nation News
(March 10) – A California court ruling that challenges parents’ legal right to teach their children at home is angering home schoolers, who hope the state’s Supreme Court will overturn the decision. Otherwise, advocates say, thousands of families may be forced to abandon home schooling.
Meanwhile, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is vowing to challenge the “outrageous” ruling. He says that if the high court doesn’t reverse the appeals court’s decision, he’ll support home-schooling legislation ensuring parents’ rights.
The court on Feb. 28 upheld provisions in the state’s education code that say parents must enroll their children in a public or private school. If they’re being home schooled, they must be taught by a credentialed teacher or face possible fines or criminal charges. The ruling was a shock to the state’s home schoolers, which number as many as 166,000, according to the Pacific Justice Institute, an advocacy group. Many families have long operated through a loose interpretation of the state code.
If enforced, the decision could cut the number of home-schooled children by 90%, says J. Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. “It would drastically reduce or do away with home schooling” in California, he says.
A 2003 study by the U.S. Education Department estimated that about 1.1 million students attend school at home, but the current number is likely much higher. Though the ruling doesn’t pose a direct threat to laws in other states, Smith says, “it’s a dangerous trend when you think about it. — California is an influential state, and (other) states might get an idea.”
Here is the full story.
What do you think? Do you support parents’ rights to home school their children?
No – absolutely not. Too many parents mistake having a strong opinion about what they want their children to be for an ability to teach.
Yes, I absolutely support parents’ rights to homeschool their children. I homeschool all four of my children. Every year, they consistently score very high on standardized tests. They are well-adjusted, well-socialized, and have many friends and are active in many kinds of extracurricular activities (including chess). Most importantly, I can teach them the social and moral values that are important to my family.
The ruling is outrageous on so many levels. The very assumption that public schools are doing an effective job educating our kids and are providing a “safe” environment is contrary to the daily experience of many, many families in California. The requirement of ‘credentialed’ teachers also begs the question of what about private schools, many of whom are providing quality education to their students with non-credentialed teachers.
The value of teacher credentialing is dubious I think. A credential doesn’t make someone a good teacher and not all good teachers are credentialed (see private schools).
That said, I’m a firm believer that parents should be given primacy as far as how to raise their children and that includes issues like home schooling, religious training, etc.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell comes to the defense of homeschool families. “The California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling. Parents still have the right to homeschool in this state,” he said.
http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ca/200803030.asp
I fully support the right of parents to teach their kids and to control their education. First it can be argued to be an innate right or freedom. Second, the school system in many countries, Israel for sure, has many deficiencies to say the least. So parents don’t have to sacrifice their dear ones to a sick system and must have the freedom of choice whether to join the system and to accept it for better and for worse, may by change a few things also. Or to home school. I think the state should by all means support parents who decide to home school and not make it hard on them.
On the other hand I think parents should weight carefully whether or not to home school and I am not completely sure if home schooling is the best between the two choices automatically or even most of the times. It is a tough decision for parents but they should have a fair freedom of choice.
e4.