Criminalizing Home Schoolers

[Dodgergirl]

Parents of the approximately 200,000 home-schooled children in California are reeling from the possibility that they may have to shutter their classrooms - and go back to school themselves - if they want to continue teaching their own kids. On Feb. 28, Judge H. Walter Croskey of the Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled that children ages six to 18 may be taught only by credentialed teachers in public or private schools - or at home by Mom and Dad, but only if they have a teaching degree. Citing state law that goes back to the early 1950s, Croskey declared that "California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children." Furthermore, the judge wrote, if instructors teach without credentials they will be subject to criminal action.

full article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080308/us_time/criminalizinghomeschoolers

[only1alphafemale]

I didnt realize there was ever a "conflict" regarding parents home schooling their children? but it looks like there is going to be one now !

Is there an issue that home schooled children are not receiving proper educations, or do they have low academic acheivement test scores?

I had heard that they scored higher over all...... ? so I wonder whats prompted this action / stance now ???

[BGW]

I have always known about this law and was always confused as to how parents we able to home school there kids w/o the credentials. I had just figured if they taught via say Mountain Home School they had found a legal loop hole in the law

[CatdaBrat]

As long as the home-schooled students are periodically being tested and evaluated by traditional, credentialed teachers or school boards, and meeting or exceeding state averages, I don't see why it can't be a family's choice. In almost every case, I would imagine that these are parents who are seriously taking an active and positive role in the education of their children. Maybe they find home schooling to be more satisfactory than occasionally helping out in the classroom.

Due to a bad public school experience when we lived in Ahwahnee (this was a long time ago), I was looking into home schooling my oldest son. I think I mentioned this in a previous post. The school principal at the time tried to tell me there WAS no home school program available for Madera County, and I replied that the representatives of the program had already been to my home to discuss it!

Anyway, ended up moving to North Fork, which meant another school and another teacher, and my son immediately went from a student that was facing being held back to one that advanced tremendously. Sometimes a parent knows what's best despite "the system" being so eager to give up on their child.

I say if some parents want to do home schooling and the kids thrive on it, the lawmakers should mind their own beeswax!

[Dodgergirl]

I've done both. I homeschooled Jai while we were still in LA, ironically through Sunland Christian, the same school listed in the article. O1af, read the entire article and you'll see what prompted the court order.. interesting
Now I feel as if I'm homeschooling the monster, but he is absorbing everything... his language surpasses many 3 year olds and recognition is way up there, too. I believe much of his skills come from the fact he is taught in almost everything we do... I guess it's hard when your mommy was a teacher and grandma is one, too... poor kid... :rolleyes:

[mary oleary]

Wow! That Judge is really pushing the authority of his seat.

I read that this case was done in juvenille court- and was centered around a child neglect case? I also read that the Homeschool defense association was not allowed to present the case to protect homeschool rights?

That would really be outrageous! To punish all homeschoolers because of poor parenting of one parent.
It's like the law has now made scholl the official watchdog of parenting!

I thought it school was supposed to be about education?!

California has tried this in the past. There have been national laws that protect the rights of parents to choose education for thier own children. Hopefully the Supreme court won't hold this up-

I hope that homeschooling parents will refuse to acknowledge this ruling.

[mary oleary]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/08/MNCHVG0SD.DTL

(03-07) 13:37 PST SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denounced a state appeals court ruling that severely restricts homeschooling and promised Friday to change the law if necessary to guarantee that parents are able to educate their children at home.

"Every California child deserves a quality education, and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children," Schwarzenegger said in response to the ruling, which said children educated at home must be taught by a credentialed teacher.

"Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education," Schwarzenegger said. "This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will."........

:yes: call write email the gov and let him know you support parents rights!

[nosmatt]

I fully support partens rights!

If they are indeed intelligent enough to homeschool in the first place.


I watch "wife swap", I have seen some "home schoolers" on that program, and OMG!!!! Maybe that judge saw the same episodes ;)



anyway, I am with most here, let parents teach @ home, but subject those home schooled children to the same standards our public school teachers are, and put the underachieving students back in public schools.

[mary oleary]

Judge Croskey’s comments:

“California courts have held that … parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children,” Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. “Parents have a legal duty to see to their children’s schooling under the provisions of these laws.”

Quoting from an earlier 1961 (yes that far back) Judge Croskey wrote, “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare.”

The ironic part is that public school's seem to be doing the exact opposite - kids come out hating our government, hopeless about citizenship, and believe that our founding fathers were mostly impirialistic bigots! Loyalty to the state! That's a hoot!!!rolleyes:

If that is what the judge is looking for then he better turn his gaze towards public schools!!!

I'm pro-choice on this one!