During my afternoon jump to the Drugereport online news site, my eyes were quickly drawn to an article from the San Francisco Chronicle. If you haven't read the latest news article regarding the California homeschooling laws, please click here .
Basically, back in the 1950's a law was put forth in California that all homeschooling parents must be credentialed to teach their children at home. All others must be enrolled in either public or private institutions. It requires kids ages 6 to 18 to attend a full-time day school, either public or private, or to be instructed by a tutor who holds a state credential for the child's grade level. Parents that disagree with this law have either given in, found loopholes, or have stayed under the radar far enough to keep out of trouble.
Unfortunately, an investigation arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Now ALL homeschooling parents in California are at risk.
Michael Smith, (president- HSLDA) said "the ruling would effectively ban homeschooling in the state. California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," he said in a statement. (excerpt taken from San Fran Chronicle)
Leslie Heimov (the executive director of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles),"it's not the quality of the children's education, but being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."
Um, hello!?!?!? Are you kidding me? That last statement completely burns me up inside! Is it about 'credentialed' teachers or the safety of the environment? Perhaps in the Long's case it is about the safety of the children (perhaps not...) , but that has no bearing on the 100,000 + families in California that love their children and care greatly for their needs, not only physically, but mentally, and spiritually! As parents is it not our duty, first and foremost to "ensure their ongoing safety?"
And let's look at the data! A great number of homeschooled children have excelled greatly under the tutelage of their "unskilled" parents and sometimes rank higher than that of public schooled children.
This is just one more step that the government is taking to creep into our homes and take over our precious freedom. Think I'm wrong? Read this and see where we are headed if this keeps up.
1 comment:
It does not amaze me that once again our rights are being stripped with something else.
What do we have choice over that the laws will keep us from next. It should be the parents choice of schooling their children whether it is homeschooling, public, private, etc.
My children go to public but this is my choice but if you choose to homeschool that darn it let it be without shackles of what you can and can't do.
Renee :)
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