Culture Wars
A Case to Watch
by Clay Staggs
The modern day left LOATHES homeschooling. Kimberly and I have started watching Boston Legal, which I probably shouldn’t be confessing here, but nonetheless, we’ve noticed that every time they portray homeschoolers, it’s done in a way to paint the homeschoolers as kooks, weirdos, subversives, or even criminals. I ascribe this loathing to two facts: first, that most homeschoolers are evangelical Christian, and second that those children will not be available for the social engineering that liberals like to try through the public schools (e.g., sex ed).
So, on Drudge today, there’s a link to an interesting case from California. Apparently an appellate court in California has held that, unless the parents doing the homeschooling are state-credentialed teachers, they must enroll their children in a public or private full-time school. The homeschooling parent’s being supervised by a church, private, or charter school is insufficient for the court, it seems.
The ruling has caught the homeschoolers in California completely off guard. They’re promising an appeal to the California Supreme Court. If that’s not successful, then the vast majority of homeschool parents can be arrested for truancy and charged with “educational neglect” - whatever that is. Predictably, the teachers’ union pronounced itself “happy” with the ruling.
I don’t think the homeschoolers will go down without a fight, though:
Homeschooling parent Debbie Schwarzer of Los Altos said she’s ready for a fight. Schwarzer runs Oak Hill Academy out of her Santa Clara County home. It is a state-registered private school with two students, she said, noting they are her own children, ages 10 and 12. She does not have a teaching credential, but she does have a law degree. “I’m kind of hoping some truancy officer shows up on my doorstep,” she said. “I’m ready. I have damn good arguments.” She opted to teach her children at home to better meet their needs. The ruling, Schwarzer said, “stinks.”
Seems as though the gloves are coming off on both sides…..
Posted by Clay Staggs at March 7, 2008 09:45 AM
Clay, In the SF Chronicle article, Judge Croskey cites a 1961 case— and he quotes it in his decision. The quote literally blew me away. It speaks of the primary purpose of education:
“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,”
And I thought education was supposed to cover the lernin’ of chicken scratch and figgerin’ numbers.
But I was mistaken, the primary purpose of a good American education is to produce a person who recycles, mows their lawn, votes, recites the pledge, and indicates promising dedication to well-intentioned socialism. I stand corrected, Judge Croskey.
This loathing and misunderstanding of homeschoolers you mentioned is often brought on by a fear factor. The educational monopoly by the joint efforts of the government and the NEA and its affiliates is threatened by private and homeschoolers. There is an ongoing effort to either regulate/legislate people into public schools or to keep/raise taxes to the point that fewer and fewer people have options. I really wish that people who choose to send their kids to a private school or to homeschool could receive a tax credit. The gov’ts (Fed & State) would actually be money ahead in most cases to allow a tax credit and not spend the money per pupil in the PS setting.
By the way, the ‘credential’ thing…. In California, there’s not one credential for K-12. The teacher would have to be ‘re-credentialed’ at least two additional times. Oh, and in case you happen to be Bill Gates and want to teach your child computer or business skills at home (or to come teach a class in a public school)… nope, not credentialed, can’t do it. A nice angle for the job protection of the members of the NEA, I think.
Coming from the Socialist Republic of California it is no surprise to me that they have moved to outlaw home schooling. I am only surprised that it hasn’t come sooner. I wonder if Judge Croskey bothered to look at the educational performance of schools in California. They are currently ranked 47th in the nation by the Morgan Quitno’s annual reference book. They are second in teacher’s salaries and per student dollars though.
It all comes down to freedom. And the monopoly of Government schools, like any monopoly, does not want to give its customers a choice. It also fits the socialist/humanist agenda of raising a society in the way they want them to go. So any good socialist (liberal) would do all in their political power to keep as many students as they can in their Government school. Never mind what God or mom and dad want for their children.