California judge says no to homeschooling

[Universe Prince]

From the Los Angeles Times:

Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California's home schooling families. [...] The appellate panel ruled that Sunland officials' occasional monitoring of the Longs' home schooling -- with the children taking some tests at the school -- is insufficient to qualify as being enrolled in a private school. Since Mary Long does not have a teaching credential, the family is violating state laws, the ruling said. "Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. "Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-homeschool6mar06,1,4399394.story

This situation seems ripe for the kind of civil disobedience we were talking about a few days ago.

[sirs]

This situation seems ripe for the kind of civil disobedience we were talking about a few days ago.

Unfortunately, yep       

[Michael Tee]

The kids have a right to a decent education. 

IMHO, home-schooling by a bunch of ignorant fanatics exercising parental rights amounts to child abuse.  They'll grow up dumb as shit and past a certain point there won't be any remedial education that'll work. 

I think it's unfortunate that some parents are good teachers and some aren't, but the state can't afford to get into evaluations which are necessarily subjective to some degree.  Best solution is to outlaw all religious, ethnic and home-schooling, and mandate that every kid without exception attend a regular school week in a regular school year at his neighbourhood public school.  If the parents want to supplement their kids' education, they can do it at home, after school hours.

[Rich]

Nevermind

[fatman]

That was MT's reply dipshit, not XO.

[Rich]

Oops, the fat fag pointed out a mistake.

Sorry, I had to acknowledge him because of the mistake. It won't happen again.

[fatman]

There you go again.  Pissy that you made a mistake.  Poor lil' guy.

[Universe Prince]

The kids have a right to a decent education.

The parents have a right to decide what they want that education to be.

IMHO, home-schooling by a bunch of ignorant fanatics exercising parental rights amounts to child abuse.  They'll grow up dumb as shit and past a certain point there won't be any remedial education that'll work.

Um, no. The worst one might honestly say is that they might end up ignorant of certain things. Ignorant and dumb are not the same. And as I understand it, homeschooled children on average perform better on standard tests than public school children.

I think it's unfortunate that some parents are good teachers and some aren't, but the state can't afford to get into evaluations which are necessarily subjective to some degree.  Best solution is to outlaw all religious, ethnic and home-schooling, and mandate that every kid without exception attend a regular school week in a regular school year at his neighbourhood public school.  If the parents want to supplement their kids' education, they can do it at home, after school hours.

Remove from parents the power to choose how and where their children are educated? Then why even bother letting parents rear children at all?

[sirs]

Best solution is to outlaw all religious, ethnic and home-schooling, and mandate that every kid without exception attend a regular school week in a regular school year at his neighbourhood public school.[/quote]

Remove from parents the power to choose how and where their children are educated? Then why even bother letting parents rear children at all?

I think that's the whole idea.  Folks like Tee & the Government simply know better than the rest of us schmucks

[Michael Tee]

<<The parents have a right to decide what they want that education to be.>>

All rights being subject to reasonable limitations, the parents' right to decide on their kids' education stops short at child abuse and stops short at depriving them of the same educational opportunities as other kids.  They don't OWN those kids, you know.  They still have parental responsibilities and if they don't live up to them, the state will take those kids and put them with someone who will.

<<Um, no. The worst one might honestly say is that they might end up ignorant of certain things. Ignorant and dumb are not the same. And as I understand it, homeschooled children on average perform better on standard tests than public school children.>>

Well in real life the law is never called on to deal with "average" children - - it deals with real kids with real names and decides if Johnny is getting the education he deserves or not.


<<Remove from parents the power to choose how and where their children are educated? Then why even bother letting parents rear children at all?>>

The parents who DO rear their kids must conform to minimal acceptable standards of rearing children and if they don't, they WILL lose those kids.  Don't kid yourself into believing that the state doesn't have the right and the duty to see that kids are reared and educated to at least minimum acceptable standards.  There is no property in a child - - the child has rights and the parent who won't provide those rights won't have that child.

[Christians4LessGvt]

"They'll grow up dumb as shit"

Statistics show that students educated at home score measurably higher on standardized
tests like the SAT, where homeschoolers were 67 points above the national average.

In 1999, according to the College Board, the average score for home-schoolers was
602 verbal and 550 math. For those traditionally schooled in Pennsylvania, the average
was 498 verbal and 495 math.



http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20000501homeschool5.asp

Yeah the government is doing such a wonderful job educating our children. 

[BT]

Something tells me this appeals court ruling will be stayed. Seems a smart lawyer would question the use of "emergency credentials" in the public schools and challenge why those districts are not in violation of the same laws they are using against the home schoolers. Can you say class action lawsuit?

[Michael Tee]

Averages don't mean shit in the eyes of the law.  The law is concerned with doing justice to individuals, not to averages.  Just because the "average" home-schooled kid does better than "the average" public schooled kid has no bearing at all on whether a particular kid whose case is before the court is getting an acceptable education or not.

If the court is called upon to decide whether little Johnny is getting a substandard education or not, all the evidence in the world about the "average" home-schooled kid don't mean shit.  He could be getting home-schooled by a couple of morons - - why should they benefit by what happens to the "average" home schooled kid?

<<Yeah the government is doing such a wonderful job educating our children.  >>

Totally missing the point yet again.  Oh well, what else is new?

[BT]

Mikey,

The case wasn't about whether the Long children were being properly educated. It was about whether the state could legally require homeschool teachers to be certified.

Understand it is common for school districts to issue or have issued emergency credentials for teachers who are not fully qualified. Goose / gander.

[Christians4LessGvt]

You stated "home-schooling by a bunch of ignorant fanatics exercising
parental rights amounts to child abuse. They'll grow up dumb as shit"

Well sorry the facts state your gvt educated students are more likely to grow up dumb as shit.

So again you spew poop and are proven wrong.