I received this in my email and wanted to share it with you all. This concerns me a great deal because I am very pro-home school. I am seriously considering home schooling Zoe.
I want to add something.......
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=159
Jennifer
FALWELL CONFIDENTIAL
Insider weekly newsletter to The Moral Majority Coalition and
The Liberty Alliance http://www.falwell.com/
From: Jonathan Falwell
Date: March 7, 2008
Will Home Schooling Become Illegal?
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that “shock waves” have been sent throughout the state’s home-schooling community after the California Court of Appeals issued a ruling which found no legal right of parents to home school their children.
“Parents who fail to [comply with state 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,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey, whose opinion was joined by the other two members of an appellate panel. The opinion, which was issued February 28, reversed a superior court judge’s ruling that “parents have a constitutional right to school their children in their own home.”
In this case, the parents of a student had enrolled her in Sunland Christian School , a private home schooling program. In his opinion, Judge Croskey called this action a “ruse of enrolling [children] in a private school and then letting them stay home and be taught by a non-credentialed parent.”
Brad Dacus, president of the Sacramento-based Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), said it should be noted that this Christian school “has been in full compliance with the requirements of the law for more than 20 years.” PJI, which is a legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom and parental rights, is representing the family in this case.
The ruling, combined with Judge Croskey’s cautionary warnings, has had a chilling effect on home-schooling parents throughout the nation. Through the years, these families have seen examples of far-reaching efforts that attempt to quell the rights of parents to choose the way in which their children are educated.
“The scope of this decision by the appellate court is breathtaking,” said Dacus. “It not only attacks traditional home schooling, but also calls into question home schooling through charter schools and teaching children at home via independent study through public and private schools.”
He said if the ruling is not reversed, parents of the 166,000-plus students in home school programs in the state “will be subject to criminal sanctions.”
That’s a dire warning. And while this is troubling news for California ’s home-schooling parents, Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) says there’s not yet a need for panic.
The HSLDA, noting that the appeals court ruling finds that “almost all forms of home-schooling in California are in violation of state law,” will file an amicus brief on behalf of its 13,500 member families in the state. The organization says that “a proper interpretation of California statutes makes it clear that parents may legally teach their own children under the private-school exemption.”
Parental Rights
I believe that parents should have the right to choose alternative education for their children. Specifically, Christian parents should have the right to choose faith-based schools or home schooling for their children, especially when one considers the accelerating focus on sex-ed in many public schools.
Just this week, we learned that a high school in Deerfield , Ill. , had assigned the book, “Angels in America : A Gay Fantasia on National Themes” — which includes vile language and graphic depictions of sexuality, including homosexuality — as a required student reading project. (After several parents complained the book was changed to an “optional title.”)
“It’s disgraceful for [education officials at the school] who have been entrusted to help mold the minds of Deerfield’s impressionable youth, to have abused those youth by ostensibly violating the very laws intended to protect them, said Matt Barber, Concerned Women for America’s policy director for cultural issues.
It’s no wonder that Christian parents are becoming more and more concerned about what their children are being taught in public schools.
While the teachers unions want control of all kids, we must work to ensure that parents retain the right to determine their children’s educations. I see this as a fundamental right for all parents and an absolute right of religious freedom for Christian families.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Home Schooling
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In today's world it is important to realize that education is very important for the students of today to become successful when they enter the workforce. While for some, home schooling meets the these needs, for many it does not. All this ruling addresses is that home school programs need to be held to the same performance standards as do other programs.
Another fact is that often children who are home schooled are deficient in the social skills necessary to function in society. Sometimes the isolation from the world backfires--when these children leave the nest, they are more easily influenced by undesirable people/things than are children who have been able to gradually adjust to outside influences.
The teaching of children is the responsibility of the parents. If a homeschooled child lacks in social skills and the inability to deal with negative influences, then it's the fault of the parent for not getting their child involved in church activities and play groups, etc. Having no social skills is not the product of being taught at home by the parents.
My job as parent, is to equip my child to be spiritually strong and educated in a biblical fashion so that when he/she graduates, they are well informed, well protected, and well equipped to allow God to be their guide in dealing with "undesirable people/things" in order to bring them to the Lord and make the world a better place to be simply because they have shown the light of Christ in a dark world.
Parents responsible for the well being of their children. Parents can send their kids off to some building to be taught what the government thinks is right, or the parents can take control of the situation and mold the minds and belief system of their own children. This is how this country started (homeschooling) and I have to say that I've become very impressed with the statistics I've read and heard about concerning homeschooled children. They graduate earlier and their college scores are much higher than those children who have been in public school from the beginning.
This is why I am for the teaching of one's own children.
Jennifer
http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1
There is some great stuff on this website, including statistics, if you want to check it out.
Jennifer
As a public school teacher, I have mixed feelings about home-schooling. I agree it is great for a child to not be exposed to the wordly stuff that goes on at school. On the other hand, the socialization that the kids get at school is important. Parents who completely isolate their kids are doing them no favors. However, as Jennifer said, as long as a child is extensively involved in church activities or other social groups, they can get that socialization. Many sports teams like little league baseball/softball are open to homeschooled kids as well. My main concern, however, is not socialization. More than that is the learning content that a child gets. What a child is expected to know by certain grades is becoming more and more advanced. Math that I didn't learn until high school, I am now teaching to my 7th graders. I have many parents who cannot do the math I am teaching their children. That would make it difficult for them to homeschool. I also believe that homeschooled children should be required to pass the same state tests that children in public schools do. That shows that they are learning the necessary content. It takes a lot of time and commitment for a parent to homeschool, even more to do it well. Honestly, if I was dealing with my own child, I would be more likely to send them to a Christian school or a few select public schools than to homeschool. And don't even get me started on those online schools for kids. You wouldn't have time to read all I have to say...
Mary
Come on Mary - I want to hear what you have for those online schools!
Please let me state the obvious: Parents must make choices based on their children's needs and the family's life circumstances. What is the right choice for one family may not be for another. Therefore I do not presume to add anything to the conversation about the advantages/ disadvantages of homeschooling.
My concern, related to the homeschooling discussion, is the fear being expressed with regard to the public school system. Public schools are often discussed as though they are very negative environments. I do not believe that such fear is warranted. I see a growing tendency among Christians to fear the world. I wonder how we will reach the world if we are increasingly scared of it. Public schools (at least in our area) have displayed an openess to Christian involvement. Many teachers, as well as students, are christians. Public schools are a real proving ground for personal Christian development and congregational ministry.
That is not to say that homeschooling is a bad choice. I definitely do not believe that to be true. I am simply springboarding off this discussion to speak to one of my pet-peeves, fear of the world.
Using a sport's analogy: When you play not to lose--you lose! I believe that we as Christians (commissioned by Christ to reach the world) are playing not to lose. We are increasingly turning inward, attempting to buffer ourselves from the evil world. If it is true that public schools are terrible, then let us take Christ to the schools, rather than withdraw out of fear.
Again, let me state-- I do not think choosing to homeschool is inappropriate. I know that there are many good reasons why parents make this choice. They must do what is best for their children and situation.
Thank you for sharing this information. Americans are losing more of their freedom, liberties, and privacy everyday. We are being brainwashed to beleive that other people can make better decisions for our children than we can. Those of us who cherish our freedom need to be very vocal about issues like this. As Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
After checking out the websites Jennifer suggested, I found the one to put down American schools by saying how much better other countries educate their children. They failed to add that in America we educate 'all' students. You do not find other countries educating the slow learners or providing the mentally handicapped learning services. And only in America do we provide education for everyone and 'count' them in our data!!!! Also, I have yet found an American School Board to hire a teacher with only a High School diploma.
A couple thoughts:
Would it be a bad thing to require more of America's homeschooling families? Presently, there are not (to my knowledge, and I am no expert) very many requirements for the parent (teachers) educational level/training/basic testing. The rules of what constitutes a 'school day' are very loose--museum trips and home/life activities and other things that most public school kids do not count as 'education'.
Can we assume that socialization outside of a school environment is the same as inside? What about finding a bus or buying your own lunch? What about confidence gained from knowing your way around a building? What about the life lessons of not repeating everything you hear?
We certainly have a lot of responsibility as parents, and each of us are given different children with different needs. We need to support one another and realize that we are all just muddling through this and doing the best we can, and that we are all going to make mistakes. We also need to realize that our involvement, regardless of public, private or home education, is going to be crucial in imparting our values!! That is why the Scripture teaches us to talk to our children "when you are at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up".
I beleive that it would be a bad thing to put more requirements upon homeschooling families because it would be an infringement upon our freedom and privacy.
I first should preface this by saying that half of my family are teachers and I am pro public education. I definitely worry about our education system as a whole and don't get me started about school shootings, but I believe in the school systems in preparing my children for their educational needs.
I am not against home school and am sure that it is has its purpose, but I do worry about the structure of the system. Jennifer brought up a good point that it ultimately the parents responsibility, the problem is that there are many parents who can't take care of themselves, how are they going to take care of their children's education. There is limited way of monitoring who is qualified or not. I thought those articles argued against themselves by questioning the qualifications of teachers, when the qualifications of home schoolteachers are even harder to judge.
Also, I agree with the one anonymous comment that the US accounts for all children and other countries only account for children that are in school, which in some cases are smaller percents. In some countries only the fortunate ones are in schools and the numbers would be skewed. Also the articles discussed how foreign kids are better qualified for graduate programs, my experience was that those kids are the elite from their countries and they are competing against all or any kids from our country, so they would be better qualified than some of the kids. But put them up against our best and I think you would see similar scores.
I also liked what Jason said about not hiding our light; think about the influences we have on people. Also the influences others have on us. Iron sharpens iron. I have been pleased with the girls schooling so far, I know it is early in the game, but still pleased. Both have friends whose fathers happen to be preachers, I know God is working. Also their teachers have been wonderful, they both go up and hug their teachers every time they see them in public.
Finally I would say that each of us has to do what we feel comfortable with and that may be home school, but I for one am not ready to give up on the schools just yet.
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