Home schooling not a constitutional right in California

Homeschooling and Parental Rights Under Attack in California


Declaring that “parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” the Second District Court of Appeal for the state of California recently issued a ruling that effectively bans families from homeschooling their children and threatens parents with criminal penalties for daring to do so. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) this court decision has made “almost all forms of homeschooling in California” a violation of state law. Once again our judicial system moves to restrict religious and personal liberties, severely limit parental rights, and significantly increase the power, scope, and control of the state over our lives.

There are approximately 166,000 homeschooled children in California. With the stroke of a pen the appellate court criminalized the lawful educational choices of tens of thousands of innocent families across the state, subjected them to possible fines, and labeled their children as potential truants. This activist court chose to bypass the will of the people and legislated from the bench based on anecdotal evidence and its own clearly biased and subjective opinions about the constitutionality of parental rights and the quality of a homeschooled education. This decision attacks the freedom of parents to decide on the best educational environment for their children, restricts their religious rights to practice their faith without governmental interference, and violates their freedom to raise their offspring as they see fit without the ideological pollution and atheistic/leftist indoctrination so prevalent in our public school system.

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http://www.acton.org/commentary/437_homeschooling_and_parental_rights_california.php
I found this article and thought it was interesting. Since i am in Aust it does not really affect me but i know heaps of you are contemplating home schooling and if you live in Cali then this could affet you.
So what do you all think of this?
Do you think this could be rolled out across the states?
Do you think parents have the 'skills' to adequately educate children? or is home schooling worse off for the child?
Just some thoughts to ponder

i don't get that at all.

i personally believe home schooling is not typically in the child's best interests. you can only learn as much as your parent knows. the guidlines for most aren't nearly as in depth as public schools and you don't get the varying opinions and learning for discussion type exposure. but to make it illegal?!?! WOW! that is seriously insane and i'm shocked california is going it since they are so liberal.

Pfft I was homeschooled since day one all the way till I graduated and I wouldn't have had it any other way, even my husband and myself plan to homeschool when our child is old enough so yes I'm a little bit upset by what they are doing in California. Just the governments way of taking away the parents right to actually "RAISE" their own child. Don't get me wrong I'm not anti-public or private school...I'm pro parent!

Homeschooling is hard, and parents who plan to go down that path really need to do their homework before they jump into it and do it for the right reasons, not to keep their child locked up and hidden from the world, that won't teach them anything. My mother made sure she didn't raise little homeschooled hermits lol I was very active in art classes, opera voice lessons, keyboard and bass guitar lessons, taekwondo and different social groups.

Damn I'd be throwing a shit fit if the government even tried to force this law natiowide.

I was listening to the radio yesterday (Glen BeckI believe) and he was talking about how in Tennesse the goverment there made it illegal for homeschoolers and christian school kids (even if they have their GED or highschool diploma!) to work for any kind of goverment type program like daycare, preschool, police, or local goverment offices. Why you ask? Because their curriculum of study will no longer be reocgonized cause it not goverment approved! Thats just really pissed me off, and part of me wonders how long that will last before parents start screaming bloody murder and start sueing. If I ever find that article I'll post it.

Rant rant...I could keep going >_<

I am not a supporter of home schooling,however I do not understand the point of banning it. I do think some states need stronger guidelines and testing to make sure parents are doing a decent job.

I read a lot about this issue awhile back and I believe it stemmed out of a case where some abusive parents were homeschooling their children as a way to keep the abuse out of the eyes of authorities. It was really a child welfare case, not a homeschooling case, but it could set some interesting precedent in the future.

There is set to have another hearing on it this month but until then, there's no ruling, so homeschoolers in California can keep doing what they've been doing. There is a LOT of pressure from homeschooling groups to keep it legal and that voice probably counts for a lot.

Quoting ☆twat waffle☆:“ i don't get that at all. i personally believe home schooling is not typically in the child's best interests. ... [snip!] ... but to make it illegal?!?! WOW! that is seriously insane and i'm shocked california is going it since they are so liberal.”

That's not true.

Look at me....I know more than elementary and high school taught me.
I think i could do a damn good job (much better than the california public school system other than my daughter's school for gifted kids) homeschooling my kids.

I am not planning to homeschool my children at all, but if I was, and if I lived in California, I would fight this to the death. If the parents are doing a good job, then i don't see what the big deal is. California has always been backwards to me anyways, they have some of the strangest laws on the books. Big government and less choices for those raising their kids.

I'm half way on this issue...but I dont see how that law is against the constitution.....

Quoting Satan:“ That's not true. Look at me....I know more than elementary and high school taught me. I think i could ... [snip!] ... (much better than the california public school system other than my daughter's school for gifted kids) homeschooling my kids.”

you are not every parent though nita. do you realize how many idiots we have in this world? its pretty frightening when you think about it. many of them are parents also. its really hard to teach something you don't understand. so if the parent doesn't understand something chances are it will be passed on to the child.

Quoting ☆twat waffle☆:“ you are not every parent though nita. do you realize how many idiots we have in this world? its pretty ... [snip!] ... something you don't understand. so if the parent doesn't understand something chances are it will be passed on to the child.”

Well.

Maybe parents need to take a test in order to homeschool?

The thing is that homeschooled kids have to take a test every so often to make sure they are at minimum on the same level as the kids in public schools.

So if a parent is at least doing that much then the only harm could be the lack of socialization...and there are ways around that.

Quoting Satan:“ Well. Maybe parents need to take a test in order to homeschool? The thing is that homeschooled kids ... [snip!] ... if a parent is at least doing that much then the only harm could be the lack of socialization...and there are ways around that.”

what about peer learning?
If a child is home schooled and does not have siblings its own age learning the same thing then how does peer learing happen... What about resources?
How does a child compete for friendships when they partake in an activity one a week when the other kdis are seeing their friends 5 times a day? how do they form strong friendships?

I am not knocking home schooling. however it is a very complex issue and ones dcision on it should not be taken lightly.

how does a parent who hasnt even finished high school themselves home school someone in highschool?

I think homeschooling should be handles like in-home daycares. Assigned specialists should be able to drop by whenever to check up on the parent/child. I also think that homeschooling parents should have to plan, turn in and prove they are teaching/following a certain curriculum (sp?).

I personally don't agree with homeschooling. My child is in school from 8 am until 220pm. Many homeschoolers I've come into contact with only homeschool for 1-2 hours a day. Of course in school, its not learning all the time and things like recess and meals come into play. I feel that homeschooling is a way to mother-hover a child and to push a personal agenda. (Don't get me wrong, we all do to a certain extent, but I want my child to have outside influences as well).

I've read the Constitution many times over and I don't see how this is taking any rights away from the people. I will go re-read it, just for clarification though. I don't agree with homeschooling, but I think if people do it that there should be tougher stipulations and guidelines for it.

Quoting Andrea...:“ what about peer learning? If a child is home schooled and does not have siblings its own age learning ... [snip!] ... not be taken lightly. how does a parent who hasnt even finished high school themselves home school someone in highschool?”

That's why i said they should have to take a test.


A LOT of homeschooled kids have meetings...get togethers...etc with OTHER homeschooled kids.

It also provides peace of mind for parents that are worried about gang violence and drugs in schools.

Not to mention the random shooters and shit.

I think that the STUDENTS should be tested at certain levels at the state level to see if they are meeting minimum requirements. And obviously they would need to pass the GED at the end of it all. However, I don't think the curriculum should be regulated or rigorous licensing requirements for homeschooling parents or that homeschooling environments should be as regimented as school environments.

If it were a certain curriculum someone would have to follow in order to homeschool, the Christian homeschoolers would feel persecuted, the unschoolers would have complaints about being roped back into the books-and-workbooks model, the online learners may be in danger of having their programs deemed unsuitable, and the method of learning would be in the hands of the state agency, which is what a lot of homeschoolers are trying to avoid in the first place.

I don't assume that the majority of homeschooling parents are incapable of educating their children. I think that most of them can do an excellent job if they work hard at it - even if they didn't finish high school themselves, that doesn't mean they are stupid. And there are a whole lot of parents who are probably much better educators than a whole lot of educators who are only in the system because it's near impossible to get fired.

If I could quit my job and homeschool full time, I would. Maybe in 5 or 6 years I'll be able to. But I will still be homeschooling, even when my children are in public school. Every experience is a lesson. School is a supplement to (or sometimes, a diversion from)a child's education, it is not a substitute for it.

Quoting ☆twat waffle☆:“ i don't get that at all. i personally believe home schooling is not typically in the child's best interests. ... [snip!] ... but to make it illegal?!?! WOW! that is seriously insane and i'm shocked california is going it since they are so liberal.”

I agree with you. I think that to make homeschooling illegal is wrong. However, I do believe that the parent or tutor hired to teach the child should have a college degree and be certified to teach. I believe that the child should be required to prove that they are up to speed with the requirements of their grade. (I am not sure how it currently works)

I honestly think that school in s necessity for any child. It does not have to be public. It teaches them how to work well with others even if you do not agree with them, and it encourages socialization. Both of these qualities you need to have to be successful in the world.