Comments on: Homeschooling ban in California?

By: Update: California courts won’t ban homeschooling

Update: California courts won’t ban homeschooling — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:24:14 +0000

[…] “A state appeals court lifted the cloud it had cast on the homeschooling of 166,000 California children and ruled Friday that parents have a right to educate their children at home even if they lack a teaching credential.” (Egelko, SF Chron; Malkin; earlier). […]

By: Kenny

Kenny — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:55:20 +0000

Comradefornia:

Stay West young man, stay west. Keep your red laws and all the other gags that you claim as “personal liberty”. The rest of the US does not need you or your judges.

Texas needs to succeed anyways!

By: Ashley

Ashley — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:59:54 +0000

Making homeschooling illegal is almost the stupidest thing i have ever heard. Homeschoolers are found to be smarter than most public students, because they don’t have to deal with all the crap going on in public school. And it’s not like homeschoolers are hiding in their own little corner, it’s protecting them from seeing things that children and teens shouldn’t be seeing. Plus, there are extra things out there (homeschool resource centers, co-ops, etc) so there are no social problems at all!
The government is just taking any opportunity they can get to stop homeschooling, because they don’t make money from homeschoolers. All most schools care about is how much money they’re making, not about the students. I think this is baloney, and if this does go through, what does that tell you about our country? They won’t let us make decisions…i thought we were a free country??

By: Joe Bingham

Joe Bingham — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:24:04 +0000

Hm. Homeschooled for 12 years here. I think homeschooling parents need to be a little more cautious about dropping the “wow now we’re going to be communist” line. People already think we’re paranoid freaks. Please stop giving them ammo…

If the California decision is being properly characterized, though, it is pretty stunning. And frightening, although I think people should try not to sound like they live in a compound near Waco Texas when they say it’s frightening.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:23:32 +0000

Besides the fact that the average homeschooled child scores in the top 20% of the nation’s standardized tests (HSLDA), taking away the right to homeschool is just one step closer to America becoming a communist country.

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:24:00 +0000

Home schooling is illegal in California. Most home schoolers are Christians and all they know to do is fearmonger. Just look at this as an example! http://www.cftie.org/2007/12/sb-777-will-per.html

By: Pseudonym

Pseudonym — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:22:38 +0000

Malor states in his article that the Supreme Court has never established a right to home schooling. Not directly, but I think a fair reading of Pearce v. Society of Sisters means that the right exists. What is clear though is that Pearce clearly establishes that the California law that states “all children . . . must attend public school” is unconstitutional.

By: Teresa McNeill

Teresa McNeill — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:55:39 +0000

This is a serious miscarriage of justice in these democratic United States. We are a homeschooling family in North Carolina. I have a degree, which isn’t necessary in NC, and no teaching credentials. However my severely dyslexic son, who couldn’t read or write by 3rd grade in the public school system, spent about 6 months with me at home and was reading above grade level. His older brother, who is also homeschooled, just took 1st place and a $1500 scholarship, in the NC State Scholastic Chess Tournament that was held in Charlotte, NC, this month. He beat out many public and private schooled teens in Mecklenberg County and was the long shot to win the thing. (Check out Jonathon McNeill’s photos on the USCF website if you don’t believe me)

Also, the argument about socialization is sure to rear its ugly head, so let’s clear that one up right now. My kids get more healthy socialization now than before when they had to come home from the public schools with about 3-4 hours of homework a night. We had to give up just about all of our church and extra-curricula activities to accommodate the homework. Both of my sons have enjoyed Boy Scouts since being homeschooled. My oldest son just made Eagle and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s most prestigious honor. His younger brother is working toward 2nd class and has earned the God and Country award, which is pursued independently.

From what I hear the California public schools are overcrowded, full of sex, drugs, alcohol, and violence, and their reading and math scores are awful. If you were to ban homeschooling, are you going to put all the homeschooled kids in an already overcrowded, overtaxed, failing school system?

I think the situation here is this: the CA schools get per capita income, so it makes sense to jerk the homeschoolers away from an environment that they are thriving in; put them in your overcrowded schools so you can get more money per head. Furthermore, the schools are probably hoping that if homeschoolers, who are naturally bright and intelligent, are forced into your failing schools, then that will bring up your end of grade test scores because homeschoolers could pass those tests blindfolded!

My oldest son has already taken the ACT in the ninth grade and scored high enough then to get into several colleges of his choice. He took placement tests at the local community college his junior year in high school, and was allowed to take ANY college math, reading, or writing course the school offered through the Dual Enrollment program. When he graduates homeschool this May, he will have earned 27 college credit hours (and has been on the Dean’s List every semester)

By: markm

markm — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:51:23 +0000

Kevin, it was satire. I hope…

By: kevin

kevin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:51:31 +0000

@Anonymous Attorney, i think you just want to live in a communist country.