Oh....now we can't homeschool our own kids??

[xRedfoxx]

Welcome to Amerika!!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/MNJDVF0F1.DTL

 

[ItsTime]

I plan on homeschooling my child. Not for religious reasons but for the fact that the school systems are failing. I will let my child decide if she wants to go to a public school when she turns 13.

 

[fairverona]

I wonder if this will cause a mass exodus from California. The comments on that article are absolutely absurd. It's shocking how people who are so ignorant of what homeschooling entails will take such strong positions against it. I was homeschooled, graduated early, went to college, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Philosophy. My mother, who taught me, had only a high school diploma. The undivided, parent to child contact that is present in strong home school households, cannot be matched by government schools, and the teaching credentials requirement is utterly unnecessary. I'm sorry, but between home school curriculums and the internet, you literally have the world at your finger tips. What is needed is a parent who will pour out time and energy into motivating their child to learn, and being sensitive to their child's learning styles. That is a rare find in public schools. Why do you think people hire tutors?

I just love how homeschool opponents list one anecdotal experience involving some dead beat parent who didn't make their kid study, and from that conclude that those types are the norm. Complete and utter idiots.

 

[Moxxar]

Hi, I live in Holland where it is mandatory to put your kids in government schools. (well you could put them in private schools but they are very expensive on top of the 50% taxes, whereas government schools are 'free') So I'm fascinated by the concept of homeschooling and I support it. Now, I'm 19 years old and planning a run for my local council in 2 years so I need to know all of my issues through and through.
To make a long story short. Can you guys explain to me how homeschooling works. Is there like a central test every parent has to let their child do at a certain age to get them into high school or college? Or how does college decide to accept homeschooled kids. I guess I'm asking how do you show that your homeschooled child has a sufficient amount of knowledge? And how do you know which subjects or materials to teach your kids? Or is that entirely up to you?

Sorry for the noob questions, but this is a phenomenon which is unknown in my country and I really like to know a bit more about it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[yongrel]

I kinda like the idea of homeschooling my kids wrong.

"What's the capital of New Jersey, Billy?"

"A Pile of Trash"

"Count to 10, Billy"

"1, &, $, %, 5, *, 7, 9, 8, 10"

 

[RobS]

"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws.""

"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,""

WTF. I don't know if they are speaking of California's constitution or the USA's, but that just seems insane. That teachers union guy is an ass.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

The comments on that article are absolutely absurd. It's shocking how people who are so ignorant of what homeschooling entails will take such strong positions against it.

Because in Kalifornia they have been bred to believe "it takes a village" - and they have an inferiority complex over homeschooled kids that can actually add 1+1...

I just love how homeschool opponents list one anecdotal experience involving some dead beat parent who didn't make their kid study, and from that conclude that those types are the norm. Complete and utter idiots.

You mean like most members of congress that pass draconian legislation over emotional appeals? - It's a standard tactic of trying to find a solution to a non-existent problem...

Such wastes of air could be of better service by being fertilizer!

-n

 

[hopeforamerica]

The garbage that comes out of California eventually infects the whole country! Why these home schoolers didn't see the light and back Ron Paul 100%, I'll never know. Many did, but most went to Huckabee due to the religious stuff. I would have hoped most folks were smarter than that.

just venting....

 

[pinkmandy]

Moxxar, every state has its own homeschooling regulations. Some have NO regulations (like Texas) and others are anal (like CA). Most are reasonable, though. In VA we file each year w/the state to let them know we hs. There are 4 criteria under which we "qualify" to homeschool. I don't like the criteria but it's VERY easy to meet one of the 4. One is having a hs diploma or college degree and providing a description of the curriculum you use. VERY simple to do. I don't use a standard curriculum, mine is very piecemeal. Then each year the kids take a standardized test (which they never get below 95th percentile) and I submit that as "evidence of progress". As long as they score above the 38th percentile (what is acceptable in public schools!) then we're good. And that's it.

 

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Not for religious reasons but for the fact that the school systems are failing.

It's a shame that religious people seem to be the only ones fighting that battle.

I don't have any doubts that I could teach a kid the same amount in a few hours than they'll learn all day at a public school. Then they have the rest of the day left for learning, seeing, and doing more fruitful things.

 

[slamhead]

OMFG....quote from the article...This is so Orwellian.

"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," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

California is now a marxist state.

 

[pinkmandy]

Rel people aren't the only ones anymore. The movement is huge. Check out www.nhen.org for hs information.

I don't homeschool for rel reasons. I hs because public schools are govt run child warehousing facilities designed to keep the masses in a state of blissful ignorance. I put my oldest (now 11 yo) in kindegarten then yanked him out halfway through the year. I've never looked back and nothing could make me put my kids back in school. A lot of parents also hs because schools want their kids (boys esp and this was hinted at to me by my son's teacher) MEDICATED so they'll sit still.

 

[ItsTime]

on page 16 on the comments about the article this person said:

koselara wrote:

Something very important that people are overlooking: this law doesn't state that kids must be taught a specific curriculum, that they attend public school, or that teachers anywhere have to be marginally talented. It only states that they must have a credentialed teacher; the person could share & teach any beliefs with the parents. The real result is that only people with enough money to hire a credentialed teacher will be allowed to home-school, no matter how messed-up their beliefs. A credential requires years of grad school; you can't just go get one... So if you're in a bad area where kids are in gangs, shot, learn criminal behavior, the school is awful, even if your kid has a disability that attracts violent bullies or means normal teaching methods fail, is polite, brilliant, a community volunteer, and you support the kid's dreams of earning a doctorate -- if you can't afford a teacher or private school, the kid will attend the bad one. It's classist, not something to cheer!

 

[teshuah]

public school/mandatory schooling wasn't even in existence in America until the mid-1850s. Massachusets (I know I murdered that spelling) was the first one who did it. And when parents refused they gathered the *children* up by gunpoint and marched them off to school! Imagine being those children!!!

So, for CA to say that it is not a Constitutional right to homeschool or have any say in our children's education is a complete farce! It was well after the Constitution was drafted and enacted that mandatory education came into play.

 

[Ex Post Facto]

I just watched an interview with Ben Stein and his new movie Expelled. It was funny as he referred to the educated degree toating class of society that has messed up so much in business and education because they cannot see a way to accomplish something past what they have been taught. This about sums up my experience with college education. Most of the people I met and knew where brainless, and mostly spineless, well intentioned citizens with money that thought degrees were everything in life. If you had one, you are smart; if you don't have one, you are stupid. I can't think of a more stupid thing to accuse someone of because of a credential. The only thing they really learned in college was how to be politically correct.

 

[Verad]

Hi, I live in Holland where it is mandatory to put your kids in government schools. (well you could put them in private schools but they are very expensive on top of the 50% taxes, whereas government schools are 'free') So I'm fascinated by the concept of homeschooling and I support it. Now, I'm 19 years old and planning a run for my local council in 2 years so I need to know all of my issues through and through.
To make a long story short. Can you guys explain to me how homeschooling works. Is there like a central test every parent has to let their child do at a certain age to get them into high school or college? Or how does college decide to accept homeschooled kids. I guess I'm asking how do you show that your homeschooled child has a sufficient amount of knowledge? And how do you know which subjects or materials to teach your kids? Or is that entirely up to you?

Sorry for the noob questions, but this is a phenomenon which is unknown in my country and I really like to know a bit more about it.

Thanks in advance!

I'm not exactly a great source on homeschooling, so I did a search, and came up with this site, which seems to have a wealth of knowledge about whatever you may need or want to know about the practice: http://www.homeschool.com/

 

[crackyflipside]

OMFG....quote from the article...This is so Orwellian.



California is now a marxist state.

It's been a Marxist sate...

 

[pinkmandy]

I just watched an interview with Ben Stein and his new movie Expelled. It was funny as he referred to the educated degree toating class of society that has messed up so much in business and education because they cannot see a way to accomplish something past what they have been taught. This about sums up my experience with college education. Most of the people I met and knew where brainless, and mostly spineless, well intentioned citizens with money that thought degrees were everything in life. If you had one, you are smart; if you don't have one, you are stupid. I can't think of a more stupid thing to accuse someone of because of a credential. The only thing they really learned in college was how to be politically correct.

QFT.

My degree is an expensive piece of paper hanging in a closet somewhere. I didn't learn anything of value that I couldn't have learned anyway by simply picking up a book and reading it.

 

[LEK]

Hi, I live in Holland where it is mandatory to put your kids in government schools. (well you could put them in private schools but they are very expensive on top of the 50% taxes, whereas government schools are 'free') So I'm fascinated by the concept of homeschooling and I support it. Now, I'm 19 years old and planning a run for my local council in 2 years so I need to know all of my issues through and through.
To make a long story short. Can you guys explain to me how homeschooling works. Is there like a central test every parent has to let their child do at a certain age to get them into high school or college? Or how does college decide to accept homeschooled kids. I guess I'm asking how do you show that your homeschooled child has a sufficient amount of knowledge? And how do you know which subjects or materials to teach your kids? Or is that entirely up to you?

Sorry for the noob questions, but this is a phenomenon which is unknown in my country and I really like to know a bit more about it.

Thanks in advance!

The requirements for testing and parent credentials varies by State.
Start here: http://www.hslda.org/laws/

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

The teacher's union supports the court's ruling. Why is that not surprising? The parents don't have the right to teach their own children? What a crock.