Friday, March 07, 2008
Public school officials expect that the decision will be overturned
Public school officials said they do not expect the ruling, which will be appealed to the California Supreme Court, to stick. Frank Lynch, superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District, said he doesn't like to speculate on what might happen if the ruling is upheld."Once it's at the Supreme Court, I expect that the decision will be overturned," Lynch said
Homeschoolers' setback in appeals court ruling
From the San Francisco Chronicle
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."
Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.
"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.
This is one scary guy, note he doesn't think the primary purpose of the educational system is to EDUCATE CHILDREN, but to train them to be servants of the state.
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."
Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.
"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.
This is one scary guy, note he doesn't think the primary purpose of the educational system is to EDUCATE CHILDREN, but to train them to be servants of the state.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued a statement saying he supports "parental choice when it comes to homeschooling."
Homeschoolers have at least one friend in the educational system.
But Leslie Heimov, executive director of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, which represented the Longs' two children in the case, said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."
In fact the children's own lawyer isn't concerned with the children actually getting an education. She just wants them observed by people, other then the parents.
Be sure to read the article and comments.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Mercury News gets homeschoolers aren't all the same
Once largely the province of the radical left and conservative Christians, home schooling has grown rapidly in recent years and in some circles is considered mainstream.
Much of the growth has been fueled by the Internet, which allows parents to shop for online lessons in geography and history, swap teaching responsibilities with other parents, and access countless homeschooling blogs, listservs and conferences.
How refreshing.
Much of the growth has been fueled by the Internet, which allows parents to shop for online lessons in geography and history, swap teaching responsibilities with other parents, and access countless homeschooling blogs, listservs and conferences.
How refreshing.
Hundreds of public school teachers in California are teaching with emergency credentials
First,due to a shortage of credentialled teachers, hundreds of teachers in California are teaching with emergency credentials. That is, they have passed a test (the California Basic Educational Skills Test CBEST) but do not have a teaching credential.
So apparently you can teach in the California public schools without being properly credentialed, but you can't homeschool.
Read Lois Kazakoff: Should homeschool teachers have credentials? and feel free to leave a comment.
So apparently you can teach in the California public schools without being properly credentialed, but you can't homeschool.
Read Lois Kazakoff: Should homeschool teachers have credentials? and feel free to leave a comment.
More on the California Homeschooling Issue
A Judge in California has made it illegal (pending appeal) for parents to homeschool their young-uns. This begs the question - how should the 166,000 homeschool families that reside in California react? What would you do if you were in their situation? WAVA-FM/780 AM will take your calls toll free beginning at 5pm EST - 888.293.9282. They will also attempt to simulcast the broadcast for those outside the DC area, click here and joining the chat room.
The show can be listened to at 5pm EST, and the podcast can be listened to anytime after 7pm by going here.
The show can be listened to at 5pm EST, and the podcast can be listened to anytime after 7pm by going here.
13 facts about the Pequot War
From the History is Elementary blog
I wish more teachers would spend a little of time discussing the Pequot War since it is one of the first major interactions between colonists and Native Americans. While it is mentioned in many of today’s textbooks being used in lower middle grade classrooms the war is not generally covered at an adequate level and it is usually grouped with King Phillip’s War which occurred almost thirty years after the Pequot War.
Drop by to read 13 facts about the Pequot War.
I wish more teachers would spend a little of time discussing the Pequot War since it is one of the first major interactions between colonists and Native Americans. While it is mentioned in many of today’s textbooks being used in lower middle grade classrooms the war is not generally covered at an adequate level and it is usually grouped with King Phillip’s War which occurred almost thirty years after the Pequot War.
Drop by to read 13 facts about the Pequot War.
State appellate court says those who teach children in private must have a credential.
From the Los Angeles Times
Homeschoolers are appalled by the courts decision.
"This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California."The institute estimates there are as many as 166,000 California students who are home schooled. State Department of Education officials say there is no way to know the true number.
But homeschoolers are not the only ones interested in what the state Supreme Court will do.
Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling."What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher," he said.
Sounds as if Duffy is afraid of losing his cushy job in the public school system if the ruling is reversed.
Parents this isn't just a homeschooling issue; this is a parental rights issue. If they take away your freedom to choose how and by whom your child will be educated, what other choice will they take away 'for the good of the child' ?
Homeschoolers are appalled by the courts decision.
"This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California."The institute estimates there are as many as 166,000 California students who are home schooled. State Department of Education officials say there is no way to know the true number.
But homeschoolers are not the only ones interested in what the state Supreme Court will do.
Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling."What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher," he said.
Sounds as if Duffy is afraid of losing his cushy job in the public school system if the ruling is reversed.
Parents this isn't just a homeschooling issue; this is a parental rights issue. If they take away your freedom to choose how and by whom your child will be educated, what other choice will they take away 'for the good of the child' ?
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
More on the CA Legal Drama
Annette M. Hall had this to say about the California Legal Drama
What I learned after speaking with Mr. Long and reading through miles of documents was that this case is anything but straightforward. Each parent and the children were supplied with court appointed attorneys, who it is obvious by the court records had a superficial knowledge of homeschool (read private school) laws in the state of California.
In the coming days I will be covering certain aspects of the appellate courts ruling and what it means for the future of homeschoolers living in California. Phillip Long is acutely aware of the situation we are facing and had this to say, "This isn't really about us, it's about homeschooling. We're not happy about it, but it's much bigger than us."
Having worked in the past with California Homeschool Network's legal team and in turn with the other homeschooling organizations, I can assure you there are some great legal minds at work on this and I am confident that this matter will be handled expeditiously and the appellate court taken to task over this error of judgment.
What I learned after speaking with Mr. Long and reading through miles of documents was that this case is anything but straightforward. Each parent and the children were supplied with court appointed attorneys, who it is obvious by the court records had a superficial knowledge of homeschool (read private school) laws in the state of California.
In the coming days I will be covering certain aspects of the appellate courts ruling and what it means for the future of homeschoolers living in California. Phillip Long is acutely aware of the situation we are facing and had this to say, "This isn't really about us, it's about homeschooling. We're not happy about it, but it's much bigger than us."
Having worked in the past with California Homeschool Network's legal team and in turn with the other homeschooling organizations, I can assure you there are some great legal minds at work on this and I am confident that this matter will be handled expeditiously and the appellate court taken to task over this error of judgment.
Public School The Finnish Way
High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.
Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world.
Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world.
Aloha ~Carnival of Homeschooling
The 114th Carnival of Homeschooling is up at PalmTree Pundit. We had a hail storm last night so a visit to Hawaii is very welcome this morning.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Poorly informed decision hurts CA homeschoolers
Bruce Shortt, a Houston attorney involved with the Exodus Mandate, a group that is calling on California parents to remove their children from state public schools as a result of the recent passage of SB 777, which prohibits schools and teachers from “reflecting adversely” on gays and lesbians, criticized the decision as “arrogant” and “poorly informed,” and said that he was confident that the decision would not stand given the “federal issues” involved.
Saying that the decision, if upheld, would “reduce the choices of parents,” Shortt said that his group would continue its call to remove children from public schools and that the decision would merely cause the group to push in a “different direction.”
The case is In re Rachel L., 08 S.O.S. 1340.
Saying that the decision, if upheld, would “reduce the choices of parents,” Shortt said that his group would continue its call to remove children from public schools and that the decision would merely cause the group to push in a “different direction.”
The case is In re Rachel L., 08 S.O.S. 1340.
Homeschoolers everywhere need to keep a close eye on this case. I am very concerned about the reported physical and emotional mistreatment by the father. I have several ?'s concerning that.
- If the father is physically and emotionally abusing the children why haven't they been removed from the home?
- If the father isn't physically or emotionally abusing the children why can't the family continue to homeschool? They followed the law and were registered with an umbrella school.
Advanced Placement Vs. State History
His son hoped to take Advanced Placement courses in chemistry and calculus; instead the boy had to waste school hours repeating physical education and state history courses usually taught to freshmen. California was the third state in which he attended high school, and he had to take three classes in basic state history.
"He was denied AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. He took badminton with 9th graders and a third history course," Hering said.
It's a no brainer, state history should not be required for graduation. It's unfair to those students who wind up moving from state to state during their high school years. State history should be waived not just for those students whose families are military, but for all students. With the economy like it is many students are uprooted during their high school years, not just those whose families are in the military.
"He was denied AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. He took badminton with 9th graders and a third history course," Hering said.
It's a no brainer, state history should not be required for graduation. It's unfair to those students who wind up moving from state to state during their high school years. State history should be waived not just for those students whose families are military, but for all students. With the economy like it is many students are uprooted during their high school years, not just those whose families are in the military.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
BNN Homeschool Community is up and running
The BNN homeschool community! is now live. It's very impressive. Drop by to check it out. Dana did a wonderful job on it.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Oh Brother, If It's Not the "S" Word, It's the Money
Homeschooling: Education not confined to school walls
A financial impact on school districts By Bryan Marshall
There are 365 homeschool students who would regularly attend a school in the Madison County School District, said Assistant Superintendent Paul Baker.
Based on the average daily attendance rate, the district would receive $4,435 per student if they attended school.“We’re not receiving $1,618,831,” Baker said. “That’s what homeschool costs us.”
At least he was honest enough to admit that after hiring more teachers and buying more materials they wouldn't get the full amount.
“However, I don’t know that we would receive all that money as a plus because with 365 more kids, we’d have to have another 10 or 12 teachers hired,” he said. “You have to figure that, plus you have to have more materials and things like that. Of that $1.6 million, we would gain probably $800,000.”
It really ticks me off when public school officials imply that homeschoolers are costing them money. Why not accuse couples who choose not to have any kids of costing the public schools money, it's just as logical. Homeschoolers like everyone else pay property taxes that support the public schools, without for the most part receiving any of the benefits. And why don't they ever mention how much private schoolers are costing them? Why single out homeschoolers?
Perhaps one of the biggest problems with the public schools is this feeling of entitlement. They seem to see children as nothing more then a warm body to provide state funding to the school district. And they seem to believe they are entitled to your child's warm body even if they don't do an adequate job educating the child or keeping the child safe.
Children are more then a source of state funding and their parents should be able to choose the best educational option for their child.
A financial impact on school districts By Bryan Marshall
There are 365 homeschool students who would regularly attend a school in the Madison County School District, said Assistant Superintendent Paul Baker.
Based on the average daily attendance rate, the district would receive $4,435 per student if they attended school.“We’re not receiving $1,618,831,” Baker said. “That’s what homeschool costs us.”
At least he was honest enough to admit that after hiring more teachers and buying more materials they wouldn't get the full amount.
“However, I don’t know that we would receive all that money as a plus because with 365 more kids, we’d have to have another 10 or 12 teachers hired,” he said. “You have to figure that, plus you have to have more materials and things like that. Of that $1.6 million, we would gain probably $800,000.”
It really ticks me off when public school officials imply that homeschoolers are costing them money. Why not accuse couples who choose not to have any kids of costing the public schools money, it's just as logical. Homeschoolers like everyone else pay property taxes that support the public schools, without for the most part receiving any of the benefits. And why don't they ever mention how much private schoolers are costing them? Why single out homeschoolers?
Perhaps one of the biggest problems with the public schools is this feeling of entitlement. They seem to see children as nothing more then a warm body to provide state funding to the school district. And they seem to believe they are entitled to your child's warm body even if they don't do an adequate job educating the child or keeping the child safe.
Children are more then a source of state funding and their parents should be able to choose the best educational option for their child.
Bending the Twigs: Homeschooling and "The Mommy Myth"
Bending the Twigs: Homeschooling and "The Mommy Myth"
The authors' bias is obvious in their treatment of the National Center for Educational Statistics study statistic about 30% of the homeschoolers surveyed citing the desire to "provide religious or moral instruction" as their primary motivation for educating their kids at home. Now, those of us inside the homeschooling community know how broad that statement is, and how extremely diverse the group of families are who might concur with it. No one group has a monopoly on morality and people of any faith or none whatsoever might decide to homeschool in order to teach their children in accordance with their family's values.
In my inclusive homeschool group we have pagans, atheist, agnostics, Muslims and many different beliefs represented. Some of them choose to homeschool to "provide religious or moral instructions" to their children. But authors of books like "The Mommy Myth" never take these groups into consideration when writing their dribble. In fact one of the pagan parents in our group confided that she homeschooled because of the Christian bias in the public schools and that one public school teacher told her daughter that she was going to hell because she was a pagan.
Yet to Drs. Douglas & Michaels, they're all ultraconservative fundamentalists motivated by:
"an insistence that their kids never encounter the words 'evolution', 'birth control', or 'Oscar Wilde'."
Guess we aren't real homeschoolers then because I teach evolution, which included having my students read Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, not only have I taught my children about 'birth control' I am pro-choice and we enjoy Oscar Wilde.
Please stop by Bending the Twigs to read her whole post.
The authors' bias is obvious in their treatment of the National Center for Educational Statistics study statistic about 30% of the homeschoolers surveyed citing the desire to "provide religious or moral instruction" as their primary motivation for educating their kids at home. Now, those of us inside the homeschooling community know how broad that statement is, and how extremely diverse the group of families are who might concur with it. No one group has a monopoly on morality and people of any faith or none whatsoever might decide to homeschool in order to teach their children in accordance with their family's values.
In my inclusive homeschool group we have pagans, atheist, agnostics, Muslims and many different beliefs represented. Some of them choose to homeschool to "provide religious or moral instructions" to their children. But authors of books like "The Mommy Myth" never take these groups into consideration when writing their dribble. In fact one of the pagan parents in our group confided that she homeschooled because of the Christian bias in the public schools and that one public school teacher told her daughter that she was going to hell because she was a pagan.
Yet to Drs. Douglas & Michaels, they're all ultraconservative fundamentalists motivated by:
"an insistence that their kids never encounter the words 'evolution', 'birth control', or 'Oscar Wilde'."
Guess we aren't real homeschoolers then because I teach evolution, which included having my students read Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, not only have I taught my children about 'birth control' I am pro-choice and we enjoy Oscar Wilde.
Please stop by Bending the Twigs to read her whole post.
The "S" Word is Back
Dana post about Those Socially Inept Homeschoolers. Lively discussion going on in the comments.
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