... well, just a little carnival. More like a street fair. On a small side street:
Editorial: State must set standards for home schooling
Extreme circumstances make bad legal precedents. It's proven anew in last week's court ruling that would dismantle a thriving and diverse home-school movement in California.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday called for legislation affirming parents' ability to home school, if the state Supreme Court doesn't overturn the decision on a Southern California case. Lawmakers should act, although carefully. The issue is more complex than a universal right for parents to be their kids' teachers.
There's a constitutional right of children to a decent education, and a state obligation to see that they have the opportunity to get it.
Countering a potentially precedent-setting appeals court decision that bars parents from educating their children at home if they lack teaching credentials, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell on Tuesday affirmed families' right to home school.
"There's no cause for alarm," he said Tuesday.
"I want to assure parents that chose to home school that California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling," he said in a written statement. "Parents still have the right to home school in our state."
CA Supt. Jack O'Connell: No Change in Dept. of Ed. Policy
According to the California Homeschool Network blog, CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has released a statement regarding the Long case. It appears to provide reassurance that the Dept. of Ed. believes that parents still have a legal right to homeschool in California...
Home Schooling or the Classroom
This is a tough subject. I personally question the wisdom of home schooling, because socializing children in the developmental years is essential for growth and development. On the other hand, evidence suggests that home schooled children can be raised in a supportive environment. Plus, home schooled children appear to be quite well prepared for college and the challenges of academic life.
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I was home-schooled. Based on thsi experience, I woudl support banning it. It's not that my parents weren't qualified: it's the lack of socialization is as real and debilitating as if we allowed parents to break their kids' legs, then refuse medical treatment.
I have also been home schooled and loved the experience, for a while. I think putting a cap on the amount of time (IMO two years max) would benefit those who need home schooling most. Hell, after a year and a half out of the public elementary school I was almost two years ahead of my peers by the time I reentered school in third grade. However, even at that age I felt it was necessary to reenter simply due to the socialization factors of school.