Can we do anything to fight this?

Question

http://www.pji.org/resources/news/focusdetails.cfm?ID=PR080305a

Homeschooling in California is now a criminal offense.

Can we as homeschoolers do anything to stand up for our rights?

I'm on the other side of the country but I'm not going to take this one lying down.

Answer 1

I'm not in California but if I was I think I'd be joining HSLDA right away.   I've never felt the need up here  (I'm in Canada) but with the atmosphere down there I'd be signing up before I did anything else.

Even if you don't believe in everything they do or you aren't a Christian, I think it would be worth it.

Answer 2

That is ridiculous. The State of California shouldn't be able to do that.

As for the poster above, homeschooling can provide everything and more than what public schools provide.

Homeschoolers often learn how to read faster, and often graduate early. Public school will not even let you take a class that is normally taken your junior year if you are a sophmore even if you are more than capable of doing so.

Homeschooling provides more one on one attention and the parent can tailor their teaching styles to what their child needs. Homeschooling gets you away from the social club setting of public schools and gets students learning. Homeschooling can provide socialization just as much as public schools by getting involved with recreation sports and homeschool groups.

Homeschooling also gets kids out of the bullying setting that is all to present in public schools today.

Homeschooling also gives students the chance to start college much earlier than their peers that attend public school.

The only reason I see California banning homeschooling, is that the schools lose money everytime a student switches to homeschool and it makes the school look bad.

Answer 3

Seems that for CA homeschoolers, there are a handful of options.

1 - do nothing

2 - fight this through the political process and courts

3 - leave the state

We used to live in CA... but if this were to happen in our state, I would do #2 with #3 as a backup plan and I'd start planning early.

If this were to happen more broadly (e.g. nationwide), I would do the same -- try to fight it but be ready to leave.

From what I gather from the Canadians who participate here, Canada seems to be a lot friendlier to homeschoolers than parts of the U. S.

Just imagine if all 166,000 homeschoolers in California packed up and left... would that be felt?  I bet so.

Answer 4

You think they would be thrilled to have more kids not in the Public schools considering they are overcrowded as it is, but it all comes down the money!!! For every child they don't have they lose out on the money. Do you think this money is going towards the Teachers or the classrooms? No it is going to the administration and their salaries.

I can tell you now that homeschooling is the first step to securing our world in the future.

I have worked as a Teacher in both the Private sector and Public. Both being just as bad as the other. They do not care about their Teachers. It is all about the "All Mighty Dollar" and I don't see that changing anytime soon, but rather getting worse.

We need to continue to support the Homeschool legal Defense and fight against every law they try to put forth against homeschooling. Pray like mad!!

Answer 5

I am in California and my mother homeschools my 13 year old daughter. She has been homeschooling since my daughter was 6 and we took her from public school because of the poor quality of education.

I am trying to figure out what to do right now. I am not going to just stop homeschooling her, because she is 2 grades ahead, tests well and is well adjusted. Just sticking her in public school after all this time would be like back-pedaling.

As far as I know, a judge cannot just decide for every parent in California that they can't homeschool. But we will see. I need to do a lot of research right now about this.

This judge is extremely misinformed about constitutional and parental rights. With our states' underfunded schools and poor education, I can just imagine how much worse it could be by forcing 160,000 homeschooled kids in on the mix.

Answer 6

That is horrible news considering most of the US follows California when new laws are put in. I'm in La and it's a pretty easy state to HS in but our state is pretty quick to follow Ca's lead. Last I heard we had the right to choose which way to educate our kids. How dare a state tell us it's against the law to teach our children when they are doing such a miserable job!! Once again liberal judges are writing law instead of interpreting it.

I do like what our new Governor Jindal is trying to do! He is trying to get tax breaks for HS and private School families! Yay!

Answer 7

This doesn't concern me personally and if only the US was more like Oz I wouldn't let it concern anyone in California too much!

Any rational person (or judge) only has to look at the research to see the quality of education being provided to Californian kids by home-educators; there is no real substantiable argument that home education is in any way substandard to a PS education.

Seems to me that this ruling must've come about either because the judge concerned has no more done his homework than any of the other home education doubters and nay-sayers at yahoo answers...or what they really want is enforced schooling ie government/societal control over its population. So let them come out and say that!

The argument that public schools provide a better education than home-educators does not stand up to any scrutiny; schooling and education are anathema to one another and mutually exclusive concepts anyway. If I was a home-educator in California, I'd be more excited than worried right now.

What is it California wants? Schooling or education? Because it can't have both.

Answer 8

To the poster who says hs'ers are at a disadvantage:  then why are colleges and universities actively recruiting homeschoolers?  If our children are so maladjusted and mistreated, why do they consistently score at least 5 points higher on standardized tests?  Numbers don't lie, and the numbers are on our side.  Yes, there are families that do not take hs'ing seriously, and their children suffer for it.  However, the majority of hs parents are very serious about their children getting a quality, well-rounded education that is tailored to their learning needs and style.  My sons are flourishing in the homeschool environment.  My kindergartener is doing 2nd grade math.  My 2nd grader is doing 5th grade math.  And my 3rd grader reads at a 9th grade level...and his comprehension is flawless.  They are respectful, polite, well-spoken children that know how to have fun and be boys.  

And as for us (parents) being selfish - this is the single most selfless thing I've ever done.  I have very little "free" time.  I spend an average of 7 hours a day preparing, teaching, and grading.  Add that to the task of lesson planning on Friday nights.  Then add in the various "mommy" business of the day (i.e. chores, cooking, errands) and the only time I really have to myself is when I take lunch break or after everything is done and it's almost bedtime.  But I wouldn't change a thing.  The Lord has seen fit to bless me with a "quiver full" of kiddos, and I'll press on until He sees fit to return or I'm done.

Thank you, Lord, for the liberties we have and help us to preserve them!

Answer 9

this is an outrage, and I'm from the other side of the country as well (Massachusetts if you must know)

Answer 10

I know that several organizations, including HSLDA, are working on this; I was reading through the judgment and other papers last night.  The family involved aren't members of HSLDA, so they weren't involved until the judgment was passed down.

However, the only basis for the judgment (as far as legal precedent goes) was two cases in the early to mid-50's; nothing more recent than 1956 was cited (at least in the 18 pages that I read).  I don't live in CA any longer, so I'm not all that well versed on their laws, but I have several friends who have homeschooled there for years - they've filed their paperwork every year, and the DoE hasn't batted an eye.  I can't see this one standing for long.

Even if there is something in CA law that would uphold this, there is way more precedent for homeschooling under an umbrella school than there is for not allowing it.  This one will be fought tooth and nail.

I'm sure that HSLDA and other sites will have ways for people outside CA to get involved as soon as they've had a chance to analyze the case - they're still getting details in about it.

I agree with you though - this is a time for people across the country to stand up for their rights...and maybe to look closer at who we elect as judges, as well!

(And to the person who said that hs'ers are at a disadvantage...not only did you not answer the question - at all - your info is seriously flawed.  Many homeschooled high schoolers graduate with at least an AA, and are more than prepared to take on college and/or professional life upon graduation.  Several have gone on to open their *own* successful businesses.)

Edit - HSLDA now has a petition to sign that they will present as part of a motion to depublish the judgment, which means it won't be able to be used as precedent.  Details here: https://www2.hslda.org/Registrations/Dep...

Dina Felice - I completely agree.

ysn - my first reaction when I saw the news was, "Wow, I'm glad we moved from there...".  My second was, "No way would I lay down and take it.

Answer 11

You can try but good luck. These days home schooling just isn't providing what the kids are getting out of school. We just hired an 18 yr. old girl as a graphic designer, right out of highschool. Her school and many others teaches job skills and training also giving college credits for it. She is working as a professional graphic designer and taking night classes at a community college for the field also. But how great is that, she is being paid well and in a career path that was provolked form new things they offer in schools these days. So home schooling with technology and such, just really isn't compairing to what is offered now days. Also lots take advantage and don't do it correctly, and this affects a childs future, many kids are eaily overlooked in a homeschool environment. I'm not putting oyu down, maybe you are great at it, but there are many who aren't. it's about  the kids, not us.

Answer 12

That is outrageous! Shouldn't California be busy fixing the pathetic public schools instead of destroying the constitutional rights of parents?

Answer 13

I think HSLDA is seeing if they can get involved.  I am definitely watching this closely.  This definitely appears to be a violation of parental rights, and is yet another reason why government should not be involved in decisions about homeschooling:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Answer 14

Have you read the decision? http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/doc...

The decision-making of the judges (and lawyers) is frightening. Basically, it seems that there may have been some sort of emotional abuse of the children and, rather than deal with that, the lawyers decided to go after the homeschooling.

Then, the judges said that "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation [...]."

I cannot even fathom a more disturbing abrigement of First Amendment rights, and am shocked that, of all places, CA is in favor of forcing all children to hold a particular belief. Although, I suppose that its beliefs in socialism leads them to put loyalty to the state above all, even freedom of thought...

The judges also suggest that homeschooling is a problem because "keeping the children at home deprived them of situations where (1) they could interact with people outside the family, (2) there are people who could provide help if something is amiss in the children’s lives, and (3) they could develop emotionally in a broader world than the parents' "cloistered" setting". These are issues with the parenting and may be symptoms of emotional abuse...but it is hardly a reasonable indictment of the homeschooling. If these kids are suffering abuse, they should be removed from the parents' care. The location of their schooling is irrelevent to these broader issues and I have to seriously question the intelligence of judges who would trip over themselves to find issues with all homeschooling, rather than deal with the issues in this case.