Does The Parents Have The Right to Home School Their Children or They Have to Follow Strict State Requirement?

Question

The California Appellate Court had ruled that the parents do not have the constitutional rights to home school their children and they have to follow very strict set of state rules in order to be permitted to do that. Currently there are 166,00 home schooled children in California.

Answer 1

Parents who choose homeschooling need to have the highest standards in regards to their own qualifications. It isn't enough to do it for religious or other reasons. You need to be educated and be able to educate! I've known many who have done an excellent job homeschooling their children, but others have sadly done a disservice to their own children. I believe the state has the responsibility to hold up certain standards and to insure that children receive a proper and complete education whether it is in their own home or in a public school.

Answer 2

In my state parents are mandated to teach their children and spells out the subjects.  If parents choose NOT to educate their own children, then they are mandated to public or private school.

While the state lists the subjects that must be covered, it leaves it to the parents HOW to cover it.

I disagree with the CA ruling, but as I understand it, the filing of an R-4 and creating a private school was a way around CA law which doesn't allow homeschooling.  The private school thing has been done for years, and nobody really cared.  Until now.

Answer 3

This is an insane ruling that will be fought at every turn.  Even the Governor of California has spoken out against it.  Parents do have the right to direct the education of their children, and they do not need a credential to do so.  I have been following this, and the chances are very slim that it will be applied outside that one family, (who actually had their children in a charter school and then decided it was okay to keep them enrolled but not send them).  If the State of California decides that only certified teachers can educate children it will have to close down its own Public School at home program,  many private catholic schools that are taught by nuns, and will have to start searching very hard for teachers, since quite a few of the public school teachers are not credentialed, but were hired through legal loopholes that allowed the schools to employ them anyway.  

By no means is this the end of the story.

Answer 4

That is crazy! I live in GA and we have the right to educate or kids and how it is not constitutional is beyond me!

And PS we do a better job than the teachers.

Answer 5

It is true that all states regulate homeschooling, California seems to be holding the home schooled to rediculously high standards.

When 99% of all PULBIC school children are taught under similar rules (i.e. close all the loopholes), then CA can go after the homeschools- clean up your own house first!

Answer 6

Amy,  when I was in fifth grade, I went from a very expensive private Catholic school to a public school and was 2 yrs. behind.  It took less than 3 months of very hard work to catch up.  It wasn't so much I was behind as the scope and sequence was different.   And what a wonderful thing for parents to know.....that teachers and admin are waiting there with open arms for your child.........and a groan in their hearts.

And many public school kiddos end up remediating many courses:  math, english comp, etc. when they get to college.  So being "behind" is not a phenomenon exclusive to the home school to private school path.  Each child and situation is unique.  

I know we homeschool the youngest one due to ADHD.  Medicating him just for the sake of a teaching schedule is out of the question.  And if some day, someone says he is behind, though he doesn't test that way now......it will have been worth it not to pump his young body full of drugs that may later lead to addictions and/or suicide.  

If one is homeschooling in accordance with state law, they should not have to keep looking over their shoulder waiting for the next rule change, the next judge or legislator with a bee in his bonnet, or teacher's union with an ax to grind.

Answer 7

I live in GA too, and I'm a teacher in a private school, though I've taught in public too.

Wow. I had no idea CA just did that!  I would think that this is sooooo wrong.  

I know several parents who home-school and do an amazing job.

However, as a teacher, whenever we admit a new kid who I had been "home-schooled" the teachers and admin collectively groan.  I would say about 70% of the time in my experience the child has been 1-2 grade levels behind when a parent has homeschooled.

Yes, parents can do an amazing job at it, and I do know some who do.  But, frequently, parents just don't keep up with it the way schools do.

Having said all of that I still can't believe CA did that. Parents should have the right to homeschool.

Answer 8

There are other threads on this.... but are you saying they should hire a credentialed teacher? I disagree as long as they are following the law as it is NOW written there is no reason to jump ahead.

This will almost certainly be overturned (Gov. S has already stated he will do so) although it does still manage to cause friction.

Answer 9

Depends on what state you're in.  I'm in Indiana.  Homeschooling here is the same as private school.  We just have to do 180 days of school per year.

Answer 10

depending where you live you have to follow the rules, just because a child is home schooled doesn't mean his parents didn't have to get the ok to do so. 1-if your child is in grade school you must have a higher education then that child and be a high school graduate 2- now you have to be in contact with your township board of education and follow a learning program. 3- you must now have some kind of degree. things are changing and like i saide it depends where you live and your states rules.

Answer 11

yes you must follow the state requirements home school children should learn the same curriculum as others and then some if the parent so chooses