Why are people so mad about California's new homeschooling law?

Question

I live in southern California and know just how bad the public school system is. If it was really important to me to shelter my kid and only teach him the things I wanted him to learn then I would go and get a teaching degree. I know he isn't learning half of what he should be so I supplement him. How hard is it to spend a couple of hours a day teaching your kid? And like I said before if homeschooling really means that much to you, go out and get your credentials.

Answer 1

You say:

"I know he isn't learning half of what he should be so I supplement him. How hard is it to spend a couple of hours a day teaching your kid? And like I said before if homeschooling really means that much to you, go out and get your credentials."

So... apply the same logic to your own situation.  Lets say a court decision made it such that you should obtain a teaching credential in order to supplementally teach your child at home.

Would you still agree with it and would it be important enough for you to go out and get the credentials or would you just be satisfied with him learning less than half of what you know he should? Or, would you be mad about it?

Would you be willing to invest years and thousands for something that will do nothing at all to improve your ability to help your child learn just because some judge ordered it?

Do you think a judge has the right to tell you that you are not qualified to supplement your own child's education?

From your "question" it seems so.

Answer 2

The more insidious aspect is that the state can determine what decisions it makes with regard to parenting. Is the next step taht a parent cannot teach their own beliefs and values to a child?? Can you legally tell your child there is only 1 religion to follow whatever your religion might be??

How far can the state interfere in the rights of parents especially when what the parents are doing has been proven over and over to be more beneficial to the child. Why should those children be penalized?

If children homeschooled by  a parent without a teaching certificate outscore those graduating from the system why is a certificate necessary?

Answer 3

Homeschooling is not sheltering.  Homeschooling opens the world up to a child in ways that are simply not possible in a classroom setting.

Getting a teaching credential does not make one a teacher.  A teaching credential is all about traffic control.

Private school teachers are not required to have credentials, so if parents need them, private school teachers should be required to earn them as well.

Now, if your child's education is really that important to you, research homeschooling instead of leaving him in the hands of traffic controllers.

Answer 4

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

California does not have a new homeschooling law.  And parents do not need to go out and get credentials.

OhMyGoodness... It is very disheartening to read some of the replies to this.  You kids need to get a real education.  So home-school yourself and grow up to be really, really smart.

Answer 5

Well there is no new homeschooling law. Home schools will continue to operate. Either the court will overturn the ruling or the legislature will pass a new law which is what should happen anyway. California does not have 20 billion dollars lying around to educate home schoolers.

As far as credentials are concerned, home school parents shouldn't have to spend the time, money and effort obtaining teaching degrees. They have already taken on extra responsibility and many probably can't handle any more work. My children score five years or more above the children in public school, so apparently credentials are not the key to success. Additionally, I have a degree that allows me to teach at many universities so I shouldn't have to obtain a lesser degree or certification to teach the lower grades.

It isn't all that hard spending a couple of hours a day teaching  a child. I find it much easier and more enjoyable than commuting to public school.

Answer 6

We are already credentialed since we are the parents. I do not need to be trained in a teacher's college in order to teach. Anything I know, I can teach. Anything I don't know, I can find someone who does know, and they can mentor my kids. There are a lot of smart people out there!

We live in a free republic, and the constitution has given every parent the right to choose the proper educational choice for their own child(ren). The state does not have a "compelling interest" nor the right to interefere with the constitution. There is nothing about education in the constitution because our founding fathers trusted parents to make the right choices for their own families.

We, as the parents, have the right to choose public or private schools for our kids. Public schools are not good places for our children. We cannot afford most private schools that have teachers. We have a private school right here in our home that costs us very little to operate and fits our bugdet. If I choose to school in our home, that makes my home a private school. That also makes me qualified.

Many top-notch colleges such as Groton and Exeter do not hire credentialled teachers to teach; they hire those best qualified to teach, even if that means the car mechanic down the street. So why should we rely on credentials? Everyone has known teachers who are/were not qualified to teach, though they held "credentials" from the state.

Sending our kids to public school just because someone has a "credential" does not mean our children will be taught anything or be put under the care of one who is truly proficient or educated themselves.

I am educated, and I do not need the state's approval (credentials) in order to prove it to them or to you. You are very ignorant and uninformed if you think that a "credential" makes anyone intelligent or knowledgable.

My husband, a high school graduate, is an owner/operator of a construction business, and he works all the time with "credentialled" people who hold diplomas from colleges. These people are supposed to know their job, but they do not always know what they are doing, and my husband must fix their s***w-ups. This often costs him money and time. I am talking about architects, civil engineers, and other people who should know their jobs. The truth is, they don't always have the hands-on field experience, only book experience. You can't grade a site if you don't know how. And these are people who are "credentialled". Please do not believe that because someone holds a diploma in a field (such as a teacher) that that means they are qualified. It just ain't so!

Answer 7

How does traffic control equal education? My sister in law is a public school teacher and has looked over the curriculum we use guess what most of what is on the lesson plan isn't taught until High School! My daughter is a third grader! Who put the lesson plan together? Why the people I bought the curriculum from. Why? To help me succeed in Home Schooling! You see with support like that why do I need credentials? I can teach my kids algebra when the time comes but fist lets handle addition and subtraction which because of the public schools not truly teaching it my daughter is behind in. So now I get to compensate for their s***w up!

You talk about sheltering them. Do you really believe that home schooled kids stay home all day? Do you really think that there is no social involvement? Do your self a favor look up a home school group in your area and see what they do. Our group posts a calender on-line that is always full of activities. Then we have Co-Op, Girl Scouts, sports and dance. Shall I go on?

We only teach them what we want them to know! Is that why I am going out of my way to expose them to evolution and Creation sciences? So that they only know what I want them to know? Do you know how hard it is to not tell your kids which one is the one you think is a lie? Simply because you want them to make a decision based on what they learn.

He isn't getting 1/2 of what he needs? THEN WHY DO YOU FORCE HIM TO GO!!!!!! We all want what's best for our kids and for us a public school is not what is best. Do us a favor you raise your kids your way let home schoolers raise our kids our way. We'll see which kids are truly successful in life. We can almost guarantee you that home schoolers will do better than the corporate drones the public schools train.

Answer 8

"How hard is it to spend a couple of hours a day teaching your kid?"

LOL.. not hard at all.  That's why we homeschool!

Let me put it to you this way.  I began homeschooling my child when he was 8 when we were living in Japan (he did have access to a US school).  He was struggling and falling behind in school.  He was bringing home not only about an hour's worth of homework a night, but an hour-two worth of unfinished work FROM class.

I decided, if I'm going to spend three hours every night with a tired child doing THEIR job, I'll just do it myself.

BTW, the CA ruling will not stand.  Homeschoolers will win.  So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll pass on the whole credentials thing.  We're doing just fine without them.  Thanks :)

oh and PS... we're not all homeschooling to teach our kids only what we want them to know, or to shelter them.  It's a misconception.. a popular one, but a misconception nonetheless.

ahhh Seventy x7, now there's a fine, upstanding product of our public schools...

Answer 9

Because one doesn't need to be 'taught' in order to learn; also, I hardly think that classroom management and how to teach 30 kids matters when you're home with your own.

Also, parents should have the right to educate their kids the way they see fit, be it public, private or homeschooling, without the state's interference.  The states don't govern private schools, many of which have uncredentialed teachers.

So why should they regulate what goes on in MY HOME??  My ex-h and I are highly intelligent, capable people.  He has a BS, I have a BS and a doctorate.  Why do I also need a teaching degree??

Answer 10

To answer your question .. "How hard is it to spend a couple of hours a day teaching your kid?" .. That is what the vast majority of homeschoolers are doing. I bet you didnt know that it really only takes a couple of hours a day to teach. If you took out all of the busy work and the waiting from a typical public school day, how much time do you honestly think was spent on real learning? This is why teachers send homework with the kids. If you are wondering, statistics show that it doesnt matter if you have not finished high school or have a bachelors degree in order for your child to succeed in homeschooling. Check out www.nheri.org to find out more on the statistics. Or go to www.hslda.org to find out more information about homeschooling. There's plenty of information out there. Educate yourself.