What in the heck is wrong with California???

[nativetexan]

Jeez! http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720697,00.html

Criminalizing Home Schoolers

Parents of the approximately 200,000 home-schooled children in California are reeling from the possibility that they may have to shutter their classrooms — and go back to school themselves — if they want to continue teaching their own kids. On Feb. 28, Judge H. Walter Croskey of the Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled that children ages six to 18 may be taught only by credentialed teachers in public or private schools — or at home by Mom and Dad, but only if they have a teaching degree. Citing state law that goes back to the early 1950s, Croskey declared that "California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children." Furthermore, the judge wrote, if instructors teach without credentials they will be subject to criminal action.

This news raised a furor among home schooling advocates, including government officials. "Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement today. "Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will." "It's kind of scary," says Julie Beth Lamb, an Oakdale, California, parent who, with no teaching credentials, has taught her four children for 15 years. "If that ruling is held up, this would make us one of the most restrictive states in the nation."

The debacle originated with a suit over child abuse. One of the eight children of Philip and Mary Long, a Los Angeles couple, had filed a complaint of abuse and neglect with the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services. The agency determined that the Long children were being home schooled, taught by their uncredentialed mother while officially enrolled in independent study at Sunland Christian School. The DCFS then turned to the courts to mandate that the children attend public school so that teachers might spot evidence of abuse (a charge the parents deny). A juvenile court, however, determined that the Longs had a constitutional right to home school their children. The DCFS appealed and the case landed in Croskey's appellate court.

For years, the state of California has allowed parents to home school as long as they file papers to create a private school and hire a tutor with credentials or if their child participates in an independent study program through a credentialed school. In evaluating the Long case, however, Judge Croskey found that state law forbade any home schooling that was not taught by a credentialed teacher and that what California had been allowing was, in his judicial opinion, illegal. In 1953, another appellate court ruled against home-schooling parents who didn't want to adhere to California's compulsory education laws, which require kids between six and 18 to attend a credentialed school. The current case is most likely to be appealed to California's Supreme Court.

"We weren't trying to change the law on home schooling," says Leslie Heimov of the Children's Law Center, which represents the Long children involved in the case. "The law is accurate — it hasn't changed since the 1950s." She says the Center does not even have an opinion on home schooling. They just wanted to do what was best for the children represented in the case.

The fact that this sweeping ruling has sprung from such an individualized case is what has most outraged home schooling advocates. "Public schools are not a solution to the problem of child abuse," says Leslie Buchanan, president of the HomeSchool Association of California. Jack O'Connell, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction — the equivalent of a department of education — now faces the potential crisis of dealing with tens of thousands of truants. Does he know what will happen next? "I honestly don't know," O'Connell says, adding that his department is reviewing the case. "There is some angst in the field."

[johnf]

What's wrong with California.

To steal a line from "Con Air". "My first thought would be, a lot.":cool:

[Missilelock]

Im right there with you 100% John.

[OJR]

That place is beyond words! I used to live there and I have never been happier, than I was when we moved out!

[oldksnarc]

Sounds like 200,000 home-schooled kids and their parents may also be leaving California also - depending on their committment/feelings toward home-schooling.

[dlriggins]

What is wrong with California

Answer They have yet to have a big enough quake to put the whole state into the ocean

[Missilelock]

Hmmmm- I made the comment one time that I thought they should rent a ditch witch & go around the boundary & then just kick her out into the pacific & let her be her own little country- in some California company. Boy did I get roasted for that one....gotta say, I stand by my oppinion still though LOL

[Tominator]

As far as the question at hand with home schooling, I tend to agree with the judge. Although, it seems a bit severe.

Put it this way, I'm a teacher, I have a degree to teach business and technology, and I don't even feel qualified to teach things like algebra, chemistry, physics, calculus, etc. There's got to be more than a few parents out there that are grossly inadequate when it comes to properly educating their children.

However, I say let the parent take the graduation test, if he/she passes, then they can homeschool, if not, no homeschool for you!

[OJR]

As far as the question at hand with home schooling, I tend to agree with the judge. Although, it seems a bit severe.

Put it this way, I'm a teacher, I have a degree to teach business and technology, and I don't even feel qualified to teach things like algebra, chemistry, physics, calculus, etc. There's got to be more than a few parents out there that are grossly inadequate when it comes to properly educating their children.

However, I say let the parent take the graduation test, if he/she passes, then they can homeschool, if not, no homeschool for you!

I agree completely!

Dang, Chris you have been posting some good ones lately! LOL!!:D

[JJL]

Old man Johnson always said, " If you can't figure it out, it's probably about money."

Let's look at this another way:

200,000 students................

1000 students per school......

That's 200 new schools..........

Do you know what it would cost to build 200 new schools? Better yet, How much more money could the State collect if they HAD to build 200 new schools??????

The Federal Government gives alot of money each year to to the states for education. How much money is California not getting because 200,000 students are sitting at home? Think they want it?? You Bet. Look at it this way 200,000 students times $1,000 per student equals $200,000,000. Yep they're losing too much money by letting students be home taught.

So much of Americas education system is based upon getting funds, not education. Why do you think that schools are graded based upon attendance instead of actual knowledge gained? The achievement testing system is a joke, there's no reward for the students testing higher, so the overall effort is limited.

[oldksnarc]

There's got to be more than a few parents out there that are grossly inadequate when it comes to properly educating their children.

I agree with that statement. However, here in the Land of Oz, parents have to follow a cirriculum prescribed by the state and home-schooled children have to pass state-approved testing. All to insure they are receiving the same degree of education as those in public schools. Plus, even if you opt for home schooling you still pay property taxes to the school district whether your child attends public school or learns at home. Maybe the public school can't collect the "price per head" bounty from the state and federal government, but they do collect the local property tax.

I'm sure some parents are less than qualified and administer "open book" testing to defeat the system. But, who suffers? The student. But, then again, if they aren't properly prepared for the real world and can't compete in the labor force they will end up as common, minimum wage laborers. What better answer to the immigration (cheap labor) problem?!?!

[stevebeilgard]

let's swithch this question to the short answer question... what's RIGHT about californin. answer, very little to nothing. let it fall into the sea...

[JJL]

let's swithch this question to the short answer question... what's RIGHT about californin. answer, very little to nothing. let it fall into the sea...

If California falls into the Pacific, who's going to haul all of the trailers from New Orleans to Los Angeles to help out the refugees? But then again, it would be a great way to get rid of Nancy Pelosi.

[wtnhunt]

Thought state competency testing was standard for pretty well all home schoolers throughout the states.

[Tominator]

The Federal Government gives alot of money each year to to the states for education. How much money is California not getting because 200,000 students are sitting at home? Think they want it?? You Bet. Look at it this way 200,000 students times $1,000 per student equals $200,000,000. Yep they're losing too much money by letting students be home taught.

I don't know what state or school district you're talking about, but around here pupil expenditure is more like $3,000+/student. Some are higher, some are lower.

Why do you think that schools are graded based upon attendance instead of actual knowledge gained?

Schools in Ohio are graded on 28 factors, 1 of them is attendance, but that's for the kids enrolled, not the homeschoolers. 26 of the 28 grades come from the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).

The achievement testing system is a joke, there's no reward for the students testing higher

Simply not true. Standards and benchmarks are set to assist the student in most areas of academia. Rewards include: higher ACT and SAT scores, acceptances to colleges, scholarships and grants based on scores, and there are lesser rewards like honorary diplomas.

so the overall effort is limited.

In Ohio, a kid doesn't get a diploma unless he/she passes the OGT test, so overall effort is increased IMHO.

[davetucker]

What's wrong with California.

":cool:

they vote in celeberties to run they're state!!

[13littleones]

The Voters !