Posted on 01/26/2012 1:03:48 PM PST by Morgana
WASHINGTON, D.C, January 26, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Homeschoolers in the U.S. have marshaled against Obama’s proposal in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that every state should require that “all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.”
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has called the proposal ‘shocking’ and has urged its members to fight back with a clear message: “leave education decisions to parents.”
The HSLDA is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends and advances what they say is the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children.
“There appears to be no limit to the president’s desire for power,” said Michael Farris, founder and chairman of HSLDA, in a press release. “Car companies, banks, doctors, and now schools and the family. He’s gone way too far this time.”
During his speech, Obama said: “We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So, tonight, I am proposing that every state, every state, requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate, or turn 18.”
Will Estrada, Director of HSLDA’s Federal Relations, told LifeSiteNews that Obama’s speech contains two threats to the freedom of those who choose to home school their children.
“The first one is very simply the Federal government taking on the role of telling the states when students should graduate or when they should stay in school until,” he said, adding that “the more we see Federal involvement telling the states what to do with education policy [the more] it threatens the freedom of all parents, particularly home schoolers to educate their children.”
“But the second and more visceral danger for home schoolers is how it could effect with a definition what is a ‘graduation’.”
“Let’s say they graduate from a home school program at age 17, would that be under the Federal definition graduation from high school?” asked Estrada.
The HSLDA is urging every concerned parent, whether they school their children at home or not, to take action by making two phone calls, one to the White House and the other to their U.S. representative.
“Tell them simply,” said Estrada, to “leave education decisions to parents, not federal bureaucrats” and that “President Obama [should] withdraw his compulsory attendance mandate immediately.”
Contact The White House Ph: (202) 456-1414 Send message online here.
Contact your U.S. representative Capitol Switchboard: Ph: 202-224-3121 Find U.S. representative names and contact info online here.
Here is an alternative they might present. Every 19 year old has to pass a proctored comprehensive exam. To be fair, “passing” evaluation will be weighted an a scale depending on race, gender, religious affiliations and parental political party association.
19 year olds who do not pass the test (by graduated standards of diversity) are to be executed. This will help the environment, control wasteful population and produce good citizens.
1. Race: _______________
2. Gender: ______________
3. Who did your parents vote for in the last election?_________
4. What religion are you?___________________
5. Who is the greatest president ever?_________________
6. Who were the first terrorists against the British in Boston during the Revolutionary war?______________
7. Capitalism is unfair and a dismal failure: True or False
(Satire)
I believe in educating our kids (not the governments kids)
What is the fedgov doing even concerning itself with public schools? Note to fedgov: Wanna cut spending, butt out of public education.
How about students that graduate early?
How about students that study overseas for a year or two?
How about people with children take their kids and leave the country for islands unknown with lower costs of living and set up homeschooling compounds?
How about parents banding together and setting up their own charter school in shifts?
How about people shoving 2 years of schooling into 1 to get their children out of school in record time?
Keep them in school but make them do janitorial duties.
How about students that study overseas for a year or two?
Trying to escaspe indoctrination, huh? Well we can fix that!
How about people with children take their kids and leave the country for islands unknown with lower costs of living and set up homeschooling compounds?
That is why we have M1A1s and Bradleys - to burn such places to the ground along with all the occupants. Remember that Waco was for the children!
How about parents banding together and setting up their own charter school in shifts?
This one is almost acceptable if the children are taught about homosexuality and transgendered issues. On the other hand, that is why we have M1A1s and Bradleys - to burn such places to the ground along with all the occupants.
How about people shoving 2 years of schooling into 1 to get their children out of school in record time?
This one is almost acceptable if the children are taught about homosexuality and transgendered issues. And social justice. And fisting. And LGBT contibutions to America. And sodomy.
So there is some merit to what you are suggesting.
Not only that but some public school students would be affected. I graduated from my public high school when I was 17. I took all required courses, skipped nothing, and had decent grades. I finished at age 17. A law worded this way would have made me endure yet another year.
OK
I am going to barf now
H/T to Morgana for posting this article. Pinging the homeschoolers on the Catholic Ping List.
This administration wants unfettered access and control of America’s children. They are nothing but future voters and eventually, slaves to the state.
This proposal, if adopted, would advance the leftist agenda in many ways. Forcing all Americans into school until 18 takes some out of the labor force, which both “reduces unemployment” and creates a demand for more illegal immigrant workers. It means more bodies in the school buildings (large bodies, too), requiring more employees and perhaps more buildings.
Keeping “students” in school who don’t want to be there also makes it more difficult for any of the students to actually get an education, which is apparently a goal of the government school system. It provides more opportunity for ideological propaganda and subjects more school inmates to abuse from their fellow “students.”
For those not using government schools, increasing the compulsory attendance age creates additional costs, both financial and opportunity, and provides additional opportunities for government harassment.
For Democrats, what’s not to love? It’s a win, win, win, win, win, win, win for them.
the road to hell is paved by obama.
They must attend school until age 18 or they graduate, says Obama. I envision schools with special rooms to cage the lazy and unwilling to be educated, just hanging around until they turn 18. As they said in Caddyshack, the world needs ditch diggers too.
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