That's true, but in the states that use this "standard," they often mean equivalent in terms of hours spent in "instruction" and content of lessons. I certainly wouldn't comply with that; I don't want my children to learn much of what's being taught in our local school!
I guess, though, the ultimate defense is equivalent results.
If the state takes a homeschooler to court because the homeschooler’s METHODS are not the equivalent to the state’s, but the homeschooler can demonstrate equivalent, or even superior results, I think that the state’s case will founder on Supreme Court precedents recognizing the right of parents to control the education of their children.
The Supreme Court affirmed that states have an interest in requiring parents to make sure that their children are educated, but denied states the right to dictate the means of education. If your kids do well on the standardized tests, or by other measures of academic achievement, I think it'd be tough for the state to make the case that you've failed to educate your kids.
Thus, ultimately, if it were tested in the courts, I think that “equivalent to public school education” amounts to a large loophole.
I’m also not sure that “equivalent to public education” generally means using a curriculum that mirrors in content that which is used in the public schools.
I don’t know if we have any sort of clause like that in the law of Maryland, but generally, the state mandates that students receive instruction in specific fields of study each year, dependent by grade. Thus, our sons’ portfolios must show evidence of instruction in writing, mathematics, reading, history, physical education, health education (beyond a certain grade), etc.
Maryland is a moderately liberal state, and the mandates within the public school system are becoming onerous. A nearby county now addresses topics of homosexual activity in middle school - mandatory for all public school children. We have mandatory public service to graduate from high school, which is bad enough of itself, but made worse when that’s controlled by public school teachers. Last year or the year before, in my own county, the “public service” project pushed on thousands of high school students was to go down to the state capital and protest for higher wages for teachers.
But the state hasn’t even bothered to try to jam content down the throats of either private schools or homeschoolers. There is an obligation to "instruct" 180 days per year. When reviewing portfolios, the county folks don't look for paperwork to prove 180 days of instruction, but are looking for something that shows that instruction is taking place regularly. "Instruction" is pretty loosely interpreted. A trip through the shopping mall can provide a day's instruction in several subjects.
The state seems remarkably unconcerned with the content in each subject area. Thus, we’re using a Catholic-oriented history text for our older son. They don’t care. For physical education, we’ve listed activities as mundane as bike-riding, playing one-on-one football in the front yard, or taking walks around the neighborhood. It’s physical activity? That’s fine. Our older son is reading Belloc, Chesterton, and reading about St. Thomas Becket, for literature. There are words on pages? That works. The younger guy studied juvenile brain tumors. The county is happy to regard that as the science requirement. And so on
I would prefer an end to compulsory education requirements. Then, there wouldn't be any need at all for "homeschool regulation," which to me seems idiotic, both in principle and in practice. But I think that even using their own rules, like "equivalent to public education," and interpreting in light of the judicial precedents on the books that already recognize our rights, we homeschoolers can homeschool as we choose.
sitetest
Even though my children were in community college and completely finished with **all** college general education course and Calculus III ( at the age of FIFTEEN!) they were still required to file those utterly asinine reports! No, the government pin heads would NOT accept a college transcript as proof of their being educated. What idiots!
Also...If the standard for passing in the government school is complete illiteracy and innumeracy then that should be the passing standard for homeschoolers as well!
Hey! I have a better idea! If the government schoolers are below average on their standardized exams, I think the government teachers, parents, and kids should be forced ( under threat of police action ) to report to a HOMESCHOOLER!
Please remember that behind every government teacher and school bureaucrat stands an armed policeman with real bullets in his gun on the hip!