Schwarzenegger denounces 'outrageous' homeschooling ruling

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/7/2008 | Jill Tucker and Bob Egelko

[stevio]

Brother-in-arms.

[CCGuy]

Congratulations!! You win the Most Ignorant Comment Award for this post.

Home schooled children have to take benchmark tests administered by California repeatedly throughout the year to make sure they are learning.

It might interest you to hear that home schooled children here in California are scoring a full two grade levels higher than their state educated contemporaries.

The teacher’s union head is happy because there was no other way they could compete against vastly better educated children that are home schooled. They were losing more students each year. So an activist judge just eliminated the competition so the useless state can keep their indoctrination camps running. Who cares if students are learning less and less each year.

Eliminating something that is producing better educated students on average is a BAD thing. This ruling is going to hurt us all in the long run because there will be more poorly educated people in our future.

[Amendment10]

Thanks for input. Regardless of the part concerning official court document that was probably added by an FR member, based on document I do believe that media initially overreacted to judges' decision to "outlaw" homeschooling.

After ranting for a day about how screwed up California law is, I got wind of official document suggesting that homeschooling had actually not been outlawed. I felt bad about my rants because I had evidently swallowed bogus information. But I felt less embarrassed when I was "upstaged" by Gov. Schwarzenegger's seemingly misinformed reaction.

[GVnana]

Some lardass mother with good intentions and a high school diploma can turn her little rats into geniuses at the blink of an eye.

Uh, yeah, humblegunner. Her odds are probably better than classroom instruction. And the children wouldn't be treated like "little rats".

[EGPWS]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised today to ensure that parents have the right to homeschool their children, after a state appeals court ruling severely restricted the practice in California.

Freedom of choice in a free society.

Do we really need such a freedom stifling agenda taking away government powers only there for the promotion of freedom of the people? /s

[Mrs.Z]

" I teach at a private Christian college prep school with the following stats: 1)99% of our kids go to college (the only ones who don't, delay for milliary service) 2) 80% of our kids get scholarship $$ 3) ONLY about 20% of our faculty ARE EDUCRATS! (and most of those are at the elementary level) Because we allow our teachers to be part time, we have professionals with ADVANCED DEGREES IN THE SUBJECT AREA THEY TEACH. (something unheard of in public screwells) Teaching creditials HINDER learning.

[EGPWS]

Didn’t this POS recently sign a law outlawing the words “Mom and Dad” in Kalifornia screwls?

Let me guess, the reasoning is that it discriminates against Heather who has two mommy's, right?

[EGPWS]

"...you're a Democrat. You're expected to complain and offer no solutions.

Denny has pegged it.

It's so blatantly obvious that trust in common sense of the majority of the public is lost for me.

[Tired of Taxes]

I felt bad about my rants because I had evidently swallowed bogus information.

Amendment 10, I didn't read all of your posts, but you probably were right in your rants. The court has ruled that "homeschooling" by a parent "without teaching credentials" is not permitted by CA law. There's no other way to read it.

I do believe that media initially overreacted to judges' decision to "outlaw" homeschooling.

The state isn't kicking in doors to arrest parents, but remember it would take time for the state to take action, if it decided to do so based on this court's decision. And then the action taken probably would begin with letters mailed home, etc.

The good news may be that this case has brought to light the lack of laws to protect homeschool families in CA, and maybe the governor and the legislature can craft new legislation to protect them. (At least, one can hope...)

[Mrs.Z]

Winston Churchill had another great quote that went something along the lines of

“The greatest argument against democracy is listening to the conversation of an average voter.” ;^)

[Mr. Silverback]

This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will."

We should hear this from more politicians WAY more often.

[EGPWS]

Winston Churchill had another great quote that went something along the lines of

“The greatest argument against democracy is listening to the conversation of an average voter.” ;^)

If I recall correctly it was Winston Churchill who also said: (and I'm paraphrasing)

"Democracy is far from the perfect system of government but it's the best that we have". ; )

[Dante3]

Some liberals can be right some of the time. I am glad Arnold took this stand.

[CottonBall]

My direct experience with getting teaching credentials is that it is a costly, time-consuming process that is frustrating beyond belief for someone who is reasonably intelligent.

actually, it is extremely easy to get a teaching credential. The classes are jokes -- anyone majoring in anything somewhat difficult, i.e.,NOT education, can pass these classes without ever studying. (I'm getting an A in my last class after I've decided to test how little work I can do to get a C. I keep getting 100s and 97s on tests & assignments. I won't go so far as to deliberately misspelled words or answer questions wrong -- but I'm not even reading the chapters before taking the tests!)

so, it should be ridiculously easy for any parent who already has a bachelor's degree to get their teaching credential. But, that said, I think this really is quite hypocritical. I think teacher has to have a teaching credential, then all private schools should have to hire teachers with teaching credentials. And there are many, many unaccredited private schools that have little or no standards. What's fair to expect of parents is also fair to expect that every entity that calls itself a "school".

[EGPWS]

We should hear this from more politicians WAY more often.

You will hear the likes of that from true leaders always, sometimes from true politicians but NEVER from a true socialist.

[CottonBall]

Utilize a credentialed tutor - or the parent, if so qualified

this part of the law doesn't make much sense when it comes to secondary education. Public schools are required to hire teachers that are credentialed in the fields they are teaching. So, the only way a parent could be qualified their child would be if they held at least five or six different credentials!

[Mr. Silverback]

I hope it encourages them to get some credentials.

So, let me get this straight: I graduated from high school (first person on one side of the family to ever do so), have at times been in charge of a $26 million airplane and up to 80 human lives, graduated from community college with high honors, sit on the board of two local non-profits, run my own business (part of which is being managing editor of a national trade magazine) and lead a Cub Scout pack, but I'm not qualified to teach my youngest son third grade Math and English? I also wasn't qualified to teach my daughter to read or teach any of the Math, English, Science or History I've imparted to them (a sixth grader and a fifth grader) so far?

With all due respect, I'd like an explanation on why you think I'm such an inept troglodyte dipstick.

[Tired of Taxes]

So I'm a statist because I think parents should have something more than good intentions before they try to teach? Because I don't think any moron capable of reproduction is necessarily capable of teaching?

First, let's blast the notion about parents teaching: If you can read, write, and do simple math, you can teach your young child to do those things. Once a child can read, write, and do simple math, he can take it further on his own (with only some books, supplies, and supervision from you). I explain more in this post #133.

Secondly, ask yourself: Who decides which parents are capable of homeschooling? Do you really trust the state to make those decisions? The public school system is controlled by the NEA, a powerful teachers' union. They have enjoyed tremendous influence on governors, legislators, and presidents.

The NEA passes a resolution against homeschooling year after year. They will find any reason to push all children into school because, as a union, their main concern is job security. First, they claimed homeschooled children would never learn. When that didn't turn out to be true, they started harping on "lack of socialization." Given the power to oversee parents, they will always decide against homeschooling. Teachers themselves who are homeschooling their own children have been challenged by the schools. Many parents are working professionals and/or have college degrees. I think they can handle teaching their children reading, writing, and mathematics. But, if the state (under influence of the NEA) is given the power to decide who can and who cannot homeschool, homeschooling eventually will be outlawed for most families, parent credentials be damned.

[CottonBall]

You don't think its a good idea for someone to know something before they try to teach it?

Although I don't deny that you have an excellent point there, the irony is that a homeschooling parent with little education or knowledge in what they are trying to teach in many cases does a better job than our public schools. I don't believe that this is showing how high the standards are for homeschooling, but instead show how low our standards have gotten in our schools -- both public and many private.

Back when our schools were keeping up with the rest of the world -- about 50 years ago -- we saw very few homeschooling parents. Back then, schools were doing a better job than an uneducated parent could do. It is a sad irony that the reverse is now true.

[GVnana]

I think teacher has to have a teaching credential, then all private schools should have to hire teachers with teaching credentials.

Why? You already said the credential was a joke.

Keeping alternatives and diversity in education is important to the health of this country.