Friday, March 7, 2008

Good Going California!

I'm sure you've all heard about it by now:

CALIFORNIA COURT MAKES HOMESCHOOLING ILLEGAL!
CALIFORNIA IS TOO LIBERAL AND STRIPPING FUNDIES OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!


Regardless of the fact that almost all of these morons have failed to correctly interpret the court's ruling (HINT: You can still home school in California: for a taste of reality, see here or here), what is really beyond credulity is they're somehow trying to twist absolutely nothing into a "right" to home school (as if a child's education was somehow a "religious" freedom...).
DIGRESSION: I wish they would outlaw homeschooling as it is nothing more than a cheap and dirty trick for most parent's to keep their children thoroughly ignorant of reality at large in the hopes that someday their fantasy pseudo-religious world view will pay off... [END DIGRESSION]
The facts of the case are summarized as such:
  • The Long's (the family which was involved in this lawsuit) attempted to claim that their children were enrolled in a "valid charter school" and that the school was supervising the mothers' instruction in the home. It is unclear from the court's opinion, but it looks like the parents tried to argue that the children were enrolled in a public school (since all charter schools in California are public schools). But since they obviously couldn't meet any of the attendance requirements for public schools, the court also examined the question of whether the parents were credentialed. Since they obviously aren't, the court kicked it back to the lower court to order them to "enroll their children in a public full-time day school, or a legally qualified private full-time day school." It looks like the parents never bothered to argue that they were running their own private school in compliance with California law §48222.
  • Some homeschoolers attempt to twist the "independent study" provision for public school education in §51745 into a form of generalized homeschooling and that may be what the lawyers were trying to do in this case. Unfortunately, that statute is quite explicit that independent study not take the form of an "alternative curriculum" to that provided by the public school and that it not replace any courses required for a high school diploma. [Source]
The parents didn't follow the laws of California when it comes to homeschooling (which can be found here: I'm not even a California home schooler and I found the law within .35 seconds with a Yahoo! search... But, being as how most fundies view the Internet as evil, I'm not surprised, I suppose...)
DIGRESSION: Seriously, if you can't even follow a few simple laws, what makes you think you're even half-way competent at teaching your kids jack shit?) [END DIGRESSION]
The issue, to nutshell, is that the parents not only didn't enroll themselves as a private school (a very key step in California to home school), they weren't even state certified educators! Now please, tell me: What kind of educational curriculum would it be if the state didn't require all persons teaching children to be certified, to have some sort of authenticated competence!

The danger of most home schooling parents (which I fear isn't as obvious as common sense would dictate it be) is that you have these people who have embraced on-purpose ignorance, disregarding science, reality, common sense (not to mention a rationale for it all) wanting to teach it to their kids and think it's all A-Okay...

Thank our lucky stars California has the good sense to stop some forms of ignorance right in its tracks and DEMAND that the future up-and-coming leaders of this country get an actual, truthful, realistic education from certified teachers to ground said education of the children on solid, scientific principals and factual ideals and rationals...

4 comments:

Kel said...

Yeah, homeschooled kids seem a little odd and unable to assimilate into society. But did you ever meet one of the PARENTS that do the homeschooling?!

I would have loved to be homeschooled...I know I could have convinced my mom to start "class" at 10am.

Anonymous said...

hello jason! you have been busy with your blogging. i must live under a rock since i did not hear about this. :) i am not sure how to feel about home schooling. i think for some kids it might be great. but it takes alot of will power on the parents part to school your own kids and you will find wierd on both sides of any issue. i know some fine people that taught homeschooling and was homeschooled. i sometimes think it is hard enough to raise kids but to try to teach them all the in and outs of what they all think you need to learn it would be harder to do since you are doing it all. i myself would just let math go altogether. :) and reading would be just the books i like. :) knowing how to clean, cook, sew a button on with a good dose of crocheting since it helps you to relax. (that covers health) :) (every person in this country should learn how to clean RIGHT!) :) music would only be country. (and not the radio kind!) and handwriting would be if you can get it done in just making it out with the capital letters of your first and last name who cares about the rest of the letters. you can always say you are a doctor when people look at your name and don't understand it. :) science would be watching vinegar and baking soda come together and learning how to start a fire in a fireplace without making a mess. history would be telling you all about why you don't want to turn out like your great great grandfather or mother and what year they died. heck, i would just do the whole family tree. :) tell about all the great times at the funerals. :) gym would be how to swing on a porch swing without hitting the wall in the back. i feel we do have some rights that are fading away fast because of the way we look at each other. we all should try to walk a mile in each others shoes and maybe we can look at things different. i feel alot of kids are leaving school that are not near as smart as they should be and i don't think you can really put the blame on just one thing. in todays schools because of the violence i fear for my son, daughter-in-law, cousins, and grandchildren that are going or teaching in schools. that is why sometimes you want to have homeschooling. i also feel the teachers now days have to raise the kids more than teach them yet with their hands tied. i feel that the school should stick to the things they need to and parents to teach what is important to them. the child as they grow can decide what he or she wants to learn more about. well, thats it on this subject. i still don't want to live in california since one day its going to slide right into the ocean. now that covers some subject in school i am sure! :) love and prayers ps now since you all read this we have our degree in common sense! :)

fcsuper said...

Yes, Cali will magically slide into the ocean exactly along its borders. :)

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with home schooling as long as the curriculum is state mandated and conducted by an accredited individual (as the state law currently requires).

The problem is that some people seem to be under the mistaken impression that home schooling is the same thing as parental schooling. While parental schooling is important, it cannot take the place of a formal education. That said, formal education should not be seen as something the removes the obligation of the parents to teach their children.

mom," the teacher" said...

hello jason! you have been busy with your blogging. i must live under a rock since i did not hear about this. :) i am not sure how to feel about home schooling. i think for some kids it might be great. but it takes alot of will power on the parents part to school your own kids and you will find wierd on both sides of any issue. i know some fine people that taught homeschooling and was homeschooled. i sometimes think it is hard enough to raise kids but to try to teach them all the in and outs of what they all think you need to learn it would be harder to do since you are doing it all. i myself would just let math go altogether. :) and reading would be just the books i like. :) knowing how to clean, cook, sew a button on with a good dose of crocheting since it helps you to relax. (that covers health) :) (every person in this country should learn how to clean RIGHT!) :) music would only be country. (and not the radio kind!) and handwriting would be if you can get it done in just making it out with the capital letters of your first and last name who cares about the rest of the letters. you can always say you are a doctor when people look at your name and don't understand it. :) science would be watching vinegar and baking soda come together and learning how to start a fire in a fireplace without making a mess. history would be telling you all about why you don't want to turn out like your great great grandfather or mother and what year they died. heck, i would just do the whole family tree. :) tell about all the great times at the funerals. :) gym would be how to swing on a porch swing without hitting the wall in the back. i feel we do have some rights that are fading away fast because of the way we look at each other. we all should try to walk a mile in each others shoes and maybe we can look at things different. i feel alot of kids are leaving school that are not near as smart as they should be and i don't think you can really put the blame on just one thing. in todays schools because of the violence i fear for my son, daughter-in-law, cousins, and grandchildren that are going or teaching in schools. that is why sometimes you want to have homeschooling. i also feel the teachers now days have to raise the kids more than teach them yet with their hands tied. i feel that the school should stick to the things they need to and parents to teach what is important to them. the child as they grow can decide what he or she wants to learn more about. well, thats it on this subject. i still don't want to live in california since one day its going to slide right into the ocean. now that covers some subject in school i am sure! :) love and prayers ps now since you all read this we have our degree in common sense! :)