[taxcontrol]

I believe that we need a Constitutional amendment enumerating the rights of parents. Specifically, the right to:

Determine the appropriate education be it private, public or home school for their children as long as they child can be shown to meet or exceed the education of an averages student of either the appropriate grade or age level.

Restrict the materials that will be show to, or used to educate the child or what activities the child can or can not participate in.

Discipline the child in a manner that does not endanger the health or injure the child

Restrict and determine the speech, associations and religion of their children

[achilles2000]

I agree, but it is a steep hill to climb. I think that a more practical approach is to take another 20% of children out of the government schools, which would deligitimize them politically and send them into financial cardiac arrest. Government schools delenda est. (with apologies for my poor Latin).

[fr_freak]

I believe that we need a Constitutional amendment enumerating the rights of parents. Specifically, the right to:

Those rights are already included in the Federal Constitution in that the federal government is not granted the power to infringe upon them, therefore it does not have such a power. Now, whether those in charge of interpreting the Constitution correctly recognize that fact is another question entirely, but if the black robe types won't interpret the current Constitution properly, an amendment certainly won't help.

[2Jedismom]

I believe I teach my boys a very well-rounded and thorough education...but I support the right of a person to teach perhaps a not so "traditional" education is they want.

For example, a Wiccan, who chooses to educate their child in the ways of organic farming by the phases of the moon should be able to do so without government interference, if that child is able to grow up and provide for themselves without government assistance. How do you know they can? Well, how many Wiccan homeschoolers are signing up for government assistance? Is there a trend?

If not...if homeschoolers are providing for themselves, paying their fair share of taxes and not taking anything from the government, then the government has no right to regulate them.

I submit that if one were to wander down to their local welfare office, it won't be a bunch of homeschoolers lined up signing up for aid.

[JenB]

I want the government 100% completely out of homeschool families' living rooms. If there is child abuse occurring there are laws in place to stop that. Otherwise, leave us alone.

No "as long as children are performing to some standard" nonsense. No curriculumn approval. No certification. No teacher supervision. I don't even want the government knowing the kids exist!

[TalonDJ]

as long as they child can be shown to meet or exceed the education of an averages student

Totally disagree. Why should homeschoolers be subjected to a HIGHER than average standard? (there is not such thing as right at average unless average is defined as a range or values.) Many people homeschool because they have developmentally disabled children that they believe are not being well serviced by public schools. Those people would be unable to demoststrate above average performance because they have a challenged child that might never be average. Enumerating the rights a parents could be construed as enumerating the rights of the children. I fear that would lead to a steady growth of such rights. Or that parents ONLY have the rights to those things. The constitution serves to limit government and define what rights the government can't in fringe. It does not grant rights. To enumerate things like 'Discipline the child in a manner that does not endanger the health or injure the child' is to open up government interpretation of what constitutes health and 'injure'. If they decide saying 'no' injures self-esteme... then what?

[wintertime]

Determine the appropriate education be it private, public or home school for their children as long as they child can be shown to meet or exceed the education of an averages student of either the appropriate grade or age level.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I would amend this to:

So long as the child meets what is considered passing for the lowest performing ( but passing) student in the worst government school of the state.

If it is considered passing for the government imprisoned child ( oops! "schooled") then it should be considered passing for the rest of the unwashed commoners whether private or home schooled.