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California Court Rules Homeschooling Illegal
LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 3-4-08 | edcoil

Posted on 03/06/2008 7:32:18 AM PST by edcoil

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com)

Thousands of homeschoolers in California are left in legal limbo by an appeals court ruling that homeschooling is not a legal option in the state and that a family who has homeschooled all their children for years must enrol their two youngest in state or private schools. Justice H. Walter Croskey in a written opinion said, "California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children."

The sweeping February 29th ruling says that California law requires "persons between the ages of six and eighteen" to be in "public full-time day school," or a "private full-time day school" or "instructed by a tutor who holds a valid state teaching credential for the grade being taught".


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: ca; california; californication; communism; communismrules; diversitytraining; education; englishas2ndlanguage; homeschool; homeschooling; homosexualagenda; nofreedoms; ruling; selfesteemclasses; spanifornia
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To: JenB
I read the opinion, and the “unpublished findings” that explain the situation. It sounded like pretty horrendous child abuse. However, the judge ruled that parents in California are not allowed to use the state’s laws for private school to cover homeschooling.

That's how the leftist courts operate. They take one particularly horrible case and use it to legislate the issue for the whole rest of society.

We are a country ruled by unelected judges.
141 posted on 03/06/2008 11:42:25 AM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: JenB
However, the judge ruled that parents in California are not allowed to use the state’s laws for private school to cover homeschooling.

And he explains his rationale, which seems fairly reasonable. BTW, one of his stated reasons is that CA law requires that teachers to be "qualified;" and even the trial court in this case ruled that the mother was not qualified: her kids homeschooling was "lousy" and "bad," among other perjoratives.

I believe that most homeschoolers in CA use the private school laws because A there are no homeschool laws per se and B it’s been settled in courts and such before that they should do that. This judge has now put pretty much every homeschool family in CA in danger.

Only because (as I infer from the ruling) California law, as written, does not address home-schooling, although it definitely should. IMO, California homeschoolers should not treat this as a "danger," but rather an opportunity to change the law.

I read the opinion, and the “unpublished findings” that explain the situation.

I couldn't find those ... could you post a link?

142 posted on 03/06/2008 11:47:09 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Antoninus
We are a country ruled by unelected judges.

Nice rant, but grossly misinformed.

California appellate judges, including Walter Croskey, are selected in non-partisan direct elections.

Research is your friend.

143 posted on 03/06/2008 11:54:14 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Antoninus
The current California law was and is wrong. And this judgement does in fact seem to break new ground as it appears to undermine some of the work-arounds that CA homeschooling parents have had in place so that they could continue to exercise their God-given right to educate their children absent interference from the government.

OK, the law in California is wrong. So change the law.

Or do you think it better that judges should be allowed to re-write the law to suit your idea of what's right?

144 posted on 03/06/2008 11:56:19 AM PST by r9etb
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To: r9etb
Dear r9etb,

“one of his stated reasons is that CA law requires that teachers to be ‘qualified;’...”

Actually, I believe the law says “capable of teaching.”

In my own mind, that's an extremely low standard to make. Other than folks who are just about comatose, just about anyone is capable of teaching to some degree or other.

I think that the justices in this case looked past the plain meaning of the state's laws, as well as their usual interpretation, and distorted the laws that are on the books because they're trying to go after a child welfare case through the state's schooling laws.

It makes me wonder just how real is the state's child abuse case against the parents.


sitetest

145 posted on 03/06/2008 11:57:06 AM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: r9etb

It’s pretty horrifying. http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:-gfLatRwHh8J:www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B192601.DOC+B192601&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

I hope that works.

Now, I think the parents (if the above is all true) should be drawn and quartered, and the kids should be put in foster care most likely, but this ruling by the judge on homeschooling *must* be overturned. As others on this thread have stated, for decades California homeschoolers have abided by the law, there have been court cases to settle this issue. Now one judge is saying that parents are not qualified educators. Make no mistake; when he says “qualified” he means “teachers’ license.”


146 posted on 03/06/2008 11:59:25 AM PST by JenB
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To: JenB
Dear JenB,

“Now one judge is saying that parents are not qualified educators. Make no mistake; when he says ‘qualified’ he means ‘teachers’ license.’”

And if that is what they, the appeals court justices, mean (and it's not very clear that it is what they mean), then that's in contradiction to California law, which requires someone “capable of teaching” for someone running a private school, contrasted against “certified teacher” if one uses one or more private tutors.


sitetest

147 posted on 03/06/2008 12:04:55 PM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: r9etb
Nice rant, but grossly misinformed. California appellate judges, including Walter Croskey, are selected in non-partisan direct elections.

Grossly misinformed--right. Show me 1 person out of 100 who can explain how judges are named in CA.

BTW, who did Croskey run against in his last election, hmmmm?
148 posted on 03/06/2008 12:07:27 PM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: r9etb
OK, the law in California is wrong. So change the law.

Agreed. That absolutely needs to be done. All anti-homeschooling laws need to be struck down.

Or do you think it better that judges should be allowed to re-write the law to suit your idea of what's right?

Answer me this question: Do parents have a God-given right to educate their children as they best see fit?
149 posted on 03/06/2008 12:09:43 PM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: sitetest
Actually, I believe the law says “capable of teaching.”

A fair correction -- I was paraphrasing from (poor) memory.

In my own mind, that's an extremely low standard to make. Other than folks who are just about comatose, just about anyone is capable of teaching to some degree or other. I think that the justices in this case looked past the plain meaning of the state's laws....

Actually, the judges in this case did not rely on their own opinions on that matter; but rather on the Turner case, which was presented as controlling precedent. (See the detailed discussion beginning on Page 7 of the ruling).

Note, BTW, that this ruling does not preclude home-schooling at all -- the parents could become qualified as "tutors" under California law.

As noted above, the real problem here is that folks in California have been trying to find ways around the clear language of the law, in order to do their home-schooling. And thus, when confronted by a ruling based on the letter of the law, they're left with no options.

The real solution is simple to state, if perhaps hard to achieve: change the law.

150 posted on 03/06/2008 12:10:51 PM PST by r9etb
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To: edcoil

‘illegal’ is a poor way to spell ‘superior.’


151 posted on 03/06/2008 12:12:01 PM PST by RightWhale (Clam down! avoid ataque de nervosa)
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To: Antoninus
Answer me this question: Do parents have a God-given right to educate their children as they best see fit?

Not only no, but Hell No. They don't, for example, have a "God-given right" to decide that their children need to be educated as terrorists.

What parents really have, is a responsibility to ensure that their childred receive a valid and reasonable education, so that they can properly function in the real world. Not only the kids, but you and I also, suffer if they are illiterate, or so ignorant that they cannot behave properly within our society.

And I notice you didn't answer my question -- which of course you can't without also endorsing judicial activism such as occurred in Roe vs. Wade. But then, you realized that, didn't you?

152 posted on 03/06/2008 12:21:03 PM PST by r9etb
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To: brazzaville

Hey, Washingon is already full of the ‘fugees from Kaliforn-eye-A and I am just trying to get some of our nearby states to “share the wealth.”


153 posted on 03/06/2008 12:24:54 PM PST by Grunthor (None of the Above 2008!)
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To: r9etb
Dear r9etb,

Part of the difficulty is that I can't find (although I haven't looked too hard) whether or not this family actually filled out the form to be a "private school" under California law. I suspect they didn't, and now the system is using that technical violation to get in the back door on the abuse case. The opinion from the "judges" of the appeals court suggests they didn't avail themselves of that option in the law. If that's a correct speculation, then it's possible that the court is not challenging the ability of homeschoolers to use the private school option that is spelled out in law.

But the ordinary method of dealing with someone who hasn't properly filled in a form needed to do something for which they have a legal right to do is for the state, upon discovering the lacuna, to provide a little assistance in getting it fixed. And, indeed, if parents have a right to homeschool their children (and they do), it would be difficult for the court to abrogate that right over a lack of a properly-filled out government form.

Thus, the "judges," illegitimately wishing to give the state better leverage in their abuse case, had to rule that there is no right of parents to homeschool.

They're evil slobs. One hopes they repent before they must pay for their crimes.


sitetest

154 posted on 03/06/2008 12:27:48 PM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: Antoninus
Grossly misinformed--right. Show me 1 person out of 100 who can explain how judges are named in CA.

LOL! Yes, grossly misinformed -- and thanks for the admission. As a responsible adult, I expect that you will now take your chastisement as an opportunity to transform yourself from one of the ignorant 99, to the enlightened 1.

BTW, who did Croskey run against in his last election, hmmmm?

You can read about the selection process here. If you don't like it, you can work to change it.

155 posted on 03/06/2008 12:28:26 PM PST by r9etb
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To: r9etb
Not only no, but Hell No. They don't, for example, have a "God-given right" to decide that their children need to be educated as terrorists.

Thanks. Tells me all I need to know about you. You might be more comfortable living in Cuba or China where kids are wards of the state.

Parents do have a God-given right to raise and educate their child according to their own standards. The government schools--which are relics of the 19th century--should be abolished.
156 posted on 03/06/2008 12:37:30 PM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: r9etb
BTW, who did Croskey run against in his last election, hmmmm?

You don't know, do you, oh so intelligent one?
157 posted on 03/06/2008 12:39:20 PM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: sitetest
They're evil slobs. One hopes they repent before they must pay for their crimes.

I agree with your assessment. Evil is about the only way to characterize this attempt to attack the God-given right to homeschool by holding up one derelict family. It's the same method they use to strip people of their God-given right to self-defense. It's a disgrace and I hope Californians rise up as a result.
158 posted on 03/06/2008 12:43:12 PM PST by Antoninus (Tell us how you came to Barack?)
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To: sitetest
Part of the difficulty is that I can't find (although I haven't looked too hard) whether or not this family actually filled out the form to be a "private school" under California law.

According to the ruling, they claimed to be operating under the "independent study" rules of Sunland Christian School (a "valid charter school" under California law).

The ruling, again, addresses this issue by reference to California law, and relevant precedent, and rejected the claim.

Thus, the "judges," illegitimately wishing to give the state better leverage in their abuse case, had to rule that there is no right of parents to homeschool.

Well, no. They're an appellate court, which must be asked (by appeal) to address particular rulings of the lower trial court. The trial court made a specific ruling on home-schooling, which was then appealed. The appeals court took the case and ruled on it.

Again, the real issue here is that folks are trying to work around the law as written. The judges should (one hopes) stick to the law as written. And home-schoolers in California should work to change the law.

159 posted on 03/06/2008 12:44:04 PM PST by r9etb
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To: Antoninus
Parents do have a God-given right to raise and educate their child according to their own standards.

LOL! And if those standards include, say, indoctrination in terrorism tactics or the violent overthrow of the U.S. government, you'd be fine with that. Right?

Well, I doubt you really believe that, except as a ranting point. Then again, you seem unable to step back from your ideology, even when it takes you to insane conclusions -- so perhaps you wouldn't even grant the reasonable proposition that the aforementioned "standards" are not acceptable.

The problem is, you're asserting a "right," but ducking the responsibility that goes with it. Which tells me all I need to know about you.

160 posted on 03/06/2008 12:48:25 PM PST by r9etb
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