Learning a lesson in fairness

PJStar.com ^ | 12/11/02 | Phil Luciano

[tutstar]

-To public-school stalwarts crusading to hunt down and browbeat homeschool parents, I’m firmly in your corner - with one concession:

Equal grilling time for homeschoolers.

I’ll get to that idea in a minute. But let’s first look at the public-school assault.

The bloodhounds were let loose by Bruce Dennison, regional superintendent of schools for Bureau, Stark and Henry counties. His inquisition squads - a truancy officer and (sometimes) two cops - pounded on doors of 24 homeschool families, demanding attendance and curriculum information.

Kids got scared. One parent bawled hysterically. A father reported that a truancy officer threatened, "I can have your children taken away from you."

Dennison’s stormtroopers have spooked the daylights out of area home-schoolers, who heretofore had operated without fear. Illinois laws do not regulate home schools.

Yet Dennison thinks he has a right to poke around. He cites court cases that call for home-school parents to prove their lesson plans are "commensurate" (as the law says) to those of public schools.

Home-schoolers disagree. They say legal precedents tell public-school administrators to butt out of home schools.

The matter might head to court. Until then, here’s my idea for a compromise plan:

If school administrators suspect that home-schoolers - what with all those offbeat morality and ethics lessons - are up to funny business, then give ’em the bright-lights/rubber-hose treatment. Never mind that hordes of public-school students fail to reach minimum acceptable marks on standard tests. Probe the state’s 20,000 home schools to make sure each is "commensurate" to public schools.

After all, here’s what Peoria County Regional Superintendent Jerry Brookhart had to say to support home-school crackdowns: "Educational neglect is just as disabling as any other kind of neglect."

No argument here. In fact, you can’t dispute the converse: Any other kind of neglect is just as disabling as educational neglect.

So, when Dennison and Brookhart get done with their third-degree, home-schoolers can turn the tables to search for "any other kind of neglect."

For instance, home-school students spend more time with their parents. Studies show that the more parents get involved with their kids, the more successful (and less troublesome) the children will be. So, public-school hard-liners, please explain exactly how much time you and your spouse (if applicable) spend daily with your children.

What’s that? You say you "must" work long hours to support your family? So does your spouse? That’s why Junior spends day after day warehoused in before-care, day-care and after-care?

Hmm. First we’ll examine if your lifestyle is "commensurate" with home-school families. Let’s see here: Big new house, sporty roadster for her, powerful SUV for him. Indeed, you "must" work - you’ll be in debt ’til you die.

Now, look at home-school parents. They sacrifice an income so a spouse can teach the kids. They live in a modest house and drive older-model cars. But at least they know their kids’ names.

Depending on how you look at these matters, this "commensurate" concept can be hard to define, eh?

Then maybe we should just leave well enough alone.

# Write Phil Luciano at 1 News Plaza, Peoria, IL 61643, or call 686-3155 or (800) 225-5757, Ext. 3155. E-mail him at pluciano@pjstar.com.

[tutstar]

Why didn't someone think of this sooner? LOL This would stop the anti-homeschoolers in their tracks, no doubt.

[tutstar]

ping

I don't have a ping list, just checked back on a different home school thread. There has to be a better way to do this.

[TakeitBack]

It irks me to no end how people see the need to tell others how to live their lives. There always seems to be someone complaining about someone else - its time these types focused on their own lives and families - and left the others alone. Most people are quite capable of making their own decisions in life - a reality the "govt knows best" crowd simply cannot grasp.

[madfly]

ping

[Wonder Warthog]

"It irks me to no end how people see the need to tell others how to live their lives. There always seems to be someone complaining about someone else - its time these types focused on their own lives and families - and left the others alone. Most people are quite capable of making their own decisions in life - a reality the "govt knows best" crowd simply cannot grasp."

ANATHEMA!!!! Don't you know that a concept like the above is LIBERTARIANISM (which a number of folks here at FR and elsewhere seem to think is worse than communism)? And it isn't just the "govt knows best" types--the religious fundamentalists or just as bad, or in many cases worse (see the current problem with the Muslims).

[EdReform]

The real reason the state opposes homeschooling

[cake_crumb]

Great post. Great POINTS. BUMP!!

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[cake_crumb]

"Don't you know that a concept like the above is LIBERTARIANISM ...?"

A concept like the above is CONSERVATISM, pure and simple. It is not endemic to any one political party.

[sistergoldenhair]

Bruce Dennison, regional superintendent of schools for Bureau, Stark and Henry counties.

And an appointed member of the State Board for Teacher Certification.

[sistergoldenhair]

Thanks for the ping.

[TakeitBack]

ANATHEMA?

And to interpret what I wrote to mean people should be told how to live their lives by any other group - religious, or otherwise - couldn't be farther off. Govt has a role in our society - and as important - it DOESN'T have a role in our society as well. Sticking to the topic, agents of the govt (here, public school officials, police) should have absolutely NO SAY in how people want to raise/educate their own children. Remember now, home-schooling is NOT illegal!

[Eastbound]

"But at least they know their kids’ names"

Says it all. Good story.

[tutstar]

And you're not going to share the details? Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh....I'm one of those curious types, the suspense will drive me nuts.