[GVnana]

Thanks Gondring, but that analysis is so contradictory to the LA Times and wire story that, frankly, I'm confused.

Here's the link to the Pacific Justice Institute's release on the case: "In his opinion, Croskey, 75, described what he called the "ruse of enrolling [children] in a private school and then letting them stay home and be taught by a non-credentialed parent."

http://www.pacificjustice.org/resources/news/focusdetails.cfm?ID=PR080305a

[Gondring]

(I'm not a lawyer, but here's my layman's take on it....)


Here's the link to the Pacific Justice Institute's release on the case: "In his opinion, Croskey, 75, described what he called the "ruse of enrolling [children] in a private school and then letting them stay home and be taught by a non-credentialed parent."

That's because the family never registered themselves as a private school, but tried to use Sunland Christian School as the supposed school ("enrolled" in Sunland Christian School). Since the children didn't actually attend the Sunland Christian School, and the parents never registered their own place as a school, the mother was not covered under either California Educational Code § 48222 ("Attendance in private school") for either place. Also, the court went through the other exemptions:

• Credentialed tutor
• Independent study (through a public school)
• Charter school

...and determined that none of them fit, either.

As I understand it and read the opinion, there's nothing that says there would have been a problem if the mother had registered the home as a private school, like tens of thousands of other homeschoolers do.

Should that red tape paperwork bureaucracy be required? Maybe not. But it's the current law and compared with many registrations, it doesn't seem horribly onerous.

If they want to get the law changed so registration isn't required, then they should do so...but as it stands, the requirement is to register the homeschool as a legal "private school"--which is defined by these requirements:

• instruction is provided by "persons capable of teaching" (note, it doesn't say "credentialed" for this category)
• that keeps an attendance register indicating clearly every absence of the pupil from school for a half day or more during each day the school is maintained during the year
• that provides instruction in the English language and all the branches of study required in California public schools.
• files the Private School Affidavit annually.