California Dept. of Education slams homeschooling; 'Outside the law'

CPI News - Conservative Press International ^ | August 17, 2002 | William Holzer - CPI Investigative Reporter

[CPI News]

California Dept. of Education slams homeschooling; 'Outside the law' By William Holzer -- CPI Exclusive

Click below for story: http://www.cpinews.net/archives/2002-q3/ca-dept-edu.slams.homeschooling/index.htm

The California Department of Education is once again trying to stop the fastest growing educational movement in the country. According to a new letter that is circulating through California school districts, "Parents who home school their children are operating outside the law."

The homeschooling community in California has begun to feel the affects of the latest attempt to change homeschooling policy. In a recent letter by Deputy Superintendent Joanne Mendoza, homeschooling is described as "not an authorized exemption from mandatory public school attendance."

Homeschooling has drawn increasing attention in America with homeschoolers going 1-2-3 in recent National Spelling Bees, as well as entering prestigious colleges like Harvard and Yale. It’s widely believed that the number of homeschoolers in America is between 700,000 and 1.2 million, with many studies showing homeschoolers scoring higher than their public school peers in academic tests.

Not everyone is happy. The National Education Association (NEA) – in their 2000-2001 resolutions – states that the NEA "believes that home schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience."

The school district receives funds relative to the number of students attending public school, students that homeschool don’t fill the coffers of the bureaucracy. The per head revenue in California is roughly 4,500 dollars for each child that attends public school; the total amount of funds granted is determined by the average daily attendance (ADA) of the school.

The amount of money the school district could gain – if homeschoolers attended public school - is estimated at upwards of a quarter of a billion dollars per year.

This is part of the reason incidents between homeschoolers and the school system are common. The homeschooling community in California is prepared for action, lead by organizations such as the California Homeschool Network (CHN). Karen Taylor, the president of CHN, described the current trouble as "the same old story" and "some new employees trying to shake things up."

Another worry that has been expressed by homeschoolers is what junior colleges will do with this new development. Homeschoolers have historically used junior colleges as a supplement to high school level courses, as well as a method to finish general education requirements before entering college.

Despite attempts to stop homeschooling by the school district, it’s unlikely that junior colleges will stop admitting homeschooled students. Homeschoolers are extremely good students and unlikely to dropout of classes. Colleges do not run as much risk of refunding money to students that are unlikely to quit.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We have a de facto dictator out here in Governor Davis who has Emergency Powers and is using them!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Gramsci vs. Tocqueville or Marxism vs. the American Ideology
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a54bec871fa.htm

The Gramscian Roots of America's Culture War Thread 2 (Is Gramsci the Father of Neo-Conservatism ?)
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a3bc78569bf.htm

Who is Antonio Gramsci? You Better Learn!!!
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a4c610569be.htm

YATES: "Understanding the Culture War: Gramscians, Tocquevillians and Others"
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3a56d02c2a1b.htm

Original Sin
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b80051c3e46.htm

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Link 2 is not working.

These are lengthy articles!

[patriot_wes]

Not everyone is happy. The National Education Association (NEA) – in their 2000-2001 resolutions – states that the NEA "believes that home schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience."

translated to mean your children won't be adequately "dumbed down" to the appropriate level of leftist/socialist robot with no capacity for critical skills analysis and no roots in the patriot causes which built this great country!

[ladylib]

I'm not from CA, but I believe that California is going after parents who file R4 affidavits giving them the right to start their own private school. I don't think private schools in CA are required to hire "credentialed" teachers, nor do they have to have a certain number of students. The state doesn't regulate them much. So what's the difference if a private school has two children or 300 children? There is nothing in the law that sets a minimum number of students or insists that a private school teacher have teaching credentials. Last year there was a case where parents filed an R4 and they were going to be taken to court, however, the district attorney said they complied with the law and refused to bring charges. It's the same thing over and over again. I don't think these educrats have a case unless they can go to the legislature and change the laws regarding private schools. Let them try. They'll have more than just homeschoolers to contend with.

[FormerLurker]

YOU CHILDRENT VILL ATENDT OUR INDOCTUNATION CEINTER (er, SKOOL), OR ELSTE!!

[janetgreen]

I'll check it out. Personally I think the homo lobby is pushing for power, and we're letting them get away with it. They should stay the hell out of the schools.

[FormerLurker]

Parents should forget about opt-out notices and just opt-out of the system completely.

Anybody ever wonder if they're trying to force US Citizens out of California to make room for the illegals?

[John Jorsett]

Here's the details behind my earlier post about what I heard on the Hedgecock show.

[Grampa Dave]

CPI thanks for the post, and Summer thanks for the ping!

This is all about money in the State of Kali that is going bankrupt under the El Supremo Fascist, Gray Davis.

Davis is starting wobble and renign on some of his financial promises to his biggest voting group the Kali teachers and their administrators.

A couple of weeks ago at a picnic, I heard a professional vice principal and a so called expert teacher bitching and moaning about pet projects that have lost funding all ready in budget cuts.

The professional vice principal then said, "If we could just get back one home schooler per class room in my district, I would have all the funding I need!"

She then said that they were working on getting all homeschoolers back into the public schools. She said that Davis and the Kali assembly would support them in this new effort.

This must have been what she was talking about.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

As computers get cheaper and more powerful, homeschooling will do more than just 'be better' than public education, it will be vastly superior. Children are hooked on those education disks. You have to pry them off the computer! I believe that as far as the elementary level is concerned, public schools can't hold a candle to computer-taught children. Public school is just a waste of time for them, not to mention all the trouble makers that will tempt them with drugs and other things.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

That info is good to know!

[Lizavetta]

Whoever said that it's just some new douchebags at the Dept. of Education raising a ruckus was right. There's some old douchebags leaving, and the douchebags making the noise are just vying for importance; they want to be the ones who "took control of those renegade homeschoolers".

Relax. There is no official homeschooling law in Taxifornia and WE LIKE IT THAT WAY; when a law exists, that law can be tweaked. Where there is no law, the situation remains ambiguous with LOTS of wiggle room. For those who want to homeschool but don't want to do it through the government schools (a WHOLE HUGE can of worms that's fracturing homeschooling) and don't want to file an R4 affidavit ("Here I am, Mr. Truancy Board Official!"), simply DON'T DO ANYTHING. Find somebody who's running a private ISP program that will let you "slide in" under their umbrella if the eduboobs start bugging you.

[BJungNan]

This could be an issue in the CA gov race

Except that noone will be making an issue of it.

[janetgreen]

I looked at one article about Newton, and it said that 91% of the high schoolers were failing math. I guess all the "diversity" and "human differences" crap isn't working very well, and they probably don't have time to teach the basics three Rs. Disgusting.

[latina4dubya]

so far, we haven't had any issues with the state while homeschooling here in California... Kindergarten is not mandetory... after that, you must send in a affadavit reagarding your intentions to not send your child to public school (like going to private school) each year... it has not been difficult at all... there is no turning in lesson plans, no testing, etc... i don't believe it will become illegal... although we can't just sit around and let these bureaucrats make waves...

[FormerLurker]

It's 1984 in Massachusetts – And Big Brother Is Gay

There should be some federal charges that could (AND SHOULD) be applied to these perverts....

Additionally, isn't there something that can be done to public officials that refuse to uphold state law?

[Illbay]

...entering prestigious colleges like Harvard and Yale.

Not a slam against homeschoolers in general, but those who take such pains to "protect" their kids from the ravages of a public school education, and then eagerly enroll them in Ivy League schools--the epicenter of the most outrageous, Leftist bias in education on the face of the planet--are hypocrites, no mistake.

They like the cachet of these schools, and are suddenly willing to throw away the very principles they SAY they espouse, in giving these places money and opprobrium to continue their vile slanders against America.

Pretty disgusting.

[latina4dubya]

okay--now, i must be misinformed... i thought i had to send in an R4 affadivt after Kindergarten (in California)... i need to look into this before the October deadline... we have not yet filed the R4 affadavit...

[Illbay]

...(the notorious thong checking incident)...

To what do you refer? Campaign stop by Bill Clinton?