http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080308/us_time/criminalizinghomeschoolers
In Los Angeles, CA a Judge ruled that children must be taught by credentialed teachers in public or private schools or can be home schooled by parents if they have a teaching degree. The law that indicates this has been in place since the early 1950's but was never really enforced, until now.
This ruling is causing a stir in CA. Advocates of home schooling believe that parents have the right to do what they want with their children in terms of education options.
I think its fair since teachers in schools have to have the proper credentials in order to teach. Therefore shouldn't parents who home school have to adhere to similar rules and standards? I had to come back to school in order to get licensed therefore I agree with this ruling even though they are teaching their own kids (maybe it's spite on my part). It's interesting that CA considers a degree and not a teaching certificate or license as the "credential" of choice.
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3 comments:
Excellent post -- you raise some good questions about the story.
Interesting the story title -- "Criminalizing Homeschooling".
Even though this is a free country in which parents can raise and teach their children in any manner they wish (sadly enough these days), parents should have some sort of homeschool teaching certificate just as a classroom teacher does. Parents should have that to prove that they are actually competent enough to teach their kids as the state sees fit. You wouldn't let a classroom teacher teach with no certification; why should home-schooling be any different?
I agree with the ruling. I also feel that perhaps more parents would agree with this than we would think. If a parent is not qualified to teach, then it is unfair to his or her children to homeschool them. I have a friend who was homeschooled and yet never had a chance to learn some of the math taught in most high schools. I am sure that her parents did not purposefully leave out the math to hinder her education, but it would have been to her benefit to have had the opportunity to learn it. Going back to school has helped me to realize that there is more to teaching than just knowing your subject. I'm sure any parent would want to give their child the best education possible, especially if they are home schooled.
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