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Speak out against home-schooling decision
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Recent events have caused a great stir in the home-schooling community in California, and rightly so. A state appellate court ruled it is illegal to school your children at home without a credited teacher's certificate. Most home-school families do not meet this requirement.
When first learning about this decision, I felt frozen.
A few leaders advised us to be quiet and patient. Quiet and patient? I wanted to grab everyone I knew and march to the capital. What was everyone else doing about this?
I got on the Internet and realized people across America were just as upset and scared as I. Yes, scared! After reading an article about families in Germany — "German refugees from Hitler's law," by Lorraine Parker of iwcp.co.uk/news — I started to get more than upset. I got angry. I got angry for the fact the court ruling is very similar to Adolf Hitler's decision to outlaw home schooling in 1938. I got angry with people who consider themselves leaders in home schooling, yet, advise us to be quiet — so as not to draw attention to ourselves. I got angry that people could possibly think they could maintain their freedoms by being pacifists.
Why do people forget? What is it about us that we can't learn from history — that we have a dark side? If the lessons of World War II only remind us that blowing each other up is bad, then we did not pay attention in class. Germany was a vibrant, growing nation seeking to redeem itself to the world after the dismal years of World War I. Businessmen prospered and the country gathered and groomed some of the greatest minds in the world. And, amid them all, evil was allowed to prosper and gained power. Many of these people who grew rich and had great influence among their countrymen saw the warning signs. Evil lurked in the shadows, but still, they held their tongues for fear of losing what they had.
After World War II, they would confess they had many early opportunities to speak out, but they did not. Perhaps just a word here, a comment spoken with conviction there and the war might not have happened at all. An evil man sown, but no harvest to reap — gone, to be hid under the rock from which he had come.
I am a father of six wonderful children and am proud of every one of them. They are unique, poised and full of wonderful gifts. In the edict that my maker has given my wife and me, aren't we to stand up for his standards, in order to mirror to our children the way they should go?
Why do I have to be made servant to wayward judges who have evil in mind or the misled masses preoccupied with living rather than contributing?
Daily, many leaders in this country remind us parents that we are inadequate to train our children — that we should partner with a system that has proved itself incapable of producing students past mediocrity, let alone giving them a safe place to learn.
I am a father, a leader in my home. I am the one God holds accountable for my children's well-being. There are consequences I must face far beyond the courts of this land if I should bring harm to my children. I take my responsibility seriously and so should fathers around the world.
I believe that no one else can do a better job than my wife and I can, in raising our children and teaching them the things they need to know. I do not hold any faith in the abilities of strangers, living by the standards of this world, to teach my children better than my wife or I who God saw fit to place in our care.
What can I do or say when such laws are passed as this one that riled my soul and shook my bones? What harm would it be to wait, to take a chill pill and let someone else fight the good fight? Or I can stand up and be counted. I can say no. If fear silences us, evil will come and prevail.
— Jerry Nash lives in Simi Valley.
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 5:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Home schooling is a crock. Over 95% of the time children just goof around during the day rather than learn. All they usually get is an hour of training here and there. And some of that includes watching the idiotic Faux News!
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 7:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Support this decision. Put kids in REAL schools where they can LEARN rather then being brainwashed in what is in most cases some kind of left or right nutjob extremist political philosophy!! Of course there are a few exceptions but for the most part that is what is taking place. And our neighborhoods will be a lot more peaceful if these goof offs are finally learning for a change.
Kids shouldn't be subjected to the idiotic "Faux" news as part of their "education".
Posted by whatever on March 30, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jw1000 u have no idea what you are talking about as usual. And Fox News is the highest rated news program on TV and continues to be year after year. Check your facts before opening mouth. And as far as home schooling goes, again try seeing who the really smart kids are and where they come from. It sure as heck is not the public school system which fails students again and again. Funny how liberals pick and choose what rules and laws they want.
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Whatever: AS USUAL you are CLUELESS. That's what happens to extremists who actually think Faux is factual. I am not a liberal but rather a moderate Republican. Its funny how the right wing extremists think anybody who is not a kook is automatically a "liberal".
I actually KNOW FOUR families who home school and the reality is just what I say it is.
Posted by shaver_one on March 30, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jw1000:
"Over 95% of the time children just goof off..."
Your '95%' figure is ONLY the number of children that you have personally observed. You've said as much before. My thinking is that the number of children you have observed is probably only 0.0001% of the total number of home-schooled children.
Whatever:
"..try seeing who the really smart kids are..."
My investigations have concluded that the number of "really smart kids" are about equal, per capita, between Public, Private, and Home schooled children.
Brick and Morter school may have more bad news reported. That's only because these schools have many times more students enrolled. I've seen really smart and energetic kids come out of Public schools. I've seen really dumb, unmotivated kids come out of Home schooling...and vice versa.
Public schooling doesn't auomatically mean you get mediocre students. Private schooling doesn't automatically give you bible-thumping students. Home schooling doesn't automatically give you genius students.
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And Faux News is the highest rated CABLE news program(NOT the highest rated news) and ratings have been sinking the last 2 years.
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shaver: What proof do you have that the vast majority of home schooled children are not goofing off during the day? You can just drive down a few residential city blocks during the day and pick out the "home schooled children" goofing around during normal school hours. From what I have seen most home schooled children are in "bible thumping" families (or extreme liberal) with parents like Whatever whose "education method" consists of programming them with Faux or MSNBC News nonsense. Since these extremists are so stupid themselves how are they possibly going to educate these children? The fact is in most cases they don't and so the children just goof around during the day.
Posted by whatever on March 30, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow jw1000 you are such an angry person. It amazes me how people like you react to things. No Fox's new ratings are not sinking and they are the most un biased group there is. CNN is all about liberals and their agenda's. At least Fox has both liberal and conservative people on their staff. Check out the truth sometime and you might just see the difference. Something bad must have happened in your life for you to be the way you are, and that is sad. Home schooled children are not sitting in their homes all day doing nothing. Did you know there is different home school programs that parents seek out? Look up the different ones. I can bet you have not done that yet huh? So you see, you are judging something you have no facts on. How do you not know that their school work is being done in the evening with both sets of parents? How do you know that they aren't taught during summer months when the public school kids are out and about getting in all sorts of trouble and gang activity, with no parents around all day long. What a narrow mind thinking you are doing. If you are seeing this during the day, what are YOU not working?
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Whatever: When almost all the "home schooled" children are out milling around during the day during normal school hours that is all the proof my eyes need.
Posted by shaver_one on March 30, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jw1000:
Roughly 175,000 California students are home-schooled. You know of 7 children. That's 0.004%. And, that is just in California. What about nationwide?
I know of home-schooled children that play during the day...or go to museums during the day...or go to other field trips during the day, under supervision. They 'attend' school at night...instead of watching TV...instead of playing video games.
Your 95% figure is a crock.
whatever:
Name one Fox News on-screen personality, with his/her own show, that would be considered liberal.
Alan Combs doesn't count, as he does not have his own show. He shares it with Sean Hannity. Maybe Combs counts as 'half'.
MSNBC, does have Chris Matthews. They do have Keith Olbermann. But, they also have Joe Scarborough and, until recently, Tucker Carlson.
CNN has Anderson Cooper. But, Glenn Beck and Nancy Grace are also on CNN's payroll.
Fox has no 'liberal' commentator with his/her own show. How balanced and un-biased is that?
Posted by Nosmo_King on March 30, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
concerning Fox news, how could they be the most trusted name in News if they had Liberals on staff?
http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/2078...
Posted by shaver_one on March 30, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who, other that Fox News itself, calls Fox News the most trusted name in news?
Posted by Nosmo_King on March 30, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
An excerpt from the link I posted above
The most trusted national TV news organizations, for accurate reporting, in declining order included: Fox News (27.0%), CNN (14.6%), and NBC News (10.90%). These were followed by ABC News (7.0%), local news (6.9%), CBS News (6.8%) MSNBC (4.0%), PBS News (3.0%), CNBC (0.6%) and CBN (0.5%).
Posted by whatever on March 30, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL Nosmoking! You didn't even understand the article you just posted! REREAD it! It did not say that Fox news was declining!!! It states that the most accurate reporting is FOX!! In declining order FOX is first, CNN is second and so forth LOL...Too funny...you took the whole article WRONG!
By four-to-one margins, Americans surveyed see The New York Times (41.9% to 11.8%) and National Public Radio (40.3% to 11.2%) as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative.
By a three-to-one margin, Americans see news media journalists and broadcasters (45.4% to 15.7%) as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative.
And, by a two-to-one margin, Americans see CNN (44.9% to 18.4%) and MSNBC (38.8% to 15.8%) as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative.
Just Fox News was seen as mostly and somewhat conservative (48.7%) over mostly or somewhat liberal (22.3%).
The most trusted national TV news organizations, for accurate reporting, in declining order included: Fox News (27.0%), CNN (14.6%), and NBC News (10.90%). These were followed by ABC News (7.0%), local news (6.9%), CBS News (6.8%) MSNBC (4.0%), PBS News (3.0%), CNBC (0.6%) and CBN (0.5%).
Posted by whatever on March 30, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shaver...If you would really take some time out of your life and watch Fox for a week you would see who is on there. You get all your info from Liberal news that your out of touch with the real world. Try watching Greta Van Susteron who has her OWN shown on Fox News every night!! LOL she is an ultra liberal...Got anymore questions I can prove you wrong on?? You are too funny people.
Posted by jw1000 on March 30, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Faux News is fairly well balanced DURING PRIME TIME. During the rest of the 20 hours of the day they are right wing nutjob.
Posted by jill on March 30, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I would have died if I were home schooled. I couldnt' wait to get home and tell my mom everything that happened in school that day. Keeping kids home with mom all day stunts their social life and social skills. It robs children of so many lessons in life. It's a horrible thing to do to a child.
Posted by Nosmo_King on March 30, 2008 at 7:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
whatever, I have a keen use of sarcasm. you need to read my comments very carefully. I am so far right of center it's fun.
Posted by BeaHappi on March 31, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know that my kids are better off because they attend school and I was better off as well. However, it's a personal decision and I'm sure there are many highly successful home-schooling situations.
I give a lot of credit to the parents who have established successful homeschooling for their kids. It can't be easy.
If it's not for you, great. But why bash the people that it is working for?
Posted by ReadMyLipsNoNewTaxes on March 31, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Freedom of choice when it comes to abortion but not education.
Where is this country going?
Posted by leahb78_1999 on March 31, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just like we can't generalize about the public school system, it is completely unfair to generalize about home schooling as well. I know several parents who choose to homeschool their children, and I am constantly amazed by the maturity and intelligence of these kids. They are articulate, and educationally they are far beyond the children their own age in the public system. I know that not all parents are going to be as successful as the one's I know, but by the same means, not all public schools are successes as well.
By most standards, California has some of the worst education standards of this country. We have a huge dropout rate, a huge illiteracy rate, a huge non-english speaking population, and many more problems. Many of the kids in public schools are hyperactive because they are bored, stressed, picked on, or simply high maintenance, and schools choose to deal with these problems by giving them drugs. There are plenty of problems in the public school systems that cannot be controlled by parents. So parents choose to educate at home. Some kids may not be successful in that environment, but it is obvious that many kids are not successful in the public schools either.
Posted by santabarbarasand on March 31, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who cares about Fox News? What on earth does that have to do with homeschooling? The issue here is that the new law states that parents who home school their kids must have a teaching credential. What is so wrong with that? I wouldn't want my son taught at school by non licensed teachers, it's one of those things that I look into every year before school starts. What gives these guys different rights than the rest of us? The parent who chooses to stay home and home school their kids is NOT more important than those of us who cannot afford to do that and instead utilize the public school system. They consider themselves to be teachers, then they should get the credentials and quit whining about it! Jeeeeez, life is short, get over it guys!
Posted by leahb78_1999 on March 31, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone has the same rights here. There is no discrepency of rights. You have the right to homeschool your children (having the money to do so is an entirely different issue).
The issue is that the government is using this to control the education that children get in their own homes. This is scary for all parents, even if your children are taught at public schools.
Posted by santabarbarasand on April 1, 2008 at 6:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The government is simply requiring a teaching credential for all teachers, including parents that teach their kids at home. It makes sense that all students have the same opportunities. There should be more supervision for home schooling, just as their is in public schools. Why shouldn't there be? Why are these families so outraged? In the end it is better for the kids and will provide them with more opportunities. The value of their education will be increased, how can people be so opposed to it? I don't understand what the big deal is.
Posted by leahb78_1999 on April 1, 2008 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did you read the article? There are many good points mentioned which explains why this should be a big deal.
My issue with it simply falls back to the fact that the government does NOT need to start regulating how or what is taught in our homes.
Posted by shaver_one on April 1, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
whatever:
I DO watch Fox News, but not exclusively. I DON'T get all my news from liberal media.
If you think Greta is ultra-liberal, than my name is Ronald Reagan.
Posted by tyfys on April 1, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't home school--my kids do great in public school. However, this ruling is ridiculous. Private school teachers are not required to have a credential and there are many excellent non credentialed private school teachers. I can also assure you there are many credentialed teachers who have no business teaching, yet continue to do so. College professors are generally not credentialed teachers and yet they seem to muddle through it all somehow.
The issue is not whether you think home schooling is effective or not. The issue is whether it is the business of the government to regulate how we educate our children. Personally, I value my freedom to make my own decisions and do not want to be babysat by the "nanny state".
Posted by RedTail on April 1, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tyfs, I agree with you.
College professors are required to have a master's degree or above in the field that they are teaching. But since they are teaching mainly adults, they don't in most cases deal with a lot of learning issues that come up at the younger level. I honestly wish that many high school teachers had at least a bachelor's degree in what they were teaching. I was in a basic trigonometry class and one of the students was a math teacher from one of the local high schools. I still can't believe he was teaching math at the high school level, yet didn't have a degree in it himself (or at least taken classes up until a certain level).
I have met several home schooled kids who were probably above average in intelligence and their parents were professionals with higher degrees who are more than capable of teaching their kids without taking a lot of the nonsense teaching credential classes. And as the school district continues to cut classes due to the budget, I think home schooling is going to be a more viable option. Obviously this is a way for the state to suck off more money from hard working residents.
Posted by JohnGC on April 2, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's all about money.
There are legion statistics documenting that home schooled kids, statistically, do a lot better than State schooled kids in higher education schools/universities.
And those numbers do not take into account the massive public HS drop out rates.
Posted by conejoabc123 on April 3, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://blog.nicholascloud.com/?p=156
Posted by mtlmolina on April 3, 2008 at 6:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Imagine having done your job successfully for ten years and then being told that you can't do it anymore because you don't have a degree. How much sense does that make? Degrees do not make successful teachers. Why should we have to have a license to teach our own children?
It makes sense to require it for public schools but when the education is private, whether it be by a third party or the parents, the state should stay out of it.
Posted by mtlmolina on April 3, 2008 at 6:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As for home school kids supposedly "goofing off" during the day, what I'd like to know is whether jw1000 has stopped and watched the kids do this for hours at a time.
If not, in public school this is called "recess". Kids are still kids and should not be expected to be locked up inside doing schoolwork all day.
As for the comment by jill that home school kids are "unsocialized", that assumption is entirely false. First, most home school kids have siblings and are involved in extra curricular activities with many kids of similar age so the idea of isolation is incorrect. Second, such close adult supervision instead of large groups of barely supervised children results in better social skills in every family I have witnessed. I have never met more polite, considerate and generally caring children as the ones who have been home schooled.
Even common sense tells us that having a parent around to effectively guide the moral character of their children throughout the entire day is better than leaving kids to their own devices for large portions of it and then expecting them to make wise choices.
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