Home Schooling Goes the Way of the Dodo Bird While Schwarzenegger Demands “Action”

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

I’m sure C.T.A. will supply a teacher for those of you who want to continue to “home school” your children in the light of a State Appeals Court ruling that requires a certified teacher in the “home”.

While there are exceptions, most home school practitioners object to one or more curricula items in public schools and can’t afford or find a private school that meets their needs.

Now, because some children are receiving below grade education – according to the court – at home, all children will have to abandon home schools not taught and supervised by a credentialed teacher.

In one sense, it is the Scopes Trial in reverse. Parents who object to evolutionary theory on the grounds of its incompatibility with their literal reading of the (English version) of the Bible now will not only lose that argument in terms of public school curriculums, they also lose the ability to keep their children from being taught the truth.

Instead of 177,000 home schooled young people marching out at graduation to join the Grand Old Party, they’ll move on to an education at Harvard, Yale, Mills or (gasp), Berkeley.

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to rescue the “home” schools. It will take an act of the Legislature. You know, the same body that’s pleased as punch with the budget recently submitted by the Governor. One can be certain they’ll be responsive to his wishes on this matter. After careful study. Very careful study.

In truth, it is another example of the abuse of liberty (in this case, the freedom to home school) by some leading to the restriction on that liberty in the name of equality (that kids get an equal education). It’s what De Tocqueville meant when he warned of the subordination of liberty to equality.