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Friday, March 7, 2008

HOMESCHOOLERS' BEWARE!

If you homeschool your children, you need to read this.

The following is excerpted from a WorldNetDaily report dated February 29, 2008:

A California court has ruled that several children in one homeschool family must be enrolled in a public school or ‘legally qualified’ private school, and must attend, sending ripples of shock into the nation’s homeschooling advocates as the family reviews its options for appeal. The ruling came in a case brought against Jonathan and Mary Long over the education being provided to two of their eight children. They are considering an appeal to the state Supreme Court, because they have homeschooled all of their children, the oldest now 29, because of various anti-Christian influences in California’s public schools. The decision from the 2nd Appellate Court in Los Angeles granted a special petition brought by lawyers appointed to represent the two youngest children after the family’s homeschooling was brought to the attention of child advocates. ‘We find no reason to strike down the Legislature’s evaluation of what constitutes an adequate education scheme sufficient to promote the “general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence,”’ the court said in the case. ‘We agree … “the educational program of the State of California was designed to promote the general welfare of all the people and was not designed to accommodate the personal ideas of any individual in the field of education.”’

Here is a link to the entire story:
Parents of 166,000 students could face criminal charges
'Breathtaking' decision on homeschooling now moving to California Supreme Court --WND


Here is another report:
Homeschoolers' setback in appeals court ruling

A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.

The homeschooling movement never saw the case coming.

"At first, there was a sense of, 'No way,' " said homeschool parent Loren Mavromati, a resident of Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County) who is active with a homeschool association. "Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation."

The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their teacher, but holds no teaching credential.

To read the entire story follow this link:

school


Anyone who teaches their children at home should be very concerned about this, and I offer the following suggestions.

1. Ensure your child is receiving a better education than the public school can offer. If authorities were to come and take your child and test them, how would your child perform? Would they then have proof that you have neglected your child and not provided them with an adequate education?

2. Have your child take a standardized test each year. I would recommend the following:

The Stanford Achievement Test Series, usually referred to simply as the "SAT 9" or "SAT 10" (where the number reflects the series being used), is one of the leading standardized achievement tests utilized by school districts in the United States for assessing children from kindergarten through high school; it is used to measure academic knowledge of elementary and secondary school students. The test is available in 13 levels that roughly correspond to the year in school. Each level of the test is broken into subtests or strands covering various subjects such as reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving, and science.

By having your child take this test each year, you will have documentation of your child's progress.

3. Ensure your child is spending the day in learning and not out in the neighborhood.
People who see a child running around during school hours can become suspicious and call authorities. If you are going to homeschool your child, then ensure you are actually doing that.

I hope this case in California is overturned but if it isn't, this could be something that begins to affect other states. Homeschoolers need to be ready for whatever happens!
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> posted by Trevor Hammack at

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