D ecision as binding if they have "good cause" to reject its opinion. Do they have "good cause"? This Court of Appeal ruling has shocked the home school community because in one sweeping decision it
E
ffectively outlaws how over 166,000 children receive their education in this state. But I don't home school my kids, so what does this mean to me? Are you hot and bothered about this? Should we be? YES! Don't we live in America where
F
reedom is supposed to give us the right to make certain decisions, like how parents choose to educate their own children? It now appears that California children will be required to have a
G
overnment-issued education. If it's the same government that responded to
Hurricane Katrina, then are any of you a bit worried?
I
confess that my own children attend public school. I teach Spanish at a private high school in Encinitas. I would probably send them to private school if I could
J
ust afford it. I am extremely involved in my kids' schools and try to contribute what I can to the school's offerings. I also try to supplement at home what my children aren't being taught in school. My
K
ids often complain about their lazy teachers, while other times they enjoy programs that I simply could not duplicate at home. It takes a huge time and dollar commitment to home school your own children. Most parents do an excellent job, while a few are completely unsuited for the role, such as the parents who were the cause for this new ruling. In every state, except California, parents can
L
egally home school their children if they file an affidavit that establishes themselves as a private school or if they sign up under an umbrella school or and ISP (Independent Study Program).
M
y concern about this court case is that the government is taking away a parent's right to choose what he decides is best for his own child. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently said "Parents should
N
ot be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This
O
utrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't
P
rotect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will. Every California child deserves a
Q
uality education and parents should have the
R
ight to decide what's best for their children." I think each
S
tate should set standards for education, but not mandate what kind of school a parent chooses for his child. There should definitely be regulations regarding testing, attendance, and minimum education requirements. Not all children learn the same way and offering different formats can make all of the difference in success for a student. Kids can
T
hrive under different kinds of schooling, not just
U
nder the public school system that the government offers. Some parents choose to home school their child because he is falling between the cracks in public school where underpaid teachers don't have the time or tools to address his specific needs. Other parents choose alternative education for religious concerns or to offer a more flexible situation for their child who travels extensively for athletic competitions or who wants to pursue performance endeavors. To
V
iew the ruling by the Second Court of Appeal, go to
www.links.sfgate.com/ZCQR
W
hat do YOU think is the government's role in educating our children? What about the First Amendment? Does it guarantee freedom for parents to choose how they will educate their children based on religious reasons?
X
ylology may or may not be included in the home school curriculum, but is it the parent's right to decide or the government's? Yeah, I knew
Y
ou were wondering what I was going to do to fit that letter of the alphabet in this list. Is it just me, or does it seem that every time I look around the government has just
Z
apped away another one of my freedoms?
- Citizen Voices blogger Trina Boice is an author and mother of four who lives in Carlsbad.
