The Homeschool Scuttle

Los Angeles Times writers seemingly communist, ill-informed hacks.

Today I want to comment on one of the worst researched and most highly inflammatory articles that I've had the displeasure of reading on the Los Angeles Times website in years. In the article, "Regulating home schoolers," Walter P. Coombs and Ralph E. Shaffer think they have it all figured out for the rest of us.

According to them, not only should parents who homeschool be regulated, but we are "elitist and anti-democratic" because we choose to spend our days working with our own children, instead of reliquishing them to the care and custody of state dictators on a daily basis.

In a misguided attempt to sway opinion, the authors had this to say...

"One anecdotal case of a home schooled teen writing a bestselling novel is cited, with the implication that such a remarkable achievement could not possibly have been attained because of the demanding homework assignments given by our public schools. Sounds like the board believes our traditional schools are overworking the kids -- which is not what most critics say. Isn't a major argument for home schooling based on the belief that the public schools aren't demanding enough?"

Busy work is not the same thing as quality work. Schools are under mandate to teach to tests and meet minimum standards, how can any child excel in that type of an environment? "Demanding homework assignments," doesn't always translate into meaningful work. Many teachers assign homework because it's expected. Often the teacher doesn't bother to have students turn in the work, much less grade it.

"There has always been something decidedly elitist and anti-democratic in home schooling. It smacks of a belief that privileged children should not have to associate with the other kids in the neighborhood and that by staying home, they would not be subjected to the leavening effect of democracy."

In stark contrast, we have "public schools" that are run like socialist communes, where each child is forced into the same mold and expected to regurgitate the same old stale facts, in order to pass an arbitrary test. This is not education. It is not teaching students to use the brains gifted to them by God. What will these children do when they grow up and no one is around to tell them what to do?

Your article is highly biased against Christians in the belief that the majority of those homeschooling do so because of their religion. You have really misjudged homeschoolers as a whole. The majority of us, even those of us who are Christians, do so in order to provide our children with the best educational opportunities available.

Christians are great at networking and due to tightly-knit church affiliations it may appear that they make up the vast majority of homeschoolers, but that simply isn't the case. Homeschoolers come from all walks of life, they are a diverse bunch; some are into environmental issues, some are pagans, some are unschoolers, others choose to educate with the classics, etc.

When you choose to make blanket statements about homeschoolers, you are showing your ignorance – it's almost laughable. It would be like saying that every person who lives in San Francisco is a spaced-out hippy, addicted to drugs. We know that is not true, there are many hard-working individuals that live in the city.

Next time you decide to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard if you will) why not try doing your homework first and writing something with some actual truth to it.

Protect Parental Rights
Sign these Petitions!

• Reverse The Ruling
• Governor Schwarzenegger
• Depublishing of In re Rachel L.

Labels: California, education reform, homeschool, Los Angeles Times

In response to the San Francisco Chronicle editorial 'Rule of Education'.

An editorial, which ran in the San Francisco Chronicle today was quite disturbing. While the article pointed out the hypocrisy of a state that from all appearances believes every child in the state should be supervised by government officials, it went on to condemn parents who choose to "unschool" their children.

Clearly the author – isn't it interesting that the most damning opinion editorials, never include the authors name – doesn't understand what unschooling is.

In the article, the author states:

The homeschool movement would contend that the state's approach of recent years - which is basically to look the other way - has worked just fine. They point to the homeschool graduates who are excelling at elite universities, or the students who are dominating spelling bees, as evidence that the laissez-faire approach should continue.

Then again, the students we worry about are those whose parents isolate them from a full curriculum of basic subjects - especially those who follow the philosophy of "unschooling."

Just for the record, unschooling is not the absence of education. It is the practice of using normal everyday things in the education process, instead of a more textbook centered learning experience. Some children need alternatives to the norm of spending hours with their nose buried in a book.

While some unschoolers prefer to use a "child-led" method in their own homeschooling efforts, which basically follows the interests of the child, as opposed to driving the process, this is not true for all unschooling homeschoolers. The child-led method works especially well for strong-willed children, who like to have their own way. It shows a respect for their needs and wishes, while at the same-time providing relevant learning opportunities. This individualized approach to learning is one not generally available to children enrolled in public schools, mainly because teachers with classrooms of 30+ students would consider it all-out anarchy.

As most teachers will tell you, not all children fit a standard mold. It is up to parents to find what works best for their child and work to provide the best learning method and environment to meet those needs.

Homeschooling is the best educational choice for many of our children. After all, what parent doesn't want the best for their child? Parents who choose to educate their children at home must make accommodations to do so, usually reordering their lives, schedules, priorities and often even their careers. We have enough on our plates without having the state muscle in and second-guess our choices.

We have all been assigned teachers in school that we wish we didn't have to deal with for one reason or another. Have you ever attempted to have a child moved to another class, when teacher and child rubbed each other the wrong way? It's next to impossible. What if your child is enrolled in a charter school and you are assigned a teacher that doesn't understand your child's needs? It's not easy to switch charter schools mid-term.

As adults we all have choices; If we don't like the laws in California, we can choose to move to another state. We can choose what car we drive, we can choose where we spend our money and our time. What choice does a child have? They must either attend the school in their district, or hope their parents can afford a private school. Only in recent years has home study become an acceptable alternative. Prior to the acceptance of homeschooling, children had very few choices.

Following the logic of this author all parents would need to be:

• A Licensed Chauffeur – better not drive your children anywhere.
• A Certified Nutritionist – better not feed your children anything.
• A Licensed Medical Doctor – forget about treating that banged up knee.
• An Ordained Minister - nevermind those bedtime prayers.
• A Licensed Nurse Practitioner - put away that thermometer and those aspirins.
• A Licensed Psychologist - forget about modifying bad behaviors and kissing away those tears.

I've read many posts over the past few days about how homeschoolers should be overseen by credentialed teachers. What a joke. I recently spoke to a woman who has two children enrolled in a California charter school. During a brief conversation with her she extolled the benefits of her charter. She explained that she has $1600.00 per semester to spend on books, classes, computer software, etc. Her children were provided state-paid horseback riding lessons and guitar lessons. Gee, when I attended high school, I don't recall horseback riding lessons as being part of the curriculum.

What really disturbed me was that when her children were tested, they just filled in the bubbles any 'ole way - and of course they failed the test. She was taken to task about it and told she would be kicked out of the program if her children did it again. The following year, the tests were sent home with the children and allowed to do them under their mother's supervision – without a teacher present. The children aced the tests and were honored during a special awards ceremony for being "most improved."

The children aren't required to do any work or turn in any assignments; the "teacher" fudges all the numbers and records. What is this teaching these children? That ethics don't matter? How to get around the system?

What those who support "homeschool oversight" fail to realize is that even though the law still requires teachers to be ethical, many are not. Teachers are so overwhelmed with their current workload; they simply don't have the time to properly monitor additional students. No matter what safeguards are put in place by the state, dishonest parents, teachers and children can and will get around the rules.

If you are thinking, "at least someone will be able to monitor the children, so they won't fall through the cracks." That's simply bunk. Every one of us who attended the public school knows at least one child who was being abused or mistreated at home and yet no one spoke up. Just because a child has contact with a teacher doesn't mean a thing.

In this country we have laws that say we are innocent until proven guilty. Parents, who are found to be abusive, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The rest of us just want to be free to live our lives, teach our children and help them grow up to be the best they can be.

Protect Parental Rights
Sign these Petitions!

• Reverse The Ruling
• Governor Schwarzenegger
• Depublishing of In re Rachel L.

Labels: California, education reform, homeschool, unschool

Homeschooling legal in Michigan since 1993

I am from Michigan and a few years back our family decided to move from California to Michigan: what a culture shock. It was like a throw back to the 90's. No Internet Café, no computer fair or convention to attend, no technology deals.

It was like living in the Stone Age. I found it unbelievable how many people did not have computers or web pages to show off their business to the world. It was a huge adjustment for our family.

When we returned to California five-years-ago, it was with a sigh of relief to be back in "civilization," and among a more technologically-advanced forward-thinking people. With the recent developments, I'm not so sure. After all, Michigan has a homeschool law that says, "hey, parents can be trusted."

While at the same time, if Judge Croskey of the 2nd Appellate Court has his way California will be the state with the most restrictive homeschool law in the country. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that one.

Now Michigan residents are rubbing our nose in it. A recent 13 News article taunts us, "Homeschooling legal in Michigan since 1993." The article continues:

Wyoming - Michigan once had a law requiring parents to have a teacher certification if they homeschool their children. But unlike California, the Michigan law was changed 15 years ago.

Now Michigan parents who say they want to home school their children for religious reasons need no certification. The law was overturned in 1993 after an Allendale couple took their case to the Michigan Supreme Court and won.

Will California lose its reputation for being movers and shakers, a leader among the states? Will we now begin to look toward Michigan for guidance? Remember the phrase... "As California goes, so goes the nation?" That's a scary thought.

Labels: California, education reform, homeschool, Long Family, Michigan

Homeschooling is legal and everyone now knows it.

Have you been following all the online commotion? All this exposure is good, good, good -- for homeschooling in California. If you are currently homeschooling in California, it might surprise you to know that as a homeschooling contact and editor of LocalHS, I am often asked if homeschooling is legal.

It always surprises me and I feel like saying, get with it man, where have you been? Living under a rock? But of course, I explain the law to them and move on to the important stuff. The upside to the court ruling that has phones ringing off the hook and fingers flying, is good news because those who weren't aware of the legality of homeschool are getting an education now and much of the news has been positive.

Some of these articles really crack me up. Just this morning an AP article had to this to say:

The immediate impact of the ruling was not clear. Attorneys for the state Department of Education were reviewing the ruling, and home schooling organizations were lining up against it.

Totally funny! The Department of Education is reviewing the ruling. Oh yeah, and what exactly are they going to do? Start a war? You don't fire up homeschoolers by calling it illegal, then drag in homeschoolers and charge them with a crime. Come on – whom are they trying to kid?

The CDE has backed down to homeschoolers time and time again over the years. Several years ago some of us caught the CDE telling bold faced lies on their website. The truth is homeschoolers in this state have been well-educated as to their rights as parents and as homeschoolers. We have enough lawyers available to us to drag this issue through the courts until most of our children are in college.

Kristin Chapman of World Mag reported that:

Legal experts say the ruling is a long time coming, given that home schooling is virtually unregulated in California...

Martin said school districts and social workers have been reluctant to scrutinize suspect home schools for fear of lawsuits. The ruling, he expects, will make it easier for them to monitor parents who have neglected or under-educated children through home schooling.

I just love that word "monitor." They can't even "monitor" their own teachers. Have you read the news lately? Teachers are constantly being busted for something, schools are misappropriating funds and there is no way most homeschoolers are going to give up our right to tend to our own children, much less allow anyone to "monitor" us.

Speaking as someone who has lived around the country -- we always check out the homeschooling laws in the state before we consider a move. States like Michigan and Texas have no regulation. All hell hasn't broken out there yet. I think the schools should be minding their own business and let us mind ours.

Which brings me to the teacher layoffs. Just how many new students do you think these schools can readily handle -- in addition to their current students? The governor has cut back school funding, pink slips are being sent out to teachers across the state next month and yet, they think they are going to force our children into already overcrowded classrooms?

I don't think so...

This is an election year and I'm guessing legislators aren't going to want to alienate a huge voting block either. Remember the last time homeschoolers got riled up and shut down the switch board at the White House?

If you ask my opinion (well you didn't, but I'm going to give it anyway), the courts will do their best to defuse this situation the best way they can. While it's not easy to get an opinion depublished that is their safest course of action.

~Annette signing off - for now.

Labels: appellate court, California, education reform, homeschool, Long Family

Runaway Teens Request For Assistance Triggers Investigation

On October 29, 2005 the Long's then 14-year-old daughter ran away from home. Her reasons are shared by many a headstrong teenager who resents the authority of a parent. When she found herself with no place to go, she took it upon herself to contact child welfare workers, in order to secure a place to stay.

Her actions triggered yet another investigation. (This was not the Long families first involvement with CPS caseworkers.) Attorneys were assigned to represent each parent and the two youngest minor children – provided for at state expense. The subsequent court battle resulted in a finding for the parents, who not only kept their children in the home but the lower court had no issue with the children being homeschooled.

Attorney Lori A. Fields, representing the two minor children took issue with the court ruling and decided that homeschooling did not provide an appropriate education for Jonathan and Mary Grace. Fields appealed the ruling to the Second Appellate Court.

It was around this time that Jonathan, wishing to continue homeschooling, requested his attorney be dismissed and replaced. The court refused to honor his request and continued the hearing, without holding the required Marsden hearing. The court reasoned that the attorney, which was provided by the court was charged with acting in the children's best interest – not necessarily to work on the children's behalf, according to his wishes.

The court ultimately ruled that they had indeed erred in failing to hold a Marsden hearing but contended that the Marsden hearing was irrelevant and therefore had no bearing on the case and subsequent ruling.

Had the minor children been adults, with the funds to hire an attorney to represent them, the attorney would have been hired with the clear understanding that they were to represent them and their wishes (or face being fired). Should the minor children have less right to representation because a court appointed attorney was assigned to their case?

This is an issue I hope will be addressed by the legal minds that take on this enormous challenge.

My phone has been ringing off the hook today. Terry Nevens of CHELD and I had a very long conversation today regarding the case. He is working with the Long Family, putting together their strategy, just as homeschooling organizations around the state are sinking their teeth into the case. Stay tuned for more discussion of the Long case. There are many more avenues of this case to explore. Now if I only had more time.

Labels: California, court, Long Family, private school

Did a California Appellate Court Render Homeschooling Illegal in California?

For a lot of people who claim not to put much stock in articles published by World Net Daily, their current article, "Judge orders homeschoolers into government education," sure has made the rounds and is being discussed not only on California lists but on lists as far away as Tennessee and people from the Netherlands.

In his article, Bob Unruh reports, "A California court has ruled that several children in one homeschool 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."

When a California Homeschool Network list member queried if now was the time to begin to panic. Karen Taylor's response was, "If I (as CHN's legal chair) or Loren Mavromati (as CHN's president) tell you the sky is falling, start to worry then. Until that time, please remember this is a list with lots of independent opinions and a lot of people are thinking "what if" right now and wanting to talk about it."

Part of the problem, as I see it, is that parents homeschooling in California are asking all the right questions and no one is providing any answers. The silence on this topic speaks volumes.

When I first read the story, I added it to Education in the News and was prepared to let it run its course: no big deal. After reading the court documents, it was apparent to me that if this appellate court decision was allowed to stand on it's face, it won't only affect California homeschoolers, or rather those who homeschool independently under California private school laws, it will also render California Charter School's illegal, the very ones that are being paid for by our tax dollars.

Rumor has it that a super power California legal teleconference is taking place today, in which all the major California based homeschooling organizations are to map out a strategic response. Those players involved in this high stakes legal game are California Homeschool Network (CHN), Christian Home Educators Association of California (CHEA), Family Protection Ministries, HomeSchool Association of California (HSC) and last, but not least, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).

My curiosity got the best of me and rather than wait for an official statement by these various organizations, I decided to go straight to the horses mouth and called Mr. & Mrs. Long to see just exactly what was going on. Phillip said I was the first person to call him regarding his case. He had not heard from any of the state or national homeschool organizations.

What I learned after speaking with Mr. Long and reading through miles of documents was that this case is anything but straightforward. Each parent and the children were supplied with court appointed attorneys, who it is obvious by the court records had a superficial knowledge of homeschool (read private school) laws in the state of California.

In the coming days I will be covering certain aspects of the appellate courts ruling and what it means for the future of homeschoolers living in California. Phillip Long is acutely aware of the situation we are facing and had this to say, "This isn't really about us, it's about homeschooling. We're not happy about it, but it's much bigger than us."

Having worked in the past with California Homeschool Network's legal team and in turn with the other homeschooling organizations, I can assure you there are some great legal minds at work on this and I am confident that this matter will be handled expeditiously and the appellate court taken to task over this error of judgment.

For Additional Information

• Is Homeschooling Still Legal in California?
• In re Rachel L. -- Homeschool Appellate Court Ruling
• In re Rachel L.

Labels: California, court, Long Family, private school

Struggling to teach your kids elementary math skills like place values, division and fractions? Does your daily math time resemble an hour long argument between bitter adversaries rather that an enjoyable lesson between parent and child? Had one of those moments when you think the only way they'll learn math is by putting them in school? You aren't alone!

Finding the perfect textbook is never going to happen. The more worksheets you give them, the less they'll absorb, let alone enjoy. And you really don't want to send them to school — you'd have to start doing that whole lunch thing.

Instead, re-teach yourself math in this hands on workshop — Make and Take: Math. Over the course of 90 minutes, you'll learn new ways to solve math problems and still get the right answers, create your own manipulatives that your kids can learn from no matter their learning style, and walk away with renewed energy (and understanding) of elementary math.

We make four different math tools, focusing on place values, multiplication/division, fractions, and basic geometry concepts. We'll also dispel a few math myths, like there's only one way to solve a problem or to view numbers.

Best of all, this class comes to you – I bring all the materials, including glue and scissors, you provide the table for everyone to work around.

The class is for adults, attended children under 12, and 12 and ups alone looking for some skills to use with younger siblings or as an added service while babysitting. The cost is $20 for this 90 minute class – want to attend for free? Host the class and you get it all, the fun, the projects, and the mess, for free.

I'm a fellow homeschooling mom and I'll be in your area soon, check schedule for dates. I would love to offer this or one of our other classes to the members of your group, if you would be so kind as to pass this along to them.

For more information, visit Connected Classes and select Courses. There you can read about the full range of in-home courses for both parents and homeschoolers.

~Annette Keenberg

Labels: California, homeschool classes, math

In lock-step with the California Teachers Association, and marching to the beat of the do-it-for-the-global-economy-and-new-world-order drum, California Assembly Member Gene Mullin (Democrat, South San Francisco) introduced the heinous Assembly Bill 1236: Kindergarten Readiness Act that will be heard on Wednesday, April 25th before the Assembly Committee on Education.

AB 1236: The bill...

1. Makes full-time Kindergarten mandatory under penalty of law for children who turn 5 years of age by September 1st of any given school year beginning in 2011. The state is going to force parents of little, tiny kids to put them in school. When did we all agree that the state should have the responsibility for educating our babies? How can anyone in a free nation go along with the idea of forced government schooling of defenseless and vulnerable children? Where's the freedom and liberty in that?
2. In direct opposition to the will of the people of California who voted against Prop 82 - The Universal Preschool Initiative in June of 2006, AB 1236 Requires school districts to offer Kindergarten Readiness classes (also known as universal preschool) for all children one year before they are enrolled in kindergarten. While these preschool classes will be offered as voluntary at first, mandatory preschool is the next specious step.

The minimum school day for 4- and 5- year-olds in kindergarten readiness classes and kindergartens will be 3-hours-a-day, 5-days-a-week! This time is to be filled with state-concocted, developmentally inappropriate, rigorous academic content standards for both kindergarten and preschool programs in math and literacy. The bill requires assessment (also known as testing) of tots!

The push to detain young children in preschool and kindergarten is driven by imprudent and corrupt political and social agendas that advance the globalized future. How could there be any other explanation when policy makers ignore early childhood education experts such as the signers of the declaration of The Call To Action On The Education of Young Children who warn against too early and too highly structured education in preschool and kindergarten saying:

If such practices were effective for five-year-olds, we would have seen better long-term results by now. We call for a reversal of the pushing down of the curriculum that has transformed kindergarten into de facto first grade.

Current trends in early education policy and practice heighten pressure and stress in children's lives, which can contribute to behavioral and learning problems.

This well-intentioned but misguided policy may actually put children at increased risk of school failure.

While the monolithic, corporatized school system may be a formidable opponent, I call on all parents to protect California's (and every state's) 4- and 5-year olds from politicians who mindlessly and robotically introduce and pass legislation that is not in the best interests of young children. Their hearts and minds have been assimilated by what I can only think to refer to as "school borgs." They care more about money than they do about kids. Let's stop them in their tracks.

Your Help is Needed

Please compose a letter of oppostion to AB 1236 and send it to the Education Committee (see their contact info below). Here are some points you may want to include:

• Mandatory Kindergarten and voluntary Pre-K programs will jeopardize funding for public schools.
• A state-run voluntary preschool monopoly will put many private preschools that are owned and operated by women and minorities out of business.
• Kindergarten and Kindergarten Readiness Programs, particularly those with rigid academic structures as outlined in AB 1236, have no proven long-term benefits and may actually harm children.
• AB 1236 creates mandatory full time kindergarten and establishes voluntary full time preschool programs that open the door to make preschool attendance mandatory as well.
• AB 1236 describes the minimum definition of "full time" as 180 minutes a day and for kindergarten students that translates to mandatory attendance 3-hours-a-day, 5-days-a-week! Individual schools can opt to increase that time and the intention is to do exactly that! For preschoolers who attend voluntary pre-k readiness classes - it's 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, providing schools with the ability to increase the time.
• Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for kindergarten and preschool programs that will jeopardize funding of public schools, destroy small businesses, and harm little kids.
• AB 1236 restricts our liberty as citizens. It increases government intervention, establishes mandatory K, and establishes voluntary universal preschool which will lead to mandatory preschool. We don't need more government regulation.
• Establishing mandatory full-time Kindergarten and voluntary full time preschool creates welfare for daycare. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for costly programs that increase dependency on the government and reinforce entitlement thinking.
• 94% of California's 5-year-olds already attend voluntary private and public K programs. The other 6% are either taught at home (some through gov't home study programs via school districts and charter schools), or simply don't go to school. It is unlikely that the costs associated with this legislation will result in significant changes in those numbers.

You can FAX or send your letter of oppostion to "AB 1236: The Kindergarten Readiness Act" to the members of the Education Committee. (If you want to email them, click on their names, go to their websites, and fill out the email contact form there.) Or telephone their offices and let them know you are opposed to AB 1236. Here is the contact info for each member:

• Mike Eng
  FAX: (626) 450-6117
  Phone: (626) 450-6116
  Address: 9420 Telstar Avenue, Suite 103, El Monte, CA 91731

• Lori Hancock
  FAX (510) 559-1478
  Phone: (510) 559-1406
  Address: 712 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito, CA 94530
• Bob Huff
  FAX (909) 860-5664
  Phone: (909) 860-5560
  Address: 23355 E. Golden Springs Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765
• Betty Karnette
  Phone: (310) 548-6420 or (562) 997-0794
  Address: 3711 Long Beach Boulevard, Suite 801, Long Beach, CA 90807
• Alan Nakanishi
  FAX (209) 333-5333
  Phone: (209) 333-5330
  Address: 218 W. Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240
• Jose Solorio
  FAX (714) 939-8986
  Phone: (714) 939-8469
  Address: 2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640, Anaheim, CA 92806

Courtesy of Diane Flynn Keith and Universal Preschool.com

Labels: California, Kindergarten, preschool