Will This Month's Ruling in California Affect Us All?

In February, a state appeals court in California ruled that parents without official teaching credentials could not legally homeschool their children. Naturally, this sparked outrage across the country and not just within the homeschooling community. If this law could be passed there, why not everywhere? Are our civil liberties at risk throughout the nation?

The judge in this outrageous case used a state education law to support his ruling. He stated that, “parents do not have a constitutional right to home-school their children.” Thankfully, the appeals court is going to rehear the case this month. There are currently over 160,000 children being homeschooled in California and their way of life is being threatened.

It is estimated that the homeschooling population is growing 7 to 12 percent a year. This has the public school system and some higher government officials running scared… but for all the wrong reasons. While they may hide behind the guise of concern that parents aren't qualified to teach their children, it is obvious that their main worry is the fact that they lose money when children are pulled out of the system.

So, rather than improve the quality of public schools, officials have opted to twist the arms of homeschooling parents. Although the appeals court ruling in California may appear to be a fluke, it is sobering for those of us who cherish our constitutional right to teach our children without government interference.

Now, more than ever, homeschooling parents should become more familiar with their rights and any laws that could affect their livelihoods. The official site of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a great resource for the latest news that may affect homeschoolers in America. Without our active involvement, the anti-homeschooling movement could spread very quickly.

Guest Blogger By-line:

Heather Johnson is a regular commentator on the subject of college degrees. She welcomes your feedback and potential job inquiries at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Related article: California Ruling & HSLDA

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