Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Homeschooling OK in California

With the excitement over the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (wasn't that amazing!), enjoying the last days of vacation, and getting ready for school to start, you may have missed the announcement of a California state appellate court's 08/08/08 ruling, permitting home schooling "as a species of private school education". Is 'species' a legal term? Wouldn't 'sub-category' have been a better description?

In February, the court, in a child protection hearing, ruled that parents must have a teaching credential to home school their children. The irony of the ruling being that private school teachers, in California, are not required to have a teaching credential. Score 1 for home schools.

Governor Schwarzenegger, who had sided with the home schoolers, praised the decision. Even Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction admitted that home schools have a place in California education.
"As head of California's public school system, it would be my wish that all children attend public school, but I understand that a traditional public school environment may not be the right setting for each and every child."
According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (the only resource I could find on the topic), home schools out-perform public schools by 30 or more percentage points.

See the LA Times article.

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