Eroding Parental Rights in California

bethlambdin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:44:29 +0000

Dear blog friends…

I have not used this blog to write about anything political (although I am a VERY political person) but what I am writing today is very crucial to our rights as parents - the right to choose how we educate our children! This right is being threatened in my home state of California. If you are at all concerned about the government infringing upon your rights you need to read this AND DO SOMETHING about it. (even if you are not a homeschooler or live in California!)

Here is “the deal” in a nutshell (as stated by the Homeschool Legal Defense Association) –

A California Court of Appeal recently decided that homeschooling is illegal in California unless a parent is a certified teacher. (how ridiculous is that! In California the classes you take to get your credential are mostly classroom management, teacher organization & other “politically correct” classes including how to teach non English speakers - tell me WHY any home school parent would need those classes to effectively teach her own children?????)

The case arose in a confidential juvenile court proceeding. (IE – behind closed doors – how sneaky is that!) The family was represented by court-appointed attorneys and Home School Legal Defense Association did not become aware of the case until the Court of Appeal case was published on February 28, 2008.

The Court could have restricted its decision to the facts before it, but instead, it issued a broad ruling that effectively outlaws home education in California. The Court also certified its decision for publication, which means that the decision can now be cited as legal authority by all other courts in California.

The family and their California counsel are planning to appeal to the Supreme Court of California, which could result in reversal.

Another option to keep homeschooling free in California is to petition the Supreme Court of California to “depublish” the opinion. If the opinion is “depublished” then it cannot be used by other California courts and this threat to homeschool freedom will be neutralized for other California homeschoolers.

HSLDA will be formally petitioning the California Supreme Court to depublish the opinion. We would like to show that many other people, both in California and across the country, care deeply about homeschool freedom in California.

Please show your support for this effort by signing the petition today at the following link and encouraging others to do the same! (And please don’t say – “I don’t homeschool” or “I don’t live in California” – if we let our parental rights continue to get eroded – it is ONLY a matter of time before it will be an issue that DOES effect you and then you will be wishing you had made a stand!!)

https://www2.hslda.org/Registrations/DepublishingCaliforniaCourtDecision/

If you would like to hear more - Focus on the Family has a radio broadcast today over the court decision made in CA to make homeschooling illegal. http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000997.cfm

Please pass this information on to everyone who believes in parental rights!

P.S. – Here are three comments received from friends who I emailed about this earlier (none of these people homeschool!) -

“Beth, although I no longer have children that would be affected by this. I support your right to homeschool your children. If “public schools” did as good a job educating our children as you do educating yours, there wouldn’t be such a need for an alternative to what is offered by the Government. I’ve completed the petition. Good Luck!”

“Signed, sealed and delivered! While the issue of home schooling doesn’t hold much of a direct impact for me, I’m firmly of the belief that the state should not go about casually interfering with issues where its intervention is not pressingly needed. State intervention is not pressingly needed here. ‘Nuff said!”

“I absolutely couldn’t believe it when I heard this, and walked through the day in shock & INCENSED at such arrogance. What I experienced JUST TODAY (foul language of the most descriptive kind) as a substitute teacher on the public school campuses coming out of the mouths of eight year olds would make me, if I had children, want to leave California or go to school with my child–or fully protest this asinine ruling.”

As always, you are welcome to leave your comments here.

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Eroding Parental Rights in California