HSLDA Tries to Protect the Rights of Homeschooling Parents

In a recent California court decision it was stated that law requires parents to send their children to full-time public school, full-time private school, or teach them by tutors with credentials. According to the court the family in this case the Long family must send their children to a full-time school. The Longs case didn't start out about homeschooling, it started as a child welfare case. It was then discovered that according to the court system two of their children 7 and 9 were not being properly educated.

Many home schoolers would be enrolled in a private or charter school like the Longs did, they families would then teach their children at home on a home study program. Other families set up a private school at their home, then only enroll their own children. This court decision could effect my family as well as many other homeschooling families. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, this decision could consider 166,000 children that are being home schooled truant. It could also put all their parents at risk of prosecution.

I currently home school my daughter and I plan to start homeschooling my younger daughter as soon as she is old enough. I currently live in Oregon, they have similar laws to California about homeschooling. My daughter is enrolled in a charter school, and I teach her at home The school I have her enrolled in offers on-line assistance from teachers with credentials.

I think school is every important, and I take my daughters education very seriously. I know my daughter is getting a good education. If I ever doubted that she was getting a good education I would stop home schooling her. If she ever wants to go to a full time public or private school I will understand that homeschooling is not working for us and I would look into enrolling her in a public school. I also make sure my daughter gets plenty of social time with other kids.

I don't consider myself a "weird Hippie" or "extremely religious." I just feel that my daughters will get a better education with more one on one help. I think that I will be able to spend more time with them and help them learn things that are interesting to them, more then a teacher with 20 other students would.

This decision is scary for a lot of homeschooling parents. This decision can have a big effect on the laws in all states. All states could start requiring homeschooling parents to have credentials. Or even worse state laws could ban homeschooling all together. The HSLDA is trying to help homeschooling parents make sure their rights aren't taken away. They have a petition on their website, to show courts and the states how important homeschooling is to parents.

I understand the need for children to be educated. I feel that the state has the right to make sure parents are doing what is best for their children. But I don't think banning homeschooling, or only allowing teachers with official credentials to teach children is to the benefit of most kids. I think most homeschooling parents have their kids best interest in mind. I think courts need to look at each case individually and not make judgments for everyone based on a few families.