OPEN LETTER TO THE CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEALS
Who on GOD‘s green earth do you think you are to take away my right to teach my children at home? Since when have you become better at knowing what is best for them to learn than me? As a homeschooler I already have to jump through hoops to be able to teach at home. There are tests my children must pass in order to show that they are “keeping up with standards.”
Do you look at a few rarecases where homeschooled children fall through the cracks and don’t get a proper education? May I remind you of how bad the public school system is failing? How many publicly schooled children graduate with less than a 12th grade reading level? How many publicly schooled children graduate not knowing where countries are located on a map? How many publicly schooled children graduate knowing more about pop culture and history than American culture and history?
I would like to make it known to you that most homeschooled children graduate with knowing all of the above and more. They are capable young adults ready to enter into society (either by going to college or getting a job) and do their part to better America. They are socially active young adults who care about their communities and volunteer their time to help. They are responsible young adults who still seek the betterment of themselves and of society. And they got all of this by being taught by mom and dad.
Or is it that you disagree with what homeschooled children may be being taught or not taught at home? I believe this is the overarching fear and you use the “lack of standardized education” as a cover. Are you afraid that I will not teach my children that the government is their sugar daddy to provide for them their every need? Are you afraid that I will not teach my children that evolution is just a theory and that intelligent design makes more sense? Are you afraid that I will teach my children to worship God instead of the government? Are you afraid that I will teach my children to think for themselves and to question the government if it begins to overstep its bounds? Are you afraid that I’m going to teach my children that they don’t need to seek immediate help from the government? That they can seek help from family, friends and their church first? Are you afraid that I’m going to teach my children that there is a right and that there is a wrong and that we don’t have to accept other’s behaviors as ok? Are you afraid that I’m going to teach my children that they should not have sex before marriage? That they should not get the pill or a condom just in case? Are you afraid of me teaching abstinence? Are you afraid of me teaching my children that it’s not ok to kill a baby that is still growing in the womb?
The answer is YES YOU ARE. You want to get your hands on my children at the earliest age possible to indoctrinate them with your socialist, unchristian, ungodly, immoral ideas. After all, if you have them for twelve years or more of their lives then you can do it little by little, nothing outwardly shocking. Then they will be more likely to listen to sugar daddy government than their own parents.
May I remind you, or inform you, that not all parents that homeschool are Christian or even theistic. There are plenty who share your social, political and religious view, but yet don’t want their children lost in the flow. They don’t want little Johnnie to be one in, how many kids are in a class now, 30? They might have a child who doesn’t learn by the normal methods used in public schools (the main teaching methods in public schools are linguistic and logical-mathematical). Maybe their child can’t sit still so they choose to school him at home where he can be active while he learns.
Get off of your self-made high horse and quit taking away our rights. As governmental leaders you have the obligation to do what’s best for society. What’s best for society is to strengthen the very foundation of our society: the family. Instead of strengthening families you are attempting to destroy them. Don’t fear the family.
Oh, and my homeschooled kid can beat up your publicly schooled kid.*
Homeschooling by a God-given directive and a right afforded by the U. S. Supreme Court,
Vicki
Now, for those of you who aren’t part of the California Court of Appeals:
I am literally sick to my stomach. I’m on the verge of tears and feel like I’m going to throw up. I am having trouble finding words to express…I don’t even know what to call it. Here’s a try:
appalled
disbelieving
irate
incredulous
astonished
scared
stupefied
horrified
indignant
at what California is attempting to do. If you pray, please pray that God will intervene in whatever way possible (a huge earthquake that will make us a country of 49 states? I jest. Only a little.) to reverse this ruling. California is seriously trying to undermine the structure of the family and take away our basic rights. Once those rights are gone there is nothing left but being needy sheep.
Please don’t read what I’m not writing. I am not saying all publicly schooled children are dumb or unsocial and unwilling to contribute to society. The connotation of the court is that unlesschildren are schooled in a government controlled school then they will be detrimental to society. I am merely pointing out that not all kids graduating from public high school are ready to be contributing members of society, and not all kids graduating from homeschool are ready to be moochers of the system because they didn’t learn anything and can’t help themselves. If you’re going to comment to me to say how great public schools are, or how your kids are thriving in public education save your words, I understand they can do good. But so can homeschooling. And we should have the right to do either. And I didn’t even mention private schools, because how long do you want this diatribe to be?
If you are interested in more information:
Sign a petition to request the depublishing of the court case
Learn more about homeschooling and your rights in each state
A brief synopsis of the situation
Statistics on homeschooling, more statistics, ok just google the term “homeschool statistics” and take your pick.
*I had to add a bit of humor into my rantings. I don’t really mean it. No flames please.
Not So SAHM 
They are just afraid that you will teach your kids the pledge of allegiance, and make them patriotic. If you do that your children will know the truth about Obama.
I totally take my little Bible belt town for granted. Just this week Libbey’s class (oh the horror–yes, I am Christian and send my child to public school! That’s for the lurkers, not you, Vicki!) sponsored an Indonesian child via Compassion International. Wait…don’t let that get out, or her little God-fearing elementary school (which is full of awesome Christian teachers/administration/paraprofessionals) will get a smack down from the VA Dept. of Education.
This totally infuriates me on many levels. I see the big picture from both sides–as a mother of a homeschooled toddler and a child in traditional school. Meaning I see the benefits of both types of schooling, so no one can get me to take their “side,” just as no one should force me to choose between where and how my children are educated…and I guess this is what California is doing. Anytime the government starts taking away parental rights is the time for a call to action. And that’s just what we gotta do…get off our butts and make our opinions known. Thanks for alerting us about this. I’ll get off my soapbox now…and I hope you are feeling better, too.
Whoa…I would have to say your feathers are ruffled. Easy does it.
This publicly schooled kid recognizes that there is more than one way to learn and more than one way to be taught. I also read at more than a twelfth grade reading level, could (and still can) place most countries on a map (outside of the break aways in the past couple of months) and have always sucker for a good story about Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dieing on the fourth of July.
I was also taught that abstinence was a good policy; that other people may have ideas that might be different from mine and I can agree and disagree with them upon my own decision.
I know the pledge of allegiance and all the words to the Star Spangled Banner and sing it EVERY time it is played even if no other parent, child, teacher, coachand/or visitor will sing it at the North Habersham 8th grade girls basketball game where my best friend’s little girl (and my junior bride’s maid) plays on the undefeated public middle school basketball team. I also sing it at every Braves game, UGA graduation and anyother time it is played.
More likely than naught–the law will not be successfully voted in despite it being in a state government on the left coast. However, if it already has or is about to be, then in all good process, I am sure its constitutionality will be challenged. That is the nice thing about this country. We have ample opportunity (and right) to stop that which is not right, just as we have to throw it out there in the first place.
Although, I am not sure how the California law affects you, as I thought you were in the midwest not the left coast? They are not stripping you of your rights, they are talking fluff because they love to see your ruffled feathers. They are quite beautiful.
Easy does it, this too shall pass…
Yes, this too shall pass, but to what end? The California law does not affect me directly…at least not right now. If this actually ends up standing then other courts around the country will have at least somewhat of a leg to stand on to try to make homeschooling illegal, or to make it more difficult. It definitely will be challenged if let to stand. I may not be directly affected by it now (what if Du gets a job there though?), but if we dont’ make our voices heard (whether living in California or not) then what point is it? We can’t bury our heads in the sand because it’s happing on the left coast.
When you and I went to public school (let’s not admit how old we really are…except I just did that in a recent post, oops) America was different. And kids in a public school in Georgia do not have to face what they do in California. But things are not the same today as they were back in the “good ol’ days”. And I consider myself to be well-educated too, we went to the same tough college!
You said it yourself that you are one of the only ones to still be patriotic and sing patriotic songs at public events. Why is this? These kids probably don’t have to place their hands over their hearts when they recite the pledge, if they have to recite it at all. It is seeping into the rest of America and not leaving itself on the left coast. So maybe the kids in Georgia are having to deal with some of the same stuff.
My intent was not to bash public school kids. I wanted to get what I was feeling off my chest. Other than calling down fire from God to smite the Baal worshipers venting on a blog is my next best thing. Oh, and signing that petition linked to on my blog. Go do that.
I have posted an entry about this same topic. The situation is more insidious than some may think.
You can read my take on this matter here:
http://www.thefullquiverhomeschoolhouse.wordpress.com
Smite the Baal worshippers? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s awesome.
Yeah, venting is probably the easier out.
I remember going to school with a gal who was Jehovah Witness. She was not allowed to stand for the pledge, go to the elementary school parties or the high school dances. She was always set apart from the other kids in school because of her religious beliefs. Surprise, she was knocked up at 16. She hung in there until about tenth grade and then her grades slipped, she ended up in regular classes instead of advanced and then disappeared. I am not sure that she graduated. She called me spiderweb head in kindergarten. I wonder about her and pray for her off and on.
I don’t know if schools are that different these days. The thing I remember about my highschool was that there were four shootings in five years. I remember that the only time the football team won a game was in my eighth grade year when they went to state and then there was never another win. I remember them having to replace the front doors to the gym because they were all glass and someone had threatened a drive-by shooting, so now they are steel. I remember trying to get to the Honor Society meeting in heels and a dress and having to walk through the mud because the hallway was blocked due to a fight that left blood all over the floors and lockers. I wasn’t surprised by columbine. I am not surprised by VT or the one in Illinios. I grew up in a mentality where it was get good grades and get out or be pregnant, drop out and get killed. I don’t know that things have changed that much. Habersham county has a 50% drop out rate. White County (which is the one my step son just graduated from) has an 80% drop out rate, but also holds the highest repeat teen preganancy rate in the state. REPEAT teen pregnancy rate-more than one kid by 18. Can you say what? But they graduate, two kids and all. Although, it would be a savvy business to go into for a daycare for highschool students. Gosh, that’s aweful.
I guess it would be bad if you and Du got posted in Cali. Although, it would be bad on many levels, not just that you might not get to homeschool. Personally, it would be like sending you to germany again–too far away from home.
Check out my cabinets.
Home schooling is illegal in California. Most home schoolers are Christians and all they know to do is fearmonger. Just look at this as an example!
http://www.cftie.org/2007/12/sb-777-will-per.html
The saying is … ‘As California goes, so goes . . .’ Very disturbing and very well could be far reaching. Someone saying, “well, no problem for me as I don’t live in CA” is sticking their head in the sand. Once a precedent is set it moves along quite easily and can spread like a cancer.
While reading your post the following came to mind:
“First They Came for the Jews”
Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
At least Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is speaking out against the state appeals court ruling and that is a good first start. You might find the article “Calilfornia’s Criminal Parents” and comments interesting at http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/