Ruling seen as a threat to many home-schooling families
State appellate court says those who teach children in private must have a credential.
Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California’s home schooling families.
Advocates for the families vowed to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Enforcement until then appears unlikely, but if the ruling stands, home-schooling supporters say California will have the most regressive law in the nation.
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“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”
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Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling.
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Families who home school include those whose religious beliefs conflict with public schools and those whose children are in the entertainment industry or have other time-consuming activities that require them to study at an individualized pace.
Glenn and Kathleen, a Sacramento-area couple who requested that their last name not be used for fear of prosecution, home school their 9-year-old son Hunter because their Christian beliefs would be contradicted in a public school setting, Glenn said. He is troubled by the idea that his son would be exposed to teachings about evolution, homosexuality, same-sex marriage and sex education .
“I want to have control over what goes in my son’s head, not what’s put in there by people who might be on the far left who have their own ideas about indoctrinating kids,” he said.
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Obviously there is an effort under way to force Christian children into secular indoctrination. When an evil starts in California, it tends to spread like cancer across the rest of America in time. They are starting with requirements for teaching credentials now. It is possible, that later they’ll be able to say, that if you teach from 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that they’ll take it away and force a parent from being able to teach their own child at home. It just seems things could head that way in time.
If some parents are abusing their children, deal with those parents, but don’t penalize the majority of good parents. (A case of possible child abuse by home schooling parents is cited as the foundation for the ruling.)
And notice the teacher’s union is all for trying to make it harder for parents to home school their children. What’s best for a child is a loving parent, but the teacher’s union feels their way is best.
March 9th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Voice of the Martyrs has “Action Packs” to send articles of clothing to persecuted saints in Afghanistan/Pakistan and Sudan. You send the articles to Oklahoma, then they ship them by Ocean.
Customs are very strict about what comes in. There are networks of local churches that ensure the packages arrive to the saints that need them. There is a paper trail that ensures the giver that the items were received where intended. Action packs have shipping bags that are specially designed to be deflated like a vacuum bag before being placed in a shipping box. The packs are $7.00 a piece for either country. New or very good condition items are requested. Each Action Pack has a list of what you may send.
Please consider helping out. You know that this kind of freewill offering is extremely pleasing to God and it will help you lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven because these people cannot repay you here. Plus, it is in agreement with our command to care for the saints primarily in this life. This is a good fellowship meeting project or a Sunday school or church-wide project.
Contrary to what these prosperity preachers teach, huge numbers of believers today and throughout the millennia have gone without to the point of not knowing where their next meals were coming from, let alone driving a BMW to their mansions behind gates and security cameras. They live with the “give us our daily bread” request of the Our Father all the time, with I am sure, faithful results.
http://www.persecution.com/index.cfm
Here is another good ministry:
http://persecutionproject.org/
Both of these have been rated high in the watchdog ministry, Ministrywatch.com. Check these two advocacy ministries out before giving, especially if you want to present them to your people, who understandably would have concerns. So, be prepared to answer their questions.
http://www.ministrywatch.com/mw2.1/F_SrchDetails.asp
There are others, of course to consider. Call them or email them with your inquiries first too.
IndependentConservative reply on March 9th, 2008 at 3:40 pm :
Good comment Stan.
stan reply on March 10th, 2008 at 8:22 am :
Thanks, IC. Our fellowship meeting has started to send regular shipments to VOM. The people are blessed to participate. One interesting difficulty was trying to find plain solid colored T-shirts. Customs does not allow clothing with written sayings on them. Almost all T-shirts have some kind of advertising or statements on them anymore (other than underwear T-shirts, of course).
speakingtruth reply on March 10th, 2008 at 3:01 pm :
Thanks Stan.
We have no concept of true persecution for the sake of the Gospel. My fervent prayer is that we focus on this kind of evangelism and Kingdom building and let go of all of the other stuff that clouds our vision.
I now have yet another outlet to funnel my former “tithe”…
March 10th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Stan,
You may be able find plain, solid colored t-shirts at craft stores like AC Moore or Michaels. Also, you may want to check some of the wholesale dealers on the net, because they may be a good source, as well.
stan reply on March 10th, 2008 at 10:41 am :
Thank you, 2thehilt. We have an AC Moore at a large mall nearby. I know that people often go there for craft stuff too.