Why you should care about the right to homeschool--even if you NEVER want to do it!

As much as I say this is not a political blog, I lie sometimes!

So there is a lot of talk going around about the right to homeschool. Since most of my readers don't homeschool I will give a little back ground information. Each state has it's own standards and requirements for homeschooling. Some states you have to be a certified teacher and submit your lesson plans, and your children have to take standardized testing. In some states you don't have to do ANYTHING except not enroll your children in school. 

With common core coming down the pipes and the Romeike case going on right now (if you don't know what I am talking about--PLEASE educate yourself!!!) there is a lot of talk amongst us homeschoolers about the right to homeschool and if it will stay it tact. 

Why should you care? Especially if you send your kids to public school!

Let me tell you the very little I know about Germany. It is illegal to homeschool in Germany. If you didn't know that, you didn't do your homework on the Romeike case. What I know is that you are not allowed to pull your kids out of school for ANYTHING. I mean if Grandma passes away, your kids can not leave school for the funeral. Your child is having a hard time dealing with something, no mental health days. If you need to leave early for a family vacation--sorry! No exceptions--you go to school. They take this so seriously that they post armed guards at the train station and remove your children from your custody if you refuse.

Well, this doesn't seem so bad--we need our children to be educated! Right? Yet start thinking about different scenarios where this could be bad. First off, a lot of German Christian families do not like the public school's curriculum for sex ed. Yet, your child can not opt out of it. Some of the families feel that the public school teaches the children to disrespect their parents. 

Your children spend more waking hours at public school than they do with you. 

Most parents I know are very vigilant about teaching their children right from wrong. Yet when you put your child in school at a very young age, they are still very impressionable. If all of the department of Education things they are proposing go through, your children will be in public school from preschool age--FULL TIME! Not only that, with standards that are put forth from the National government. There hasn't been a lot of teacher input in these new standards at all! 

I want to have the right to raise my children according to the dictates of my own conscience. (Of course within reason--I am an old DCFS worker--I have seen where too many parental rights isn't good too!)

Before you think that I am anti-public school--I'm not completely. Yet, I think the biggest strength we have in our public school are our teachers. The amazing people that dedicate their lives, with little pay and little respect, to teaching your children. When a teacher has freedom to flex her/his curriculum and how she/he teaches to the interest, mood, and personality of her/his class you have much more success! (Any public school teachers disagree with me?) So when you have a national curriculum, you have much less success. So I am not anti-school, just anti-big government controlling school.

With all of this control, it scares me of what could happen. What kind of corruption may take place over time. 

There may be a time where honest God-fearing people need to homeschool their children. This right may be taken away. And that is why, I think all parents should care about the right to homeschool. 

We don't need to hand over any rights to the government. 

Even if it is a right we don't currently participate in!