4 ms·

Homeschoolers' setback sends shock waves through state

22 points by gibsonf1 19y ago

Spyckie 19y ago
Combine this with the recent article on how terribly wrong math is taught in school and we have quite a grim outlook of our nation's future.
delackner 19y ago
The money quote is that one of the explicit purposes of public school is to indoctrinate our children to be patriotic and to defend the nation. That is nationalism folks, the movement that helped cause most of the wars in the last century. The movement that is right now causing riots in Serbia. It may not sound like such a huge thing, but even in second grade I remember refusing to say the pledge of allegiance, despite my parents never pushing any kind of left OR right wing ideology on me.
- noonespecial 19y ago
  I remember in 4th grade or so, the pledge started to sound a little spooky to me as well. I think home schooling is an important right because it's the last, best defense against a total fail in the public school system. It also makes it possible for middle and lower class children to have private education rather than having that option end up a further luxury for just the rich.
- andreyf 19y ago
  If you mean to say that "you were just born a freedom-lover", I don't agree. You assimilate ideas and concepts from all around you, and parents are having less and less to do with it.
patrickg-zill 19y ago
The pleasure of the teacher's union shows it is not about making sure children are educated, but about keeping and retaining political power.
- cstejerean 19y ago
  You are correct. From the article: Heimov said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."
andreyf 19y ago
Woah! Before bashing and mindlessly reinforcing each other's libertarian ideals, let's all back up and Google the background one second. (don't get me wrong: I'm a big proponent of home schooling, I'll probably be home schooling my kids (probably while teaching in public schools at the time (go figure))) Original ruling: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878.PDF http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878.PDF Alternate explanation of original ruling: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/257230.php#257230 http://ace.mu.nu/archives/257230.php#257230 The "money quote", as someone called it, is cited, and that's how law works - it repeats precedent. If you follow the precedent, it doesn't end in '61. The '61 case cites a 1938 case, which says: "The legislature has conferred upon school boards broad plenary powers to make all reasonable regulations that will in the reasonable exercise of judgment promote the efficiency of the school system in performing public welfare duties, which are limited not merely to the development of the mind in academic fields, but the sphere of which is much broader and extends to those subjects which will tend to [12 Cal.2d 92] develop and quicken the civic conscience in ways of attachment for home and country." See here: http://www.claralaw.cpda.org/om_isapi.dll?infobase=cases2.nfo&jump=12%20Cal.2d%2092&softpage=Document_Case http://www.claralaw.cpda.org/om_isapi.dll?infobase=cases2.nf... That was written in 1938. And see that "12 Cal.2d 92"? That's a citation to a yet earlier case. In other words this idea has been around for almost a century, and there is nothing new or newly-frightening about it. It was cited because the incompetent defense had a really backwards argument about what was going on at home. Legal action came around when one of the eight children reported "physical and emotional mistreatment". SFGate only reported the last word. So here's my take on what happened: libertarian think tank intern scans legal briefs for quotes he can write a story around to rile people up. They find a resolution with a quote that uses scary 60's cold-war language to describe an idea that's been around for at least 80 years. Voila! That's our reality-hook! The rest is already in people's minds, so they won't double check it... now let's just write the story to reinforce the ideas we are promoting. There's always lazy journalists who will publish a paper around this, and controversy will only bring more readers to the paper, so who cares if it's true, as long as it "riles people up"? Lew Rockwell jumps all over it, of course: http://www.lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut52.html http://www.lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut52.html That's it! They're taking away our guns! To arms! To arms! Oh no! They're going to ban abortions everywhere! Oh dear! They're going to take away our children for indoctrination! Don't get me wrong, I completely support Roe v. Wade, but I think it's despicable how those who support it have no idea why people oppose it.

22 points by gibsonf1 19y ago

Combine this with the recent article on how terribly wrong math is taught in school and we have quite a grim outlook of our nation's future.

delackner 19y ago

The money quote is that one of the explicit purposes of public school is to indoctrinate our children to be patriotic and to defend the nation. That is nationalism folks, the movement that helped cause most of the wars in the last century. The movement that is right now causing riots in Serbia. It may not sound like such a huge thing, but even in second grade I remember refusing to say the pledge of allegiance, despite my parents never pushing any kind of left OR right wing ideology on me.

noonespecial 19y ago
I remember in 4th grade or so, the pledge started to sound a little spooky to me as well. I think home schooling is an important right because it's the last, best defense against a total fail in the public school system. It also makes it possible for middle and lower class children to have private education rather than having that option end up a further luxury for just the rich.
andreyf 19y ago
If you mean to say that "you were just born a freedom-lover", I don't agree. You assimilate ideas and concepts from all around you, and parents are having less and less to do with it.

patrickg-zill 19y ago

The pleasure of the teacher's union shows it is not about making sure children are educated, but about keeping and retaining political power.

cstejerean 19y ago
You are correct. From the article: Heimov said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."

andreyf 19y ago

Woah! Before bashing and mindlessly reinforcing each other's libertarian ideals, let's all back up and Google the background one second. (don't get me wrong: I'm a big proponent of home schooling, I'll probably be home schooling my kids (probably while teaching in public schools at the time (go figure))) Original ruling: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878.PDF http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B192878.PDF Alternate explanation of original ruling: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/257230.php#257230 http://ace.mu.nu/archives/257230.php#257230 The "money quote", as someone called it, is cited, and that's how law works - it repeats precedent. If you follow the precedent, it doesn't end in '61. The '61 case cites a 1938 case, which says: "The legislature has conferred upon school boards broad plenary powers to make all reasonable regulations that will in the reasonable exercise of judgment promote the efficiency of the school system in performing public welfare duties, which are limited not merely to the development of the mind in academic fields, but the sphere of which is much broader and extends to those subjects which will tend to [12 Cal.2d 92] develop and quicken the civic conscience in ways of attachment for home and country." See here: http://www.claralaw.cpda.org/om_isapi.dll?infobase=cases2.nfo&jump=12%20Cal.2d%2092&softpage=Document_Case http://www.claralaw.cpda.org/om_isapi.dll?infobase=cases2.nf... That was written in 1938. And see that "12 Cal.2d 92"? That's a citation to a yet earlier case. In other words this idea has been around for almost a century, and there is nothing new or newly-frightening about it. It was cited because the incompetent defense had a really backwards argument about what was going on at home. Legal action came around when one of the eight children reported "physical and emotional mistreatment". SFGate only reported the last word. So here's my take on what happened: libertarian think tank intern scans legal briefs for quotes he can write a story around to rile people up. They find a resolution with a quote that uses scary 60's cold-war language to describe an idea that's been around for at least 80 years. Voila! That's our reality-hook! The rest is already in people's minds, so they won't double check it... now let's just write the story to reinforce the ideas we are promoting. There's always lazy journalists who will publish a paper around this, and controversy will only bring more readers to the paper, so who cares if it's true, as long as it "riles people up"? Lew Rockwell jumps all over it, of course: http://www.lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut52.html http://www.lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut52.html That's it! They're taking away our guns! To arms! To arms! Oh no! They're going to ban abortions everywhere! Oh dear! They're going to take away our children for indoctrination! Don't get me wrong, I completely support Roe v. Wade, but I think it's despicable how those who support it have no idea why people oppose it.