I feel like we are getting the old bait and switch. Governor Schwarzenegger has joined league with California Homeschoolers in the effort to have the appellate court decision that bans parents from homeschooling without a teaching credential de-published. This is a good thing. In a written statement, he said:
“This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then, as elected officials, we will,”
The rub, however, is that according to the Los Angeles Times, a bill on homeschooling rights is now being urged. (While the article suggests that the Governor calls for the Homeschooling Bill of Rights, there is little evidence to support this.)
You may also notice that the Home School Legal Defense Association is all over this case… NOW. You cannot tell me that they were not aware of the case, and possibly even called on by the family in question for representation. This family however, was not beyond reproach, and therefore not a family that the HSLDA was willing to defend. Once the surprise decision threatened to affect all homeschoolers, however, this is now their “banner” case. This is because it allows the HSLDA to have a real life case that will send hundreds of thousands of homeschooling families running for protection under their arms. It also gets homeschoolers, many of whom previously fought a nationwide Homeschooling Bill of Rights recommended by the HSLDA, to now support it.
The opportunity to work towards a homeschooling bill of rights is exactly what the Home School Legal Defense Association wants. Many homeschoolers are dead set against what the Home School Legal Defense Association stands for and do not want the ‘rights’ that they are pushing for. Siding with the HSLDA will certainly bring more restrictions into homeschooling nationwide as well as push homeschooling back into a strictly Conservative Christian endeavor.
Related articles:
Answering Questions About California’s Now Infamous Court Case
Why What Happens in California matters
*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.
*Words a homeschooler Should Know