Do Parents Need Credentials to Homeschool?

I respect parents' decision to homeschool their own children. Though I do not agree with this ruling, I do think it's important that parent follow certain standards and a approved curriculum. But it's wrong to criminalize uncredentialed homeschooling. I hope this ruling gets overturned.

I think parents can offer a better learning experince than any public or private school now days! The whole no child left behind is a joke!! i know no matter what my creds are when my kids are old enough they wont begetting up and leaving to go to school it will be at home where i know they will actually learn something unless there is a big i mean big change in the education system!! my mom is a teacher and she fully supports this mind set becasue she watches kids slip through the cracks every year and there is nothing she can do but watch becasue the teachers are so strapped and there is just no money.

The wording of this ruling makes me wonder if private schools will now have to have credentialed teachers. I've always thought it odd that so many people pay so much to send their kids to private school to be taught by non-credentialed teachers.

I think that the homeschooling standards do need to be stricter than they are in California. While some parents may be capable of homeschooling their kids, others are totally inept. I know of a particular homeschooled 13 year old who can't read. She has a sever learning disability that her parents are just not capable of dealing with.

Homeschooling is great for some kids, and does others a disservice. It all depends on the particular child and parent. I think it does need to be monitored so that no kids are cheated out of an education.

I also agree that homeschooling standards need to be stricter. Although I have seen that many homeschooled children are performing well, I have also worked with several homeschooled children who have problems keeping up with others in the same grade. I'm not sure if requiring credentials is the right answer, but some sort of stricter monitoring would ensure that children receive the proper education.

I think parents should have to complete some sort of training to homeschool. Real teachers had to go to school to be considered qualified enough to teach children. We need to be sure that homeschooled kids aren't at any sort of disadvantage to kids who went through tradtional schooling, especially when it comes time for the child to go to college. However, I think this training should be provided either at a very low cost or free of charge to parents.

This is horrendous. Parents have the God given right to teach their own children what and when they want and it's nobody else's business. These so called monitored public schools are nothing but cesspools of violence, immortality, and prejudice. At the rate things are going it's only a few years till parents are forced to place their newborns into child raising facilities so the do-gooders of the nation can raise everyone else's children the way they believe to be best. There is no "best interest of the child" involved here. This is just one more step on the road to communism!

i think that it is a great advantage for parents to homeschool thier children. all of the homeschooling parents i have ever met have been involved in a group homeschool where all the children like in a public school are seperated by grade, etc. and a regular curriculum is set up with testing and certification.however, i dont think those parents who are not up to the task of teaching thier child should not even attempt it, sorry, but just ''good intentions'' are not enough to give any child any kind of advantage.there are homeschool ascns. out there that you the parent can contact, that will lead you to the right place for your child. i agree that public schools are way behind when compared academicly with the rest of the world.and there are a lot of things being taught in public school that are wrong. but there are a lot of right too. where is the balance?i see from area to area a real difference in public schools and how our children are taught.i am a supporter of vouchers, we should have and deserve choice when it comes to our childrens future in life.i myself feel that i did not recieve a good quality education in my twelve years in school, more rather, i was self taught in many ways, for one, i am a hard core reader/researcher. i have made it a point to take pride in my self improvement through gaining useful knowledge every day of my life.We as parents are going to have to decide to use common sense, but the keyword here is:research, do your own homework before you decide, are the area schools inferior? could your child benefit from homeschooling? are thier any types of homeschooling centers, facilities,organisations in your area that could make a real difference in your descision for your childs education? research then decide, our children deserve at least that much. thank you -harvey l melton, author, even with a bad ed.thanks.

I think that this is ridiculous. Parents are consistently losing their rights to help children learn to do the right thing. This type of a ruling forces people who do not agree with public education into a position that is unacceptable in a "free" nation. I fought for this country only to be told that I am incapable of teaching my child, hmm, that is silly. While I do believe that all students should meet certain standards before moving on, I do not believe that any state is capable of doing so. I had to pull my 2 nephews out of public school because the older 1 was 2 years behind despite trying to work with the public school. The younger one was at a kindergarten level when he was tested even though they felt he was competent in end of year 1st grade!? This caused me, their aunt, to spend 5 1/2 months catching them up with daily work except for on Sundays. Our public education is lacking severely, so before someone forces me to put my children in their hands I think that they need to clean up their mess first and then we will talk. This judge is out of line and should not be in his position. It is a great disservice to this nation.

As a teacher, a mother, and a library student I admit this issue puzzles me. One one hand, I don't feel that it would be healthy for my only child to be home with just me for her life experience. I find the idea of that disturbing for her, as rewarding as it would be to spend that much time with her, her view of the world would be only what I provided. On the other hand, the combination of NCLB standards without the proper monetary support and no added time in the school day has caused kindergarten to feel like bootcamp. My daughter rarely gets to play outside because she is behind in her work and if she gets to go it's only for 10 minutes. I was hoping she would learn to socialize but it's more like learning to conform to social standards. (And it isn't the teachers fault, they do fabulously with the challenges they face) There are times when I wish I could teach her at home and take her to the library, play groups, let her take multiple lessons in music and the arts and dance without driving ourselves crazy after school rushing around.

It seems like a no win situation.

Then I did a report for a curriculum class on virtual school programs popping up around the nation. The issues were all over the place. The pro's and con's were numerous. The advocates and criticizers were surprising and diverse. Overall however, it intrigued me. The idea of certified experts teaching my child virtually from anywhere in 4th grade and up. If I felt the needs of my child would be better met outside of a public school environment, I would happily enroll her in a virtual school where math is taught by a math teacher, graphic arts by an art teacher, English by an English teacher and so on. As a teacher and librarian I would gladly help her learn to manage her time, brainstorm on paper topics and learn to research in the library. I would also gladly taxi her around for social opportunities in girl scouts, the U/U congregation, gymnastics, cheerleading, dance and the Appalachian Children's choir. In good weather we would go to the park in the afternoon after school hours, in bad weather yoga for kids or other workout routines or activities would keep us in shape.

It sounds like a dream. I know if something sounds too good to be true...............but it's worth thinking about. Every child is different. Some would wither away at home, others would blossom. The main thing is to know your child and be educated on the choices you have and the consequences of the risk you take either way.

Nell

Perfect site, i like it!

I am so tired of people referring to homeschooling parents as having "good intentions". First of all parents who homeschool their children do more than "intend" to teach their children. They take their responsibilities to their children very seriously and they work hard at their children's education. This is more than some parents do, who stick their children in public schools, drop them off and wish for the best as if school is a babysitting service. Some parents who homeschool their children are proactive and are invested in their children's education and they actually care about the child's wellbeing. Good homeschooling parents know their children’s strengths and weaknesses and work hard to help the child improve in difficult areas. This is not a joke, it is a sacrifice.

No one wants their children to get a half-ass education from a teacher who cares more about him/herself than the children and who is only teaching because they needed a job – you know there are teachers like that. Some public schools are prisons where children learn to sit down, shut up and do as they’re told. Don’t get me wrong there are some excellent school teachers and some good public schools, but there are many very bad ones too. When children are homeschooled they are encouraged, they can be creative, they can excel at their own pace and learn more than just the basic fundamentals. These children have more than book knowledge, they learn by doing, exploring, seeing, experiencing. If schools actually prepared children for a real future by providing a quality education that is not infested with sex, drugs, violence and prejudices then parents would not have to resort to homeschooling. In public schools there are too many children who can't pass college entrance exams, but who are graduating at the tops of their classes. What is that all about?

And whoever thinks that parents are not teachers is sadly mistaken. So is it safe to say that your parents taught you nothing, because they were not certified teachers? What an insult! A parent's job is that and much more. Parents are (should be) educators, mentors, motivators and role models, to name a few. It is the parent who TEACHES children right from wrong, TEACHES children self respect, and TEACHES children good citizenship, things that many children in public schools still lack upon high school graduation. Who cares if you were valedictorian if you turn out to be a murderer? Take a trip down memory lane and think about all of the children you know who have excelled academically. It's usually not because they had a fantastic teacher but because they had a PARENT who pushed them academically and who TAUGHT them things that the teacher could/did not.

Are all homeschooling parents suitable to do so? Certainly not. But neither are all teachers suitable to educate our children. Many are more concerned about getting their paychecks than educating our children. Think about the high rate of teacher turnover. What we need to do is stop pointing hypocritical fingers at parents who love their children and who are actually dedicated to their children’s education and look at the ones who are being abusive and neglectful. Isn’t that what the court case was really about in the first place? What is the teacher certification going to do – stop the belt from swinging? Get real. Stop sensationalizing homeschooling as if it is some type of social illness and do something to fix our pitiful and broken school system where “no child” is “left behind”, but many children are failing or dropping out of school. Check the stats. Our children in public schools are failing—thanks certified teachers. Wait, that’s the parents fault too? Yeah right. Stop looking for news and put the magnifier on parents who are abusing their children whether those children are in public schools, private schools or homeschools.

If certified teachers think that the parents are incompetent in the first place who knows what they think of the kids! Guess what? There are many teachers who fall into the category of abusive. Think about the ones having inappropriate relationships with their students or molesting them. Then there are the ones who are just plain hateful, like the kindergarten teacher who sent the special needs child home on the bus with no pants because he urinated on himself? I don’t want those folks teaching my kids anything.

Many homeschooling parents do use a curriculum and many children who are homeschooled have access to excellent learing resources. If this ruling is the beginning of a new standard then you may as well require certification for all parents to help their children with homework. Give me a break.

I am so tired of people referring to homeschooling parents as having "good intentions". First of all parents who homeschool their children do more than "intend" to teach their children. They take their responsibilities to their children very seriously and they work hard at their children's education. This is more than some parents do, who stick their children in public schools, drop them off and wish for the best as if school is a babysitting service. Some parents who homeschool their children are proactive and are invested in their children's education and they actually care about the child's wellbeing. Good homeschooling parents know their children’s strengths and weaknesses and work hard to help the child improve in difficult areas. This is not a joke, it is a sacrifice.

No one wants their children to get a half-ass education from a teacher who cares more about him/herself than the children and who is only teaching because they needed a job – you know there are teachers like that. Some public schools are prisons where children learn to sit down, shut up and do as they’re told. Don’t get me wrong there are some excellent school teachers and some good public schools, but there are many very bad ones too. When children are homeschooled they are encouraged, they can be creative, they can excel at their own pace and learn more than just the basic fundamentals. These children have more than book knowledge, they learn by doing, exploring, seeing, experiencing. If schools actually prepared children for a real future by providing a quality education that is not infested with sex, drugs, violence and prejudices then parents would not have to resort to homeschooling. In public schools there are too many children who can't pass college entrance exams, but who are graduating at the tops of their classes. What is that all about?

And whoever thinks that parents are not teachers is sadly mistaken. So is it safe to say that your parents taught you nothing, because they were not certified teachers? What an insult! A parent's job is that and much more. Parents are (should be) educators, mentors, motivators and role models, to name a few. It is the parent who TEACHES children right from wrong, TEACHES children self respect, and TEACHES children good citizenship, things that many children in public schools still lack upon high school graduation. Who cares if you were valedictorian if you turn out to be a murderer? Take a trip down memory lane and think about all of the children you know who have excelled academically. It's usually not because they had a fantastic teacher but because they had a PARENT who pushed them academically and who TAUGHT them things that the teacher could/did not.

Are all homeschooling parents suitable to do so? Certainly not. But neither are all teachers suitable to educate our children. Many are more concerned about getting their paychecks than educating our children. Think about the high rate of teacher turnover. What we need to do is stop pointing hypocritical fingers at parents who love their children and who are actually dedicated to their children’s education and look at the ones who are being abusive and neglectful. Isn’t that what the court case was really about in the first place? What is the teacher certification going to do – stop the belt from swinging? Get real. Stop sensationalizing homeschooling as if it is some type of social illness and do something to fix our pitiful and broken school system where “no child” is “left behind”, but many children are failing or dropping out of school. Check the stats. Our children in public schools are failing—thanks certified teachers. Wait, that’s the parents fault too? Yeah right. Stop looking for news and put the magnifier on parents who are abusing their children whether those children are in public schools, private schools or homeschools.

If certified teachers think that the parents are incompetent in the first place who knows what they think of the kids! Guess what? There are many teachers who fall into the category of abusive. Think about those having inappropriate relationships with their students or molesting them. Then there are the ones who are just plain hateful. I don’t want those folks teaching my kids anything.

Many homeschooling parents do use a curriculum and many children who are homeschooled have access to excellent resources. If this ruling is the beginning of a new standard then you may as well require certification for all parents to help their children with homework. Give me a break.

Think about this, if your child were in a public or private school would you want the child to be tought by someone with no credentials? Whats puzzling to me is, why would someone think its ok for a parent to teach a child, and not have the appropriate credentials to do so. At the end of the day its not the parent so will suffer is the child, if the child does not get the appropriate teachings then how will that child do when he/she comes into the real world. Thats very selfish of parents so do so without having the appopriate requirements, and how can you teach soemthing to soemone and you don't not it your self. I mean thats common sense. What will parents want to do next marry their own child becuase the husband/wife might be abusive or cheat. This is the real world and it's best to teach our child the truth about the world now than for them to have to find out by suprise later on i life.

Leave the teraching for those who are capable and have the requirements. Not because you think you can not it thats means you should. I think i can climb mount everest, will i be stupid enough to try it, no!! Because i don't have the appropriate training to do so!!!

As a public school teacher I have more then once had to deal with the mess created by people who home school their children. Most recently the boy put in my class was missing basic 5th grade math, and spelling skills. In addition his behavior was horrid. He saw school as a social environment not a learning one.
In parent conferences his mother repeatedly told him that school was a privilege and he did not have to attend. We later learned her idea of schooling him was to sit him in front of a book while she talked on the phone.

It is rare that educated parents home school their children. Most commonly the choice to home school arises from the desire to keep the children indoctrinated into a particular faith.
Most parents are ill equipped and should not be home schooling their kids.

I am considering home-schooling my child due to some behavioral/ADHD problems. I read the above comments and I find myself actually angry that someone would say that parents don't know what's best for their children educationally. I have not completed my degree personally, but when I arrive at my son's school only to see that these "educated, capable, well-equipped" (to use some of the adjectives above) teachers have no idea what to do with my child! Especially when there are supposed to be in that school system teachers with special qualifications to help my child. Now that is truly disturbing! The very people who are "qualified" cannot discipline my child for fear of legal retribution. I cannot send my child to school without medication, but he learns at my side without medication. It's obvious from my dealings with this school and previous daycares/pre-K classes that they really have no clue what to do with my child. Should I send him to school where they can only suspend him home, where he's not able to learn from these educators it seems are chosen by God, as the previous posts seem to think. I think instead I'll keep my child at home and teach him to do animal sacrifice to fulfill my own sick religious needs. Thanks guys.

You really sound educated and open minded when you say: "It is rare that educated parents home school their children. Most commonly the choice to home school arises from the desire to keep the children indoctrinated into a particular faith. Most parents are ill equipped and should not be home schooling their kids." or "Leave the teraching for those who are capable and have the requirements. Not because you think you can not it thats means you should. I think i can climb mount everest, will i be stupid enough to try it, no!! Because i don't have the appropriate training to do so!!!"

I'm so glad you qualified people have the instruction manual that suits all children's needs--boy i wish ole stoopid ma in the hills kood git it so we kood be reel smart to! Let the child abuse begin!

Might I also add in agreement with some before that there were very few teachers who did anything in the course of my public school education that my parents couldn't have done. I knew how to read at 3 thanks to my Dad and could write at 4. "why is the sky blue?" or "why does it rain?"--common questions asked by kids, was answered honestly and scientifically (and correctly) by my parents, neither of which had college degrees (in fact, my mom has a GED) because my parents wanted us to learn. School was a disappointment. God forbid you're not smack dab in the middle of the "average student." I've been told that if I read ahead, didn't stay behind with the other students, that my teacher would NOT help me--she's only here to teach on an average intelligence level. I learned to do it on my own, to educate myself because my uneducated parents believed in education, the acquisition of knowledge, more so than most public school teachers who decided to teach because they had no idea what else to do with their lives, who really were just gettting through another day, hating to come to work. Do you think they really tried? I was bored to death in school. I'm going to take my uneducated self and make sure that my kids know more than they'll ever learn in a public school!