Friday, March 14, 2008

A Parent's Right to Choose

My kids go to our local public school. Even though I know things aren't perfect there, I know that I don't have the patience to homeschool the kids. I have known several people who do homeschool their children, and I have nothing but admiration for them. Sometimes I look back and wonder if I shouldn't have at least given it a try, but that was my own choice. I just heard today that a judge in California has ruled that parents “do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children.” If his ruling is allowed to stand, parents in California may be forced to send their kids to public schools or face charges. He is basically trying to take the choice about how their kids are educated out of the parents' hands. That sounds like infringement of a very basic freedom to me. I think there should be standards in place to be sure the kids are getting an adequate education through some kind of testing, but I don't think the government should be able to tell the parents where their children will get that education.

In an effort to get this judge's ruling overturned Reverse The Ruling - Homeschoolers Unite has been launched to make sure people know the facts and give them a chance to speak up. Their goal is to get people involved, to sign the petition, write to their congressman, and spread the word. This isn't just about California, because if it's allowed to happen in California, how long until it spreads throughout the rest of the country? And it isn't just about HomeSchooling. This is about freedom for parents to choose the best possible education for their children. Don't you think we should all have that right?