Should Homeschoolers be monitored by the government?

[Lucy]

That is OPINIONS--how do you change the title?

Friends,
Right now on Pioneer Woman there is a nasty debate raging over whether or not homeschoolers should be monitored by the government. There are many liberals and seculars that regularly visit her site and you had better believe that they would have the government ALL up in our business. Tell them what you think as a CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOLER! I did...
Many, many people go to her site every day and what you say may be the only impression of homeschooling that they ever get. If you go, make it count.

[Buzzardhut]

Onions count too!

[Sunniemom]

Gov't oversight = gov't control. There is no way around that. I have no problem with the gov't saying that parents should provide their children adequate educational opportunities. But monitoring?

The argument often is that the citizenry/gov't have a vested interest in an educated population (which doesn't explain why the system hoovers like an F5 tornado, but that's another thread). But the gov't is also vested in a healthy population since so many medical/health programs are funded by gov't/taxpayers. Is the citizenry at large ready for the gov't to monitor what they feed their kids, as well as how much exercise and sleep they get? Of course not- but those who don't homeschool are perfectly happy to point the police power of gov't at someone else, because they don't believe it affects them.

It will though. The door is already open for the gov't to monitor the nutrition and health habits of kids, and some schools have standards for lunches brought from home. Give a power hungry gov't an inch, and there goes the solar system.

[Lucy]

Onions count too!

Sometimes I can't find my glasses...lol

[MidwestMama]

Onions count too!

Onions make me cry... but then again, sometimes, so does the government.

[Reason&Hope]

The urge to control is very strong, especially among leftists and those who consider themselves the elite, or who think they're just plain smarter than others.

[MidwestMama]

I finally went over and read through that thread. Yikes! I'm sorry, but the government has enough on its plate and can't seem to manage already. I'd rather they not worry about my child's health, I'm very good at that on my own, thanks very much.

[Wally]

PA does a very good job. Accountibility, annual evaluation, review.


Its necessary for the nuturing of a child. There are horror stories of neglect but those are few, and more of a condemnation of the system not homeshooling.

[Midnightcryer]

The government has been so successful with everything else it's taken over, why not??? All seriousness aside, HSLDA and the Homeschool Foundation have proven over and over again that states with higher regulation/monitoring do not show any significant improvements than those states with little or no regulation/monitoring, which means that we do just fine educating our children when the government keeps it's nose out of our business.

[StumbleButWeFall]

Even if you homeschool at least were I'm at the government requires you to provide documentation of your childs work, and progress that goes along with state standards. At least that is what I was told the problem for me is I can't homeschool two children, and have a third not in school causing havoc in the home. It is easier when you have one child. To teach two separate grades for me is complicated.

[Mommytoa3rdgradeboy]

I think what Wally said seems fair.

I think that there should be either YEARLY or quarterly EVALUATIONS testing to ensure that the children are on grade-level w/ their peers Special ed. children would be evaluated differently, of course. I think it's great that, at least some places, have the person doing the homeschooling, complete a portfolio of the child's work and provide to the BOE a general curriculum that is being followed. Supplements can always be added.