Senate Bill 248: Require Children's Services Review for Homeschooling

[Revmitchell]

Senate Bill 248: Require Children's Services Review for Homeschooling
Sponsors:
Senator Cafaro, Senator Brown, Senator Turner, Senator Schiavoni
Summary:

Senate Bill (SB) 248 was introduced on December 3, 2013, and would require children’s services to review all homeschool notices to determine whether homeschooling is “in the best interest of the child.” Under this proposed legislation, children’s services would be required to meet with parents who choose to homeschool and conduct separate in-person interviews with each of their children. Children’s services would then make a recommendation for or against the excuse from compulsory school attendance.

Children’s services would automatically be required to recommend against homeschooling if they determine it is not in the child’s “best interest” or if the family has any record of a child welfare investigation, regardless of the result of that investigation. If there is a recommendation against homeschooling, the superintendent would be ordered to delay excusing the children for homeschooling until the family participates in a CPS parenting “intervention.”

http://www.hslda.org/cms/?q=bill/se...rvices-review-homeschooling&fb_source=message

 

[annsni]

I would certainly hope that they will do the same for parents who choose government schools for their kids or private schools.

 

[Revmitchell]

I think this is just an excuse to make homeschooling more difficult.

 

[annsni]

I think this is just an excuse to make homeschooling more difficult.

I agree - because we haven't had the Kool-aid. They need to control parents and children as much as they can!

 

[sunniemom]

Withdrawn

This bill was withdrawn on 12/19, due to the incredible amount of negative feedback Senator Cafaro's office received. http://on.fb.me/IZpoBQ

 

[LadyofLight]

Thankfully that was in Ohio, and not nationwide...

 

[heisrisen]

Wow I'm so sick of government officials trying to say what a parent can and cannot do and trying to control their parenting. The parents are the parents, not the state. I'm glad this was withdrawn and hope it never comes up again. What was this person thinking introducing a bill like this?! Mad

 

[ElenaP]

I suppose I will go against the grain here, but I could see how a bill such as this could be in the best interest of the child. When children are in a formal school they have contact with the outside world and although I'm sure much can be hidden, there is still a point of contact with others that could help a child, if need be.

But when a child is homeschooled they could be completely isolated and solely under the direction and power of their parents. If the parents are well meaning then surely there would be no problem. But for the one or two parents that truly do not have their child's best interests at heart - well this could save a child. Just because we are all well meaning people does not mean everyone is, there are bad people out there.

 

[Don]

I suppose I will go against the grain here, but I could see how a bill such as this could be in the best interest of the child. When children are in a formal school they have contact with the outside world and although I'm sure much can be hidden, there is still a point of contact with others that could help a child, if need be.

But when a child is homeschooled they could be completely isolated and solely under the direction and power of their parents. If the parents are well meaning then surely there would be no problem. But for the one or two parents that truly do not have their child's best interests at heart - well this could save a child. Just because we are all well meaning people does not mean everyone is, there are bad people out there.

So EVERYONE who homeschools gets their 4th amendment rights revoked because of a few people?

 

[LadyofLight]

I think, if we trust God, then we do not need very many aspects of our lives to be legislated. The government is run by people who are all just as limited and broken as us. They may also have our best interest at heart (although I think their actions consistently prove otherwise) but there is no way to make one blanket law for any situation without it helping only a few and definitely having negative consequences for a few. I think, if governments should have a say in this sort of thing, it should be the most local governing body. They would have the most well-rounded understanding of individual circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

 

[ElenaP]

So EVERYONE who homeschools gets their 4th amendment rights revoked because of a few people?

So you feel a few instances of child abuse or neglect should be shrugged at so that you may keep your personal rights?

I just don't see it that way. I feel if I am doing the best for my child I would gladly invite social services into my home to see how I am schooling my child. If I am doing right I would have nothing to fear. I would gladly allow them into my home, knowing they are entering every homeschooler's home, to ensure the safety and best educational interests for every child.

People who work in social services are often well meaning people who want to make a difference in the world. They are usually very caring and well intentioned folks that are called to work in that field, not evil policemen out to get you.

If one is truly providing a decent education for one's child at home, I don't see how something like this would be anything to fear.

 

[annsni]

So you feel a few instances of child abuse or neglect should be shrugged at so that you may keep your personal rights?

I just don't see it that way. I feel if I am doing the best for my child I would gladly invite social services into my home to see how I am schooling my child. If I am doing right I would have nothing to fear. I would gladly allow them into my home, knowing they are entering every homeschooler's home, to ensure the safety and best educational interests for every child.

People who work in social services are often well meaning people who want to make a difference in the world. They are usually very caring and well intentioned folks that are called to work in that field, not evil policemen out to get you.

If one is truly providing a decent education for one's child at home, I don't see how something like this would be anything to fear.

Then EVERY parent should be comfortable having social services inspect their home, interview their children and possibly step in where needed. Homeschoolers don't have a corner on abuse and actually, more public school kids are in abusive situations than homeschoolers. So maybe every public school student's home should be inspected. It's all about safety and the best interests of the child, after all.

 

[ElenaP]

Then EVERY parent should be comfortable having social services inspect their home, interview their children and possibly step in where needed. Homeschoolers don't have a corner on abuse and actually, more public school kids are in abusive situations than homeschoolers. So maybe every public school student's home should be inspected. It's all about safety and the best interests of the child, after all.

Ok, I see your point there.

I don't want to start any argument. I just come from an educational background and have experiences with both public and homeschooling. I'm used to being 'evaluated' myself, so I don't feel any protest against it.

I would be for a bill like this not because it uncovers abuse (although that is important too), but more because it can uncover educational neglect. And if you are not educationally neglecting a child, I just wouldn't see anything to worry about. But for those who are, I still feel strongly that every child has a right to a decent education, and if the parent is not providing it, they would be better off in a formal school.

 

[annsni]

Ok, I see your point there.

I don't want to start any argument. I just come from an educational background and have experiences with both public and homeschooling. I'm used to being 'evaluated' myself, so I don't feel any protest against it.

I would be for a bill like this not because it uncovers abuse (although that is important too), but more because it can uncover educational neglect. And if you are not educationally neglecting a child, I just wouldn't see anything to worry about. But for those who are, I still feel strongly that every child has a right to a decent education, and if the parent is not providing it, they would be better off in a formal school.

In New York State, I have to have my children submit to a standardized test every two years from 4th through 8th grades and every year from 9th through 12th. Isn't that going to show whether the child is being educated or not? By the way, statistics show that homeschooled kids average about the 85th percentile on standardized tests. Public schooled kids average right at about 50th. I think that says a lot. Additionally, there is no correlation between the parent's education and the child's test scores with homeschooling but it is a huge factor in pubic schooling.

 

[Don]

I want to thank Ann for the excellent response about visiting ALL homes.

Elena, Ann's response also applies to your follow-on comment. Child Welfare currently isn't set up to check "educational well-being."

I had my kids periodically tested, even when we lived in states that didn't require it. My youngest son was identified as reading at a college level when he was in sixth grade. I have no "fear" of such a bill.

You want to know what the fear is? How will these kids be "educationally tested"? Will it be the standard reading-writing-arithmetic? Or will it include social issues that Christians may not agree with, and therefore teach their children differently than the public system? What will the result be when a child is pulled out of their home because, even though the sixth-grader can read at a college level, his parents and the church he attends believe homosexuality is a sin?

Do I "fear" this kind of bill? Only as an intrusion into my household, for which the 4th amendment expressly prohibits. We don't allow the police to check our households for evidence of criminal activity without a search warrant or probable cause.

The ACLJ and HSLDA have fought to ensure those same protections extend to educational freedom, and legal precedent currently requires (already overworked) social workers to obtain warrants in most states. I foresee that this bill will be challenged--and fail--based on these precedents, making it an exercise for politicians to be able to say they supported protecting children by supporting this bill, while knowing full well there would be a constitutional challenge.