Russ Lemley sees trouble ahead regarding California’s attack on home schoolers
I share Brian’s sense of unease about the reasons about why the Libertarian movement may pick up steam. It’s because the state has decided to harangue certain people who just don’t see the reason why they’re being bothered. It upsets their lives, causing a great deal of grief and consternation about what to do next. To avoid possible punishment, some parents may decide to send their kids to public schools, albeit not because they think it’s the right thing to do.
The general reaction to the Education Department’s ‘guidance’ in California has been one of derision. Private (especially Catholic) schools don’t require teachers to have a credential, and their students simply perform better. My wife went through the accreditation process. I attended a couple of classes with her, and they were a joke. They were basically PC bullshit sessions that had nothing to do with how to be a good teacher.
I am hoping that many home-schooling parents will simply ignore the Education Department’s ‘guidance’ and continue to keep their kids where they are. Still, all you need is one idiotic bureaucrat to ‘enforce’ this crap. When that happens, though, I’m not sure how home-schoolers will react. It could get ugly, in a non-violent sort of way. There’s been a movement among Christians, mostly, to pull their kids out of public schools because of their concerns about the moral environment. If the state decided to clamp down on home schooling, they could be in for a nasty surprise.
Will this help build support for the Libertarian cause? Maybe. But I sure don’t feel happy about it.
Russ Lemley, Torrance, California
