California homeschooling parents in danger of prosecution

An estimated 166,000 children are possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution according to a California appeals court. Parents without teaching credentials are not allowed to homeschool their children.

The San Francisco Chronicle:

The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that California law requires parents to send their children to full-time public or private schools or have them taught by credentialed tutors at home.
"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws."

Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said.

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue. (If Berkeley is an example, I think the state is failing in this regard.)

In other words, the state does not feel that parents will raise their own children to be good citizens and need to bee brainwashed in state schools.

And of course, the teachers union could care less as long as more teachers are hired, ignoring all evidence of improved learning by homeschooled children....

The ruling was applauded by a director for the state's largest teachers union.

"We're happy," said Lloyd Porter, who is on the California Teachers Association board of directors. "We always think students should be taught by credentialed teachers, no matter what the setting

Interesting Reading

"The terrorists are running this war exactly as the anarchists of the 19th century. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is anything new. It is NOT new, and a study of the anarchists of the 19th century will make what the terrorists are doing quite clear, and explain the sheer brilliance of President Bush’s response. "

The author of the quote is known as Mrs. Du Toit. This quote was part of an essay explaining how the study of history is a solution to some problems described on her husband's website. He was describing the situation in Great Britain. It seems that schools over there may stop teaching about the Holocaust since that teaching contradicts what some Muslim children are learning at home. The schools are afraid of being offensive. (I've learned to watch what happens in England if one wishes to see the future of a Democratic Party world. PC/multiculturalism, gun control, and nannystatism run amok.)

"Schools are dropping the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Governmentbacked study has revealed.
It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial."

And,

"There is also resistance to tackling the 11th century Crusades - where Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem - because lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques."

This may be a roundabout way of introducing her, but I wanted to put this essay into context. It is an answer to a question in the comments of the above essay concerning England. (Be aware that her answer is long and detailed but interesting.)
Mrs. Du Toit, along with her essay writing also home schools her children. She discusses education issues at length on her blog. Her husband's site covers a variety of interests, but the emphasis is on a free society and 2nd Amendment rights.