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California Home School Decision Provokes Strong Reaction

By Howard Friedman

Last month's decision by a California appellate court that parents have no constitutional right to home school their children is drawing increasing protest around the state. (See prior posting.) On Monday, Yahoo News reported that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will seek legislative changes if the decision is not reversed. A commentary published yesterday by the Acton Institute makes the case against the decision. Meanwhile the Home School Legal Defense Association plans to file a petition with the California Supreme Court asking it to depublish the court of appeals decision, thereby depriving it of precedential effect in other California courts. HSLDA is circulating a petition online which it hopes to use in its request for depublication.

Parents who are homeschooling their children will likely not see any change in current state policies. According to Tuesday's San Diego Union-Tribune, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has said that the state will not change current policies that allow parents to home school if they file to be a small, private school and hire a credentialed tutor. Alternatively they can enroll their children in an independent study program supervised by an established school. [Thanks to Scott Mange for a lead to some of the material.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 13, 2008 (boomark / email).