A California court ruled that parents who home school their children have to have "credentials." Considering the kind of education our children get from those with credentials, this seems to me to be a completely arbitrary ruling by this court. One could just as rationally rule against schools for hiring people with credentials precisely because they don't teach students anything needed to survive in the 21st century.
In fact, we should go a step further. If a parent is home schooling their child (or sending their child to a private school), why should they have to pay property taxes? Property taxes are supposed to go to funding schools, and those who are teaching their own children at home or paying for private school are not using those facilities. In fact, they have to pay for their child's schooling twice -- the one the child is in fact getting, and the one the child is not getting. How is that fair?
Unfortunately, there haven't been any real consequences to the rotten education our children are receiving. The universities just lower standards and dumb down curricula. COmpanies have been providing extra training to cover what universities won't. The strong U.S. economy has benefitted us by attracting highly educated workers from other countries, but this isn't going to be true much longer as places like China and India liberalize their economies and become stronger. We will reap what we have sown -- and it's going to be very soon.
6 comments:
With two highly gifted children and living in a rural area, we had few options for proper education. Fortunately we live in a state with no homeschooling laws. There is a voluntary registration, but not required.
The public schools were not equipped, nor had any funding, for exceptionally intelligent children. Homeschooling saved us from having to give up our businesses and move to a more urban area. Overall, they received a much better education than the public schools offered.
I have little doubt they did. I'm fortunate that I live in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, so I have some Montessori schools to choose from. My nearly 15 month old daughter already loves being read to. She'll sit and make me or my wife read her 4-5 Dr. Seuss books in a row every day.
It takes a gifted adult to teach a gifted child--not exactly the kind of person who usually turns up in public schools, unfortunately. A teacher I was T.A.'ing for here in Sackville last week spelled tomorrow t-o-w-m-o-r-r-o-w on the board and asked me (in front of her students) if sharks were mammals or fish. Later that day, when one of the students remarked that Ukrainian text looked like Russian text, she explained that "a lot of countries in that part of the world speak Russian, just like a lot of countries in South America speak Mexican."
I spent a good part of the last 4 days in Richardson, where I was impressed by the pork over rice at First Chinese BBQ. My wife and I also enjoyed the Dallas Museum of Art. I don't think there are many (i.e. any) original Monets or Van Goghs in Maritime Canada.
My Mexican Kindergarten teacher wife is thoroughly appalled.
And what were you doing in Dallas -- let alone Richardson -- for 4 days without giving me a heads-up? We could have had dinner somewhere.
I thought about it, but it was a pretty rushed affair and I thought it would be tacky to get ahold of you on your blog. I have something of a neurotic disposition, and in my mind things often seem much more complicated and daunting than they actually are. I didn't realize you live right in Richardson, though. We probably drove by your house.
I'll be back in July or August, and I won't make the same mistake again.
Somewhat of a neurotic disposition, rather.
:D
Post a Comment