California Homeschooling - End may be near for many.

[mechurchlady]

My mother was babbling about this and now I see how many homeschooled children may have no other choice than return to regular public and private schools. The new appellate ruling would mean that all home schooled children in California be taught by credentialed teachers. A woman at my church home schools and would either have to have the pastor's wife and daughter home school her or put her back into a regualar school.

On Feb. 28, Judge H. Walter Croskey of the Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled that children ages six to 18 may be taught only by credentialed teachers in public or private schools — or at home by Mom and Dad, but only if they have a teaching degree.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1720697,00.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-homeschool08mar08,1,7263391.story

I hope I am not out of line posting this but really want parents to know that they could end up sending their kids to a private or public school. I am not debating but trying to warn people.

 

[Forevryoung]

I actually don't know much about the state of California but I would look into what it takes to become a "credentialed teacher" in California. Some states are very easy to become a credentialed teacher (if you already have a degree) and the testing is easy (although costly).

It might be something to look into if this is a concern.

 

[LauraVV]

I wouldn't get too upset about the California ruling. The court case was about much more than homeschooling.

 

[barkley]

California has 4 options for homeschooling that are still entirely legal-

do an independent study program through your local public school,
do an independent study program through a private school (no credentials required of the staff),
do traditional homeschooling which incorporates a credentialed tutor, or
have your home designated a private school (most parents opt for, fairly easy process) in which case you like all other private schools in California do not have any legal requirement for any minimum educational standard for 'teachers'.

 

[DawnM]

In CA you must do a 5th year of school. The full year of education classes is AFTER you get your B.A. and is all at the 500 level and up. You also need to do one complete full time semester of student teaching, supervised by someone at the University where you have taken the 5th year of training.

So, it is not as easy as taking a test.

The other thing in CA is that it isn't just a credentialed teacher, it is a credentialed teacher IN the subject you are teaching. So, if I have my English credential for 6-12th grades, I cannot teach K-6 multi-subject.

But we needn't worry, this is NOT the end of homeschooling.

Dawn

I actually don't know much about the state of California but I would look into what it takes to become a "credentialed teacher" in California. Some states are very easy to become a credentialed teacher (if you already have a degree) and the testing is easy (although costly).

It might be something to look into if this is a concern.

 

[barkley]

In CA you must do a 5th year of school. The full year of education classes is AFTER you get your B.A. and is all at the 500 level and up. You also need to do one complete full time semester of student teaching, supervised by someone at the University where you have taken the 5th year of training.

So, it is not as easy as taking a test.

The other thing in CA is that it isn't just a credentialed teacher, it is a credentialed teacher IN the subject you are teaching. So, if I have my English credential for 6-12th grades, I cannot teach K-6 multi-subject.

But we needn't worry, this is NOT the end of homeschooling.

Dawn

some california private and public universities will allow you to take your credentialing class concurrently with you batchelors and complete the entire program (including student teaching) in 4 years. i did it back in the 80's and i have family that did so as recently as a few years ago. given-it's a tough haul.

as for the credentialing requriement re. homeschoolers-the law only states that the parent has to hold a california credential for the grade the child is in-not in any particular subject. so, since california issues 2 types of teaching credentials both of which permit the holder to teach in grades k-12 there is nothing to preclude a single subject credential holder from qualifying under the law (the single subject restricts the holder to only teaching the subject their credential lists-as in your example 'english'-in a public school classroom, which in most commonly grades 6th-12th, but it does not prohibit them from teaching that subject to any student in grades k-12).
so if a person has either one of these credentials they would qualify to homeschool every subject to any child grade k-12.