So my Wednesday post is a little late...Homeschooling and the GOP

I have been sitting on some of these stories, partially so they could unfold fully and partially so I could add my perspective without "jumping on the blog wagon" as everyone pulls together and shows their mutual or at least reciprocal outrage for different parts of different events that have happened over the last several weeks.

First lets get the supposed Squirrel Society out of the way as well as the Republican Party of Allen County.

After all the in fighting is said and done what will be left of the GOP in this county is hard to say with all the posturing and attempts to overthrow the current regime through the precinct committee positions (the ones whom have the "stockholder" positions in the Party), and the withholding of funds by major party supporters until there is a change proves yet again why just having a free market system would in turn either improve a product and service or remove it by a show of silent force of the public or constituency.

What is really sad is that after all the work and money that was put into remodeling the GOP Headquarters downtown several years back as a "Shine"-ing testament by their fearless leader is going up for sale and the offices of the GOP are having to be relocated for a lack of funding for the two grand plus a month in rent and all the utilities, not to mention the fact the Party is now in serious debt.

For supposed fiscal conservatives I find all of it absolutely hilarious!

In other news that hit the national and local blogs is a controversy over homeschooling, school choice, and the purpose of Systematic Public Instruction that is mandated by law with compulsion to all our children. Thanks to an old California law a court has made a blanket ruling stating that in fact it is illegal to not have a credentialed teacher, tutor, or instructor, providing the education in the home. Before I comment further there are some awesome updates on this particular case over at The Full Quiver.

The California case was not a normal situation and unlike other bloggers I believe the panel had every right to restrict what school the children could be placed in given the documented abuse of privileges by the parents and the particular school 's failure to assure the safety of the children and that they were receiving an adequate balanced education. Applying the decision without giving the legislature time to address the issue was just a tad over barring but still a precedented legitimate interpretation of the law.

This decision will hamper home schooling locations in the immediate term of application for the ruling yet think of the benefits for all the substitute teachers who will now be able to be hired on full or part time by parents looking to keep their children at home. It is a boom for the economy no matter how the situation unfolds. However if parents are then required to provide an instructor, the State should pay the persons that are hired salaries as the parents have already paid their taxes; and so therefore the State, is then obligated to sustain the most beneficial education possible for each student and that should still be determined by the parents discretion in normal cases.

Stipulating as I have in the past:
I am a product of the Public School system and proud of it!

Now, I do believe there needs to be a minimum certification process though with continuing education requirements but the idea of asking a parent to go through a complete three year certification process is about as ridiculous as my last attempt to get a teacher in Public Schools to stay past 3:30 to help one of my kids with work in math. I couldn't do it because I am numerically dyslexic.

I also believe there needs to be more openness with the school districts providing textbooks and social interaction time like Phys Ed courses and other enrichment program (eg: art, band choir, wood shop, etc.) times for a concentrated opportunity for children to have a balanced education and for the parents to get a break a couple days a week, especially with high school and middle school students.

Most high school and middle school teachers in FWCS, as I have been told, get one planning period per day and that could easily be converted by the School Board into providing a continued enrichment support for home school children, again only on like Tuesdays and Thursdays, as a limited enrichment opportunity.

I should probably just give up hope and run for the School Board myself!

[PHOTO SOURCES: The top picture's sources are not remembered at this time. The school bus was ganked from Richmond Community Schools for its obviously gay friendly undertones.]