DruBlood
Home
Dramatis Personae
Archives
Contact
Feed the Bleed
Amazon wish list
Cole’s birthday - 10/24
Monk’s birthday - 12/2
Dru’s birthday - 1/5
Search
Archives
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
Special thanks
adam host
julie template queen
kd general lusciousness
pea guru
Powered byMovable Type 1.5
« Wait. I thought it was called pragmatism. | Main | Friendster »
Why Homeschoolers Shouldn't Want Homeschool Legislation
July 31, 2003
(In case you were wondering)
- Legislators, left to their own devices, will understandably represent the mainstream majority rather than the homeschooling minority. Unless we educate them, most people assume that children need to attend a conventional school to learn basic skills and become socialized. Since the government oversees and regulates public schools, many people assume it should regulate homeschools in the same way. They also assume that homeschoolers want legislation that gives us benefits like tax credits or that supposedly guarantees that we can participate in public school courses or programs.
- Legislation is very difficult to direct and control. Anytime legislation is introduced that includes homeschooling provisions (even if it is not a homeschooling bill as such), an amendment could easily be added that would increase state regulation of homeschools. It's not a question of what we could gain if legislation were introduced to give us tax credits or some other benefit. It's a question of what we could lose through the legislative process.
- Once legislation is passed, government agencies write regulations that have the force of law even though they are not written by a representative body. Again, minority groups run the risk that regulations will reflect mainstream values rather than their own and turn the law against them.
Here's a rough sketch of the entire article.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://mt.riceweevil.com/tb/724
Comments
where was that link where I read that almost ALL children learn most of the social skills they need by the time they reach age FIVE. Hopefully before they enter the school system. And who are they most likely to learn them from? their parents, of course!
very succint dru!
I have to clarify that I did not write this.
I also have to clarify that, while I agree with the article, I think it sucks mightily that homeschoolers have to pay taxes for services they very much could use, and yet they are deprived of their use out of fear of regulation. I don't want to be regulated, either...but it sucks that the system is set up so that ear is pre-eminent.
*sigh*
Did you write this because of HONDA (H.R. 2732 - Homeschool Non-Discrimination Act)?It's being introduced in the senate tomorrow. It scares the hell out of me. Especially since the HSLDA is behind it.
I don't feel so bad about paying taxes for what we homeschoolers don't use. We pay taxes for lots of non-school stuff that we don't use either. And folks without kids pay taxes that go to pay for schools and special programs for public school kids. I'm happy to have nothing to do with them.