159948~Home school students must comply—Dear Editor,
The following is a response to a recent column regarding home
schooling:
Interestingly, there is no exemption in the California Education
Code for
”
home schools.
”
In other words, education code does not recognize the term
”
home school
”
and therefore does not exempt students from compulsory
attendance if they are, in layperson’s terms, being home
schooled.
My children do not go to school; we are homeschoolers. Legally, however, they are enrolled in a private school of my administration which is in compliance with the private school laws of the state of California. As the Gilroy attendance officer says,
“The exemption from California’s compulsory education for private school students is only valid after the verification by the attendance supervisor, or other person designated by the board of education (Ed. Code 48222).”
However, this validation must be UNIVERSALLY applied to all private school students; it would be extreme bias to apply it only to those students who are enrolled in very small private schools, or in private schools that facilitate home study arrangements.
Methinks Mr. Valadez wouldn’t have time to purse true cases of truancy and educational neglect if he were forced to check on the enrollment of every private school student in the GUSD.
Further, the step he states he would take (to determine “that the child would not be receiving an adequate education”) constitutes an unlawful evaluation and approval of a private school. There are plenty of traditional private schools operating in California that I’m sure would not meet Mr. Valadez’s narrow standards – how about a free democratic (Sudbury) school where they children are self-directed, or a Waldorf school where they don’t teach reading until much later than traditional public schools?
Mr. Valadez should instead assume that children are legitimately enrolled and meeting state attendance requirements unless a report to the contrary is made. At that time, he should limit his evaluation to that required by law – that the child is enrolled in a private school which has an affidavit on file.
Christina Sonas
