“So tonight, I am proposing that every state—every state—requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.” —President Barack Obama Tuesday’s State of the Union speech http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/2012/201201260.asp Now he wants to take away your right to homeschool!
Im definately not an obama fan but I dont see how that affects homeschoolers. Our state requires that kids must be in school until 16 here. It doesnt affect homeschooling especially if he puts in or until they graduate. I dont see an issue here mabe im missing something.
It effects education across the board. The system is failing, and rather than deal with the situation, they decide students need to spend MORE TIME in school. The bottom line is that the Constitution DOES NOT give the federal government the authority to control education. Plus, it also states that any power not specifically stated in the constitution is under control of the INDIVIDUAL STATES. So, once again, the federal government is taking authority that is illegal for it to take. In addition, we're working with a failing system. Do you honestly thing that will make a difference? NOPE! What it WILL do is put more strain on school budgets, since some kids will be staying in longer. And what happens when they turn 18 and still haven't graduated? I know! Let's require them to attend until they're 21! That will do the trick! This is nothing more than political rheteric. It will accomplish nothing, except to make people say he's "for" education. And he knows that. BTW, this is one area where both the Dems and the Reps are equally to blame. NCLB was a big waste of time and money, and something most teachers were against.
I know that as we sat listening to the speech, my ears perked up at the education section, but everything he said, I thought, "ok, good idea in theory, but how are you going to go about it?" It is one thing to say education is good, support the schools and teachers, but the "how" is important when schools are having to cut budgets with no choice. They may love the idea of paying good teachers for performance, but where does that money come from? I felt no fear towards the future of homeschooling, just more pity for my fellow teachers who fear job cuts and still have to pay for items out of pocket.
Here in NH they just passed a state law stating that all students homeschooled or not are to be educated and show educational progress until they are 18. IF YOU HOMESCHOOL, and complete course work to graduate earlier than that the NH board of education must OK your completed education plan in order for it to be legit
...which means they probably wouldn't OK Faythe, because she will graduate without any Alg. 2, and will only have science through Biology. And I hold it's NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S BUSINESS how my children are educated! Until they can get their act together to where all those under their care are educated appropriately (be it college-bound or technical, or whatever), they have no right to tell me what is appropriate for my child!!!
One more reason I'm glad to be going to China. There they don't have a say or bother to get involved in your child's education when your an American.
Jackie, I couldn't agree more! Whether the law would make a difference or not isn't even the biggest thing for me, it's that he is trying to usurp states' rights.
Obama is not only attempting to take on the job of each state, Obama is intruding on the rights of parents. He is taking away the right of the parent to decide whether or not their child will be able to dropout of high school. As Jackie shared, this effects education across the board. While some people think this is a GREAT idea because everybody should be educated. It fails to see the fact that forcing them to sit in a seat for a couple more years will not guarantee the student will learn. Students who do not want to learn, who want to fool around, ditch, fight, cause trouble, or use the school simply as a social hangout have no business in school in the first place. Let them dropout, with parental consent, and use the money on students who want an education. I am curious how Obama plans to FORCE, because that is what he will have to do, students who do not want to be in school past the current legal dropout age to remain in school and learn. The reason this is a concern to homeschool families, or should be, is because a government that has the power to overstep its bounds and take on the role of the state and the parent has the power to tell homeschool families that they have to homeschool until the child is 18 AND it can require all states to implement the same homeschool regulations that are regulated at a federal level and not the state.
I find it interesting that his political groupies would throw a fit if the government tried to force participation in the military at age 18, but they think that forcing children into a government regimented education program is beneficial to society. Anything the government says is mandatory to participate in is quite concerning to me. That being said, the bullying of the states is the biggest issue for me, as it is the most evident vehicle for socialism to become more deeply rooted. We are on our way to another civil war if this keeps going the way it has been.
I think it is just a way for him to drum up more support. People think that more information, longer school days, more years in school, harder classes, or more testing is going to make better students. Working in a broken system for a longer period of time is not going to do any good. I think we need to re-think the whole educational system. While there may be a certain amount of knowledge that everyone really needs to live a decent life. The current "box" of knowledge that they say is necessary is way out of whack. Not everyone needs algebra. Not everyone needs to be able to analyze fiction. Not everyone needs to know biology or chemistry. I believe that the basics should be taught. After that the opportunities should be left open for the child to decide. I really don't see how forcing higher math and sciences is producing more mathmeticians or scientists. Although some people think that by making them study the harder stuff it will result in more science majors or math majors.
