This comes from Change.gov .
Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited. Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively.
It will be interesting to see what impact this may have on homeschooling. Currently, homeschooling is regulated on a state-state basis.
Updated: the above quote and other information on the Obama/Biden agenda is no longer available at http://www.change.org .The Agenda section of the site has been edited down from dozens of detailed pages to one paragraph.
5 comments:
The Federal government can only make demands on institutions that accept federal funding. So the FEDERAL government cannot have any affect on homeschooling. State governments can - but that has nothing to do with Obama. And right now, it looks as if the President-Elect has some gigantica fish to fry in other areas. So we will be safe from any federal takeover of homeschools for now :). Oh, and Emma did a GREAT job on her superstitions. Your children are deliciously strange. Perfect for OM.
Oh - and "schools of education" refers to schools that train and educate educators (known as teachers in some circles) - it doesn't mean schools. So what this means is that schools that train educators would need to be accredited. Not that homeschool moms need to be accredited. Some states might try to enforce that (like California failed to do) but again, not the Feds.
I am not as confident as you Carol that the incoming administration will leave the one million+ homeschooled children in this country uninterfered with, Fed money not withstanding. I doubt there will be a blanket law passed making us like Germany but a slow erosion of the rights of homeschoolers (especially those of us blessed with low-no regulation state laws) wouldn't suprise me in the least. I agree with you, I highly doubt rounding up homeschoolers and forcing them into schools :D is high on his to-do list right now. Honestly, it would probably be worthwhile for those in the homeschooling community to watch his appt of Secretary of Education and see where that person stands as their influence will be the greatest on Obama in regards to education.
The fact that there are so many of us homeschoolers and the fact that we are more politically active than the average sphere of Americans makes me confident that our homeschooling rights will be protected through all the proper means we have at our disposal. You're right in that we must remain vigilant - but that has always been the case, anyway. I do know that in his book, The Audacity of Hope, on page 344 he writes: “none of these policies need discourage families from deciding to keep a parent at home…For some families, that may mean doing without certain material comforts. For others it may mean home schooling….Whatever the case may be, such decisions should be honored.” He has a history of listening to all sides of the issues, and of including those in the conversation who do not agree with him, and I feel hopeful.
All are well at your casa and we will see you tomorrow??? And did you read my blog? Are you up for a nursing bra burning ceremony?
I don't believe our right to homeschool is in as much danger as our right to homeschol as we please.
I fear being subjected to PA or NY type laws.
We'll just have to wait and see and as we agree, remain vigilant.
Post a Comment