The Mineral County Board of Education passed into legitimate law the action taken last school year to remove from the rolls of homeschoolers those that spend more than 50% of their time in traditional school classes. This action provoked a hostile reaction at the time because it had no basis in the law. Now some homeschooling parents will have to make the adjustment.
Increasing numbers of parents every year opt to remove their children from the traditional school environment. At one time schools reflected the values and standards of each individual community. Now they mirror the goals and dreams of far away bureaucrats and academics. Under their leadership, public schools veer crazily from social experiment to social engineering.
Consolidation has damaged the schools severely. In the past the schools were based in the community and so were the teachers. Teachers were neighbors to the students they taught and had stronger connections to the community. Now the ties that once bound teachers to students and parents have frayed considerably. No one knows each other. This makes it easier for teachers to not hold themselves to high standards. It also makes it easier for parents to mistrust and dislike the school system.
These and other factors drive students out of the traditional school environment. So where can their parents go to get them the best education possible? The answer lies in the free market. Homeschooling parents can band together, pool money, and pay a retiree or a graduate student to teach a subject (such as math) that parents might find difficult to explain. They can establish their own mini schools that reflect the values they want to teach.
The freedom to choose should always remain the basis of a democratic society. When parents create more options for their children, this invigorates their own children's education. Hopefully it will force the public system to respond more effectively to community concerns.
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