Generally speaking, regulation is just a poor excuse for government intervention. And with how well the public schools are doing, I can’t say regulation creates positive educational/social results. In CO homeschool families are required to have contact hours traced and Iowa testing. That, by in large, suffices for wildly successful homeschooling. I have worked as a teacher with homeschool families since 1996 and see overwhelming success in homeschooling in our state. We have Co-ops, programs that offer support or joint classes - church involvement - public school involvement . . . no more regulation is needed. A few children will fall through the cracks but that is not a reason to regulate or look over the shoulders of the majority. Social services can be called on ANY family if there are concerns and that should suffice.
There are bad apples in every basket. The homeschoolers I work with are solid families who instill values, encourage excellence and offer multiple opportunities for their children to learn and excel. More and more are not faith based families. I am certified as a public school teacher but learned far more teaching homeschool kids than my college degree ever offered. And I paid all my taxes required to my school district - it would have been lovely to have had that money to offer better opportunities for kids. I suggest a deep dive into the testing scores of the majority of homeschooled children in America to see they are wildly ahead of the majority of their public/private school peers. Let’s not address a “problem” that really does not exist.
Wow! Are you a Communist? LEAVE PARENTS ALONE!!! IT SHOULD 100% NOT BE REGULATED. That would be like TREATING parents like CRIMINALS. Do you work for the child welfare? I bet you think we should regulate the Amish too? F THAT!
Your idea is EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE. Child welfare workers sex trafficked a girl in AZ. Teacher sex trafficked children in school. Why don’t you MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND LEAVE FAMILIES ALONE!?
I live in AK and have homeschooled my daughter since kindergarten; she is now in 5th grade. There are a couple state homeschooling programs set up that give a tiny percentage of what we pay in state property taxes that are allotted for schools, around $2,500 per child, for curriculum and other materials related to our child’s individual learning plan; which is on file with the program and is designed by the parents. The parents receive the $2,500 to be reimbursed if it meets certain criteria (fits the ILP, is not paying for private school, is not religious), but there is a larger sum that stays with the program leaders who invest it in contact teachers, activities in the many communities where we live. an office space in central locations for curriculum libraries, study kits… so many things. Our contact teachers are certified teachers, almost all of whom were homeschooling parents, and are assigned to the kids. Parents are responsible for turning in samples of their child’s activities that relate to their ILP (I have been known to send in pics of us baking - using fractions, tide pooling - biology, swimming - PE…). There are no intrusions on our space or our learning styles and they only give curriculum ideas if a parent asks. If I ever felt they were intruding on our family, we’d simply opt out of receiving the allotment.
I realize I mentioned we can’t buy religious books with the allotment - we are not impeded in any way from using religious curricula, the state just won’t pay for it. There are no testing requirements, but regular testing is available if we want to know where our child stands. The program is AWESOME! Just look up IDEA Homeschooling in Alaska if you’re interested in a program that works.
I do not believe government should ever be allowed to audit our decisions as parents. If someone sees or notices an issue regarding child welfare there is already an agency to call to investigate that.
Unfortuantley there are sick people teachers or parents … there must be someone or something that can protect the child no matter who that sick person is … They are not just in one place
Why are we not going to intervene for the “bad apples”? That apple is a child and should not be a sacrafice just to make the majority happy
As a parent who pulled her kid to homeschool in a state that tried to unlawfully regulate what I was doing, I’m definitely not in favor of regulating homeschooling. There’s already too much overreach to control. The example you’re giving is definitely not the norm and should not punish parents who work hard to give the best, and even better, education than the public school system. I think a lot of parents would agree that the Fed and state need to stay out of our personal lives and how we choose to run our families.
I disagree with the proposal to increase regulation on homeschooling.
20 years ago I may have agreed with you. I knew a homeschooling family who I personally felt could have done better in the quality of education provided and wondered what kind of future their kids would have. Fast forward to today and although those kids gained less in the way of academics, they gained huge in work skills and family raising. All are married, employed in decent paying blue- collar jobs, homeowners. They weathered the pandemic better than most families who raised kids in the public school system, and are honestly doing better than most of the traditional high school graduates in this area. My doubts were misplaced. There are many posts on this site proposing ways to impart these practical life skills and hands on experience into the public schools now because many youth who went to public school are failing in this as young adults.
I would propose that the government stay out of parents choices for educating their children. Families know best what their children need. After these last few years it is obvious that families need less government intrusion rather than more.
In those rare instances where homeschooling parents are “felonies, prior cases of DHS/CPS cases, suspicion of abuse/neglect” as you mentioned, then it seems the state would end up involved in some other way without having to increase surveillance of all homeschoolers.
As far as the potential financial incentives you mentioned, it seems this is a relatively new option? I think there are already requirements for periodic testing in place to ensure the children are meeting state standards.
This allotment sounds like a great program!
Back-round checks, for parents?
I could not disagree with that more.
I sort of wonder if this post (suggesting that home-schooling parents need to be regulated) is serious or if the intended purpose was to stir the pot.)
Assuming this post is serious, I would reply that I do not agree. I say this as a former home-schooling parent of four. I recommend home-schooling but I also see the value of public school. Teachers we interacted with were all caring and dedicated professionals.
But regarding the rare instance where parents are just pulling their kids out of school and abusing them, there are other safety catches like neighbors, medical providers, hospitals, relatives, family friends, church nurseries and Sunday school classes. (It’s difficult to be closed off from the world entirely however we all know of exceptional cases.) These people will contact the authorities if needed.
In short, no, I do not agree that home-schooling parents need to be regulated.
Seriously? You would put undue burden and GOVERNMENT oversight on millions of innocent families in the hopes of saving just a few? That’s like telling people they can’t drive because so many are killed in accidents each year. No amount of government oversight will protect all the children all of the time. I would rather the government spend more time on oversight on the rise of teachers (particularly women) who are being caught abusing students for sexual pleasure in the public schools. Our tax payer dollars already go there. Why add more tax payer dollars and burden of “proof” on private individuals implementing an unnecessary program when we already have social services as a watchdog? There is simple IOWA testing to determine achievement level - again, homeschooling children are leaps and bounds ahead of public schooled peers. This is still a solution in search of a problem. Leave well enough along. I have taught and known hundreds of homeschool pupils and it’s a non-starter.
Children are a protected population and trying to compare what I am saying to car crash deaths is comparing what adults do and their mistakes of driving to innocent lives of children. Since they are a protected population saving just a few is important
I dont know what the answer is to school reform and preventing these sick people from getting access to children … but I dont think the answer is as simple as just homeschool.
The Constitution gives us Liberty, along with our inalienable rights which “are rights that cannot be taken away by legislation, majority vote, or executive command. They are fundamental rights that are protected by every constitution, under the law”. Meaning that People can’t be regulated, but functions in which they engage, might. For example, you mention regulating the Parents. You say that the reason for this is that parents might have difficulty based on a number of possibilities: jail time, poverty, single parent having to raise children and support a household, all the things that we come up against in a world that is not friendly nor helpful in its own right. Why not include programs to ASSIST parents within the Home Schooling paradigm by way of their own education and personal growth? Also, let’s create a program where the parent learns along with the child as to how to administer some of the necessary functions while home schooling. While we are at it, let’s pay these parents because educating a child requires time and attention which working parents find difficult to give at times. This way, you are not regulating the Parent, you are regulating the curriculum that the parent administers while providing both the student and parent with choices, chances, options, and opportunities. Let’s move toward a more wholistic approach to education. Parents in control, students with choices, and a new paradigm of funding, curriculum, and innovation. I’m with you on that! 
Let’s think outside the box and build something better. The time is now. 