Many of you know that I reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia. (An addition this morning: Congratulations to Tim Kaine, who ran a stellar race and will be a stellar Senator. And, kudos to President Obama and his myriad volunteers and staffers who worked the highways and byways of Virginia for their solid win yesterday.) My relocation to this state occurred just as “Massive Resistance” was coming to a close. Massive Resistance, under the tutelage of Senator Harry Byrd of Virginia, was the program by which (bigoted) residents avoided integrating their children in public schools (as a result of the Brown v. The Board of Education Supreme Court decision of 1954), allowing the closing of public schools, rather than allow integration.
“Oh,” you will say, “that fizzled out by the early 1960’s”. But, you would be wrong. Very wrong. Yes, the closed public schools did reopen. But, regardless of whether the public schools were opened, many parents refused to send their kids to them. They sent them to private schools- mostly “Christian” academies. In Charlottesville, where I first found myself subject to the laws of the Commonwealth, the “White” school (oh, yes, it was legally integrated) did not close until 1974 (it was integrated by then). But, there were hundreds of “private” (read “White”) schools in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Which eventually disappeared by the mid-1980’s, leaving basically one, St. Anne’s-Belfield.
But, this (sorry) tradition has left still other tentacles affecting children’s education. I knew (and still know) a slew of folks who taught their children at home. I was always amazed at this practice. Because I would not want to be responsible for the entire education of my children, because I and (my then) spouse worked full time, and because I wanted my children to know how to interact with other children.
But, home schooling persists. And, having a daughter who competed in “Spelling Bees”, I recall that her most formidable competition came from the one or two entrants who were home-schooled. But, home schooling children is different in Virginia than in the other 49 states and DC.
You see, we have a rule on the books that lets parents opt their children out of public school for religious reasons. Yup. Not because the schools may be failing (they generally are not), but because they fear their children will be brainwashed by the concepts of evolution, logic, and science. Once this exemption is granted by the Commonwealth, which can be granted for any religion (not necessarily mainstream…I wonder if “White Aryan” qualifies?), but not for a personal moral code, then the Commonwealth abdicates responsibility to educate the children, leaving absolutely no requirement whatsoever.
Why do I pick on this aspect? Because these 7000 Virginia residents (best estimate of those who have opted out of public school for religious reasons) have NO requirement to be educated. Yup. Read that again. The Commonwealth of Virginia has no requirements that these children be home-schooled or otherwise provided an education. (Wait. But, they’ll have the right to vote when they turn 18? Yes to that, too.)
(An aside: There are some 25000 Virginia children who are being home-schooled. Their parents have not opted for the religious exemption.)
Most states (ok, all 49 of them) let families home-school their kids for a variety of reasons. But, those states require documentation of academic progress with test scores or other benchmarks. Not so for Virginia residents. Which is a problem, since the number of children who fall in this category have increased by 50+% over the last decade.
The process is fairly simple. One applies to the local school board for the exemption. Which means that there are local administrative rules, all under the common guideline listed above. Fairfax County (one of the richest counties in the US, with about 1 million residents in the shadow of the US Capital) requires parents and children (over 14) to submit a letter explaining their religious beliefs, with supporting documentation that “proves” these are authentic beliefs. (There were some 500 children in Fairfax alone exempted last school year.)
I’ve heard those arguments that parents should have the right to control the education of their children that affects their faith. Being one of the vilified (Anti-Semitism was rampant when I first moved to the Commonwealth; it’s still around, too…), I understand the concept. But, I know that all of our children must be educated. And, there are plenty of parochial schools. And, parents can (I know- I did!) train their children in the proper foundations of their faith, and how to deal with those bigoted (hopefully) few who persist in persecuting others who have different religious beliefs.
Are we protecting Virginia children? I, for one, think not. We would not allow these same parents to beat their kids, if their religious beliefs so justified the act…
I’m very much in agreement with you on this issue Roy. I think home schooling should be a rarity and am sad to see that’s a growing practice. That’s not to say that some parents are quite capable of providing a decent education; I believe that children need the socialization that attending school provides.
Having been a classroom teacher, albeit way back when, I agree that education needs to be updated. We need to rethink some of the things that we teach to our children based on their immediate needs and potential. I think that a child that has a hard time reading should not be forced into learning 18th century European history, for example. And, I also believe that anyone not pursuing a career that requires advanced mathematics should not be forced into learning calculus or statistical analysis. Education needs to be relevant with those topics available as electives.
In San Diego, California, there is a high school called Technical High funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Their curriculum focuses on preparing students for careers, whether they be jobs or entrepreneurial ventures into the world of high technology. It’s like a mini Cal Tech or MIT and it’s all hands on with the latest high tech equipment. We need more schools like that.
I know there are several home schooling parents in the UBC and I mean no offense if you’re reading my comments. Those of you who have your kids involved in activities with other children are at least providing opportunities for socialization and friendships with peers. Those of you who keep your kids at home should consider what impact that type of isolation has on your child, now and for their future mental and emotional well being.
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Julia, I could not have said it better myself. And, I didn’t!
Thanks for these great additions to the conversation.
I agree that parents, if they say they are going to home school their children, should do it, not abandon them to video games and television. Home Education works remarkably well in our area, where the state requires an annual filing and if they suspect parents are not actually schooling, they can require testing. Plenty of kids get through years of public high school with very few academic skills, Roy, it’s not just the “unsupervised” home educated kids that aren’t getting much of an education. Public school kids fall through the cracks, too. The State is not exactly doing a good job in that area, either.
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Amy…
I don’t think it’s an issue of home schooling or not. I think both systems could succeed or fail- and sometimes do both.
My daughter- many, many moons ago- found that her most ardent competition in the state spelling bees were from those who were home-schooled.
I do think that home schooling does leave a child without valuable social experiences- yes, even the negative ones- and, I believe it is a terrible burden for parents- one that needs to be well considered before endeavoring the task. And, then, there’s the issue if both need to work, then there is little chance for home schooling.
But, back to the main theme of this post, at least… The question is whether a college education should lead to a higher paying job. The question is whether the schools are charging too much for the value received. The question is whether schools should provide degree programs that have no utility other than teaching others in that subject matter (A BA in the American History of Visual Arts comes to mind. Oh, I know you can find a job or two- but not enough to support a degree program.)