Recent coverage of the child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long, has sparked a lot of discussion. The case, which brought the legality of home schooling into question, has got people from both sides speaking out.

The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that California law requires parents to send their children to full-time public or private schools or have them taught by credentialed tutors at home, according to an article that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle.

"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws."

To read the article in its entirety click the link below:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-b...

According to another article in the San Francisco Chronicle, our governor doesn't agree.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denounced a state appeals court ruling that severely restricts homeschooling and promised Friday to change the law if necessary to guarantee that parents are able to educate their children at home, reported the Chronicle.

"Every California child deserves a quality education, and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children," Schwarzenegger said in response to the ruling.

"Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education," Schwarzenegger said. "This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will."

State Education Secretary David Long, a Schwarzenegger appointee, said that meant the governor supported allowing parents without teaching credentials to educate their children.

"The governor sees this as a fundamental right of parental choice," he said.

To read more click the link below:

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As for me, I am not pro-home school. Nor am I pro-public school. I am pro parent choice. But I am also speaking as someone who has experienced both sides of the coin, and as such, I know there are pros and cons to both forms of education. I home-schooled my daughter for 2 years—for Kindergarten and 1^st grade. We went through a charter school who provided curriculum and guidance by a credentialed teacher, but ultimately curriculum choice was up to me, as was teaching style. The credentialed teacher's job was to ensure we were actually doing the work and keeping up with state standards. For me, the experience was good and bad. Good because my daughter got to be home with me longer and got to have a freer, more hands-on approach to learning for those two years. Bad because at the end of the two years it got to the point where I felt like I wasn't giving her what she needed, educationally speaking.

That wasn't because it can't be done, but simply because I was no longer in a position to do so, for several reasons. So I chose to put her in public school this year. She has a great teacher and has grown leaps and bounds in her learning. But the key here is that I chose. I believe very strongly in a parents right to choose what they deem to be best for their own children. True, some people make wrong choices, and if the choices are detrimental to a child's emotional or physical well-being, I understand the need for intervention. But in what manner a child is educated is not the issue.

Public school is one size fits some—we all know there are kids who aren't challenged enough and there are kids who fall through the educational cracks. And there's not much to be done about it, because there has to be a happy medium in order to accommodate most of the kids, who fall somewhere in the middle. But that shouldn't be a parents only option.

How we choose to approach the education of our children should not be forced upon us by the powers-that-be. To say our children need education is something we can all agree on. But to define it in narrow terms is not only ignorant, it's dangerous. We cannot impose our personal views upon others when it comes to education, any more than we should when it comes to any other issue. We all have different beliefs, based upon our personal experiences. And the freedom to live according to our individual belief systems is what makes this country unique. So why would we even begin to support legislation that would attempt to force us all into the same mold? After all, isn't diversity ultimately what we strive for? Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the freedom to choose how we educate our children. Sure, extremes will exist, but is that any different than the ways in which a public school falls short? One size does not fit all and therefore it should be left up to parents to decide what's best for their children—after all, no one knows them better.

I have never been a big advocate of preschool. Don't get me wrong, I know there are educational benefits and that some people don't have a choice whether or not to leave their kids while they work to support them. It's just that as a stay at home mom for the last 8 years, I have never been in a big hurry to kick my kids out of the nest. I mean, I home-schooled my oldest daughter up until this year—and reluctantly put her in public school at the ripe old age of 7. So maybe you can understand why I am having a little trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that I just enrolled my 3 ½ year old in preschool.

Granted, she is very excited about going—especially since her older sister gets to go to school every day and for the past 6 months she has been stuck at home with me all day. And sure, it's only two days a week for four hours a day. It's not like she's going off to college, for heaven's sake. But in my heart and mind, she might as well be. To think of her out there in the world without me, is well, daunting. But I am starting some classes toward my Master's degree in a few weeks and was looking for options for her. 

Although my Mom could keep her the three days a week I'll be in class, this seemed like a better fit for everyone. My daughter gets some peer time and my Mom doesn't have to commit to more than one day a week. Problem is, logic doesn't apply in matters of the heart. I know she'll be fine. She'll probably be better than fine. If she's anything like her older sister she'll be pushing me out the classroom door before I'm ready to leave. But that's what we want for our children, right? Confidence, independence, the ability to be well-adjusted. Sure, I guess. So maybe it's guilt or maybe it's just that I need to get over my identity crisis and realize my kids are okay without me for awhile. But I can at least take credit for the fact that they're well adjusted, can't I?