President Obama holds a public office designed to serve the public at large. Public education lies firmly within his jurisdiction, but what about homeschool for children who opt-out of the public education system?
Does President Obama support homeschooling? Maybe.
In his book, The Audacity of Hope (Vintage, 2008), he wrote:
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.
President Obama calls on parents to
Take a greater stake in their child’s education both in and outside of school.
President Obama supports choice within the public school system, including charter school alternatives.
President Obama was homeschooled, himself, for a time. From the prepared remarks for his 2009 back-to-school speech to America's school children:
When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Does President Obama support homeschooling? Maybe Not.
President Obama supports ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a treaty which carries the potential to overrule parental choice with regard to matters including education, health care, and moral and religious beliefs.
President Obama promotes the addition of voluntary universal preschool to the public school system. This program, along with other "birth to five" child care and early childhood education programs, would rely on tax dollars, which could alternatively be used to support parents who choose to stay home with their children, including homeschooling and single income families.
President Obama is focusing on issues in education, but homeschooling appears to be off his radar, at least as far as public address where we see little significant evidence of support or opposition to homeschooling.
Understanding the CRC threat to homeschooling rights
Obama Issues Education
Will universal preschool improve academic achievement over the long term?
Duvall homeschooler's letter to Obama chosen for publication
Homeschoolers provide net gain to public school budgets
Nationwide homeschooling statistics released
Comments
My biggest concern regarding Pres. Obama and homeschooling is that he might appoint judges to Federal courts who are hostile to HS. Just look at what happened in California last year before the appellate court there reconsidered its initial decision. With one negative court ruling, millions of us could lose our freedom to HS.
The NEA has a policy of opposing homeschooling that isn't done with a certified teacher. All it takes, is the NEA to lobby Congress to make that mandatory at the federal level. Obama could then sign such a bill regardless of what he's said before. Additionally, his choice for secretary of education and his selection of judges will most likely be less friendly to homeschooling.
I don't think that there is conclusive evidence to say that Pres. Obama "probably" does not support Homeschooling. His support of the ratification of the CRC doesn’t equal not supporting homeschooling. The CRC has the POTENTIAL to overrule parental choice in certain matters. Something the state already has the power to do, look out for the best interest of children. The aim if the CRC isn't to take control of your rights as a parent. Therefore his support does not equal non support for Homeschooling.
You also state, in his public address he doesn’t support or oppose homeschooling. If there is no opposition how can you argue that there is no support? You mention the universal preschool and birth to five and the fact that it is paid for with tax dollars. Are you saying that these programs aren’t worth it because it’s not homeschooling? Do you think homeschoolers entitled to the money?
I have to disagree with you when you say that, "Public education lies firmly within his jurisdiction..."
Education is something that is supposed to be left up to individual states. The President of the United States and the rest of the federal government should not have any power to affect education, public, private, or otherwise. Unfortunately, they have overstepped their bounds and taken power that wasn't theirs.
Jennifer, I agree that no one or no agency should have the power to dictate how our children learn. When I said that public education lies within Obama's jurisdiction, I meant that as a public institution it makes sense that he would give it his attention. In Finland, where school kids perform the best, teachers have freedom to make their own curricula, etc. That's the kind of change I would hope to see from the government as far as the public education system.
This is wrong! Children should not have to endure this suffering! If we are to submit to this child labor in schools, then we are putting our children into slavery! This is one of the worst crimes a person could do. RESIST TO THIS SLAVERY!!!!!
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