Gov. Schwarzenegger praises the reversal by the 2nd District Court of Appeal as a victory for students and parental rights.
-- From "Parents may home-school children without teaching credential, California court says" by Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 8/9/08
Parents may legally home-school their children in California even if they lack a teaching credential, a state appellate court ruled Friday. The decision is a reversal of the court's earlier position, which effectively prohibited most home schooling and sparked fear throughout the state's estimated 166,000 home-schoolers.
[Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said,] "I hope the ruling settles this matter for parents and home-schooled children once and for all in California, but assure them that we, as elected officials, will continue to defend parents' rights."
In February, the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled in a child protection hearing that parents must have a teaching credential to home-school their children. The decision caused a nationwide uproar among home-schoolers, religious activists and others, and the court agreed to reconsider its decision, a move described as unusual but not unprecedented.
The issue arose in part because California's laws do not specifically address home schooling, unlike those of at least 30 other states.
Friday's ruling essentially upheld the position of the state Department of Education and state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, who have traditionally allowed home schooling as long as parents file paperwork with the state establishing themselves as private schools, hire credentialed tutors or enroll their children in independent study programs run by charter or private schools or public school districts.
"As head of California's public school system, it would be my wish that all children attend public school, but I understand that a traditional public school environment may not be the right setting for each and every child," he said. "I recognize and understand the consternation that the earlier court ruling caused for many parents and associations involved in home schooling. It is my hope that today's ruling will allay many of those fears and resolve much of the confusion."
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