HSLDA’s federal relations staff have read this 868-page bill, and we believe that while it does not directly impact homeschool freedom, the bill will 1) increase the federal role in education at the expense of state, local, and parental control, and 2) will greatly increase the pressure on states to align their curriculum and standards, resulting in de facto national education standards.
I believe the more we federalize education, the worse the quality of public education will become, and the greater the risk of increasing regulations for homeschoolers.
[Susan R] I believe the more we federalize education, the worse the quality of public education will become, and the greater the risk of increasing regulations for homeschoolers.
To the second prediction, no doubt. To the first, I’m not so sure. Admittedly, this is not my field, but don’t most of the top-performing nations have state-run schools?
One question that comes to mind is that in every study I have read about student achievement, parental involvement is always listed as a primary factor. So this brings to mind the possibility that other countries view parental roles differently, thus creating an entirely different dynamic between home and school. Many of our federal regulations are focused on the functions of teachers, simultaneously robbing teachers of control over their classrooms while giving them too much responsibility for students’ achievement.
There is also the national attitude toward education to consider. In our country, stupidity is often rewarded, even celebrated. There tends to be an adversarial relationship between teachers and students. Athletes are idolized, and ‘brainy’ kids are stigmatized.
I don’t think the answers are simple by any means, but in our country, the more control the federal gov’t is given, the worse they muck things up. Education should be a function of the community, not the federal gov’t. Just the fact that we have four distinct climates in the US is enough for me to think that states, counties, and cities should make education policies for their regions.
Discussion
NewFederalizing education
I believe the more we federalize education, the worse the quality of public education will become, and the greater the risk of increasing regulations for homeschoolers.
Scenescape Media
NewFederalized Education
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-ran…
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NewFactors.. random thoughts...
There is also the national attitude toward education to consider. In our country, stupidity is often rewarded, even celebrated. There tends to be an adversarial relationship between teachers and students. Athletes are idolized, and ‘brainy’ kids are stigmatized.
I don’t think the answers are simple by any means, but in our country, the more control the federal gov’t is given, the worse they muck things up. Education should be a function of the community, not the federal gov’t. Just the fact that we have four distinct climates in the US is enough for me to think that states, counties, and cities should make education policies for their regions.
Scenescape Media