One More Reason to Dislike the NEA

Every year around this time, the MEA has a convention and school children all over the state get a couple days off.

As far as I can tell, that is the best thing the teacher's union does.

It seems their national counterpart met this summer and decided they needed to get involved in homeschooling. Here's what they resolved:

B-75. Home Schooling

The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress.

Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.

The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.

The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting. (1988, 2006)

Now, my rant.

It used to be that parents were responsible for the education of their children. They either taught their children themselves, or a bunch of parents got together and hired a teacher...you know, Ma and Pa Ingalls style. Then, somehow in the 1900's this duty got switched to the local, state, and national government. And, now the teacher's union is trying to get the government involved in detailed regulation of homeschools.

The NEA should have NO SAY at all about private or homeschools. It's none of their business. Homeschooling parents pay taxes (lots and lots of taxes) to build new schools, and improve bands and sports programs, hire grief counselors, buy computers, and give birth control to 12 year olds. Besides paying taxes, they give up their personal time and money to homeschool their children and what does the teacher's union think about it?

They think, "We wish every parent invested as much in their children as homeschoolers do and will not stand in your way as you parent your child."

Oh, no, wait, that's not it. They say, "You bad bad people. You have chosen to distance yourselves from our union members and so we want to make your life miserable. Yeah, go ahead and homeschool, but only the mom and dad can do it. Grandpa and Grandma can't help you, ever. And, if your older son helps his sister with a math problem, it should be against the law. Oh, and yeah, you have to get a license and use state approved curriculum. Also, your local school district gets to decide what grade your kids are in. And, you do have to keep paying your taxes, but little Johnny can't play the tuba in the band anymore."

Cue the song "It's the End of the World"...