Question for Obama supporters who homeschool
In my never-ending (well, it has to end by November 4th, right?) quest to determine my vote for president, I’ve been doing some research on the candidate’s position on school choice and homeschooling. I’m disturbed by the fact that Obama’s official web site doesn’t even mention homeschooling in his education plan. I’m also concerned by the fact that he has opposed school choice and seems to be falling in line with the teacher’s union when it comes to his plan for education.
I know I have some homeschooling readers who support Obama, so I thought I’d ask for your thoughts/opinions on this. Are you at all concerned that homeschoolers may lose some freedoms under an Obama administration, or do you think that unlikely to happen? If you have any links on Obama and school choice and/or homeschooling, I’d love the tip. And thanks in advance for your honesty.
Please remember to keep comments civil. I know I have just as many homeschooling readers who support McCain, and I don’t really want this to turn into a huge debate. I’m more curious as to how Obama’s supporters have reconciled his views on education in their own minds, or whether other issues have outweighed this particular issue when making their decision.
For me there’s two points.
1. Education is a state issue and so the who’s pres, doesn’t really matter.
and more importantly,
2. School choice is so low down on my personal list of concerns as compared to what’s going on in the nation.
I feel that McCain is a really bad choice for our country and Palin scares me silly. Obama isn’t perfect, but short of getting myself elected, no one is.
September 20th, 2008 at 8:10 pmAs I was browsing through my google reader, my husband spotted the “Obama” in your title. His response was also that it is a state matter.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:37 amI think we are naive if we assume that education and school choice is a state matter and that whoever is elected President will not affect education and school choice.
Look at the mess Bush made with No Child Left Behind.
Obama’s views on education scare me, but I find McCain views on other things scary so I too am undecided who to vote for.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:08 amI’m agree wholeheartedly with Meg. Except for the part about getting myself elected!
I think that, yes, a pres may get involved in trying to improve public schools, ala NCLB. I DON’T think home education is something that a pres will try to impact. Their focus is going to be on improving the national PS image, and as long as homeschoolers quietly do their thang, it’s not going to hurt OR help that image.
I swear I remember hearing Obama state that he believed in a parent’s right to choose how to educate their children, but can’t recall where.
Links of possible interest:
September 21st, 2008 at 10:27 amhttp://tinyurl.com/4ng6t3
http://www.issues2000.org/default.htm
Another link for you: http://www.littleblueschool.com/2008/08/obamas-position-on-homeschooling.html
September 21st, 2008 at 10:35 amI fall into the camp that believes that:
1. States have most of the control over this issue.
2. Although my right to homeschool is precious to me, in reality there are so many issues further up the ladder than this one.
3.Obama may not be perfect, but McCain and Palin are a real nightmare.
So, I guess I pretty much just said what Meg did.
September 21st, 2008 at 11:15 amI’m not in the least bit concerned. First of all, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states and has been for many years now. One person in office won’t change that. NCLB came from a Republican congress (the bill was co-sponsored though by Ted Kennedy), not just the president.
Second, Obama isn’t against homeschooling and I’m not sure where that belief comes from. In his book, The Audacity of Hope, he even mentions it favorably. On page 344 he writes, “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.”
Just because hs isn’t specifically mentioned on his site, doesn’t mean he is against it. It isn’t a presidential issue. It isn’t a federal issue and shouldn’t become one. Other candidates may have said they support it, but they were probably just looking for votes. They surely knew it was state regulated.
Finally (sorry for such a long comment on your blog), I feel there are much more important issues that separate the candidates. Those issues are extremely important to me and are my reasons for choosing Obama.
September 21st, 2008 at 11:16 amAs you know, I am not into McCain or Obama. But I also think a Pres can have a very decided impact on our right to parent as we see fit, which includes homeschooling. Especially a president who is determined to get Federal gov’t so big (and invasive, imo) that the state gov’t power becomes squat.
I think Obama and McCain are both about equal on that score though, honestly, so I don’t think it will matter either way. Nearly every other member of Congress seems on the same track (big federal gov’t). That’s what gives me pause.
September 21st, 2008 at 1:34 pmWhile I think the issue of homeschooling is best left up to the states, I believe the next president can have a great impact on the interpretation and implementation of laws regarding homeschooling, even at the state level. Quite frankly, it depends on where education fits into his list of priorities and how he views the NCLB act. Obama seems willing to chuck the whole thing (based upon what I’ve read on his official website), while the biggest impression I got from the McCain website is that he is firmly in favor of school vouchers (which would be fantastic if homeschoolers could claim a voucher to homeschool).
I agree that there are many other issues that are more important to me, and I don’t view either candidate as a potential threat or friend to homeschooling families.
September 21st, 2008 at 2:03 pmWhat I do see as a threat, however, is if the economy continues to slide, forcing more parents to make the decision between homeshooling or putting their children back in public school because the homeschooling parent must return to the full-time job market to make the mortgage payment, fill the gas and oil tanks, have access to affordable health insurance, and put food on the table.
I know I’m from outside the US and am not directly involved. One of the major homeschooling pros for Obama is that HSLDA is likely to have alot less political pull with him than they will with McCain.
IMO, the biggest threat to homeschooling regulations being left the way they are is the HSLDA.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:08 pmI don’t think either candidate is going to care much about homeschooling. Kind of a low on the totem pole sort of thing right now. But, I will say that back when the primaries were happening someone I know e-mailed all the candidates and the only one that never answered her question on his position on homeschooling was Obama. Even Hillary did! But Obama (or rather, I am sure, the people who work for him responding to questions) sidestepped the question. She even responded and rephrased her question and again got a sidestepped answer. It was kind of weird actually. I don’t know what that says about him and his homeschooling views, but there it is.
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:09 amThank you, everyone, for your honest and civil comments. I really appreciate the information! And thanks for the links, Kris.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 amBoy, I can’t believe that you ladies are homeschool teachers, but don’t really have a CLUE!!! You want to vote for a man that is basically a socialist who has SOOO many shady connections. You don’t really think that in a socialist government they (the government can control everything!) Go ahead and don’t be concerned, obviously you are not homeschooling for moral reasons to be able to teach your kids about God. How could you, you seem to gloss over the fact that OBAMA lies about everything and HE is the most liberal senator on abortion. What’s your real reason to homeschool? You better enjoy it while you can!!!
October 6th, 2008 at 11:04 amJuls - I find it ironic that my previous comment was thanking everyone else for their civil comments, and then you felt the need to follow it with a comment telling us we all don’t have a clue.
I’m not sure even what to say other than that if I were you, I would check my sources about Obama, and don’t believe everything that evangelical Christians are saying about him. I am a Bible-believing Christian, but I don’t believe that politics begin and end with abortion.
Why is it that so many Christians are pro-life, but then treat life as if it begins at conception and ends at birth? What about the part of life between birth and death? What about the Republican record on issues like poverty and health care? What about the fact historically Republicans side with big business (and the accompanying corruption) rather than the lower and middle classes? What about the thousands of men and women who are dying for a war that was unnecessary at best, and built on lies at worst?
Why is it that Christians are willing to spread lies and slander through their e-mails and blogs, without verifying facts, and can’t see that this is wrong? If you don’t like Obama, fine, but when you spread outrageous half-truths and outright untruths about him, you ruin the name of Christians and ruin our credibility. All it does is confirm the rest of world’s idea that Christians are reactionary and uneducated and somehow believe that Jesus is a Republican.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:47 amIt’ll be interesting to see if there are enough homeschoolers willing to fight for their “right” to homeschool. Democrat Mark Warner in Virginia said it best, the threats to America are the NRA, Conservative Christians, Pro-Lifers and homeschoolers. Scary to think they are all in the same boat as far as he’s concerned, but it looks like more and more democrats see it that way.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:46 amJuls is right on. This sounds like a forum of Catholic Liberals where it is okay to pick and choose what they want out of the bible. Abortion is Murder. Check out this story today from the following link. And this is what Obama voted 3 times for. Check out the story from Miami. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=77344
October 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pmI picked up Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope. There are some references to his views on homeschooling. On page 63 his states that all the money in the world won’t help our schools unless parents instill the values of hard work and delayed gratification. He also talks about being a father and getting really irked that the ads during football aren’t appropriate for his daughters to watch. After reading his book I found that I had more in common and he wasn’t that “scary” person that the right is pushing.
It dawned on me the other day that by using his middle name they were asking us to reinstitute discrimination based on race, or religion. I thought our country was better than that.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:03 pmJane, if someones full name cannot be used without a charge of racism or such being thrown at it, maybe that person should not run for President of the US of A.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:59 pmMatthew - I’m curious, did you choose your middle name? Most people don’t choose their middle name. I have a dear friend who is a white, Christian man, whose middle name is Saddam. Does that mean he shouldn’t use his full name? No, it means that anyone who denounces him because of a name he did not choose is racist and ignorant.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:42 pmInteresting that you thanked people for bing civil and then the next post (and a post a few lines down) were the most uncivil so far. We have been homeschoolers for 9 years 3 kids 13,11 and 5. The two oldest are also enrolled in college part time). We have decided to vote Obama not because of his stance on homeschooling, but his stance on ALL the issues. Remember no matter who wins we all have to live with one another.
PS,
October 20th, 2008 at 2:36 pmNice Blog
Thank you, Amanda.
October 20th, 2008 at 5:27 pmThis is a hard decision. But whoever is elected on November 4th will be due honor by Christian, because the King of Kings has commanded we “honor the king” (not just the leaders we agree with).
One issue that has not been mentioned much is the UN Bill of Rights, and Obama’s support of it. See “Wiki Answer” to this question:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Barack_Obama’s_position_on_homeschooling
“However, he[Obama] also supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN tribunal authorized to interpret and enforce the Children’s Convention, sets forth an exhaustive index of children’s rights, many at odds with the rights of parents. It has held, for instance, that Britain violated children’s rights in Wales by allowing parents to withdraw their children from public school programs without first considering the children’s wishes. In other words, the United Nations has determined that the government will decide what is best for our children.”
The site below has more information on this issue:
October 27th, 2008 at 2:42 pmhttp://www.parentalrights.org/learn/the-attack-on-parental-rights/international-law
I just want to encourage each of you to take a good long look at Obama. Read all you can about him and take a good long look at his voting record. Think about what will happen if Obama is President with Harry Reid & Nancy Pelosi running the show for the Legislative branch. Our rights will slowly disappear. Please do the research beyond what the media is telling you. If you support Marxist ideas, than by all means, vote for him, but please know what you are voting for.
As for his views on homeschooling (in the words of Mike Farris):
Obama supports the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty that would have disastrous consequences for the American family. This treaty would be, according to our Constitution, part of the Supreme law of the land. And in the U.S. international treaties override state law.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the official UN tribunal granted the authority to interpret and enforce the Children’s Convention, which sets forth an exhaustive index of children’s rights, many at odds with the rights of parents. The tribunal has held, for instance, that the United Kingdom violated children’s rights in Wales by allowing parents to withdraw their children from public school programs without first considering the child’s wishes.
What this means in plain English is that the UN has determined that the government will decide for all what is best for our children. The government has authority to intervene in decisions regarding a child’s education. The government will choose whether the child’s wishes or the parent’s wishes are the best for children.
This is the ultimate dream of elitists: they get to decide for all of us what is best for our own children.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:44 pm15 years ago HSLA was crying wolf over the UN’s Child Rights, and I see they’re still at it…
October 27th, 2008 at 5:19 pmI am a homeschooling mother of 5, two of which are now in college on academic scholarships. So this issue is very important to me. And yes, more important than the “more important issues” right now. Those issues will work themselves out over time. But if you think life issues, and other issues including homeschooling do not matter, you are highly mistaken. My advice to all, coming from someone who has voted in 8 presidential elections, is to not only look at all the issues but to look at the candidates themselves; where they come from, what they’ve done, who has influenced them, etc. All of these things influence the decisions they make and your future and the future of your children. On Obama’s website, he states that he will “require all schools of education to be accredited.” All schools of education include home and church schools. Think about that.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:26 amHome schooling is a choice that should be protected, I am not a fan of too much government. While the issues are important and both candidates are hard to agree with 100%, at the end of the day I must know that I prayfully voted and took into consideration on what God’s issues are with man and not what man’s issues are with the country, world, economics, etc..
Please read this article, the whole article.
http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2008/10/im-not-voting-for-man-im-voting-for.html
Please use your vote wisely.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:45 pm