I'm Usually Not This Political!
However, for some reason with this election, I just feel the need to get some of my opinions posted. I just wanted to share a couple of answers from the candidates about homeschooling. I know that not everyone who reads this blog homeschools, but I'm hopeful that even if you don't homeschool, you would support the right to choose between public school, private school, charter schools or homeshooling!
Here's a response that McCain gave in the Saddleback Forum on August 16, 2008. You can find the link here. This answer was in response to a question about pay for teachers.
McCain: Yes. Yes. And find bad teachers another line of work.
Can I just say choice and competition, choice and competition — home schooling, charter school, vouchers — all the choice and competition.
I want — look, I want every American family to have the same choice that Cindy and I made — and Senator Obama and Mrs. Obama made as well — and that was: we wanted to send our children to the school of our choice. And charter schools work, my friends. Home schooling works, vouchers in our nation’s capital works. We’ve got thousands of people in Washington, DC, that are applying for a voucher system. New York city is reforming.
I go back to New Orleans. They were — as we know — the tragedy devastated them. They now have over 30 charter schools in the city of New Orleans and guess what? It’s all coming up. It’s all coming up. It’s a simple principle, but it’s going to take dedicated men and women, particularly in the teaching profession, to make it happen.
And by the way, here in — I won’t go any further — but the point is it’s all based, and it’s being proven that choice in competition for every American family. And it is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, because every citizens’ child now has an opportunity to go to school. But what kind of opportunity is it if you send them to a failing school? That’s why we got to give everybody the same opportunity and choice.
On Barack Obama's website, he states the following:
Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited (emphasis added). Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama and Biden will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.
Does this mean that as a homeschooling mom, that I won't have the right to teach my children unless I go to school specifically to be a teacher? Or, will I have to go through some type of accreditation to teach my children? Of course, I hope not. But how can you be certain? I know I don't want my right to homeschool my children (or send them to the school of my choice) to be taken away. I can't be sure that won't happen if Senator Obama is elected.
I wish I was more eloquent with my words, but I'm not! Hopefully, my point comes across clear without stepping on any toes!
Here's a response that McCain gave in the Saddleback Forum on August 16, 2008. You can find the link here. This answer was in response to a question about pay for teachers.
McCain: Yes. Yes. And find bad teachers another line of work.
Can I just say choice and competition, choice and competition — home schooling, charter school, vouchers — all the choice and competition.
I want — look, I want every American family to have the same choice that Cindy and I made — and Senator Obama and Mrs. Obama made as well — and that was: we wanted to send our children to the school of our choice. And charter schools work, my friends. Home schooling works, vouchers in our nation’s capital works. We’ve got thousands of people in Washington, DC, that are applying for a voucher system. New York city is reforming.
I go back to New Orleans. They were — as we know — the tragedy devastated them. They now have over 30 charter schools in the city of New Orleans and guess what? It’s all coming up. It’s all coming up. It’s a simple principle, but it’s going to take dedicated men and women, particularly in the teaching profession, to make it happen.
And by the way, here in — I won’t go any further — but the point is it’s all based, and it’s being proven that choice in competition for every American family. And it is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, because every citizens’ child now has an opportunity to go to school. But what kind of opportunity is it if you send them to a failing school? That’s why we got to give everybody the same opportunity and choice.
On Barack Obama's website, he states the following:
Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited (emphasis added). Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama and Biden will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.
Does this mean that as a homeschooling mom, that I won't have the right to teach my children unless I go to school specifically to be a teacher? Or, will I have to go through some type of accreditation to teach my children? Of course, I hope not. But how can you be certain? I know I don't want my right to homeschool my children (or send them to the school of my choice) to be taken away. I can't be sure that won't happen if Senator Obama is elected.
I wish I was more eloquent with my words, but I'm not! Hopefully, my point comes across clear without stepping on any toes!
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