Kids being forced to go from homeschooling to public schools

I know some of you moms here homeschool your kids. This is a huge debate, taking place in the town I live in, and I was just wondering your thoughts on this?

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4727161/
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/1440674.html - this article is from our newspaper.

The second article, that I just read in the paper, said that the judge is making the mom take mental tests, since her involvement in the Sound Doctrine church is concerning them. So..everyones opinion on the kids having to go to public schools?!

I don't think homeschooling had anything to do with that disagreement.

Here are my thoughts as a homeschooler. We don't know all the facts..but with those presented to us at the time, it's a complete injustice that the judged has deemed these kids be sent to public school. If the kids are thriving academically, aren't being abused, aren't being locked inside their house and never able to see the outside world, the courts have no right to tell a parent how to parent.

There are plenty of peoples/cultures of the world who don't celebrate holidays/birthdays, and at least one mainstream religion does not (Jehovah's Witnesses), so is the judge going to go back and send all those parents to mental counseling because their kids don't celebrate the way other Americans do?

I seriously think that this is a control issue between the two parents. She's doing something different since they split, he's finding a way to punish her, and the kids are being caught in the middle.

Darcy Baldwin said:

Here are my thoughts as a homeschooler. We don't know all the facts..but with those presented to us at the time, it's a complete injustice that the judged has deemed these kids be sent to public school. If the kids are thriving academically, aren't being abused, aren't being locked inside their house and never able to see the outside world, the courts have no right to tell a parent how to parent.

There are plenty of peoples/cultures of the world who don't celebrate holidays/birthdays, and at least one mainstream religion does not (Jehovah's Witnesses), so is the judge going to go back and send all those parents to mental counseling because their kids don't celebrate the way other Americans do?

I seriously think that this is a control issue between the two parents. She's doing something different since they split, he's finding a way to punish her, and the kids are being caught in the middle.

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I agree, I feel really sorry for the kids. They're completely caught in the middle of a disagreement between their parents. While I think a culture outside the one their mother has presented might be good for them, their parents also have the right to choose what their kids are taught, and who teaches them.

I can understand if the judge sent them to public schools because they were not doing well academically, but these kids seem really smart. I just don't understand how this divorce case went to sending kids back to public schools, even if her husband & dad think she might possibly be crazy, ha.

I think it's not uncommon for this to happen when homeschooling families divorce. It's unfortunate that the judge would think the kids need to go to school when they are thriving academically at home. Just because it's the societal norm doesn't mean it's what is best for those kids.

Doesnt really seem like it is about homeschooling so much as control. The sad thing about all of this is that these kids are caught in the middle...the mom is most likely going to push harder her way because she feels she is right (and she partially is IMO) the dad will pull harder in the way he wants things to go (and I think dads should have a say in how their children are raised as well) and the kids are going to be torn in the middle with nowhere to feel safe and loved because what becomes most important to the parents is to win and not what is truly best for their kids. So sad...:crying:

That's just a darn shame IMO. There are plenty of beliefs that our family has that many in "mainstream" America probably think are weird. It's scary to think we could be forced to send our kids to public school because of it.

psalm149 said:

That's just a darn shame IMO. There are plenty of beliefs that our family has that many in "mainstream" America probably think are weird. It's scary to think we could be forced to send our kids to public school because of it.

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Me too. Strangely enough, I've never heard a case of children having a rough time in public school learning nothing, and then being ordered by a judge into homeschool or private school. Interesting huh. And this is happening right here in my state. I hope HSLDA gets a hold of that judge.
If you read the whole story, it's obvious that these children are thriving. They're testing up to 2 grade levels above average. Also, the reason for divorce is the husband's adultery and he admitted that he doesn't want to pay for homeschool supplies. The husband, judge, etc... all gave glowing reviews of the mother and the job she has done. This is about a jerk in a black robe usurping the authority of parents and a you know what cheating man trying to stick it to the wife in any way he can. Note, the judge said "I THINK" that public school will offer them more "socialization" (did you see the kids extracurricular activities?) and better prepare them for college. That's a crock of you know what. I'm all tore up over this because I'm a homeschooler, an advocate of parental rights, and it's in my backyard so to speak.

A mental evaluation for the wife because of her christian beliefs with all the glowing reports of her and how she's raised and taught the children, but no mental review for the cheating husband who has no solid reason to disagree with the way his children are taught besides that bologna argument of socialization? This is way more than a divorce disagreement, IMO.

AmyM said:

Me too. Strangely enough, I've never heard a case of children having a rough time in public school learning nothing, and then being ordered by a judge into homeschool or private school. Interesting huh. And this is happening right here in my state. I hope HSLDA gets a hold of that judge.
If you read the whole story, it's obvious that these children are thriving. They're testing up to 2 grade levels above average. Also, the reason for divorce is the husband's adultery and he admitted that he doesn't want to pay for homeschool supplies. The husband, judge, etc... all gave glowing reviews of the mother and the job she has done. This is about a jerk in a black robe usurping the authority of parents and a you know what cheating man trying to stick it to the wife in any way he can. Note, the judge said "I THINK" that public school will offer them more "socialization" (did you see the kids extracurricular activities?) and better prepare them for college. That's a crock of you know what. I'm all tore up over this because I'm a homeschooler, an advocate of parental rights, and it's in my backyard so to speak.

A mental evaluation for the wife because of her christian beliefs with all the glowing reports of her and how she's raised and taught the children, but no mental review for the cheating husband who has no solid reason to disagree with the way his children are taught besides that bologna argument of socialization? This is way more than a divorce disagreement, IMO.

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Word.

I think it's ludicrous that a judge can impose something like that when the children are already thriving, though doesn't the dad have a say? regardless of why they split, he is still their father too. He cheated on the mom but he didn't hurt the children in any other way so why is it that he doesn't have a say in how his children are educated? He may not be doing it for the right reasons, but he DOES have a say.. just my bit.

My sister home schools and she does an amazing job...thinking about paying her to home school my kids too

What a stupid, stupid ruling (if it actually happens).
I'm so sick of gov't telling us how to raise our kids. It's one thing if a child is abused or neglected but to say what we can or cant do to or teach our kids is just getting so frustrating. Before we know it, we'll all be told how to raise our children.

The dad...yeah he does have a say so. They're his kids too. But why all the years of homeschool and now in the divorce he wants them to go to public? He did admit to not wanting to foot the bill for homeschool. Why couldn't the judge meet in the middle and suggest private school? Probably because that costs way more than homeschooling and dad already doesn't want to pay. Looks to me like the mom has the better argument here so I don't get why the judge is siding with dad (from the outside looking in of course) What a mess, huh? I just wish the judge hadn't given his opinion and his ruling of what is right for someone else's children. That's the scary part of all of it.