Parental Rights vs. Social and State Concerns

Homeschooling: Parental Rights vs. Social and State Concern

Parental Rights Legislation by Mary H. McCarthy 2005 update
From the June 2004 edition of NHEN Notes
NHEN members are regularly involved in representing homeschoolers' points of view. NHEN Board member Pam Sorooshian was invited, recently, to participate in a debate at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in San Diego on April 15, 2004. The debate topic was: "Educational Choice versus Civic Responsibility: Are Homeschoolers Embracing their Responsibility?"

Other participants were Rob Reich of Stanford University, Scott Sommerville of HSLDA, and Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute and moderator Susan A. McDowell of Philodeus Press. Pam was a last-minute replacement for Michael Apple of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The panel topic was described in the program as: "It is not the well-researched areas of academic performance or social adjustment that concern many home schooling critics. Rather, it is the larger issue of citizenship, the "common good," and public responsibility that some find troublesome and disturbing when analyzing the home schooling movement. Do home schoolers have a selfish and/or short-sighted "commitment to
cocooning," as Apple (2000) offers? Is it simply and inevitably a "loss from a civic perspective" as Reich (2002, p. 59) avers, or is it an educational alternative that produces independent, well-adjusted, and productive citizens (Knowles, 1991)? It's a complex issue, and should provide a lively and spirited debate amongst the panel members and the audience."

Discussion of this panel can be found on the NHEN forum message boards.
12 - 16 April American Educational Research Association - 2004 Annual Meeting, San Diego, audio transcript:
Educational Choice versus Civic Responsibility: Are Home Schoolers Embracing Their Responsibilities or Fleeing from Them? (loads slowly; item # SKU 710 -- scroll down)
Through the Lens of Homeschooling: A Response to Michael Apple and Rob Reich is published by Nicky Hardenbergh of the Massachusetts Home Learning Association.
Links to information and discussion about a debate titled Educational Choice vs. Civic Responsibility: Are Home Schoolers Embracing Their Responsibilities or Fleeing from Them? between Dr. Michael Apple (University of Wisconsin) Rob Reich (Stanford University), Scott Somerville (HSLDA) and Brian Ray (NHERI) was published on this site in February.
Dr. Michael Apple of the University of Wisconsin has written an article titled Away With All Teachers: The Cultural Politics of Home Schooling. Discussion concerning this paper is at the NHEN Message Boards. A debate, Educational Choice vs. Civic Responsibility: Are Home Schoolers Embracing Their Responsibilities or Fleeing from Them? is scheduled in April between Dr. Apple, Rob Reich of Stanford University (author of Testing the Boundaries of Parental Authority over Education: The Case of Homeschooling), Scott Somerville of HSLDA and Brian Ray of NHERI (Mr. Farris, the scheduled participant, is unable to attend).
In 2002 Professor Rob Reich's book Bridging Liberalism and Multiculturalism in American Education was published by the University of Chicago Press. Chapter six concerns homeschooling, specifically, Testing the Boundaries of Parental Authority over Education: The Case of Homeschooling (PDF, see Acrobat Reader on left navigation bar) An abstract of the chapter and links to rebuttals can be found at the California Homeschool Network site.
The Connecticut Homeschool Network recently hosted a debate between Professor Reich and W. David Zitzkat who "is a fairly well known (locally) conservative pundit and curmudgeon in New Hartford, Connecticut." As of 19 January 2004 the debate was four forum-pages long.
A previous discussion with Professor Reich in August of 2002 took place on the list then known as NHEN-Legislative. That discussion can be read in the Files section of the list renamed as NHEN-Legislative Clearinghouse The copied discussions are in the Files section and are stored in Microsoft Word documents titled "ReichPart1.doc" and "ReichPart2.doc."
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