george wrote on May 31, 2009 07:02 PM: Accepting vouchers for education would also give the government control over the curriculum. Do you really think the government will pay you to send your kid to a private school and not have any say in what's taught? Vouchers is what will give government control over private schools. Bad idea!

Helen Weils wrote on May 31, 2009 03:16 PM: It's time to end the teacher union tyranny and shut down ALL of the public schools. Give parents vouchers to attend the school of their choice or
home school.
To eyes left: California is right next go. Go ahead. Knock yourself out.
I'm sure you'll enjoy paying that 12% income tax on your pension, don't forget the 8.75% sales tax.
They love Dummycrats over there.

eyes left please wrote on May 31, 2009 02:54 PM: "In fact, simply by home-schooling, parents demonstrate a level of involvement and commitment in their children's lives that makes for well-adjusted and productive adults."

In Nevada?

"But perhaps the education establishment should consider the growing number of home-schoolers to be the canary in the coal mine of public education."

The Nevada legislative canary is on life support. Wake up.

Count the number of days the RJ can go without ripping Nevada teachers. No wonder 50% of new ones are gone in the first few years. It's a total embarrassment living here. Can't wait to split and spend my Nevada pension in another state with HIGHER TAXES.

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taught by the union wrote on May 31, 2009 02:29 PM: county paramedics are taught that it is best to lie your @$$ off and make giant salaries because of it.

winston smith wrote on May 31, 2009 09:31 AM: How can the fascist/globalist banksters successfully destroy the sovereignty our nation and manipulate us into regional and then global government if they don't brainwash us first with public schooling?

They must continue to produce school books that eradicate historical Christianity and denigrate our founding principles of liberty and limited government, and glorify the beliefs of Marx and the "superiority" of social democracies.

Home schooling threatens the Hegelian Dialectic that is used by the politicians, mass media and educrats, so it must be controlled and regulated, or destroyed.

That the parents of over one million children are still trying to take personal responsibility for their children's education is heartening. If our nation's liberty is to be saved, it is by these types of brave souls that have rejected the status quo and awakened to the awful situation that is upon us.

Common Sense wrote on May 31, 2009 08:25 AM: "the education establishment should consider the growing number of home-schoolers to be the canary in the coal mine of public education."

Keep dreaming. They'll simply use it as another excuse to raise taxes. California's response was to heap so many "requirements" on parents who home school, that few could ever "qualify" to teach their own children. The ol' bureaucratic block.

Home schooling terrifies the politicians who use "education" as a perpetual excuse to bilk more money out of taxpayers. Pols and educrats will fight it with everything they have.

labdaddy wrote on May 31, 2009 07:51 AM: Virgik,

As curious as it may sound, I think you and the editorial writer are both correct.

I work in a position where I see dozens of job applications cross my desk weekly. The vast majority from those who attended local schools are dismal at best. Poor spelling and grammar, inability to string a few words together into a coherent sentence, etc.

Then there are those from candidates who attended the same public schools that are outstanding.

The difference? Parental involvement in their child's education. Anyone who pushes his young student out the door each morning and expects him to receive a well rounded education with no parental help and guidance is fooling themselves.

How many parents ensure their child completes homework assignments or goes the extra mile to complete extra credit work? Not many judging by the applications I receive.

Public schools can't take all the heat on this one. Get involved, mom and dad!

Virgil A. Sestini wrote on May 31, 2009 05:32 AM: Home schooling is wonderful and it works... maybe, everyone should be required to homeschool their kids. Instead of vouchers and the like give each family a computer, fee for one year of internet connection and a list of internet education sources and let them do their own teaching. How wonerful it would be for those who have wished for, and worked for decades to destroy public education.

Contact me 18 years later and let me know how our nation is doing in education when every kid is home advanced placement courses? Contact me again in 25 years and tell me how many college graduates we actually have from the entire home schooling population. Contact me in 50 years and tell me how many Nobel Prize winners we have in science, math, technology?