Are homeschoolers accountable to the state???

When people find out I am homeschooling, they always ask questions about state mandated testing, reporting, curriculum and oversight as if I cannot be trusted to do what's best for my child and I surely need Big Brother's supervision.

Considering a recent report that 1 in 10 Schools are 'Dropout Factories', I am puzzled by the notion that homeschooling parents need state supervision. Since we do a better job educating children, perhaps we should be supervising the state. Isn't that how it's supposed to work anyway?

Here are a few stats from Considering Homeschooling (who also offers a free DVD about Christian home education):

-By grade eight, the average homeschooled student performs four grade levels above public and private school students.

-Home educated students test scores remained between the 80th and 90th percentiles (outscoring both public and private school students), whether their mothers had a college degree or did not complete high school (and even without the red tape, I mean, teaching certificates).

But to answer the question... I am not required to request permission from, report to, use curriculum provided by or submit testing by the state of Texas in order to homeschool. This is as it should be. My minor children are mine and my husbands. They are not wards of the state.

Homeschooling is legal in every state in the US, but homeschooling laws vary from state to state. To find out the legal requirements in your state, visit the Home School Legal Defense Association. Here is a great letter from HSLDA detailing why there is no need for government oversight of homeschoolers.

But what do we do about parents who don't properly educate?

I ask you - what do we do about schools who don't properly educate? Do we fire bad teachers (or just shuffle them around)? Do we close the schools? Do we - gasp - let parents send their children elsewhere?

Another question - what about parents who don't feed their children proper diets? Nutrition is important for mental and physical development, and overweight children are at risk for hypertension, diabetes and other-life threatening conditions.

Should the state tell us what to feed our children and provide lists of approved vendors? Should we have quarterly weigh ins and submit food diaries to the appropriate authorities? Should we certify parents in proper nutrition or require them to report to one who has been certified? (OT - You'd be shocked at how the government develops its ever-changing food pyramid. Here's a hint... follow the money.)

I am not trying to make light of childhood obesity. It is a sad and serious problem. But just as the government does not have the right to make decisions about how parents feed their children, they should not have the right to make decisions about how parents educate their children.

If the government decides I'm not properly educating my son, should I be required to send him to one of their "dropout factories"?

I think government schools have enough to worry about without attempting to usurp the rights of loving parents who have voluntarily taken responsibility for their children's education.

I'll post later on why I don't believe in standardized testing...