It's always sad when a kid dies, but Ohio State Senator Capri Cafaro (D) wasted no time putting that to good political use. She's sponsored legislation that ensures that every potential homeschooling family will be subject to intense and likely unconstitutional state scrutiny.
Lest you think I'm exaggerating, I'm posting a link to the actual text of the proposed legislation. Within five days of a parent expressing a wish to withdraw a public school child to homeschool, social services is to arrive to interview every family member. Separately.
Homeschool Legal Defense Association calls this the "worst-ever homeschool law"and guess what? It gets worse.
Social services may "recommend" that you be allowed to homeschool your own child, but if they don't, you'll be required to submit to the state's intervention services. These can include classes on how to budget your money (!?), behavioural counselling sessions, and lessons on homeschooling.
And if you're recommended for the special "intervention" classes, they get to decide when you're finished. Furthermore, the superintendent has wide latitude to impose additional criteria on any homeschool family in his jurisdiction. Just because. Go read the proposed bill's text if you don't believe me.
In any event, the state will retain all your information in a handy-dandy little database.
I don't think this bill is even about protecting children from abuse, do you?
Edited to add this update from the "Teddy's Law" facebook page: I
will be posting a statement from senator Capri Cafaro on our withdrawing
senate bill 248. I am sorry everything has become this way. We will
continue our fight against child abuse. At this time Teddy's Law is done
responding to questions and comments. And anyone who supports Teddy's
Law I would urge the same.
I would like to apologize to Teddy
for all of this. Our vision was to protect children from abuse and carry
on his memory. This was about him and was never intended to be
political.
Thanks for your understanding.
Shawn Tedesco and the Teddy Law Team
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
Nope, it doesn't sound good at all! "Nanny State" comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteYep, they don't even want to pretend to let the parents parent any more.
DeleteThe law is nonsensical with the only purpose is to get the general public in an uproar over homeschooling. I guess it is easier than having the social workers actually doing their jobs.
ReplyDeleteFrom the "Teddy's Law" facebook page: I will be posting a statement from senator Capri Cafaro on our withdrawing senate bill 248. I am sorry everything has become this way. We will continue our fight against child abuse. At this time Teddy's Law is done responding to questions and comments. And anyone who supports Teddy's Law I would urge the same.
ReplyDeleteI would like to apologize to Teddy for all of this. Our vision was to protect children from abuse and carry on his memory. This was about him and was never intended to be political.
Thanks for your understanding.
Shawn Tedesco and the Teddy Law Team
I swear, I don't recognize this country anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat's really sad is that the family was using the child's death as a cloak against any criticism of this horrid bill. I would be upset if my child were murdered... AT THE MURDERER. I would hope that I wouldn't take it out on an entire minority group.
Delete