Given the brisk growth of home schooling, the current generation probably doesn’t recognize the truth behind Karen Roddy’s words as quoted in your article: “There was a time when home-schoolers were happy to just not be arrested. Those times are gone.” (“Home-school parents hope to start a charter school for Alameda County and beyond,” Nov. 29.) Indeed, only a few decades ago, parents faced official harassment and even prosecution for daring to educate their kids at home.
As Roddy went on to make clear, though, parents are not content with merely securing that right; they want to be on the cutting edge of education reform. A charter school combining home-based instruction with cost-effective storefront classes in rented spaces could bring some of the pioneering, innovative spirit of home schooling into public education, to the benefit of an extended Bay Area community.
Robert Holland
Senior Fellow for Education Policy The Heartland Institute
Robert Holland, a journalist and author who has championed school choice throughout his career, is a Heartland Institute Senior Fellow addressing education policy.
