Candidates say homeschoolers need to be monitored
Duane Lester of the Missouri Torch recently attended a candidate forum in Nodaway county, home of Northwest Missouri State University. Lester, a homeschool parent, listened to the candidates all spout their commitment to education, specifically their commitment to the public education system. They “vowed to be an outspoken advocate in Jefferson City for education,” according to Lester. Great stump words, but Lester asked a very important question of the candidates and got some very frightening answers.
I don’t need someone to go to Jeff City and be an advocate for education. I’ve spent enough time in the Capitol to know they’ve got plenty of lobbyists. I need somebody who’s willing to go and be an advocate for the parent and for the student. I’m a homeschool dad, so I need to know where each of you stand on homeschooling, charter schools, school choice in general. The freedom in education. Where are you on school choice?
The responses all revealed a distrust of the citizens to be able to run their own lives and be good caretakers of their children. And these responses came from Republicans.
“Ritterbusch basically said he was against school choice and government schools are where children belonged because it, in his words, “serves the public purposes of our nation,” whatever that means.
Kathy DeVault’s opinion is that teachers are better for the children, because they are “very well trained” to be teachers. She then told a story about when she was a substitute teacher and was unable to help a student who was in her class. Therefore, no one who isn’t a “very well trained” teacher could reach him. Also, some people are homeschoooling who aren’t that educated, so they can’t be trusted to teach. She said, “If you’re going to homeschool, it Candidates say homeschoolers need to be monitored | Missouri Education Watchdog: