Will Obama Require Homeschools to be Accredited?

I followed Obama's comments, speeches, and policy postings closely while he was running for president and he said very little in regards to home education although he made it very clear that he fully supported the NEA (National Education Association).

On the government website, under Obama's Education policy, it states that:

"Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited. Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively."

I have sent a note to the White House requesting clarification of this statement. It says they will require ALL schools of education to be accredited. Does this apply to homeschoolers?

I don't really expect an answer since there were similar statements in his campaign literature so I asked the same question then and received no reply.

Someone was reading my blog recently and forwarded me the following Q/A from Suburban Journals.

Q. Do you support home schooling?

A. Barack Obama respects the decisions reached by some parents to home school their children, provided those parents are conforming to the laws and regulations set forward by their states governing home-based instruction.

Again, this sounds good, but if you look closely at the wording, he still has not said he SUPPORTS HOMESCHOOLING!!! He says he supports the "decisions" of "some parents" to home school. Let's stop there for a minute. It's a "decision," not a "right." Second, he says "some parents," not "parents."

Also, he says "provided those parents are conforming to the laws and regulations..." All states don't have laws about homeschooling. It's legal in all states, but it sounds to me like the new President Obama wants to ensure that all educators (including homeschoolers) have had the government's stamp of approval - through assessment or accreditation. No, this hasn't been spelled out, but sometimes you can read between the lines even if you don't have a teaching certificate.

Sonya Haskins
www.thehomeschooladvocate.com