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Families await home-school court decision
By Jimmy Biggerstaff / Hi-Desert Star
The dining room at the Alkire residence in Joshua Tree is a busy place. On school days the dinner table does double duty as classroom desks for Andrew, 10, and Anna, who just turned 6. The brother and sister are home schooled by Jeff Alkire, a stay-at-home dad and teacher of the family school, Grace Academy. Mother Kathy, a nurse at Hi-Desert Medical Center, completes the family unit.
Now, Alkire’s decision not to enroll his son and daughter in traditional education may require him to earn a teaching credential from the state.
The Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles released a ruling Feb. 28 that all children in California must be taught only by credentialed teachers. Home-schooling advocates have appealed the decision, hoping to have it “depublished.”
Alkire has taught computer information systems at Copper Mountain College and last worked outside the home in San Diego. “I loved my job but I wanted someone home all the time,” Alkire said.
Andrew, who has not been enrolled in traditional education since preschool, is just fine with the decision. He lists the fact that “Bullies can push you around” as one advantage of his stay-at-home education.
For Alkire, it’s also about religious values.
“In today’s society, keeping a religious identity can be difficult,” Alkire said. “Home schooling helps us keep that identity. We want to direct the education of our children,” Alkire added. “The state is educating thousands and thousands of students. I’m educating two.”
District program offers
another alternative
Parents who want to home school, but not leave public education entirely out of the picture, have an option.
The Morongo Unified School District has Independent Continuing Education, which offers face-to-face contact with a teacher usually for an hour a week, sometimes longer, explained Dave Price, the district’s director of student services.
Students in ICE interact with an accredited teacher. They bring in work assigned from the last time they met, and the teacher assigns another block of instruction, Price said. The school district provides textbooks.
“They’re getting instruction from a teacher who understands California standards, and using approved textbooks,” Price said, adding that ICE is a vehicle for helping families who want home-based education by providing them access to credentialed teachers.
Now, Alkire’s decision not to enroll his son and daughter in traditional education may require him to earn a teaching credential from the state.
The Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles released a ruling Feb. 28 that all children in California must be taught only by credentialed teachers. Home-schooling advocates have appealed the decision, hoping to have it “depublished.”
Alkire has taught computer information systems at Copper Mountain College and last worked outside the home in San Diego. “I loved my job but I wanted someone home all the time,” Alkire said.
Andrew, who has not been enrolled in traditional education since preschool, is just fine with the decision. He lists the fact that “Bullies can push you around” as one advantage of his stay-at-home education.
For Alkire, it’s also about religious values.
“In today’s society, keeping a religious identity can be difficult,” Alkire said. “Home schooling helps us keep that identity. We want to direct the education of our children,” Alkire added. “The state is educating thousands and thousands of students. I’m educating two.”
District program offers
another alternative
Parents who want to home school, but not leave public education entirely out of the picture, have an option.
The Morongo Unified School District has Independent Continuing Education, which offers face-to-face contact with a teacher usually for an hour a week, sometimes longer, explained Dave Price, the district’s director of student services.
Students in ICE interact with an accredited teacher. They bring in work assigned from the last time they met, and the teacher assigns another block of instruction, Price said. The school district provides textbooks.
“They’re getting instruction from a teacher who understands California standards, and using approved textbooks,” Price said, adding that ICE is a vehicle for helping families who want home-based education by providing them access to credentialed teachers.
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GGWebGrrl wrote on Jan 17, 2009 1:59 PM: