N.C. Judge Decides to Dumb Down Homeschooled Children

In North Carolina, Judge Ned Mangum ordered a mother to enroll her three children into the public school system next year. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4727161/

Four years ago, Venessa Mills decided to start homeschooling her three children. The children are now aged 10, 11 and 12. The improvement in the children's education was markedly improved. They have tested 2 years above their grade level since being homeschooled.

Venessa and her husband, Thomas ended up divorcing. As part of the ruling in the divorce, the Judge said that he wanted the children's beliefs learned as part of their homeschooling curriculum, tested by the public school system. Each side in this matter have agreed that the children have thrived since becoming homeschooled.

Divorce is difficult enough. The parents must learn to raise the children alone most of the time, hoping that they will get the asssistance of the other parent when there are problems and if there is no cooperation between them, then they must each learn to deal with the children's problems and emotions separately hoping that they are at least reasonably consistent with what the other parent does. However, divorce is most difficult for the children. The parents may not care for each other any longer, but the children love both of their parents.

The less change the children have to endure, the better it is for them. It's already devastating to not have mom and dad together. Now, a judge tells them that they must now go to government schools despite what their teacher, their mother, has done with them for the past four years.

Make no mistake, the children have benefitted from being homeschooled. The proof is there. They have tested two years ahead of their grade level since starting homeschooling. The father disagrees with homeschooling, yet he was a part of it for four years leading up to the divorce. The success is plain to see.

There are two main reasons stated for this disruption to the children's lives. The first is socialization. The second is because part of their curriculum is religious based.

There are enough studies out there to prove that socialization is not a problem for homeschooled children. In public school they are placed with 20-25 other children of the same age. In homeschool they are subjected to people of all ages. Homeschooled students are better equipped to interract with people of all ages than those children that are government schooled.

The judge said in the courtroom, according to those in the courtroom, that putting the children in government schools was a good opportunity for the children to be tested in what their mother has taught them.

Judge Mangum, in that statement, has admitted that government schools "test" religious beliefs at home. Or perhaps better stated, government schools only teach evolution and not anything that is contradictory to evolution. It is a veiled admission that the government schools are not taking into consideration the personal values of the family, but rather that they are opposing the values that parents give their own children.

4% of children ages 7-16 in North Carolina are homeschooled. Colleges and Universities look for homeschooled children to attend their schools of higher education because they have excellent study habits. Socialization is not an issue. Performance is not an issue. Homeschooled children, by all studies, are better educated than government schooled children.

This judge has taken on the job of parenting by making this decision. The mother must still feed them, clothe them, provide a roof over their heads, and the father presumably will have to pay child support to help her food, chothing and shelter, but the Judge is making the decision on how they are to be raised and with what values, or lack of values.

I wonder, will this judge be there when one of the children has a fever. Will he be there to rock them to sleep at night when they aren't feeling well? Will he be there to put the bandaid on the skinned knee? Will he be there on prom night taking pictures of the children and their dates as they prepare to leave for their dance? Will he be there giving the bride away when the daughter gets married or to support the son when he decides to marry?

Homeschool families are planning to march in support of Venessa Mills on March 24.

You're welcome to comment.

Brett