Harman backs ‘right’ to home school children

State Sen. Tom Harman agrees with a state appellate court’s decision to allow children to be home schooled by parents who may not have a teaching credential, he said in a news release Friday.

The court’s decision is a reversal from its stance earlier this year, when the California’s 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals effectively prohibited parents statewide from home schooling their children, affecting an estimated 166,000 children, if they did not have a teaching credential.

Harman said parents have an “unquestionable right” to determine what is best for their child, provided it proves to be in the child’s best interest and does not put them in any danger. The court’s decision left room for state intervention in home schooling in cases where abuse or neglect are a concern.

The court vacated its decision earlier this year among massive public outcry.

— Joseph Serna