Public Education is Quite Recent.

So... There were those who were puzzled by what is true on the surface of the matter: that for the most part, parents directing education of their children has been the practice for thousands of years.  One hardly knows how to respond.  The tendency of states to regulate education dates back to about 1850, starting in Massachusetts and spreading about to other states.

Tell me where the error is.

Rob Reich at Stanford has misconceptions.

Robert Reich at Stanford,( not the former labor secretary), put out a paper on the regulation of home schooling.  It was an interesting paper of it's type, covering by far the majority of the common errors.  Look at it.

It relies on points held by him as common notions which are not common notions in fact.  He should be commended for setting them out plainly.

We home school in the Ithaca,  New York area and so are interested in the topic.  And it is a concern that documents like this will be translated into policy where they can inconvenience or damage people with limited resources.

Assumptions of common ground where no common ground exists:

1. That home education is “recent”.
2. That homeschooling has gone mainstream in the United States.
3. That there is a perceived problem with home education.
4. That little is known about home education.
5. That the cost of regulation is inconsiderable.
6. That value pluralism is a good, or should be taught to children.
7. That history is kind to people whose governments regulate education substantially.