DADvocate

State Senators Cafaro, Brown. Turner, and Schiavoni, all Democrats, introduced S. B. No. 248 which would make it exceedingly difficult for parents to home school their children. The senators use the death of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco as an excuse for further usurpation of our freedom by the government.

Sponsored by Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard), SB 248 — Teddy’s Law — was proffered in reaction to the very tragic death of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco in January 2013. Teddy and his 10-year-old twin brothers were abused by Zaryl Bush for at least five years while the boys’ mother, Shain Widdersheim, stood by and allowed the torture and beatings to continue. Teddy ultimately died from a severe beating by Bush, who was sentenced to 33-years-to-life for the murder while the mother received a sentence of 15-years for allowing the abuse.

The bill states that the same people, social workers, who failed in their duty to protect Teddy Foltz-Tedesco, exercise judgement over whether or not a parent or parents are suited to home school their child(ren).

Widdersheim had withdrawn the boys from school — allegedly teaching them at home — after teachers began to suspect abuse. Relatives and neighbors say they reported the abuse to Children’s Services Board (CSB) on repeated occasion but were rebuffed. Widdersheim’s sister was one of them. “We called, multiple times we did,” she said, sobbing. “They wouldn’t do anything. They told us we were lying.” (Emphasis added)

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The proposed law would require parents desiring to homeschool or enroll their children in an online school (public or private) to pass a background check. [For the sake of simplicity I will use the term 'homeschooling' to refer to both homeschooling and e-schooling as they both have the same requirements under this bill] A finding that a parent or anyone else in the home had “a record or report of any investigation at any time” could result in denial of the right to homeschool. Note that the standard is not guilt, merely a “record or report of an investigation.” This could be from a vindictive ex-wife, a busybody neighbor who is concerned about seeing children in the yard during school hours, or simply someone at the grocery store who doesn’t approve of the way you scolded your irritable child.

In addition to the background check, the parent requesting “permission” to homeschool must submit to an
interrogationinterview by a “public children services agency.” The law would require children to be interviewed separately from their parents. Based upon the interview, the request for permission to homeschool could be denied if the social worker decides that home education would not be “in the best interest of the child.” According ParentalRights.org, the “best interest” standard is a severe departure from American law. ”[E]xcept in cases where a parent has been proven to be “unfit,” American law presumes that the parent is acting in the best interests of the child, and defers to that parent’s decision.”

If parents (and children) manage to pass the background check and the initial interrogation, they will still need to pass two additional “interviews” during the school year until they can go four straight years without arousing the suspicions of social workers before they are free from the intrusive investigations.

In addition to the interrogations and the background checks, anyone in the home who pings the statewide automated child welfare information system must submit to an intervention program. The intervention would include behavioral counseling sessions and classes on “parenting, decision-making, personal or household finance, and homeschooling.” Oh, and also, “any other services the department and the state board determine to be necessary for the success of the program.” Participants will be assessed to “determine successful completion of the program.” That should effectively counteract most of that right-wing brainwashing.

Yep. Despite the same social workers that received ample warning of the abuse of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco failed to take proper action to protect him and the other children in his household, the fault of the death is home schooling. And, these same social workers should investigate and stand in judgement, without reasonable cause, of any parent wanting to home school.

As someone who has worked in mental health and social services, plus had father who was a clinical psychologist and sister who is department head of a social services department at a state university, I am unable to fully tell you how bad of an idea it is to put any real responsibility in the hands of the average social worker. My respect for the profession rates below that of untruthful used car salespersons.

After the social workers, the educators get into the action. No conflict of interest there. Just ignore that schools lose money when a student is home schooled. Just ignore that public schools hate it when a different educational venue works better. Just ignore that most of use can count on one hand the number of good teachers we had in K-12. Just ignore that all the problems that we now have in our public educational systems occurred and grew on their watch.

This bill takes another step in the direction that Democrats love, totalitarian control over a, hopefully, docile population. The Democrats need to squash home schooling to keep innocent young minds from not hearing the government message that we all belong to the government and that "The wants of an individual are less important than the well-being of the nation” and “the commands of government officials must be obeyed by all.” "

For Democrats it's very important that all our children receive the same mind numbing, mediocre education. Heaven forbid that a child excel and harm the self image of other children. Even worse, that children should grow up to believe that the purpose of a government should be to serve its citizens and not rule them.

But, it's for the children, the phrase all good Democrats use to justify draconian measures.