Every day we receive new email from fans and critics (mostly the former, thankfully). We thought we'd share some with you. As always, keep the cards and letters coming. Your words help to shape this site.

Hi, 

Love your Web site. It's one of the most well
designed sites I've seen among sites of my own
interests.  Homeschooling has been an interest of
mine for about a year now. I decided shortly after
the beginning of the last school year that I
didn't want my children in public school because
of the things I was witnessing at their elementary
school. I first considered and looked into private
schools associated with my church but was not too
enthusiastic about the financial
requirements. Homeschooling came up rather quickly
in my quest to find alternate education for my
children. I do have questions, by the way. I just
wanted to fill you in before I unload on
you. So...I started looking into homeschooling,
but only in the area of curricula and how to do
it, was my area of study for the better part of
the fist, say, nine or ten months. It wasn't until
the last month or two that I have become aware of
the issues between state and local government and
homeschoolers. I will tell you, I have lost a lot
of sleep over it. I started my homeschool program
with my children(four girls, two school aged
ones), and I am not registered or signed up with
anything or anyone. At the end of last school
year, as part of the normal slew of paperwork sent
home with my children, I received a request for
location to send my children's files in the event
that they are changing schools. Well, I put my
address and called the name of the "educational
institution" homeschool. I reckoned this would be
as clear an indication as any that my children
were now under my cognizance as a parent and being
homeschooled. I haven't heard from anyone from the
district, city, or state; but I realize from the
reading I have done, particularly on your site,
where I stand and the position that I have taken,
although unpremeditated.

Questions: Where does the state get the authority
to get involved in these matters, when a parent
decides for his/her self to take upon themselves
the education of their children? To some this
question may sound rant or rhetorical. However I
am asking it from a perspective of law. In this
Republic where does sovereignty rest? And if with
the people as held by the Supreme Court, then when
did the government aquire from the people the
power and authority(juridiction) over the home in
such a manner as to be able to interfere in the
choices that I have made? Is it not an inalienable
right to life and part of that to have and
raise(educate, teach, and train up) a
family(children)? Is not the state of california
making the exercise of a Constitutionally
protected, inalienable right illegal? To me, it
seems, there are gross juridictional tresspasses
over this subject matter on the part of the state.

I may be seeking answers in the wrong forum
here. It's just that I know no one (other
homeschoolers or otherwise) to discuss these
matters on this level. Perhaps you can point me to
some other forum where I can seek like-minded
interaction. I do not see a solution for these
issues with the state. I only see a solutuion in
putting the state in its place from a
jurisdictional and political stand point. In other
words, use the Constitution to re-connect the
chains to the servant.

I apologize if my correspondence is in any way out
of taste or place. Again, I do appreciate your
website. I actually have it as my homepage so that
I can check what is going on each day.

Thanks 

Corry Neil Knight <CorryKnight@frys.com>
Serra Mesa Rules!!! 

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