This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In response to SB39, I was aghast by the lack of worldly wisdom this bill entails.
Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, sponsored the bill and said, "We need to recognize that parents have the fundamental liberty and interest in their children's education. We ought to give parents complete and total control."
Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, said, "If a parent wants to take a child out of school and thinks he can do better, so be it." Gibson also said, "Home-schooled children will eventually be held to 'educational standards' when they apply to college."
Are you kidding me? This bill is about a "select" group of parents. Rep. Marie Poulson, D-Cottonwood Heights, said as a teacher she has seen "troubling results for some home-schooled children." Her comment was the truth.
Having worked with families in the system as a licensed clinical social worker, I can tell you, without structure and a good teacher, these kids are headed for illiteracy and trouble.
Having no checks on their home school teacher is going to prove disastrous for these kids. Someone did not do their homework. Or is this another case of ideology trumping common sense?
Christina Nilson
Salt Lake City