Millions of children in the United States are homeschooled. In fact, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) projects that this number will reach over 12 million by 2015. The United States Constitution does not have specific laws concerning education; each state governs education and has its own laws concerning homeschooling. So, if you've considered homeschooling your children, you will only have to learn the laws for your individual state.
Homeschooling laws vary from state to state. Each state has a mandate to provide an education for its students; many states delegate that authority to the state's Board of Education. The state Board of Education wants to ensure that every child receives an adequate education. Because of this mandate, one Federal law was passed, Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974. This law requires that no state can deny any child an education based on their race, color, sex, or national origin. In other words, every child within every state is guaranteed an education.
While states cannot deny a child an education, it is ultimately up to the parent to choose where that child will attend school -- whether public school, private school, or homeschool. Public schools, and some private schools, are regulated by the state. However, since a large percentage of homeschool families do so for religious reasons, there are often few regulations for homeschools.
One state law that appears to be universal is the requirement for children to attend school in some fashion during set compulsory ages. These ages, however, may be different in each state. Some states require children to be in school from 5 to 17, others 7 to 16; it just depends on the state's laws. To determine what your state's compulsory ages are you can search the internet, or contact HSLDA.
Home School Legal Defense Association, National Home Education Network, and other websites on the Internet, list the homeschool laws for each state. If you choose to homeschool, it would be advantageous to learn your state's laws. After you have begun to homeschool, if you move to another state, especially if you are a military family, you can go back to these sites to find the laws for the new state.
Military families often move several times throughout the length of a soldier's career. Many are choosing to homeschool because it is one way to guarantee continuity in their children's education. Rather than transferring a child from one school to another, often internationally, a military family that homeschools can continue their child's education without fear of negative impact.
Choosing to homeschool is not always an easy decision to make. However, it is legal in each of the fifty states. You may have to register your intent to homeschool with your local board of education or you may have to turn in portfolios. Whatever your state requires, just remember that you are allowed by law to homeschool your child, and that there are places to turn if you have questions.
If you have ever been employed by another individual, you are aware of the relationship that exists between an employer and his or her employees. On one hand, an employer relies on employees to run the business and do good work, but on the other hand the employee relies on their boss because there wouldn't even be work to do and a salary to earn if it wasn't for the employer. Consequently, even though they depend on each other, the employer is naturally the stronger of the two parties; especially since they have the right to hire and fire individuals. And, whenever power is unevenly distributed, it is easy for the stronger power to take advantage of the weaker one.
This is why labor laws exist. They protect workers from discrimination and abuse. For example, employers are not supposed to set employee wages lower than the legal "minimum wage" or work their employees longer than the legal limit without paying them overtime. Discrimination based on gender, age, marital status, nation of origin, skin color, religion, and political affiliation are also illegal because of the Civil Service Reform Act. This means that everyone must be given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.
The industrial revolution, with its poor working conditions, child labor and lengthy work days, prompted many of the first labor laws. Unfortunately, even though conditions have improved and hours and abuse have decreased, there are still plenty of cases where employers take advantage of their employees. This is especially true in cases where the employees are illegal immigrants because they are more afraid of going to the law for protection than they are about being paid less than minimal wage.
Even though labor abuse and discrimination is morally wrong and officially illegal, it can be very difficult to prove when discrimination is taking place. After all, there are other factors that influence advancements and employment opportunities that an employer can cite as a reason for the decisions he or she makes. For example, an employer is entitled to hire the best person for the job based on their skills, personality and previous experience.
If you truly believe that discrimination is taking place though, one of the best ways to take recourse is to contact a Houston labor lawyer. They can tell you, based on their experience with several other cases, whether or not you have sufficient grounds for taking action in court. If your case isn't strong enough, you definitely shouldn't pursue. Sometimes a letter from an attorney will be enough encouragement for the employer to provide adequate compensation. Compensation will probably be a monetary sum since your relationship at that point would not facilitate a pleasant working environment in the future.
Both Jane Saeman & Art Gib are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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