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 against a colonial government that tried to impose modest taxes on it from afar. In education, this teachingandlearningprinciples sentiment came to be expressed as a staunch defense of local control of our schools. During most of the 19th century, the local school was the primary unit of educational governance for most Americans. An individual community built a school, hired a teacher, raised money through local taxes and fees, and implemented education on its teachingandlearningprinciples own terms. Outside help was neither offered nor welcomed. This was the ultimate in local control. Even in large cities, control of education tended teachingandlearningprinciples to rest at the ward level. Consider some numbers that suggest the radical degree of decentralization that has long characterized American education. It was not until 1937 that we started recording information about the number of individual school systems in the country. The sheer number of homeschoolers represent a distinct threat to the hegemony of the government school monopoly. Qualitatively, the academic success of homeschoolers, measured by standardized test scores and recruitment by colleges [1], debunk the myth that parents need to hire credentialed experts to force children to learn. Homeschooling also refutes the “more money equals better education” mantra of teacher unions. The average homeschooling family spends approximately teachingandlearningprinciples 10% of the per pupil costs associated with government schools [2] in achieving these academic results. Multiplied by teachingandlearningprinciples the number of homeschoolers, even these modest amounts add up to a sizeable market attracting numerous educational entrepreneurs. Besides challenging the legitimacy of teachingandlearningprinciples government schools, homeschoolers also pose a more direct economic threat. Funding for government schools is based on attendance, with a national average of almost $6,000 per student [3]. Homeschooled children represent over seven billion dollars out of reach of local government schools and, at its current growth rate, each year more than another billion dollars slips away. Politically, homeschoolers are a force to be reckoned with when their rights are endangered. The most highly publicized teachingandlearningprinciples and effective example of teachingandlearningprinciples their growing political clout occurred in 1994 when the House of Representatives inserted language into an educational appropriations bill that would have required all teachers to be credentialed. Homeschoolers perceived this provision as a threat to their autonomy and overwhelmed phone teachingandlearningprinciples and fax lines to their representatives teachingandlearningprinciples until the credentialing language was removed by a 424-1 vote. Homeschooling’s economic and political impact is keenly felt by teacher unions, you want effective teaching, we got it here
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