Osmond says he decided to tackle this issue because he feels the state needs to focus education away from “seat time” toward more outcome based results.
“Our current law needs to be about outcomes not just attendance. We started that dialogue and I’m proud of that.”
One of Osmond’s education bills would exempt parents who choose to homeschool their kids from any state regulations.
Osmond says parents should be responsible for the education of their kids, not the state.
“Right now, state law says parents who homeschool must follow state curriculum. Funny thing is none of that is enforceable, yet it’s on the books. We need to quit pretending that the state has to mandate anything. If a parent takes the homeschool route, let’s get out of their way.”
Osmond knows that his proposals, on first blush, sound crazy. He says once he has an opportunity to talk to people, they begin to understand what he’s trying to accomplish.
“It’s a complex topic. Once I describe it, parents get it. I agree, it’s challenging and can be viewed as an insane set of approaches, but it’s the right thing to do to preserve the liberty interests of parents and their children.”
Another one of Osmond’s bills spells out what rights and responsibilities parents have for their kids education. If a student is getting a C- or lower grade in a middle or high school class, a parent will be required to have a meeting with the teacher.
“Most parents care, but we are seeing a decline in the number of parents who participate because they don’t feel like the school listens. We’re trying to change that. Parents are primarily responsible for the education of their kids, so let’s make that clear.”
So why is Osmond picking this fight now?
“There’s never gonna be a good time. We are talking about a fundamental shift in the way that we view education – that the parent is responsible, not the system. That’s a big change in the way we view education. If we don’t start now, when will we?”