The horrific case of the abusive Turpin family in California, who enslaved their children while claiming to be a home school, reminds us that these children will remain after their parents are imprisoned.
A reader in Oregon contacted me to tell me about an organization that documents these cases.
We trust parents to love and cherish their children. What happens when they don’t?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Unbelievably horrific, indeed.
I am waiting for the supporters of “Choosing schooling is up to the parents, it’s their choice no matter what, and BTW, the public money should go with the kids” to come and try to justify what this family has done.
Waiting…….5, 4, 3, 2………
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There is no justification for abuse. Children are raped, abused, and beaten in public schools, and by public school teachers. This abuse is performed by individuals who are paid with public dollars. A teacher is facing charges for child por*n.
Is this justifiable?
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Charles,
This comment suggests you may have a mental disorder. Public schools are supervised and inspected by public agencies, yet you claim they are havens for rape and criminal behavior. You suggest this is common practice in public schools. You prefer institutions and homes without certified teachers and without any public supervision. This is a bizarre statement. I no longer believe you have a healthy mind.
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Charles,
I have asked repeatedly for you to give the name of one public school where groups of children, all children, are raped, beaten, and starved.
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It is obvious to me that Charles is mentally ill explaining why he has moved around so much and held so many jobs.
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Lloyd, it is rather interesting that, no matter what the subject, Charles claims to know all about it because he once worked at “X.” Or “Y.” Or “Z.”
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If Charles job history is true, then he was a migrant worker that never stayed long in any job or any country. Is this evidence of a dysfunctional mind and life?
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Consider that some of the parents that send their children to Eva’s (failing) Success Academies and other child abusing corporate charter schools fall into this category of abusive parents. To them, letting their children be abused is what they probably want. Toughen them up for the future of America if Trump, ALEC, the Waltons, Betsy, et al. get what they want.
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Yes, Eva’s schools and others like that are indeed abusive to children. The parents who send their kids there are also abusive. They may not be overtly abusive at home, but they are allowing their kids to attend an abusive school. That makes them complicit.
These children may not bear the physical scars that the Turpin children do, and they may not be as psychologically scarred as the Turpin kids, but the children attending the “no excuses” charter schools still bear psychological scars from that abusive environment.
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The four Baumrind parenting styles have distinct names and characteristics:
4. Authoritative
#1 is a perfect fit for Eva’s abusive corporate charter schools that are making her wealthy and powerful.
Experts consider #4 the best parenting style.
Authoritarian parenting is characterized by adherence to rules, a dominating style, and a great deal of control. The authoritarian parent may be punitive and is likely to believe in the “spare the rod, spoil the child” rule. Research suggests that as teenagers, children of authoritarian parents may lack some of the critical social and communication skills that are so important for leadership. Moreover, children raised by authoritarian parents tend to become authoritarian themselves, both in their interpersonal relationships and as parents.
…
Authoritative parenting is the gold standard for parenting. Authoritative parents encourage their children to be independent, but also set limits and boundaries. Discipline is applied, but in a supportive, non-punitive way. Typically, authoritative parents give their children increasing levels of independence as they mature and this leads to higher leadership potential in the children of authoritative parents. Social skills, self-control, and self-reliance are more highly developed, and these are qualities that make ideal employees, leaders, and life partners.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201410/how-does-your-parenting-style-affect-your-kids
Eva Moskowitz and her husband Eric Grannis have three children. Culver, Dillon, and Hannah. Culver that attended Avenues: The World School, a private school in Manhattan, and the latter two of whom attend Success Academy Harlem East, also in Manhattan.
Tuition at Avenues schools costs about $49,000 annually per student. Avenues: The World School is an international system of for-profit private schools for pre-K-12th grades.The first campus opened in September 2012 in New York City in the neighborhood of Chelsea. Avenues plans to open 20 or more campuses in other cities around the world over the next decade. The system is planned to be an integrated “learning community” with a shared vision.
https://www.avenues.org/en/nyc/mission/
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A colleague and friend of mine has been tutoring a young adult “homeschooled” in Oregon who had not learned to read.
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It is terribly unfair to project the alleged crimes of these two pathetic individuals, onto the over two MILLION responsible and loving parents, who choose to home-school their children.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1925, that the state does not have “dibs” on children’s education. Parents have the right to remove their children from public schools, and enroll the children in non-public schools (at their own expense), or home-school them.
In our free society, we have chosen to leave parenting decisions, including educational decisions (for minor children) with the parents. The Supreme Court articulated the right of privacy, in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). What private individuals do in private, is their own business (absent a compelling state interest).
@Zorba: What these monsters are accused of, in not justifiable. You will not get any claims of justification from any reasonable person.
Nevertheless, our society is not going to accept government agents directing individual decisions of parents, in the direction of the education of their children. Our individualistic society is not going to tolerate this kind of micro-management.
Society has to balance, the rights of responsible parents, against the legitimate interests of society, to protect children from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Right here in Fairfax County, VA, there are children, being held in virtual slavery. Human trafficking, of young foreign girls, into prostitution is going on right now.
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Charles, are there any children chained, beaten, and starved in public schools?
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LIBERTY TWP, Ohio –
A former substitute teacher at Liberty High School was arrested and charged after an investigation into child p-r-n
It’s a story we first told you about nearly a year ago.
31-year-old Michael Ryan Mattocks bonded out of the Trumbull County Jail Friday afternoon after paying just $500.
He’s facing 10 felony charges, including some accusing him of encouraging female students to send nude photos of themselves to him.
The official charges are Illegal Use of A Minor In Nudity-Oriented Material or Performance and Pandering Sexually-Oriented Matter Involving A Minor.
According to prosecutors Mattocks encouraged students ages 15 and 16 to send him nude photos of themselves. In one case the young girl was seen nude on a bed spread eagle with stuffed animals near by.
In addition, investigators say Mattocks also had nude pictures of young children they believe were obtained from the internet, some engaged in a sex act with an adult male.
Joe Nohra the Superintendent at Liberty Schools says his predecessor immediately took action when concerns about Mattocks were first raised.
“When the district found out that there were concerns last year they immediately investigated those concerns. Took immediate action, within hours removed the substitute from the campus and terminated the status of the substitute,” Nohra said.
Substitutes teachers like all teachers are screened with FBI and BCI background checks, but districts have to keep watch to make sure they don’t go astray after they’re hired.
In this case a student voiced concerns to the principal.
“The key is to react quickly and protect children,” Nohra said.
Mattocks will be back in court for a pre-trial hearing on January 24th.
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It is legal to beat children in public schools in 19 states. A child in Mississippi has a one in 17 chance of being beaten each year. Black children are twice as likely to be beaten as white children. see
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/14/the-states-where-teachers-still-beat-kids/?utm_term=.e430635c9dff
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Starving children attend public schools all over this land. One in six children in Virginia, are under-nourished. see
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/05/public-school-dinners-pantries/70389176/
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Is it legal in Virginia to starve your children?
There is a difference between hunger and being starved.
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Children are sexually abused in public schools, both by the teachers/staff and other children. see
http://neatoday.org/2017/12/04/sexual-assault-in-schools/
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Charles,
Are you aware of any public school where children were tortured like these children? Chained to their desks? Not allowed to wash? Denied food? Please tell. I’m waiting.
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I went to public school for 13 years and never heard of a single case of rape or sexual abuse.
In the past few years, we have heard of numerous sexual scandals in elite private schools.
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A public school in Maryland has been accused of forcing a student to convert to Islam. See
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/01/29/lawsuit-public-school-forced-my-child-to-convert-to-islam.html
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Fox News?!?!?!?
Did you fact check what Fox News reported?
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The answer to your questions is yes. Children are beaten, starving, and physically abused in public schools, all over this land. Teachers lure children into sexual activity and p-o-r-n.
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Please name the public schools that starve and beat children.
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Charles,
Please post the name of one public school where children are systematically beaten, raped and starved.
Just one.
One.
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I have not yet found a public school, where children are chained. Very few public schools are residential. It is only a matter of time.
Fact is, not all home-schoolers are monsters. Not all public school teachers are saints. There is abuse in all environments.
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Three percent of American students — about 1.5 million children — are homeschooled, according to the 2012 Statistical Abstract recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Public school systems will employ about 3.2 million full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers in fall 2017.
In fall 2017, about 50.7 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools. Of these, 35.6 million will be in prekindergarten through grade 8 and 15.1 million will be in grades 9 through 12. An additional 5.2 million students are expected to attend private elementary and secondary schools. The fall 2017 public school enrollment is expected to be slightly higher than the 50.6 million enrolled in fall 2016.
Disgusting, Charles. You throw out a few allegations about an employee of public schools sexually or physically abusing students in an attempt to justify abuse of a few homeschooled students.
The FACT is that there is little or no way to know how many homeschooled children are abused by their parents and guardians while community-based, democratic, TRANSPARENT, non-profit, unionized traditional public schools are by law required to report and remove alleged sexual predators from the classroom and school while the courts prove guilt or innocence.
In California, if a public school teacher is accused of sexually or physically abusing a student, that teacher will be sent home without pay and the cost of proving they are innocent falls on their shoulders. Not even the teachers’ unions will step in and provide legal help. They are on their own. But if in court, those accused teachers prove their innocence, then the union steps in and demands back pay for the teacher and that the school district pay all the teacher’s legal costs.
If found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor aged student, that teacher/administrator will spend most of their life in prison and lose everything.
What is the ratio of public school employees to the total number that has been found guilty of sexual and/or physical abuse of minor aged children/students?
“Abuse in Homeschooling Environments”
“Child abuse and neglect in homeschooling settings can take on aspects that can make it substantively different from the abuse or neglect of children who attend school. …
“Physical Abuse
“Abusive parents who homeschool their children do not have to worry about a teacher noticing or reporting their children’s bruises or other physical manifestations of abuse. This allows them to push farther and abuse their children in more extreme ways than they might otherwise. A number of young adults who were homeschooled before later being put in school have recounted that their parents’ abuse toned down when they ceased homeschooling because they were aware their abuse could be seen and reported if they went too far.” …
“Some homeschooling parents are motivated to homeschool by fundamentalist religious beliefs that include an emphasis on the use of “the rod” to control and discipline children, sometimes combined with the belief that children are born evil or that children’s wills must be broken.
“In some cases, homeschooling families become cult-like as abusive parents’ desire for absolute control melds with extreme religious ideas. Marcus Wesson taught his 16 children that he was God and “married” and fathered children with several of his underage daughters.
“Sexual Abuse
“Sexual abuse in homeschooling situations is compounded by the fact that children homeschooled by sexually abusive parents do not have access to age-appropriate sex education that might give them the tools needed to understand and report their own abuse. …
“In some cases, children homeschooled by abusive or neglectful parents may go missing and have their disappearances unreported for years afterwards. Because these children are not in school, there is no teacher to notice their absences. …
“Abusive and neglectful homeschooling situations sometimes also involve child labor violations. In these cases, homeschooled children’s education ceases at age 12 or 14 and they are expected to work full time, often in family businesses or doing various manual labor.”
https://www.responsiblehomeschooling.org/policy-issues/abuse-and-neglect/abuse-in-homeschooling-environments/
In California, if a traditional public school teacher or staff member notices signs of abuse and they don’t report it, they will lose their job, their credential and possibly go to jail. In fact, I did report alleged abuse of one of my male high school students and the principal scoffed and ignored me, but the law is specific. The principal wouldn’t get fired or go to jail if he ignored a teacher’s concerns. It was up to me to drive to the local police station and file a report so the police would follow up. I did and the police did. I also sent that student for counseling so he’d get help to deal with any potential PTSD, etc.
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I see the the problem of abused children living in the margins as a failure of states to educate children. There should be some measure of accountability for home schooled students. Even if young people are taught at home, they need to know how to read, write, calculate as well as civics so they can learn to be responsible citizens. Even the Amish that live insular lives believe that young people need at least an eighth grade education to run a farm. In light of the abuse of some home schooled children, perhaps they should be required to have an annual physical as well. While they may consider this “government interference,” I think it is more important to ensure the safety of the children. I hope states do not start handing out money to home schooled children as it will encourage more of it. Any state that does hand out money should make sure that it comes with strings attached to protect the welfare of the children. States with hands-off policies are neglecting their responsibility to protect children.
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@retired teacher: You have hit it. There must be a balance between the legitimate rights of parents, to direct and control the education of their children, and the rights of the children, to be free of abuse and neglect.
Many (not all) home-schoolers will choose to forgo any financial assistance, in the form of vouchers/ESA, because of the controls which will surely follow the dollars.
Nevertheless, the state has the duty and the responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of children, regardless of the decision of parents to home-school.
I would even say that children who are not in publicly-operated schools, should not be exempt from vaccination requirements.
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“Nevertheless, the state has the duty and the responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of children, regardless of the decision of parents to home-school.” If some homeschoolers “choose to forgo any financial assistance” to avoid “controls which surely follow the dollars” how to you propose the state fulfill its “duty and responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of children”?
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@wgersen. Laws against child abuse and endangerment do not apply solely to children who attend publicly-operated schools. Laws that require children to be vaccinated should apply equally to all children, regardless of their educational setting.
The police do not have the power to enter private dwellings to ascertain the health, welfare, and safety of the minor children, absent probable cause, and a valid search warrant (see the 4th amendment).
Our law enforcement system is “reactive”, only when there is suspicion of illegal activities, can the government interfere. (We do not have a “Department of future crimes”).
So to get to your question: Police and Law enforcement officials will have to rely on an alert citizenry, and the observations of people who will be in contact with home-schooled children, just as they rely on information from publicly-schooled children. If a person has reason to believe that a home-schooled child is endangered or abused in any way, the person will have to contact law enforcement, or their local child-welfare officials.
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The website is informative and part of a larger effort. I notice that the website’s copyright ran through 2016. I certainly hope that this database can be continued. The classification of types of abuse is informative.
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Homeschooling was institutionalized with little thought about setting consistent educational standards and oversight for the children in these situations. Not all homeschooling families are abusive but the growing numbers make the system ripe for abused children to disappear from public purview. When religion is the rational for families to choose homeschooling, there is little political will to challenge their methods.
Quiverfull is an extreme evangelical group that promotes large families, strict obedience to biblical laws, corporeal punishment, and homeschooling. They often live in closed communities in the countryside where they isolate themselves from outside influences.
In 2005, a TN family of influential evangelicals started a fad in Christian circles to adopt African orphans from Liberia. The family essentially turned their adopted children into slaves. (In the name of God & the bible, of course). The story of the children’s abuse may not have continued had these children attended a public schools. In the end, they were adults when their story was picked up by Mother Jones & gave this reporter first hand information.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/christian-evangelical-adoption-liberia/
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The first thing I thought is: homeschooled. I have long thought that homeschooling is a way for people to be able to abused their children without anyone else ever laying eyes on them, not to mention what is the quality of education they get. My daughter is considered home schooled, a s she does online classes, but I specifically kept her enrolled in technical program for socialization.
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