New Yorkers charged with child endangerment for not registering Home School curriculum

I guess New York doesnt like home schooling families very much.
There aren't a lot of details in the story but apparently they home schooled their kids
for the last 7 years but failed to register the kids and the curriculum with the district so they were arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Seems a little harsh to me but hopefully theyre current with their home school legal defense dues and they get good representation.
My son was home schooled for his 5th grade year and they only thing that was suggested that I do is send a certified letter to the school, it wasnt required but suggested as a CYA measure.
I guess laws vary from state to state but to me, this is a huge assault on parental rights.

Source

A Montgomery County couple has been arrested on child endangerment charges for failing to register their children with the school district as they were home-schooled, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said Monday. Richard Cressy, 47, and Margie Cressy, 41, both of the town of Glen, never registered their four children or their home-schooling curriculum with the local school district, said the Sheriff's Office. The Superintendent of the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District confirmed the four children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, had not been registered with the school district for the last seven years. The Cressys were issued appearance tickets to appear in the Town of Glen Court at a later date. The case has been turned over to the Montgomery County District Attorney and the Child Protective Unit.

Well,if you remember,those who Home School are listed on the DHS list as "potential terrorists"!

Can't go easy on them.

Most of us here are probably on the list,too. (And I know for a fact I'm as peaceful as can be!)

Yes,it seems way too extreme! These homeschooler's are getting harrassed all over the country. It really must irk the government to miss out on indoctrinating every last one of the kids.

reply to post by Kr0n0s



This # happens all the time
my sister suffers from sever SAD
literally kicking and screaming when it's time for school crying hysterically
she was denied homeschool
and my parents couldn't do anything about it trust me I saw it every day
and they were charged with neglect
new yoorrrk new yoorrrk

reply to post by Kr0n0s



This # happens all the time
my sister suffers from sever SAD
literally kicking and screaming when it's time for school crying hysterically
she was denied homeschool
and my parents couldn't do anything about it trust me I saw it every day
and they were charged with neglect
new yoorrrk new yoorrrk

These people need to fight the whole way to trial.

They will not be able to find a jury to convict them, no way, no how.

I was in a jury a few years back and it took us 10 minutes in the jury room.

1 minute to find not guilty and 9 minutes to write a scathing report on the ballot decision about both the decision to try the case and the law that was used to try to convict the defendant.

Go to trial on everything that they charge you with people. Speeding, running a red light anything! Let us break this POS system now!

Quit feeding the beast.

OP S&F, this kind of **** has to STOP!

The parents are supposedly going through the effort of homeschooling their children, yet they can't bother to register them?

This has nothing to do with agreeing or not agreeing with homeschooling, all the parents had to do was register with the county.

Just like you have to register with public school, and you face charges if your kid doesn't go to school.

For all the county knows, those kids are sitting around eating potatoe chips all day and watching tv. They may not be learning how to read or do math and other basic functions that you need to know.

And yes, children have to have an education.

If you home-school your children you must submit their curriculum to the school board and register them. This tells authorities the kids are actually being taught, and not just neglected. I'm sure it varies from area to area, but this has to be done, otherwise you get all sorts of kooks who'll fail to provide even a meager education for this kids. Sorry to say but this was not an assault on their parental rights, these parents failed to register their kids for school, so the state took action.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I guess like you have to register your car, your dog , your this, your that.

This has nothing to do with the children.

It has everything to do with control.

What if the gov does not like the curriculum?

What if the parents feel a religious only schooling is necessary to their child?

I guess than the gov will just take them away.

Because we all know gov knows best for everyone and everything.

Still do not understand us people do you? Cannot allow anyone to not follow the line into that BOX, that the rest of the world belongs in, huh?

reply to post by Kr0n0s


Hardly. It is child endangerment, as the curriculum they didn't register could have been full of complete nonsense, screwing the kid up for life.

Parents don't have the right to play fast and loose with their kids' education.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Yea ok, so they charge them with child endangerment for not registering their curriculum?
Thats a little harsh and in my opinion IS one more thing against parental rights.
So, sorry to say but because your opinion is that it isnt, doesnt make it fact, just like my opinion doesnt make it fact.
In Texas, homeschool is considered a private school and no documents are required to be sent to any organization , so yea it does vary from state to state.

Im sure that the parents opinion is, why should they register their child at a school that they arent even going to but again, thats my opinion, not many details were given in the article.

Hardly. It is child endangerment,

Yea right, whatever you say

New York's child endangerment law makes it a misdemeanor crime if a person "knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than seventeen years old". Also, a parent can be guilty of the same if he or she "fails or refuses to exercise reasonable diligence in the control of such child to prevent him from becoming an "abused child," a "neglected child," a "juvenile delinquent" or a "person in need of supervision," as the terms are defined under New York law.

source

[edit on 1/5/2010 by Kr0n0s]

reply to post by Kr0n0s


The article doesn't say the couple in NY failed to register just a curriculum, but rather, failed to register at all. Most districts have mandatory attendance for children enrolled in school, and if they fail to meet it, the school must contact child services, or similar. Even Texas has that law. For all the school district knew, these kids were locked up in a closet. Imagine the uproar if they DIDN'T act?

Texas may not require a curriculum or other paperwork, although this letter from from the "Texas Education Agency" at tea.state.tx.us might shed more light on that, what's important is that the school district knows the kids are enrolled in home schooling and are receiving at least the minimum level of schooling.

[edit on 5-1-2010 by Blackmarketeer]

reply to post by endisnighe


Control? Of course! Control over the kids' educations, to make sure the parents aren't simpering morons. If the parents think an entirely religious schooling of their kids is necessary, then those parents are included in the simpering morons I just mentioned. Just as if the parents think an entirely fruit-based schooling of their kids is necessary. It's not right for the kids. Governments don't know what's best for kids, but if people think bizarre sub-par educations are fine, then the government should step in and make sure the kids get an education that doesn't stop them from attending university.

The kids right to a decent education trumps the parents rights to push their desires on their kids.

reply to post by Kr0n0s


So the law agrees with me. Thanks!

Parents don't have the right to take chances with the education of their kids. Full stop. It's that simple.

Well since this does not include the public and is a family matter I think this is not
a good thing... If these parents want to teach this kid religious fantasy or whatever
thats their thing I suppose.

reply to post by davesidious

So the law agrees with me. Thanks!

According to your interpretation maybe but not mine. Even a half-assed attorney could pick it apart.
I hope they have a follow up to this story, i would bet 10,000 ATS points that the charges of endangerment wont hold up.
The DA would be a fool to take on that charge but im sure theres another, more obscure law, theyll will tag them with or just plain old truancy laws.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
The parents are supposedly going through the effort of homeschooling their children, yet they can't bother to register them?

This has nothing to do with agreeing or not agreeing with homeschooling, all the parents had to do was register with the county.

Just like you have to register with public school, and you face charges if your kid doesn't go to school.

For all the county knows, those kids are sitting around eating potatoe chips all day and watching tv. They may not be learning how to read or do math and other basic functions that you need to know.

And yes, children have to have an education.

Kind of have to agree... this is far from a "block home schooling" law...

You maybe should have to draw up a curriculum... if you can't you probably shouldn't be teaching your kids... I can't imagine it taking e more than a single afternoon and they were given 7 years

7 years is a long time...

Originally posted by davesidious
reply to post by Kr0n0s

 

Hardly. It is child endangerment, as the curriculum they didn't register could have been full of complete nonsense, screwing the kid up for life.

Parents don't have the right to play fast and loose with their kids' education.

Yeah,
It'd be a shame if a handfull of kids actually got to adulthood without being turned into complete and utter idiots by the sorry excuse we have for an educational system in the US.

Oh my God ! ?

What if they get to adulthood and are more intelligent than some, or even most, of the other students?

What if they are actually well rounded and articulate problem solvers that can handle lifes challenges without relying on the nanny state mentality?

What could be done to stop them?

It'd be a tragedy!

Not like the millions of dropouts like the school system puts out. They are just fine.

Not like the graduates that have a life of working a "Mc Job" at minimum wage to look forward to. Euphoria!

Not like the students who are entering college who read at barely a fifth grade level and have to get remedial math, english and science courses because they cant cope in freshmen level classes. No problem, they can get Teaching Degrees!

No. Those kids are all fine. We can deal with mediocrity and failure.

What we can't deal with is the idea that the odd homeschooled kid might get an unfair advantage in life and take a run at being intelligent.

Gotta put a stop to that.

The US education system. Dumbing kids down for their own good since the seventies.

[edit on 5-1-2010 by badgerprints]

reply to post by Kr0n0s


As should happen. This should serve as a warning to other homes-chooling parents to not trivialise their kids' education.

reply to post by badgerprints


Yes, that would be a shame. And there's nothing stopping the parents from giving their kids a perfectly fantastic education as long as they register their curriculum and their kids with the appropriate authorities. This isn't about outlawing home-schooling, just ensuring that parents who do it treat it with the respect it deserves.

So, next time try to read my posts before jumping down my throat. It'll save my time, and your embarrassment.

reply to post by mopusvindictus



My son wanted to try home schooling because one of his friends was doing it, so I went along with it and followed the advice of the HSLDA on letters of withdrawal and so forth, so his school would know he was just not being absent.
I did research and found an online curriculum at a reputable place, all of the records were kept in a database, including daily grades and test scores.

After one year he decided he didnt want to do it anymore, he missed his friends and the social aspect of it all.
I downloaded and printed his records re-enrolled him in school and they had him take a state standardized test (TAKS) to determine if he could move on to the 6th grade or if he would have to go back to the grade he missed (5th)
Hes a good student and passed the test, so he went on to the 6th grade.

And this was in an unregulated state.
Most of the negative comments here are from people with suspicious minds and negative attitudes who are automatically assuming that they had no curriculum and no discipline.
Ok class, todays lesson is the same as yesterdays, which is the same as tomorrows. (Team tactics on the Xbox )Anyone that beats your old man MW2 search and destroy, FAILS

as long as they register their curriculum and their kids with the appropriate authorities.

You can look at it that way and you may be right BUT, i just think differently i guess because i just cant help but to think that New York is intentionally making it very difficult to home school so that parents will say screw this and send them back to public school.

If you want to homeschool in New York, there are laws that you need to follow. New York has some rigid guidelines to adhere to, so get the heads up on what is expected. Read more at Suite101: Homeschool Regulations in New York: Information on What is Required of NY Homeschoolers homeschool-regulations.suite101.com...

link

[edit on 1/5/2010 by Kr0n0s]

There are a lot of companies that cater to home-school parents, they provide all the education material, curriculums, etc. Bob Jones University is one, although they promote a religious skew. You might think home schooling is better than a public school, but really consider it seriously, because there is a lot of material to cover and failing to do so robs your kids of a proper and COMPLETE education. Not to mention the loss of making friends, interacting socially, etc. A child's mind responds best when it's challenged and stimulated. Will a child get that in the comfort of their home? Going to public school means 8 hours a day of classes and interacting with their peers. Will they get that at home? Or will they spend 45 minutes on their "lessons" then back to the Xbox.
Apologies, I'm getting off topic...

The state has to walk a fine line between what's best for the kid and the parent's freedom to raise their kid as they see fit. Most parent's, in spite of their best efforts, are NOT fit to be educators.

This couple didn't just fail to register their kids, they failed for SEVEN YEARS straight - for all the state of New York knew, these kids were chained up in a closet with no education at all. Imagine if the 14 year old in the article had nothing more that a first grade education, if even that. It took seven years for the state to respond and FINALLY issue them an arrest warrant. That should have happened after the FIRST year, not the seventh.

Ask yourself this, what would have happened if that couple hadn't paid their taxes for 7 years? How long would the state have allowed that to go on?

I know a lot of people think they have the right to do whatever they want with their kids, but the kids have rights too - and one of those is to an education.

Originally posted by davesidious
reply to post by Kr0n0s

 

As should happen. This should serve as a warning to other homes-chooling parents to not trivialise their kids' education.

reply to post by badgerprints

 

So, next time try to read my posts before jumping down my throat. It'll save my time, and your embarrassment.

Ha.

Embarrassment?

None of that here.

You took a cheap shot at homeschoolers based on a technicality like "registration."

You still show your stripes by assuming that home schooled kids will be mistreated.

Your words...
"It is child endangerment, as the curriculum they didn't register could have been full of complete nonsense, screwing the kid up for life.”

The school system is screwing up kids by the millions. They don't register their curriculum with the parents.

Nope.

Besides, registration pretty much gets you on the health and human services lists as a target for removing the kids from the home when you register for home schooling.

The system doesn't WANT kids to be home schooled because they tend to think clearly, be intelligent and question the system when they leave home.

The system makes it hard on home schoolers in many parts of the country because they are hostile to it.

The hostility of many posters to home schooling does tell pretty well how institutionalized Americans are in their thinking even though our educational system is the most expensive and one of the least successful in the world.

Our education system is pathetic but you are hostile to anyone who wants better for their kids and you assume they can't do it if they don't get the say so from the system that they are trying to protect their kids from.

As long as those kids can perform up to standards on the "tests" that the school systems ust for "standards" then they are fine.

By the way, home schooled kids score much higher and do much better on standardized tests than students from public schools. They also perform better in college and have a better success rate in the workforce.

They get better educations when they are not institutionalized and dumbed down like public schools want them to be.



[edit on 5-1-2010 by badgerprints]