California Homeschool
Legal Challenge

Permission Granted by California Court to File Brief in the case of In Re Rachel L.

Arbor Academy, AtoZ Home's Cool, Beach High School, Excellence in Education, Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, Grace Christian Academy, Homefires Journal and Northern California African American Homeschoolers Association (the "Homeschooling Groups") announced today that they have been granted their application to jointly file a brief on an amicus curiae basis with the appellate court in Southern California that will be rehearing the recent case affecting homeschooling.

The Homeschooling Groups consist of several organizations that offer services for homeschoolers, including secular and religious programs; advocacy groups supporting gifted, special needs and African American homeschoolers; and internet portals providing resources for the diverse homeschooling community.

Their joint brief focuses on giving the court factual information about homeschooling. The groups believe that the court cannot decide whether its prior position that homeschooling parents must obtain teaching credentials constitutes a permissible regulation without understanding what homeschooling is and whether objective evidence exists that it works.

Their brief shows the court that California's interest in educating children is more than adequately met through currently allowed homeschooling methods, and effectively prohibiting it through a credential requirement is neither reasonable nor necessary.

The court has stated that it intends to schedule the rehearing in June.

Pro bono counsel for the Homeschooling Groups included Bingham McCutchen of San Francisco, GCA Law Partners of Mountain View and Morrison & Foerster of Los Angeles. The brief was filed on Monday, May 19, 2008 and approved on May 21, 2008.

For further information please contact these organizations as follows:

• Arbor Academy
  P.O. Box 3381
  Thousand Oaks, CA 91359
  Lisa Jackson, Director
• AtoZ Home's Cool
  Ann Zeise, Contact Ann Zeise
• Beach High School
  5520 Old San Jose Road
  Soquel, CA 95073
  Phone: 831-462-5867
  Wes Beach, Director
• Excellence in Education
  Martin Forte, Director
• Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
  P.O. Box 18865
  San Jose, CA 95158
  Telephone: (612) 435-4726
  Corin Goodwin, Director
• Grace Christian Academy
• Homefires ~ The Journal of Homeschooling Online
  327 Saint Francis Street Redwood City, CA 94062
  Telephone: 650-365-9425
  Diane Flynn Keith, Founder
• Northern California African American Homeschooler's Association
  Z. Afiya Olatunji, Director

Permission to repost is granted.