Virginia is close to amending its laws so home-schooled kids can participate in extracurricular activities at public schools — namely, sports. At least 25 states already have some kind of "Tebow law," so named because Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was home-schooled in Florida but played on a public school football team. The number of home-schooled kids in the U.S. is growing, say advocates: From 1.5 million in 2007 to 2 million now. Are Tebow laws a good idea?
No. Public school isn't "a la carte": If you're a parent who doesn't "think the school's math or English program is good enough for your child, but playing on that school's football team is," you're like a kid who wants dessert without dinner, says Zack Plair in the Paragould, Ark., Daily Press. Tebow law advocates say it's about fairness — we pay school taxes, let our kids play — but such "a la carte" public schooling is unfair to students who participate in the system. I pay taxes for the whole road, but I can't "drive on the left side of the highway" or "pass on the shoulder." There is "a system in place, and the integrity of that system depends on everyone using it a certain way."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The resurgence of the Taliban in PakistanUnder the Radar Islamabad blames Kabul for sheltering jihadi fighters terrorising Pakistan's borderlands
-
Quiz of The Week: 25 - 31 JanuaryHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are our phones fuelling a Congolese militia?Podcast Plus, what's behind a spate of hate crimes in Australia? And why is carbon monoxide the new 'drug' of choice for cyclists?
