Back in January, I wrote about how the State Education Department was cutting off special services for homeschoolers. Today, the state senate passed a bill to restore those services. The assembly passed the companion bill on Monday, so now it goes to Gov. Paterson for his signature.
As a libertarian, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, there are homeschooled students who need these services and whose parents couldn’t afford to pay for them out of pocket (not least because of price distortions caused by the government education monopoly. Every child not sent to the government indoctrination camps otherwise known as public schools is a good thing. On the other hand, a perfect libertarian would avoid government handouts at any cost.
As a parent of a homeschooler receiving these services, however, it’s an easy call. I’m thrilled my daughter will continue to get the services she needs without us resorting to sending her to a public school.