The answer seems to be pretty darn easy. After reading the horrible story about the death of Christian Choate, the thirteen year old who was beaten to death by his father and spent most of his time locked in a dog cage, I wondered just how easy it is to home-school a child.
Christian’s stepmother, Kimberly Kubina, took her stepson out of school reporting that he was to be home-schooled, but after what unfolded in the household, it seems quite evident that the real reason behind the move was to cover up ongoing abuse.
Speaking as a former teacher, one of the first bits of instruction you learn is how to identify potential abuse in the homes of your students. You’re told to look for obvious bruises especially around report card and parent teacher conference time. You’re also instructed to look for odd behavior, acting out, withdrawal, and copious sleeping in class amongst myriad other things, and if suspected, to tell your school’s response team immediately. However, this only works if you can witness and interact with students. There is some leeway for students who are enrolled, but suddenly go missing. You can then send a truancy officer to their address to find out what the story is, but when a student is home-schooled there are literally no options. Continue reading