ELLENSBURG – A California appeals court case ruling that parents who want to home school their children must be certificated teachers in that state or risk criminal prosecution will not have an effect here because each state sets their own rules regarding home schooling.

“Our laws are very good,” said Susi Lundquist of Ellensburg. Her eight youngsters either are or have been home schooled. She says Washington’s rules were written by the person who went on to start the Home School Legal Defense Association, and they protect parents’ right to home school.

In California, though, parents must enroll their children in a full-time, public or private school or have them instructed by a tutor who holds a valid teaching certificate for the grade being taught.

Lundquist, who is in contact with the home schooling community in California, said she disagrees with the ruling and believes that opposition may help overturn the law on which it is based.

“This needs to change,” she said. “Maybe this will force the issue.”

Washington has requirements for home schooling, although being a certificated teacher isn’t one of them. Parents have four ways they can meet the teaching requirements.

To qualify to home school their children parents must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• They are supervised by a certificated teacher.

• They have completed at least 45 college credit hours themselves.

• They have completed a course in home-based education

• Or they are deemed sufficiently qualified by the superintendent of the local school district.

Home school parents are required to teach occupational education, science, math, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling and the development of an appreciation of art and music.

They need to test and keep track of achievement tests and are required to submit a “declaration of intent,” form with the school district in which they live, letting the district know of the parents’ intent to home school their child.

“Washington is very easy to comply with,” said Lundquist.

The Lundquists seem to be the poster family for home schooling. Matt Lundquist, the father, has a master’s degree and runs the college ministry program at Central Washington University. Their children have excelled academically.

Their eldest daughter, Amanda, completed a semester at the University of Oxford, one of England’s premier universities.

“She was challenged,” said Susi. But she rose to the challenge, getting three A’s and a B.

She said Amanda was a good child for the family to get their start home schooling. Amanda learned to read easily and liked learning.

Ewa Ratliff of Cle Elum has home schooled her four children. The first year wasn’t as easy for her.

“That first year was awful,” said Ratliff. She said the academic part wasn’t that hard but adjusting the family’s routine took some getting used to. She tells parents not to base their decision to continue home schooling based on the first year. “It will get better,” she said.

Both Ratliff and Lundquist say there are many reasons to home school. They say it is more natural.

“Parents are every child’s first teacher,” said Ratliff. “Some say they’re the best teachers.”

The Ratliff children have also done well in college. The eldest, Adam, graduated from the University of Idaho. Two others are currently in college and doing well. Ratliff said she sees many benefits to home schooling.

“A lot of good comes from spending time on a daily basis with the family,” she said.

The Lundquists agree. They say the older children help the younger children, both with learning but also with keeping them occupied when Susi needs to concentrate on one child.

But convincing others that home schooling was the right thing to do took a little effort. Susi’s father was a teacher and her mother-in-law also taught.

“It took us 15 years for them to accept it,” said Susi.

Home schooling may be good for individual children. But what about society as a whole? Schools get money from the state based on enrollment. The school district doesn’t get the money if the student is educated at home. So does home schooling take away from public education?

“Probably,” said Susi. But that isn’t her concern. Besides, her children do take public school classes when they want to. Her daughters are enrolled in the Ellensburg School District at least part of the time. She said the district works well with home schoolers. Her second child, Nate, participated in middle school track and high school track and football.

“It was really nice,” she said about the district’s acceptance of Nate.

Ratliff doesn’t think home schoolers detract from public education. For instance, children who are home schooled aren’t using the school’s resources, so don’t cost the school anything. Besides, what is important to the school district isn’t what you should look at, she said.

“The important thing is what is important to the child,” she said. She said it is important for communities to have strong schools, but the goal is to educate children.

Home schooling isn’t perfect.

“There are kids who slip through the cracks and graduate (public school) without being able to read,” said Ratliff. “Well, that happens in home schooling too.”

But overall, she said the home schooling experience has worked well for her family.

“What I’ve found is that if the child is home schooled well, the love of learning hasn’t been squelched,” she said. “They know how to learn.”