State law requires that parents who home-school their children teach children "the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools." Parents who seek to escape under-qualified teachers may not, themselves, be qualified to teach their children the curriculum outlined in state law. Additionally, since parents are not required to teach using particular materials while homeschooling children, the quality of the materials they use may not match the standards set by the California Curriculum Commission. Textbooks approved for use in public schools must undergo rigorous evaluation by the CCC, which ensures that materials meet high education standards. Parents who choose not to use state-approved materials and are not trained to teach may provide a lower-quality education for their children.
In California, students are required to attend public school full-time. However, home-schooled children are not required to attend school during the same hours as public school children. Consequently, home-schooled children may find that they lack social interaction with their peers if not required to attend a traditional school. A lack of socialization may lead to an inability to build relationships with children their own age. Home-schooled children may also find that they cannot identify with their peers if they do not have meaningful and consistent interaction with them.
Home schools provides a freedom that traditional schools do not. Children may feel free to get a snack from the kitchen, use the Internet or play with their siblings while in home school. This may lead to a lack of general educational focus, as well as an inability to set responsible boundaries. Home-schooled students may also take exams and assignments less seriously without the accountability and structure of a typical classroom. Parents who wish to home-school their children in California, should be sure to create a strict schedule and expectations and stick to it.
With budget cuts looming over school districts' heads, administrators are looking to collect as much money as possible to keep their schools and districts afloat. California schools receive significant state and federal funding for every student who attends. This funding is called average daily attendance funding. Parents who opt to home-school their children prevent local school districts from receiving ADA funding for their children. Thus, some may argue that homeschooling may benefit one's own child while disadvantaging others in the community.