Homeschooling wasn't the problem and tougher homeschool regulations are not the answer.

Tragically Ms Jacks murdered her four daughters. Irrationally the New York Times has chosen to blame it on Homeschooling, Lack of Supervision Noted in Deaths of Home-Schooled.


Other papers who are less biased against homeschooling are honest enough to admit that the government knew there were problems in the home. From The Sun Herald, Problems found at DC home before deaths .

A woman found in her home with the decomposing bodies of her four daughters was suspected by a social worker of holding one of the girls hostage as early as April, city officials said.

An investigation into the family was closed weeks later because child and family welfare officials thought the family had moved to Maryland - even though authorities there couldn't locate the family.

So in April social workers knew there was a problem, but because they thought the family had moved the investigation was closed. Note the investigation wasn't closed because of homeschooling but because they thought the family had moved out of their jurisdiction.

The oldest girl, Brittany Jacks, stopped attending classes in early March. A social worker from the Booker T. Washington Public Charter School went to the home April 30 and called police after she was denied entry, Fenty said.

The social worker reported that after speaking to Jacks she appeared to have mental health issues and "that she was possibly holding Brittany hostage by refusing to allow her to attend school," Fenty said. A police officer who responded also was denied entry, but Jacks told him she was home-schooling the children.

Fenty said social workers visited the home several more times in the following weeks, but there was no answer when they knocked at the door. He said the case was closed May 16 because they believed the family had moved to Maryland after finding an address of a relative they believed she was living with.

So the social worker reported Mom had mental health issues they attempted to visit several more times, but when no one answered the door they decided the family had moved to Maryland and closed the case May 16th.

These children did not die because of lack of supervision of the home-schooling process, but because social workers who suspected Ms Jacks had mental health issues failed to follow up and prematurely closed the case. Homeschooling wasn't the problem and tougher homeschool regulations are not the answer.