I do. I'm not a trained educational professional. Why would I be better at it than one? I don't think I'd fix my furnace better than Darkside or be a better lawyer than JLN so why would I think I could teach better than a trained professional?

I think gender dysphoria is a real thing.

I don't believe learning is something that requires "trained professionals" and there is a mountain of evidence that supports that conclusion. But hey, I don't want to get sideways with the teacher's unions. I do think most of their members care and do a good job. I just don't think their skills are as critical to their students' learning as they would have us believe. If they were, home-schooled children- most of whom are taught by untrained and highly religious parents- wouldn't be able to outperform the students of the trained professionals to the degree that they do. Are you familiar with "unschooling"?

So do I. And there's a lot of evidence that transitioning isn't the proper treatment, especially for someone as young as 17.

Well, my guess is like the private school debates, it's about the selection bias that keeps out the underperforming kids along with them in general being more affluent since they can rely on one income to live on.

If I'm as good or better than the average teacher at my local school then that's absolutely pitiful. Now, maybe you see me educate JLN and pittmike every day on here and you are giving me a huge compliment but I don't think I'd educate my kid as well.

I'm saying that the home environment is much more critical to a child's learning than who the child's teachers are. That's exactly why more affluent students/schools do better. That isn't a criticism of poor parents. It's about luxuries/time/etc. that poor people don't have.

Well, it was just starting the process so it wasn't like they weren't going to try just about everything else.

I think that would have been a stronger argument for the parents to make though. It seems as if they simply said they were against it for religious reasons.

The support environment is. I'll still trust a trained professional to teach my kids over myself.

I'm saying that the home environment is much more critical to a child's learning than who the child's teachers are. That's exactly why more affluent students/schools do better. That isn't a criticism of poor parents. It's about luxuries/time/etc. that poor people don't have.

The support environment is. I'll still trust a trained professional to teach my kids over myself.

I'll take the kid living in a comfortable two-parent home with plenty of food and you and Caller Bob as his teachers over a kid living in public housing and with food uncertainty who has Noam Chomsky and spanky as his teachers if we're betting on who will score higher on the SAT.

I'll take the kid living in a comfortable two-parent home with plenty of food and you and Caller Bob as his teachers over a kid living in public housing and with food uncertainty who has Noam Chomsky and spanky as his teachers if we're betting on who will score higher on the SAT.

But we're back to parents' rights to make choices for their underage children. I don't think their motives for making those choices should be in question. Frankly, it comes off as anti-Christian dogma. It doesn't matter that you and I find someone's Christian beliefs absurd. The truth is, most Americans don't. I think you would have a better argument if the parents were trying to force a procedure on the child. Like female genital mutilation or perhaps even male circumcision, for example. I wonder how the judge would have handled a case like that and if the media would be treating the parents differently.

Well, my guess is like the private school debates, it's about the selection bias that keeps out the underperforming kids along with them in general being more affluent since they can rely on one income to live on.

If I'm as good or better than the average teacher at my local school then that's absolutely pitiful. Now, maybe you see me educate JLN and pittmike every day on here and you are giving me a huge compliment but I don't think I'd educate my kid as well.

I'll take the kid living in a comfortable two-parent home with plenty of food and you and Caller Bob as his teachers over a kid living in public housing and with food uncertainty who has Noam Chomsky and spanky as his teachers if we're betting on who will score higher on the SAT.

Very true. Every day I learn what a hand job you are.

I don't believe learning is something that requires "trained professionals" and there is a mountain of evidence that supports that conclusion. But hey, I don't want to get sideways with the teacher's unions. I do think most of their members care and do a good job. I just don't think their skills are as critical to their students' learning as they would have us believe. If they were, home-schooled children- most of whom are taught by untrained and highly religious parents- wouldn't be able to outperform the students of the trained professionals to the degree that they do. Are you familiar with "unschooling"?

but where do you draw the line?

Parents shouldn't have an absolute right to do what they think is best for their children.

Parents shouldn't have an absolute right to do what they think is best for their children.

Boilermaker -

You keep wrongly bringing up religion. The debate here has nothing to do with religion. The debate is whether parents have a right to make decisions for their children or the government does. That they may or may not have done it for religious reasons isn't material.

You are nuts to paint teachers as having some unique skill set that a reasonably educated parent couldn't replicate. That's not a shot at teachers; it's true of most professions. The biggest downside to home schooling is the lack of socialization....... which is a huge downside.

I know you're a big government guy, which is fine, but where do you draw the line?

Some ideas people have regarding the government and children are certainly interesting.

They aren't trying to remove her clitoris .. They just want her to wait 6 months before their mentally ill daughter makes extreme choices.

Rick..I'd bet it's already happened.. The surgeons should be locked up with the parents.

They aren't trying to remove her clitoris