Parents have had it!
As mass schooling becomes more restrictive, more standardized, and more far-reaching into a child’s young life, many parents are choosing to leave for alternatives.
Increasingly, these parents are reclaiming their child’s education and are refocusing learning around children, family, and community in several different ways.
Mass Exodus To Real Schooling Choices
With back-to-school time upon us, more than two million U.S. children will be avoiding the school bus altogether in favor of homeschooling, an educational choice that has accelerated in recent years among both liberal and conservative families. While homeschooling for religious freedom remains an important driver for many families, 2012 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reveal that a main reason for homeschooling is “concern about the environment within the schools.”
Reasons and Motivations for Home-Educating
Most parents and youth decide to homeschool for more than one reason. The most common reasons given for homeschooling are the following:
• customize or individualize the curriculum and learning environment for each child,
• accomplish more academically than in schools,
• use pedagogical approaches other than those typical in institutional schools,
• enhance family relationships between children and parents and among siblings,
• provide guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers and adults,
• provide a safer environment for children and youth, because of physical violence, drugs and alcohol, psychological abuse, racism, and improper and unhealthy sexuality associated with institutional schools and
• teach and impart a particular set of values, beliefs, and worldview to children and youth.
• (source)
Academic Performance In Homeschools
• The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. (The public school average is the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.)
• A 2015 study found Black homeschool students to be scoring 23 to 42 percentile points above Black public school students (Ray, 2015).
• Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.
• Whether homeschool parents were ever certified teachers is not related to their children’s academic achievement.
• Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement.
• Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions.
• Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges.
• (source)
Thinking that “the STATE gives us the right to care for our children” is moving with rapid speed in many circles, and unless we want to forever lose that right, we need to take back our freedoms in a tangible way. Taking control over our kids education is perhaps the most visible.
This man, Jim Dwyer, is anti-family and anti-God. His words are truly frightening! 2:26 minutes.
Other Schooling Options
Charter Schools
Beside homeschooling, an additional two million children will be schooling this fall in charter schools. According to recent U.S. Department of Education data, the number of students currently enrolled in charter schools increased from 0.9 million in 2004 to 2.7 million in 2015, while the number of children enrolled in traditional public schools declined by 0.4 million during that same period.
When parents enroll their children in a virtual charter school, though tax-payer funded, they forfeit much of their parental authority in connection with their children’s education. While the children are at home, the parents have little input concerning curriculum.
Virtual Schools
As online learning technology improves and expands, more parents are choosing virtual schools for their children over traditional public schools. Data from the non-profit organization, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, find that 310,000 young people in grades kindergarten through 12th grade participated in fully online programming in 2013, up from 200,000 in 2010.
Private School
In addition to homeschoolers, charter school students, and virtual learners, more than four million children will avoid a traditional district school this fall to attend a U.S. private school.
In states that advocate parental choice and actively expand education options to more families, student enrollment in traditional public schools is declining. When given real choices, parents are deciding to avoid an assigned district school in favor of alternatives.
Voucher Programs and Tuition Assistance
In North Carolina, for example, the state has taken deliberate steps to expand education choice to more parents. These steps include lifting caps on the number of allowed charter schools, creating a voucher program for low-income families, offering tuition assistance for parents of children with special needs, and expanding opportunities for homeschoolers.
As a result of these efforts, enrollment this year in N. Carolina’s traditional public schools declined by more than 5,000 students, while those enrolled in home-schools, charter schools, and private schools increased by almost 24,000 children.
Parents Back In Charge of Schooling
Today, parents are glimpsing the possibilities of real education choice measures that put them back in charge of their children’s education. After decades of weakening parental empowerment, in which mass schooling has steadily consumed more of a child’s time than ever before, parents are beginning to reclaim their essential role in guiding their children’s education.
Excerpts of this post were originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Kerry McDonald.
Kerry McDonald is a Senior Contributor for Intellectual Takeout. She has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and a Master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and writes about education choice, parental empowerment, homeschooling, and self-directed learning. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at her blog, Whole Family Learning.
The statistical excerpts are taken with permission from Research Facts On Homeschooling by Dr. Brian D. Ray, Ph.D.
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” ~Deuteronomy 6:7
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Deborah Harvey
homeschooled mine.
strictly sub rosa.
bypass the school board if you can.
avoid ‘official’ interference.
it is enjoyable. you will love your kids’ company.
i am not a ‘certified teacher’.
it is easy.
the library is your friend.
read to your kids until your throat is sore.
do not buy expensive curricula. you don’t need it.
you are adequate to the job.
God gave you the children, didn’t He? therefore He trusts you with them.
find a homeschool group or two near you, they are not all equal. try them out. we went on field trips with the group. much enjoyment.
Jacqueline
I so agree, Deborah! Love your comment and succinct thoughts!
We loved our homeschool years and went all the way to graduate high school with honors. Our kids are all contributors to their community and we are closely knit. One flies 737s for Delta, one is an organic farmer and our daughter and her husband run 3 large home show exhibits a year with thousands of attendees in the PNW. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone regardless of their own education. If you love your children and seek help from God and others who have gone before you for direction, you CAN do it!
The only thing I am uneasy with is the present library agenda: https://deeprootsathome.com/books-unhealthy-for-children-recent-newbery-caldecott-ya/
Barb Tocci
Amen Deborah!!!!
Robyn
I would like to DITTO what Deborah said, “do not buy expensive curricula. you don’t need it.” I cannot stress this part enough, especially from K through 8 … you end up paying for repeat upon repeat upon repeat of essentially the same core information. Save your $$ for good high-school curricula and field trips!
And in the same vein as, “i am not a ‘certified teacher’, … I was very afraid at first, but I discovered that I was ALREADY a teacher of ‘life’, all you do as a homeschooling mom, is just add a few more subjects of interest. Although most educators want you to believe that you need to be a member of the elite knowledge club … It’s not rocket science – don’t let them fool you 😉
Jacqueline
That is eactly what I found out, Robyn! I felt I had nothing to give except I soon realized I had all my experience of good and bad to share! God somehow prepares us with exactly what we need right when we need it when we ask for help! Thank for your great comment!
Barb Tocci
I had to pray and fast for 3 months to agree to my husband desire to HS, this was back in the 80’s. I knew the commitment would be years long. We never asked permission, flew under the radar. The very best years of my life hands down!! We just concentrated on the 3 R’s in beginning. My guys ended up learning history by building civilizations along the creek bed, using stick men reenacted whatever era in settlement represented. They would look up in the encyclopedia that period of history and recreate the events. They had governments, allies,enemies… Bags and bags of stick men later….Always tried to make learning fun,used Monopoly,cooking,carpentry, etc to teach math.Every family has a way, just don’t try and force your family into someone else’s mold….enjoy it!! Now my son Jedidiah & his wife Dani in New Hampshire, have a school in their home for 7 area children, plus their own 3. Warms my heart!! THEY ARE YOUR CHILDREN, no matter what Mr Jim Dwyer ,”Mr lawyer” God hater, says!!
Jacqueline
Barb Tocci, Amen!!! Amen, sister! I feel the same and we did it much the same! Lots of creative fun, hands on learning, rich imaginative play, and amazing experiences!
Thanks for adding to the conversation here!
Hugs,
Jacque
Barb Tocci
I was thinking about the opportunities the HS’d children have, that their peers stuck in the system don’t. Colleges don’t always advertise this as an option but…. While my children were doing high school at home, our local community college had “Dual enrollment” . Where high school age kids could take courses, get college credits while finishing high school. For example… I had a freshman in HS taking college composition course fall semester, while his older brothers were doing, physical science ,biology, drafting 101…By the time they graduated HS most had 75% of their college 2 yr degree behind them. And another great opportunity for HS’ers is apprenticeships. For example, 2 of my guys apprenticed with a surveyor, ( after a year, realized they didn’t want to do THAT for a living) 1 of my guys apprenticed with a farrier, (so then we got out 5 horses feet trimmed for free)..You get the picture. The possibilities are endless.