Thanks, Haley! I'm obviously very deep in this sort of research and data these days, in order to be able to put out a nerdy podcast interview AND a nerdy essay like this one!
I think the swing in public sentiment and the fearmongering must have to do with the funding issues. Even the rise of so many programs like MyTechHigh that have a "count" component and require "enrollment" of some sort. I'm so conflicted about them, but they're undeniably helpful for homeschoolers.
Goodness...this is interesting, Dixie. You know, my husband and I never sent our son to school. I use this phrase because the word, 'homeschool,' has never *really* applied. The definition of homeschool continues to change.
Also, most of the time when 'homeschooling' is being discussed it falls under a universal umbrella b/c the author(s) of the article(s) may be unaware of each state's individual options. Or, that some states have local control (like PA). We have the option to teach our child/ren under the Private Tutor provision. This allows parents to select a tutor (obviously) or, if the parent him/herself is a PA-certified educator, the child is taught by the parent -- PA assumes if the parent is equipped to teach in our public schools he/she is equipped to teach his/her own children.
Private Tutor Option requires no annual objectives, no portfolio, no portfolio evaluation, no 'evaluation,' no standardized testing...the provision allows parents freedom to craft the education for their child/ren. I mention this b/c it is a great example of an education option few even recognize exists. Its popularity as a homeschooling alternative speaks to the number of certified educators who choose NOT to enroll their children in the very system in which they earned a degree/certification.
We also have local control -- our Department of Education has no authority (its role is to provide legal guidance to districts/families) -- in 'relaxed' districts homeschooling parents never hear from a superintendent for the entirety of the homeschooling experience. In 'strict' districts, parents struggle (depending on the administration/community).
If the Washington Post wants to do a deep dive into homeschooling, it should push a little deeper to recognize and understand all the opportunities available in all 50 states -- wouldn't that create a national conversation?
You are absolutely right -- it is so different state-by-state, district-by-district, and family by family. In most states, homeschooling is not highly-regulated. This frightens people who presume that if families are not being watched by teachers they will likely harm or neglect their children. But this is a backwards way of looking at it, in my opinion -- public schools are in fact where a great deal of neglect and harm is happening.
That sounds like I'm presuming public schools are harmful -- but I'm really not. I do think that overall, right now, the *majority* of public schools are not the good places for children that they ought to be. But I like public schools and wish they were better places and were controlled locally and by people interested in child development.
What I mean to say is that the fearmongering and alarmism directed toward homeschooling is absurd in the context of what public schools are offering. Parents love their children, and most of them will do just fine homeschooling. Homeschooling should be left alone and the problems of public schools attended to, as Christy Isinger recently mentioned in her note on this! (Wish I could tag her!)
Interestingly, I was once referred to as being guilty of fear-mongering when I gave a presentation on unschooling to a local homeschooling group.
I spoke at length on the many ways parents may support their children in a loose, child-led manner. Finally, I explained the ways in which parents could record their unschooling experiences (to remain in compliance) and I casually said, "In case the school district comes knocking on your door." An extreme unschooling parent called out from the audience and accused me of fear-mongering. I mention this because you are right...there is fearmongering and alarmism from outside the community and also, in some cases, infighting within the homeschooling community. It's *all* rather sad.
Oh, that's too bad! I do get that p.o.v., but as a historian of homeschooling I must say that the district knocking on your door does sometimes happen and an unfriendly official can cause considerable distress and trouble before it is resolved. Doesn't sound like you were saying "LIVE IN FEAR!" but rather, "it's wise to document your schooling so that you can comply with school district requirements."
Absolutely. I wanted parents to recognize that very issue - so their lives were not turned upside-down IF the district contacted them. Preventative measures, that's all.😊
Sounds like a lazy reporter wrote that story in the Post, if all they did was check one source of data. No interviews with parents and students? No checking with local (D.C.) school districts for reasons why kids in that city may be moving in to homeschooling? Perhaps all the Post wanted was a rundown of statistics from which they extrapolated dire predictions. I wonder who was behind the story being published anyway? What was their purpose?
It was part of a series of articles. My friend Nadya Williams has an outstanding argument about what she thinks is behind the series' problematic research approach whic, as you note, is sort or isolationist and dare we say arrogant, ignoring much. I highly recommend reading Nadya's article here: https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2023/11/visiting-the-mysterious-island-of-homeschooling/
Thanks for sending Nadya's very well-written article. The other night while visiting with family, the homeschooling discussion came up as usual. One member of the family, a very successful businesswoman, once again asked the question "how can you know that these homeschooled children are getting a good education." In frustration, I countered, "do you really think public school students are getting a good education. They don't even know the difference between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement." The thrust of her question dealt with the overall student population and the supposed chaos in store from these unschooled children upon society. And then there's the socialization. I didn't even touch that issue. Tune in to the news! So I'm going to email this article and the other you sent, which I've yet to read, to her. Perhaps it will make a dent. It's tricky arguing success with someone who's "very successful."
It's a strange presumption that people make, isn't it, that a homeschooled child is likely to be poorly educated, whereas a public-schooled child will be ready for career success. I think it is connected to the professionalization of education over the course of the twentieth century, which was good in some ways (I highly value many of the results of this professionalization) but not in others.
If you want to meet her on her own terms and speak of wordly success on anecdotal terms, you might mention that there are countless anecdotes of homeschooled students who grow up to be extremely successful professionals.
I hope she'll at least read the articles and peruse your archive for more information. Flexible lifestyles, I think, fill her with terror. She's been very successful in a narrow range of business models, saying to us once, "if you follow the rules, you'll be successful." Thing is, the rules keep changing and being flexible and able to fly by the seat of your pants helps you survive those changes.
Sounds like maybe she has reasons to fear losing control. I completely understand that. Unfortunately, neither the rules nor our choices guarantee our "success."
Also, I wonder if they took into account those that are technically registered at a school, but are, in fact, homeschooled. To take advantage of a homeschool funding program in my state my daughter is enrolled in a school district. She has never even been to that school or gets taught by anybody there. We don't even live in the district. She has a homeroom teacher that we send logs to, but I guess she is counted as public schooled even though she isn't. Their article showed a fundamental lack of understanding of the nuances.
Yes, this is one reason why accepting school district registration numbers relatively uncritically isn't a good approach. States and districts (and national-level entities, too) differ in what they count as homeschooling, and yet what homeschoolers themselves count as homeschooling also differs! And sometimes states or districts will play around with this in order to count as many students as possible as public school pupils so that the public schools can get more funding; likewise, some parents who have children enrolled more than half-time in a school setting and only do homework on the off days are required to register as homeschoolers but do not consider themselves as such. Same with a private school that falls short, for example, of the required days of schooling per year in a state that has such requirements -- techinically that is not a school, but a "learning center," and so parents have to register their kids as homeschoolers even though they are not by any stretch of the imagination homeschooled.
I listened to your podcast interview last week, so am now even more intrigued to read your research and assessments on homeschooling!
Thanks, Haley! I'm obviously very deep in this sort of research and data these days, in order to be able to put out a nerdy podcast interview AND a nerdy essay like this one!
I think the swing in public sentiment and the fearmongering must have to do with the funding issues. Even the rise of so many programs like MyTechHigh that have a "count" component and require "enrollment" of some sort. I'm so conflicted about them, but they're undeniably helpful for homeschoolers.
I think much of it comes down to $.
Goodness...this is interesting, Dixie. You know, my husband and I never sent our son to school. I use this phrase because the word, 'homeschool,' has never *really* applied. The definition of homeschool continues to change.
Also, most of the time when 'homeschooling' is being discussed it falls under a universal umbrella b/c the author(s) of the article(s) may be unaware of each state's individual options. Or, that some states have local control (like PA). We have the option to teach our child/ren under the Private Tutor provision. This allows parents to select a tutor (obviously) or, if the parent him/herself is a PA-certified educator, the child is taught by the parent -- PA assumes if the parent is equipped to teach in our public schools he/she is equipped to teach his/her own children.
Private Tutor Option requires no annual objectives, no portfolio, no portfolio evaluation, no 'evaluation,' no standardized testing...the provision allows parents freedom to craft the education for their child/ren. I mention this b/c it is a great example of an education option few even recognize exists. Its popularity as a homeschooling alternative speaks to the number of certified educators who choose NOT to enroll their children in the very system in which they earned a degree/certification.
We also have local control -- our Department of Education has no authority (its role is to provide legal guidance to districts/families) -- in 'relaxed' districts homeschooling parents never hear from a superintendent for the entirety of the homeschooling experience. In 'strict' districts, parents struggle (depending on the administration/community).
If the Washington Post wants to do a deep dive into homeschooling, it should push a little deeper to recognize and understand all the opportunities available in all 50 states -- wouldn't that create a national conversation?
You are absolutely right -- it is so different state-by-state, district-by-district, and family by family. In most states, homeschooling is not highly-regulated. This frightens people who presume that if families are not being watched by teachers they will likely harm or neglect their children. But this is a backwards way of looking at it, in my opinion -- public schools are in fact where a great deal of neglect and harm is happening.
That sounds like I'm presuming public schools are harmful -- but I'm really not. I do think that overall, right now, the *majority* of public schools are not the good places for children that they ought to be. But I like public schools and wish they were better places and were controlled locally and by people interested in child development.
What I mean to say is that the fearmongering and alarmism directed toward homeschooling is absurd in the context of what public schools are offering. Parents love their children, and most of them will do just fine homeschooling. Homeschooling should be left alone and the problems of public schools attended to, as Christy Isinger recently mentioned in her note on this! (Wish I could tag her!)
Interestingly, I was once referred to as being guilty of fear-mongering when I gave a presentation on unschooling to a local homeschooling group.
I spoke at length on the many ways parents may support their children in a loose, child-led manner. Finally, I explained the ways in which parents could record their unschooling experiences (to remain in compliance) and I casually said, "In case the school district comes knocking on your door." An extreme unschooling parent called out from the audience and accused me of fear-mongering. I mention this because you are right...there is fearmongering and alarmism from outside the community and also, in some cases, infighting within the homeschooling community. It's *all* rather sad.
Oh, that's too bad! I do get that p.o.v., but as a historian of homeschooling I must say that the district knocking on your door does sometimes happen and an unfriendly official can cause considerable distress and trouble before it is resolved. Doesn't sound like you were saying "LIVE IN FEAR!" but rather, "it's wise to document your schooling so that you can comply with school district requirements."
Absolutely. I wanted parents to recognize that very issue - so their lives were not turned upside-down IF the district contacted them. Preventative measures, that's all.😊
Sounds like a lazy reporter wrote that story in the Post, if all they did was check one source of data. No interviews with parents and students? No checking with local (D.C.) school districts for reasons why kids in that city may be moving in to homeschooling? Perhaps all the Post wanted was a rundown of statistics from which they extrapolated dire predictions. I wonder who was behind the story being published anyway? What was their purpose?
It was part of a series of articles. My friend Nadya Williams has an outstanding argument about what she thinks is behind the series' problematic research approach whic, as you note, is sort or isolationist and dare we say arrogant, ignoring much. I highly recommend reading Nadya's article here: https://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2023/11/visiting-the-mysterious-island-of-homeschooling/
Thanks for sending Nadya's very well-written article. The other night while visiting with family, the homeschooling discussion came up as usual. One member of the family, a very successful businesswoman, once again asked the question "how can you know that these homeschooled children are getting a good education." In frustration, I countered, "do you really think public school students are getting a good education. They don't even know the difference between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement." The thrust of her question dealt with the overall student population and the supposed chaos in store from these unschooled children upon society. And then there's the socialization. I didn't even touch that issue. Tune in to the news! So I'm going to email this article and the other you sent, which I've yet to read, to her. Perhaps it will make a dent. It's tricky arguing success with someone who's "very successful."
It's a strange presumption that people make, isn't it, that a homeschooled child is likely to be poorly educated, whereas a public-schooled child will be ready for career success. I think it is connected to the professionalization of education over the course of the twentieth century, which was good in some ways (I highly value many of the results of this professionalization) but not in others.
If you want to meet her on her own terms and speak of wordly success on anecdotal terms, you might mention that there are countless anecdotes of homeschooled students who grow up to be extremely successful professionals.
I hope she'll at least read the articles and peruse your archive for more information. Flexible lifestyles, I think, fill her with terror. She's been very successful in a narrow range of business models, saying to us once, "if you follow the rules, you'll be successful." Thing is, the rules keep changing and being flexible and able to fly by the seat of your pants helps you survive those changes.
Sounds like maybe she has reasons to fear losing control. I completely understand that. Unfortunately, neither the rules nor our choices guarantee our "success."
Also, I wonder if they took into account those that are technically registered at a school, but are, in fact, homeschooled. To take advantage of a homeschool funding program in my state my daughter is enrolled in a school district. She has never even been to that school or gets taught by anybody there. We don't even live in the district. She has a homeroom teacher that we send logs to, but I guess she is counted as public schooled even though she isn't. Their article showed a fundamental lack of understanding of the nuances.
Yes, this is one reason why accepting school district registration numbers relatively uncritically isn't a good approach. States and districts (and national-level entities, too) differ in what they count as homeschooling, and yet what homeschoolers themselves count as homeschooling also differs! And sometimes states or districts will play around with this in order to count as many students as possible as public school pupils so that the public schools can get more funding; likewise, some parents who have children enrolled more than half-time in a school setting and only do homework on the off days are required to register as homeschoolers but do not consider themselves as such. Same with a private school that falls short, for example, of the required days of schooling per year in a state that has such requirements -- techinically that is not a school, but a "learning center," and so parents have to register their kids as homeschoolers even though they are not by any stretch of the imagination homeschooled.