This is going to be an odd post. I rarely write things like this for sharing in this space, ,simply because it doesn’t fit with the theme of what I’m hoping to accomplish here. But this is important. It must be said. And I feel a terrible burden to say it in every available outlet— even this usually rant-free zone.
Homeschooling will very soon be under intense scrutiny. The sudden and chaotic shift we saw from classrooms to remote learning has exposed once and for all that what we define as education doesn’t quite fit into the confines of a state-led matrix. And the backlash— which was already underway before this seismic shift in the methods of public education delivery— is coming.
I don’t doubt that you’ve seen the Harvard Magazine piece entitled, “The Risks of Homeschooling.” What you may not realize is that the article is actually a promo bit; it’s a brief sketch of the work of one of the organizers of an upcoming (and still scheduled) event, Homeschooling Summit: Problems, Politics, and Prospects for Reform. To wit:
We will convene leaders in education and child welfare policy, legislators and legislative staff, academics and policy advocates, to discuss child rights in connection with homeschooling in the United States. The focus will be on problems of educational deprivation and child maltreatment that too often occur under the guise of homeschooling, in a legal environment of minimal or no oversight. Experts will lead conversations about the available empirical evidence, the current regulatory environment, proposals for legal reform, and strategies for effecting such reform.
Lest you think this is a one-off, I offer more:
Homeschooling: The History and Philosophy of a Controversial Practice, James G. Dwyer and Shawn F. Peters
In Homeschooling: The History and Philosophy of a Controversial Practice, James G. Dwyer and Shawn F. Peters examine homeschooling’s history, its methods, and the fundamental questions at the root of the heated debate over whether and how the state should oversee and regulate it. The authors trace the evolution of homeschooling and the law relating to it from before America’s founding to the present day. In the process they analyze the many arguments made for and against it, and set them in the context of larger questions about school and education. They then tackle the question of regulation, and they do so within a rigorous moral framework, one that is constructed from a clear-eyed assessment of what rights and duties children, parents, and the state each possess. Viewing the question through that lens allows Dwyer and Peters to even-handedly evaluate the competing arguments and ultimately generate policy prescriptions. Homeschooling is the definitive study of a vexed question, one that ultimately affects all citizens, regardless of their educational background.
Bringing It All Back Home: Establishing a Coherent Constitutional Framework for the Re-Regulation of Homeschooling, Timothy B. Waddell
…while homeschooling should receive some degree of constitutional protection, the stakes are simply too high to presume the practice constitutionally unregulable. This Note argues that homeschooling must be better regulated. State legislatures should take notice of the potential harm to children educated without standards or oversight and should reexamine the appropriate level of regulation. Most should consider re-regulating the practice. Yet, the current uncertainty about when and to what degree the Constitution protects homeschooling decisions presents a major obstacle to a level-headed dialogue on what level of regulation is appropriate.
Pulling Back the Curtains: Undetected Child Abuse and the Need for Increased Regulation of Home Schools in Missouri, Tyler Barnett
If teachers are the primary reporters of child abuse, then children not enrolled in traditional schools have substantially limited protections from maltreatment at home. …Finally, Missouri should consider permitting attendance officers to make home visits…
Check out the negative tone of these headlines, which are shaping how many Americans feel about homeschooling no matter what the stories actually say:
“‘Historic Academic Regression,’ Why Homeschooling is So Hard Amid School Closures.”
I fear a storm is coming. I fear that we are standing on a precipice. I fear that very soon, the rights we have known will be chipped away by greedy regulations that see a chance to grab a piece of the liberty we enjoy. When brick and mortar schools resume, friends, they will not look the same. Suddenly, there will be a strange class of overlap between what they do, and what we do. “After all,” they will say, “a part of our learning now takes place at home.” So if new rules and regulations fit their situation, well… why wouldn’t they fit ours?
I urge you to be proactive. Even if you’ve had philosophical differences with HSLDA in the past, I ask you to consider joining. They have the ear of the powers that be, and uncommon access to legislators. Even more importantly, I encourage you to find your state’s legislative action group and join. Every state has one. Find yours. Send them a check. And read the updates. Track the legislation. Write letters to congressmen and women. Show up for Rally Day. Be involved!
I truly hope I’m wrong here, but I fear I’m not. This is still America, though, and we have a voice. If we’re loud enough, if we’re persistent, if we fight for our rights tirelessly, we can preserve for our children the freedom to learn in the natural environment of their own homes.
Please join me in being part of the line that holds strong against the erosion of our homeschool rights.
I am a public high school educator. I have known several people who homeschool….many, in fact, from friends and such to people I know through other people. And, I have to say, MOST of them are very dedicated and diligent teachers to their children. In fact, all but one have been exceptional teachers to their children. One pulled her daughter (5th grade) from public school because her husband died and she wanted a tighter hold on her daughter. She had no idea what she was doing and was basically using her daughter to start an in-home daycare center. All of the others (at 4 that come to mind) have dedicated, researched, and well-done programs for their children. I applaud you for homeschooling and doing it well….which does look different for each family, just as my classroom looks different than the one next to me. I pray for your family! I hope you still get to enjoy the freedoms you get within your own classroom. I’m not sure how mine will look next year 🙁