By Meghan Peterson, Ph.D.
As people find themselves out of work, or working from home; as schools have been shuttered; as kids have begun their online “distance learning” lessons in this time of COVID-19, the term “homeschooling” has recently become a buzzword on social media and daily parlance.
It should be noted at the outset that homeschooling and distance learning are very different animals and ought not be confused. In a forthcoming article, distance learning will be a central topic.
That said, many parents have begun using the words “homeschool” or “homeschooling” to describe their children now receiving instruction at home.
Defining homeschooling
Cutting through the noise and clutter of crisis talk, what is homeschooling?
Public school, private school, cooperative “co-op” – education can come in a variety of styles, formats and settings.
As is often the case with little-known or unfamiliar ideas, perceptions of homeschooling come laden with a host of misconceptions and faulty assumptions. “But Little Johnny and Suzie will be so socially left out.” “How will they learn all the things they need to know at their grade level?” “How will they be able to compete on sports teams and participate in extra-curricular clubs?” “What about the parents and what if they’re not qualified enough?”
But back to our initial inquiry: what is homeschooling?
According to parents.com, “Homeschooling is a progressive movement around the country and the world, in which parents choose to educate their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or private school.”
Kidshealth.org describes homeschooling in this way, “When you learn reading, math, and other stuff taught in school from your parents or tutors who come to your house, it’s called homeschooling. A kid may be the only one, or he or she may be taught with brothers, sisters, or kids from the neighborhood.”
Meanwhile, britannica.com defines home education as an “educational method situated in the home rather than in an institution designed for that purpose. It is representative of a broad social movement of families, largely in Western societies, who believe that the education of children is, ultimately, the right of parents rather than a government.”
Why do people choose homeschooling/home education?
Alright, so homeschooling, in its essence, is precisely that: schooling done within the home. Before we learn more about what homeschooling entails, let us explore some of the reasons families cite when they choose to home educate their children. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics quadrennial National Household Education Survey (NHES) showed the following in 2016:
80% of responding parents identified “a concern about environment of other schools”
67% of respondents expressed “a desire to provide moral instruction”
61% of respondents expressed “a dissatisfaction with academic instruction”
51%: “a desire to provide religious instruction”
39%: “a desire to provide a nontraditional approach”
22%: “other reasons”
14%: “child has a physical or mental health problem”
In contrast perhaps to a common assumption that American families home educate their children due to religious reasons, religion is cited by just over half of parents in the United States (51%). Instead, “a concern about environment of other schools” ranks as the chief reason. This may have something to do with a perceived decline in instructional quality; rise in school shootings; and incidence of sexual and other kinds of physical abuse by teachers and peer-to-peer bullying (including cyberbullying). For example, data compiled in 2015 by the Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation (SESAME) showed that about 3.5 million students between 8th and 11th grades “reported having had physical sexual contact from an adult (most often a teacher or coach).” Approximately an additional million students reported other instances of sexual misconduct, including “being shown pornography or being subject to sexually explicit language or exhibitionism.”[1]
One family we spoke with, Jessica James of Haddam, describes how the learning environment and religious reasons motivated their decision to homeschool: “The summer before my oldest entered Kindergarten, I started having doubts about him going to school. Although he was very bright, he was a high energy, imaginative, outdoorsy kid and the thought of him being inside a classroom all day, did not sit well with my husband and me. We felt as though conventional school would inhibit his creativity and natural love of learning. Since I had previously taught Kindergarten and 1st grade (before having kids), homeschooling just seemed to make sense. Another huge motivating factor was our faith. We wanted the freedom to choose curricula which would echo the Biblical truths which we were already teaching our children at home.”
Homeschooling, by the numbers
“The number of children being homeschooled grew 28.9% between 1999 and 2003, 37.6% between 2003 and 2007, and 17.4% between 2007 and 2011-2012. Between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016, the number of children being homeschooled decreased by 4.5%. As of the 2015- 2016 school year, “1,690,000 children, or 3.3.% of all school-aged children, were being homeschooled.”[2]
In updated research gathered by the National Home Education Research Institute, it is estimated that there are 2.5 million homeschool students in grades K-12 in the U.S.
For Jessica and her husband, homeschooling is indeed a family affair and involves learning among all ages. She says, “I am currently teaching my 3rd grade son, my 2nd grade daughter and have recently started Kindergarten with my 4.5 year old daughter. We also have a 2 year old son who enjoys being part of the experience.”
Homeschooling in Connecticut
According to the International Center for Home Education Research, 1,836 school-age children in Connecticut were home educated in 2012. For reasons unknown, the Connecticut Department of Education has stopped collecting statistics on homeschoolers.
Connecticut remains, despite legislative efforts at the state General Assembly, one of 11 states whose laws are somewhat mum on homeschooling. In other words, there is no regulatory framework in place. As reported in a 2019 Hartford Courant article, the Connecticut Department of Education issued a statement regarding homeschooling regulations: “Connecticut is one of only 11 states that does not explicitly require home-schooling parents to provide notice to the district regarding their intent to home-school.” That said, in 1994, the state did issue guidance –a recommendation of sorts – to parents that they file a “notice of intent” form to their local school district/superintendent informing them about their education plan(s). In turn, the guidance suggests that the district review the curriculum with the parents/guardians to discuss required subject checklists.
The Homeschooling Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a national legal defense organization for homeschooling families and organizations, explains that “Connecticut law requires parents either to instruct their children or to ensure they receive instruction from others in specific subjects. If parents choose not to instruct their children, or see to their instruction, then they must enroll them in public school between the ages of 5 to 18 years—unless they are high school graduates or are receiving equivalent instruction elsewhere (e.g., private school or tutors). If a child is 5 years old, 6 years old, or 17 years old, parents may exempt that child from compulsory attendance requirements by personally appearing at the school district office and signing an option form. Be sure to have the superintendent’s office mark the date your option form was received, sign or stamp it to indicate receipt, and give you a photocopy. If a child is under age 18, but has graduated from high school, a parent-issued diploma and transcript should be sufficient to demonstrate that the child has completed a secondary education.”
Homeschooling Debate
As is the case with many topics that people discuss, there are passionate voices on both sides of the coin. Homeschooling is no different. There are those who support homeschooling, who may be neutral to the idea, and then those who oppose homeschooling on various bases. Common objections to homeschooling include academic ones: children will not meet academic requirements; social ones: children will not have opportunities to interact with their peers as well; and health/safety ones: already-abusive parents/guardians may choose homeschooling as a cover for that abuse. In 2012, the National Education Association stated that “homeschooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience.”[3]
For insight in answering these important, valid objections, researchers at the National Home Education Research Institute found in a 2015 study that homeschooled students “typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized tests.” These findings hold for students independent of their parents’ level of education or household income level.
In limited studies, it has been shown that homeschoolers also do well socially and are more “politically tolerant” as adults than those who were public schooled.
Finally, in 2016, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (Administration for Children & Families) released a report on known factors related to abuse and child neglect. “According to this government report, there are a few demographic groups who are known to be at a higher risk for abuse than the rest of the populace. Home educators were not included in this list. There is no known predisposition for abuse among those who choose to home educate their children.”[4]
In 2017, there was a tragic case in Hartford, Conn. in which a 17-year-old autistic boy was severely abused by his mother, dying from starvation. Although the boy had been enrolled with the Hartford Public Schools, it was reported that his mother had banned him from attending school beginning in 2016. The school district had filed a number of reports of neglect and abuse in the home to the state Department of Children and Families, to no avail. The boy’s younger sister had been pulled from the district, with the mother filing a “notice of intent” to the district under the guise of homeschooling.[5] Such instances raise vital questions about abuse in educational contexts – wherever they occur: the home, the school, the locker room. How can children be protected – wherever they are? How can parents, educators, peers nurture a safe, supportive, vibrant learning environment for students of all ages and learning styles?
Jessica James captures the core of what homeschooling means to her, “Part of the beauty of homeschooling is that you can tailor it to fit your child’s exact needs and teach around their unique interests and passions. Like every child, each of mine learn differently. My daughter loves workbooks and I teach her in a very traditional way. My son on the other hand, thrives with a Charlotte Mason approach. In the homeschooling community, the “Charlotte Mason Method” refers to an approach which targets the “whole child” and is rich in literature, nature study, art/music along with the core subjects. I never imagined that I’d be homeschooling, but now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. We all enjoy the flexibility of homeschooling! On a typical day we spend a few hours working in the morning, then have the afternoons to go on field trips, hikes, get together with friends, sports/ music lessons etc. We have also been part of a homeschool co-op which meets weekly. There are many other things we love about homeschooling such as the quality time we have together and the peace of mind I have knowing what they’re learning. It truly has been a huge blessing for our family.”
Your Thoughts!
We would love to hear from you. Are you a homeschooling family in Haddam or Killingworth? Were you homeschooled? Share your experiences with us!
Some Resources
https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/
https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/homeschooling-numbers/
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/
https://www.sylvanlearning.com/homeschool
Editor’s Note: The author was home educated by her parents for the better part of a decade. Peterson then attended high school Sophomore-Senior years, graduating with the top of her class. She went on to obtain a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges (with a double major in Religious Studies) summa cum laude; and earned her M.A. (2013) and Ph.D. (2017) in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. As she likes to say, “education truly begins at home.”
[1] https://childrenstreatmentcenter.com/sexual-abuse-teachers/
[2] https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/homeschooling-101/homeschooling-numbers/
[3] https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/More-Connecticut-parents-turn-to-home-schooling-13021912.php
[4] http://homeschoolfreedom.com/2018/01/17/homeschooling-and-abuse/
[5] https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-home-schoolers-unregulated-20190415-bn2yfi6sqfbtlinch3cuxfpsu4-story.html
Photos provided by Jessica James.
