Over the past couple of months, a number of articles have been written about problems in and with the public schools. From the impact of identity politics to the demands of “social justice warriors”, the public-school system is more about indoctrination than education. The situation in Fairfax County, Virginia is quite instructive in this regard – the school board eliminated the position of Chief Academic Officer and created a Chief Equity Officer in its place.
Parents and students are frustrated, and rightfully so. The public schools are not responsive to them and jump through the hoops when some new socialist regulation imposes a burden on them that has nothing to do with academics. Whether it be busing to create symbolic equity or special programs for LGBTQ, academic achievement is no longer considered important. (What is really bothersome is that the voters don’t get rid of these idiotic school board members or vote down their constant demands for money to supposedly “solve the problems”)
There are ways to avoid the public-school situation altogether. Individuals of even modest wealth can and do send their kids to private schools. Individuals of lesser wealth home school their kids. It is this latter group which has experienced the most growth over the past fifty years.
The chart below shows that there was almost no homeschooling until the early 1980s. You could count the numbers on your fingers and toes. Today, however, homeschooling is provided to about 2.3 million or more kids. Below is a chart showing the growth of homeschooling in the United States.
It is important to note that homeschooling is not without the restraints of the state. Parents who homeschool must notify their local school division of that intent, provide a list of subjects to be studied for the coming year, and demonstrate evidence of academic progress by the student. In addition, the parent must provide evidence that their academic credentials are adequate for the homeschool student.
Parents hope for a strong and mentally stable young adult to appear at the end of the teenage years. All too often this doesn’t happen because of public school social justice failures. Vouchers, private schools, and homeschooling are ways to get around the dysfunctional public schools. The future is particularly bright for homeschooling because government limitations are at a minimum.
By the way, Virginia has a thriving home school system with many K-12 options available online.
Note: The Daily Caller has an excellent article on what is happening around the nation when it comes to replacing academic achievement with the failed socialist ideas of equity. The title of the article is “Activist Want to Abolish Your Kid’s Honors Classes, Cite “White Toxicity’ and Supremacist’ Values of High Achievement”.