Chandra B.: “Protections are a necessary part of all educational systems”

“Today as a public school educator, I advocate for strict oversight of homeschooling not only because of my horrible childhood, but also because I have been that typical homeschooling mom trying to do the best she can with little resources and support around her to daily keep her motivated.” 

As a homeschooled student, I needed a system that would help hold my parents accountable for the type of education that I was receiving. Neglect and abuse reigned in our home because there was a lack of accountability. If educational standards had been in place and annual testing  mandatory, it would have become apparent that my parents needed support to address the holes in my understanding. The abuse and neglect would have been addressed and my educational quality (as well as quality of life) would have improved.

As a homeschooling parent, I was aware of the holes in my education to a certain extent. I felt that I could do a better job and still give my son a sound education while avoiding the pitfalls. What became apparent was that my son was not going to get an education as I lacked the accountability of a structure to keep him doing school daily. I didn’t realize the issues that I was having in motivating my son to do his work were not his fault and slowly I found that “homeschool” was morphing into one long, never ending snow day.

After expressing concern, my husband and I placed our oldest son into public school. Not only did he thrive, we also discovered a key component to helping him succeed in life and that was his Asperger/ADHD/SPD diagnosis. Without the support and resources of the public school, our son would not be at near the level of achievement that he is currently.

Today as a public school educator, I advocate for strict oversight of homeschooling not only because of my horrible childhood, but also because I have been that typical homeschooling mom trying to do the best she can with little resources and support around her to daily keep her motivated. Further oversight and accountability are necessary to help these vulnerable children succeed. But they also are necessary because they provide the family with help, tools, and support when things don’t go as planned. Oversight and protections are a necessary part of all educational systems to ensure teacher and student success. Homeschools should be among them. For these reasons and many others, I support further regulation of home education.

Chandra B. was homeschooled in Missouri from 1986 to 1999. She homeschooled her own children in Missouri in 2008. For additional thoughts and experiences from other homeschool alumni, see our Testimonials page.