“I’m a people-pleaser and a rule-follower. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything [my son] is required to know, and some kind of oversight for me would help me out. I think some oversight for the people in our co-op would also go a long way.”
I am currently a homeschooler of two children, ages 8 and 6. I accidentally stumbled upon this website while searching for, ironically, state public education standards by grade level. You see, I’m a huge proponent of regulation and oversight of homeschools, but because we lack such oversight and guidance in Texas, I often turn to the state standards to give me some clue as to what all my children should be doing. I desperately wish I had more guidance and regulation. I consider myself a rule-follower and a perfectionist, to a damaging degree.
I am a Christian, but religion played absolutely no part in my choice to homeschool. I guess I would fall into the ‘educational opportunities’ category, but let me explain. When my son was born, we were living in a very small suburban town with a high crime rate, large gang population, and a failing school that was being closely watched by the state. My husband had a firsthand seat to the disturbing show that was this educational implosion, because he was the middle school band director at the time. We both knew that we A. needed to leave this awful community in which we had absolutely no friends, and B. come up with a different plan for educating our son if we were still living in that community by the time he was school-aged.
My husband has a bachelor’s degree in music education, and I have my masters degree in psychology. We are both very motivated people with solid educations under our belt. We both attended public school and thrived in that setting. However, I grew up in a very large city with countless resources available to me. I took art, I sang in the choir, played violin in the orchestra, served on student counsel, attended FCA, and even participated in a youth council that was staged similarly to the city council and gave us exposure to the ins and outs of how a city is run. Even in elementary school, we had computers, art, music, P.E., and library time every week. I took tumbling, was actively involved in my church choir, and loved my dance classes. We knew our child didn’t stand a chance getting any of those experiences in the small town we lived in, so I began researching other alternatives.
At this same time, I met a mom who homeschooled her child for the early years (K-4th) for the same reasons. She too was concerned about the school and the level of crime in our small community. She too was highly educated and wanted more for her son. She told me stories about hatching baby chicks together in an incubator they assembled together in the garage, reading her child Tolkein when he was five, and taking amazing field trips to nearby zoos and museums that our local school could never dream of affording. I was hooked. I had never considered homeschooling, but hearing her describe it, and knowing how successful her then-fifteen year old son was, I was completely open to the idea. So I began researching homeschooling, and I taught myself everything there was to know about the different “types” of homeschoolers, curricula choices, homeschooling types, etc.
We no longer live in that same town, and my husband no longer teaches music. After years of working in small Tier 1 schools struggling with poverty, gangs, limited resources, and tiny school districts who only care about football games and not music or the arts, he made a career change several years ago. My son is now 8, and we have since adopted two children from foster care with varying educational and behavioral needs. I homeschool our middle child, who is 6, and send our youngest (5) to public school so he can receive the benefits of behavioral adjustment therapy. (Which, because of a shift in school practices, he no longer receives, but I know his behaviors are over my head at home on a daily basis).
I mentioned that we no longer live in that troubled town, but we still live in a small Texas town. This one is more rural and remote, which is a disadvantage for sure. While this community experiences less violence, the school is still struggling, and my children would still not experience all of the wonderful enriching opportunities I had growing up. The best thing I can say about our one school here (all kids, grades PreK to 12 are on one campus), is that they do the best they can. The school, like most Texas schools, is obsessed with football and hires/fires a new athletic director every single year. There is no award-winning science program, and my husband knows firsthand just how hard he tried to turn around their mediocre band program.
They’re stuck with teachers who try their hardest but a school board who refuses to funnel money into supporting or improving the arts and sciences. My son has many friends who attend this school, because it is a small community and we are very involved in the biggest church here. Many of my mom-friends whose children attend the school volunteer on a weekly basis to help the teachers by pulling struggling students out of the class to help with math or reading. These are not teacher moms. They are moms like me who are just desperate to save the school and help the kids who are falling behind. In one second grade classroom, there are three mom volunteers who come three times weekly to assist in tutoring other kids. This just shocks me. When I see things like this, I think my son would be no better off going to the school and being pulled out by Timmy’s mom than he is at home with me. It’s a sad state indeed.
My son plays basketball and soccer every winter and spring. He takes swimming lessons and will join a local swim team with other homeschooling and public school friends next summer. He participates in summer arts and robotics camps. We visit museums, attend co-ops with our homeschool group, and I try my hardest to make sure he’s getting everything covered that needs to be covered so there are no gaps. (I am sincerely terrified of him having gaps anywhere in his education).
I have felt extremely alone in my homeschooling community. We have several homeschooling friends in our group who are Christians like us but not overly religious or conservative. We tend to stick close to them. However, a vast majority of our homeschooling group are anti-vaxers, homeopathic ultra-conservatives who don’t own televisions and don’t cut their hair. I can’t even remotely relate to these women, and I try to avoid the field trips they arrange. (Such as one young earth geological field trip last fall, which promised to teach children the “truth” about the age of the earth from a biblical perspective). I mean no disrespect to young earthers, but I sincerely worry about these kids. I attended a private Christian University, and I still recall discussing evolution, and in my undergraduate geology class we were taught the layers of the earth in the terms of eons, not centuries. I worry about children fitting in or feeling behind when they reach college w hen science and religion are so closely blended. I think one can stand strong with or against the other.
Since we’re so involved in church, I don’t teach my son any Bible curriculum. We discuss Sunday Sermons and I answer his biblical and theological questions as best as I can, but he has wonderful Sunday School teachers who do a great job every week. I feel like I handle his faith upbringing in the same way as my Christian public school friends, and I’m okay with that.
I worry about record keeping, so I tend to keep everything they do. I worry about falling ill one day or finding ourselves in a financial position where I have no choice but to return to work. All of these concerns keep me motivated, but what an awful form of motivation to have on my shoulders! I’m a perfectionist who constantly worries about where he is academically or where he needs to be, and I find myself looking up state standards at least several times a month for guidance. I would so much prefer regulation for homeschooling. I’m a people-pleaser and a rule-follower. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything he is required to know, and some kind of oversight for me would help me out. I think some oversight for the people in our co-op would also go a long way.
I have had him tested in reading, and he is right on target. I just worry so much about every other little thing. What am I missing? Are there gaps? What else can I do to help? This would all be so much easier for me if I had some kind of guide, as teachers do. And yes, I think it would even help for him to have testing. I’m not a huge fan of the state standardized tests and the emphasis on the test (it leaves little room for exploration or creativity in the classroom, and often overlooks science and social studies), but this year I am planning on purchasing a standardized test on my own to know exactly where he stands.
Policies protecting children from educational neglect would weed out the people who are not doing their job as homeschoolers and would only serve to support and protect people like me who are trying their hardest to give their best to their children. What a peace and freedom I might have if I had a more specific standard to aim for in our home academy. I could remove the burden of scraping around the Texas public schooling website for the second and third grade standards, and instead just find joy again in teaching my child. If we were tested or checked up on, we could have something specific to aim for each year, rather than just hoping that we’re on target. Unlike many of the homeschoolers I know, I don’t have a distrust of doctors, police, or even public schools. I know if we had more options where we live, and if I could guarantee my son might have an educational experience similar to my own, I would happily enroll him in public school. We don’t homeschool to avoid things or hide from any public entities, and I don’t teach my children any conspiracy theories or instill distrust or fear into them. But I feel like we’re floating in the ocean alone with too many options and too little oversight.
E. Bradshaw is a homeschooling parent in Texas. For additional thoughts and experiences of homeschooled parents, see our Testimonials page.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Kentucky Senate Bill 181 Would Create Protections for At-Risk Homeschooled Children
For Immediate Release: Lawmakers should act now to prevent abusive parents from using homeschooling to isolate their children and conceal abuse
Canton, Ma. 02/22/2017—Last week, Kentucky Senate Democratic Leader Ray Jones of Pikeville introduced Senate Bill 181, which would prohibit parents found to have abused their children from homeschooling them. Jones told reporters that he introduced the bill in response to the discovery that an 8-year-old homeschooled girl in Berea, Kentucky, had been subjected to months of torture by her parents, who removed her from school to homeschool her after a substantiated abuse claim. “We are pleased with Sen. Jones’ bill and urge the Kentucky legislature to act,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for homeschooled children. “We have documented hundreds of cases like the one in Berea, where children are withdrawn from school to be homeschooled after a substantiated abuse claim. These children often go on to be tortured or even die.”
CRHE runs the Homeschooling’s Invisible Children database, which catalogues cases across the country where abuse and neglect occur under the guise of homeschooling. In many of these cases, parents withdraw a child to homeschool after teachers demonstrate a willingness to report signs of abuse, thus preventing future reports. Barbara Knox, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin, observed this phenomenon in a 2014 study of child torture: 47% of the school-aged cases she reviewed involved homeschooling, which she wrote was “designed to further isolate the child” and “typically occurred after closure of a previously opened CPS case.”
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Berea girl’s parents evaded social workers’ efforts to follow up on the case by denying them entry to the home; the case was improperly closed due to lack of progress. Ordinarily social workers can access a child at the child’s school, but this is not possible when a child is homeschooled. The girl’s case is similar to that of Teddy Foltz-Tedesco, an Ohio boy who was withdrawn from school after a teacher made a report of suspected child abuse; his parents denied social workers access to their home, and the case went nowhere. But Teddy’s abuse continued—he suffered internal bleeding and brain contusions, which led to his death in early 2013. Other Kentucky children have suffered a similar fate. Michaela Watkins, a 10-year-old homeschooled girl in Clark County whose case was known to child services, died of severe abuse in 2007. And just this month, Joseph Bishop of Ludlow died of severe medical neglect; he was removed to homeschool two years before his death despite an open child services case.
“In too many cases, abusive parents take advantage of the homeschool law to conceal abuse,” said Coleman. “Legislators need to take this problem seriously and do something about it.” CRHE recommends preventing parents who have committed violent crimes, sexual offenses, or crimes against children from homeschooling. Pennsylvania is currently the only state to have such a provision (see 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(b)(1)), while Arkansas prohibits homeschooling when there is a registered sex offender in the home (see Ark. § Code 6-15-508); neither state currently enforces these provisions in a meaningful way. CRHE also recommends creating a flagging system to prevent homeschooling in cases with previous histories of child services involvement, like that in the Berea case. No state currently has such a provision, though lawmakers in several states have proposed various versions.
“SB 181 would offer vital protections to homeschooled children,” said Coleman. “We urge Kentucky lawmakers to consider Sen. Jones’ bill. No child should be abused in secret without anyone to go to for help.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
House Bill 2196 and Senate Bill 6 a Boon to West Virginia Homeschooled Students
For Immediate Release: Access to public school athletics programs provides homeschooled students with substantial benefits
Canton, Ma. 02/22/2017—For the third year, West Virginia lawmakers have introduced legislation to grant homeschooled students the ability to participate in public school athletics programs. The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission currently requires student athletes to be enrolled in the public school they represent, preventing homeschooled students from participating. House Bill 2196 and Senate Bill 6 would change this. “We urge West Virginia lawmakers to support House Bill 2196 and Senate Bill 6,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for homeschooled children. “It is well documented that access to public school athletics programs benefits homeschooled students without creating problems for either public schools or other students.”
HB 2196 requires homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics programs in the district they would be zoned to attend, and SB 6 outlines detailed academic eligibility requirements for these students. These provisions are designed to meet concerns voiced by critics. “Legislation like HB 2196 and SB 6 often faces opposition from individuals who worry that allowing homeschooled students to participate would take opportunities away from other students,” said Coleman. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. “Research suggests that homeschooled students tend to gravitate toward activities without a limit on participants, such as cross country running or tennis, so these critics’ fears seem to be unfounded,” said Coleman.
Meanwhile, studies show that participation in public school athletics programs greatly benefits homeschooled students. In October 2016, CRHE conducted a survey of 150 homeschool graduates’ athletics experiences. The participants overwhelmingly believed that athletic participation was beneficial to homeschooled students (87%) and supported making public school athletics available to homeschooled students (80%). Many participants pointed out that community athletics programs are often limited: “Once I reached junior high age there were no longer any community sports available,” wrote one participant; another noted that public school athletics programs “are very often the only access for students like myself who grew up in underprivileged areas.” Survey respondents who participated in public school athletics viewed their experiences positively; and many respondents, especially those whose educational and social experiences with homeschooling were more negative, believed participation in public school athletics would have improved their homeschool experience.
Last year, fifteen-year-old Bryson French, a homeschooled student in Winfield, West Virginia, who has played baseball since he was seven, told reporters that being prevented from participating in public school athletics programs limited him to participating in summer travel teams only. “Right now, where I play for my travel team, we play 30 to 40 games every season,” Byson explained. “All of my teammates are playing an additional 20 to 30 maybe 40 games with their school teams, so I’m missing out on half the season they get to do.” Access to public school athletics programs would ensure that children like Bryson have the resources and access they need to fully participate in their chosen sports.
Currently, 30 states grant homeschooled students access to public school athletics programs, putting West Virginia in the minority. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “There is no good reason for denying these children access. We urge West Virginia lawmakers to support the state’s homeschooled students and pass HB 2196 and SB 6.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
House Bill 58 a Boon to Kentucky Homeschooled Students
For Immediate Release: Access to public school athletics programs provides homeschooled students with substantial benefits
Canton, Ma. 02/17/2017—House Bill 58, which would allow Kentucky homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics programs and was filed by Kentucky Representative Stan Lee, is currently before the House Education Committee. “We are pleased to see this continued effort on the behalf of homeschooled students in Kentucky,” said Rachel Coleman, the executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE). “The research is clear: access to public school athletics programs benefits homeschooled students in substantive and measurable ways.” CRHE was founded by homeschool graduates in 2013 to advocate on behalf of homeschooled children.
HB 58 is virtually identical to last year’s House Bill 76, which was referred to the education committee but never brought to a vote. It would allow homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities, including athletics, at their assigned public school; participating students would be required to provide documents verifying their academic eligibility. “Legislation like HB 58 often faces opposition from individuals worried that allowing homeschooled students to participate would take opportunities away from other students,” said Coleman. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. “Research suggests that homeschooled students tend to gravitate toward activities without a limit on participants, such as cross country running or tennis, so these critics’ fears seem to be unfounded,” said Coleman.
Meanwhile, studies show that participation in public school athletics programs greatly benefits homeschooled students. In October 2016, CRHE conducted a survey of 150 homeschool graduates’ athletics experiences. The participants overwhelmingly believed that athletic participation was beneficial to homeschooled students (87%) and supported making public school athletics available to homeschooled students (80%). Nate Crawford, a survey participant who was homeschooled in Kentucky, stated that, in many cases, public school athletics are “the only way for homeschoolers to participate in institutional athletics and competition.” Survey respondents who participated in public school athletics viewed their experiences positively; and many respondents, especially those whose educational and social experiences with homeschooling were more negative, believed participation in public school athletics would have improved their homeschool experience.
Sarah P., a survey participant who was homeschooled in Kentucky, believes that participation in a public school athletics program would have given her “the opportunity to engage with and make friends with people” outside of her home. “I would have learned what it means to achieve, how to share in that excitement, and how achievement can have such positive effects on one’s self esteem. I would have had another adult to look to as a role model and even perhaps someone I could talk to about what was going on at home,” Sarah said. Access to public school athletics programs provides concrete benefits for homeschooled students, especially those in rural areas.
“The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Governor McAuliffe: Sign House Bill 1578
For Immediate Release: Access to public school athletics programs provides homeschooled students with substantial benefits
Canton, Ma. 02/17/2017—Homeschooled students in Virginia have long been barred from participating in public school athletics programs governed by the Virginia High School League, but that may finally be changing—if Gov. Terry McAuliffe does not veto House Bill 1578 like he did similar legislation last year. HB 1578 was passed by the Virginia Senate on Monday after clearing the Virginia General Assembly late last month. “We urge Gov. McAuliffe to sign HB 1578,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for homeschooled children. “It is well documented that access to public school athletics programs benefits homeschooled students without creating problems for either public schools or other students.”
HB 1578 is identical to both last year’s Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131 and the previous year’s House Bill 1620; this legislation cleared both houses of the Virginia legislature only to be vetoed twice by Gov. McAuliffe. The governor has argued that the legislation would create inequality because homeschooled athletes would not have to meet the same academic standards as public schooled athletes. However, the legislation requires homeschooled athletes to have “demonstrated evidence of progress in compliance” with the state’s homeschool law, which includes an academic assessment requirement, “for at least two consecutive academic years” in order to participate. “Legislation like HB 1578 often faces opposition from individuals worried that allowing homeschooled students to participate would take opportunities away from other students,” said Coleman. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. “Research suggests that homeschooled students tend to gravitate toward activities without a limit on participants, such as cross country running or tennis, so these critics’ fears seem to be unfounded,” said Coleman.
Meanwhile, studies show that participation in public school athletics programs greatly benefits homeschooled students. In October 2016, CRHE conducted a survey of 150 homeschool graduates’ athletics experiences. The participants overwhelmingly believed that athletic participation was beneficial to homeschooled students (87%) and supported making public school athletics available to homeschooled students (80%). Ruth Anderson, a survey participant who was homeschooled in Virginia, noted that in many cases “the public system is either the only choice or the best choice for an athletic program.” Survey respondents who participated in public school athletics viewed their experiences positively; and many respondents, especially those whose educational and social experiences with homeschooling were more negative, believed participation in public school athletics would have improved their homeschool experience.
Anna Rose, a survey participant who was homeschooled in Virginia, supports opening public school athletics programs to homeschooled students: “I would have gotten exposure to the outside world if I’d paticipated in a public school athletics program,” Anna Rose explained. “I might have even come in contact with mandatory reporters or teaching that would have informed me about the ongoing abuse in my family.” Access to public school athletics programs provides concrete benefits for homeschooled students, especially those in rural areas or those with unstable home environments.
A full thirty states grant homeschooled students access to public school athletics programs, putting Virginia in the minority. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “Governor McAuliffe: It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Public Funding for Homeschooling Must Come With Accountability
For Immediate Release: The success or failure of public funding for homeschooling rides on how it is structured
Canton, Ma., 02/17/2017—Over the past year, the question of public funding for homeschoolers has garnered increased attention. This past September, Donald Trump promised to create a school choice program that included homeschooling; last week, the Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos, a supporter of school choice and vouchers, as Secretary of Education. “The idea of public funding for homeschooled students is not new,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for homeschooled children. “What’s new is the idea of promoting public funding for homeschooled students from the federal level.”
The idea of vouchers for homeschooled students has already been broached in Congress. On January 23rd, Rep. Steve King (IA) introduced House Resolution 610 in the United States House of Representatives. This legislation would repeal the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and restrict the Department of Education to one function only—awarding block grants to states that agree to comply with an education voucher system. Under this program, local educational agencies would be required to distribute funds to students who attend private schools or who are homeschooled, in a manner that ensures that the money will be used for educational purposes. HR 610 has only three co-sponsors.
“While HR 610 is unlikely to pass, the question of public funding for homeschoolers is likely here to stay,” said Coleman. “Our primary concern is ensuring that public funding is always accompanied by accountability.” CRHE runs Homeschooling’s Invisible Children, which catalogues cases where homeschooling has been used to hide abuse or neglect. In a number of these cases, unscrupulous parents have fraudulently used subsidies for the care of adopted children with special needs, pocketing the money and abusing the children; these actions have gone unnoticed because the children are not attending school. CRHE is also aware of cases where neglectful parents have opted to homeschool without any intention of educating their children, solely in order to avoid the effort of taking their children to school every day. “Only a handful of states require assessments for homeschooled students; most states never ask for evidence that education is taking place,” said Coleman. “In the absence of accountability, providing public funding for homeschooling risks creating an incentive for neglectful parents to pull their children from school solely in order to pocket the money.”
A number of states present case studies for how public funding can enhance homeschooled children’s experiences—but only when it goes hand in hand with accountability. Minnesota gives homeschooled students access to the public health and guidance and counseling services provided by their local public schools. Other states allow homeschooled students to enroll in individual public school classes, or to participate in public school athletics or extracurricular activities. In Iowa, school districts run “Home School Assistance Programs” that provide homeschooling families with access to teachers and educational resources. An estimated majority of Alaska’s homeschooled children are enrolled in the state’s popular “correspondence school” programs, which provide parents with $2,000 per child for education-related expenses. These programs require quarterly progress reports and annual testing, and give parents access to resource centers and certified teachers as they design their homeschool courses and choose curriculum. All of these options expand the public resources available to homeschooling families.
“We know that homeschooled children can benefit from publicly funded resources, as well as from public funding for textbooks or tutoring,” said Coleman. “But these programs have to be implemented in a way that ensures accountability and avoids incentivizing fraud, working against children’s interest in a quality education.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 6 February, 2020 by CRHE
E. Bradshaw: “Some kind of oversight for me would help me out”
“I’m a people-pleaser and a rule-follower. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything [my son] is required to know, and some kind of oversight for me would help me out. I think some oversight for the people in our co-op would also go a long way.”
I am currently a homeschooler of two children, ages 8 and 6. I accidentally stumbled upon this website while searching for, ironically, state public education standards by grade level. You see, I’m a huge proponent of regulation and oversight of homeschools, but because we lack such oversight and guidance in Texas, I often turn to the state standards to give me some clue as to what all my children should be doing. I desperately wish I had more guidance and regulation. I consider myself a rule-follower and a perfectionist, to a damaging degree.
I am a Christian, but religion played absolutely no part in my choice to homeschool. I guess I would fall into the ‘educational opportunities’ category, but let me explain. When my son was born, we were living in a very small suburban town with a high crime rate, large gang population, and a failing school that was being closely watched by the state. My husband had a firsthand seat to the disturbing show that was this educational implosion, because he was the middle school band director at the time. We both knew that we A. needed to leave this awful community in which we had absolutely no friends, and B. come up with a different plan for educating our son if we were still living in that community by the time he was school-aged.
My husband has a bachelor’s degree in music education, and I have my masters degree in psychology. We are both very motivated people with solid educations under our belt. We both attended public school and thrived in that setting. However, I grew up in a very large city with countless resources available to me. I took art, I sang in the choir, played violin in the orchestra, served on student counsel, attended FCA, and even participated in a youth council that was staged similarly to the city council and gave us exposure to the ins and outs of how a city is run. Even in elementary school, we had computers, art, music, P.E., and library time every week. I took tumbling, was actively involved in my church choir, and loved my dance classes. We knew our child didn’t stand a chance getting any of those experiences in the small town we lived in, so I began researching other alternatives.
At this same time, I met a mom who homeschooled her child for the early years (K-4th) for the same reasons. She too was concerned about the school and the level of crime in our small community. She too was highly educated and wanted more for her son. She told me stories about hatching baby chicks together in an incubator they assembled together in the garage, reading her child Tolkein when he was five, and taking amazing field trips to nearby zoos and museums that our local school could never dream of affording. I was hooked. I had never considered homeschooling, but hearing her describe it, and knowing how successful her then-fifteen year old son was, I was completely open to the idea. So I began researching homeschooling, and I taught myself everything there was to know about the different “types” of homeschoolers, curricula choices, homeschooling types, etc.
We no longer live in that same town, and my husband no longer teaches music. After years of working in small Tier 1 schools struggling with poverty, gangs, limited resources, and tiny school districts who only care about football games and not music or the arts, he made a career change several years ago. My son is now 8, and we have since adopted two children from foster care with varying educational and behavioral needs. I homeschool our middle child, who is 6, and send our youngest (5) to public school so he can receive the benefits of behavioral adjustment therapy. (Which, because of a shift in school practices, he no longer receives, but I know his behaviors are over my head at home on a daily basis).
I mentioned that we no longer live in that troubled town, but we still live in a small Texas town. This one is more rural and remote, which is a disadvantage for sure. While this community experiences less violence, the school is still struggling, and my children would still not experience all of the wonderful enriching opportunities I had growing up. The best thing I can say about our one school here (all kids, grades PreK to 12 are on one campus), is that they do the best they can. The school, like most Texas schools, is obsessed with football and hires/fires a new athletic director every single year. There is no award-winning science program, and my husband knows firsthand just how hard he tried to turn around their mediocre band program.
They’re stuck with teachers who try their hardest but a school board who refuses to funnel money into supporting or improving the arts and sciences. My son has many friends who attend this school, because it is a small community and we are very involved in the biggest church here. Many of my mom-friends whose children attend the school volunteer on a weekly basis to help the teachers by pulling struggling students out of the class to help with math or reading. These are not teacher moms. They are moms like me who are just desperate to save the school and help the kids who are falling behind. In one second grade classroom, there are three mom volunteers who come three times weekly to assist in tutoring other kids. This just shocks me. When I see things like this, I think my son would be no better off going to the school and being pulled out by Timmy’s mom than he is at home with me. It’s a sad state indeed.
My son plays basketball and soccer every winter and spring. He takes swimming lessons and will join a local swim team with other homeschooling and public school friends next summer. He participates in summer arts and robotics camps. We visit museums, attend co-ops with our homeschool group, and I try my hardest to make sure he’s getting everything covered that needs to be covered so there are no gaps. (I am sincerely terrified of him having gaps anywhere in his education).
I have felt extremely alone in my homeschooling community. We have several homeschooling friends in our group who are Christians like us but not overly religious or conservative. We tend to stick close to them. However, a vast majority of our homeschooling group are anti-vaxers, homeopathic ultra-conservatives who don’t own televisions and don’t cut their hair. I can’t even remotely relate to these women, and I try to avoid the field trips they arrange. (Such as one young earth geological field trip last fall, which promised to teach children the “truth” about the age of the earth from a biblical perspective). I mean no disrespect to young earthers, but I sincerely worry about these kids. I attended a private Christian University, and I still recall discussing evolution, and in my undergraduate geology class we were taught the layers of the earth in the terms of eons, not centuries. I worry about children fitting in or feeling behind when they reach college w hen science and religion are so closely blended. I think one can stand strong with or against the other.
Since we’re so involved in church, I don’t teach my son any Bible curriculum. We discuss Sunday Sermons and I answer his biblical and theological questions as best as I can, but he has wonderful Sunday School teachers who do a great job every week. I feel like I handle his faith upbringing in the same way as my Christian public school friends, and I’m okay with that.
I worry about record keeping, so I tend to keep everything they do. I worry about falling ill one day or finding ourselves in a financial position where I have no choice but to return to work. All of these concerns keep me motivated, but what an awful form of motivation to have on my shoulders! I’m a perfectionist who constantly worries about where he is academically or where he needs to be, and I find myself looking up state standards at least several times a month for guidance. I would so much prefer regulation for homeschooling. I’m a people-pleaser and a rule-follower. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything he is required to know, and some kind of oversight for me would help me out. I think some oversight for the people in our co-op would also go a long way.
I have had him tested in reading, and he is right on target. I just worry so much about every other little thing. What am I missing? Are there gaps? What else can I do to help? This would all be so much easier for me if I had some kind of guide, as teachers do. And yes, I think it would even help for him to have testing. I’m not a huge fan of the state standardized tests and the emphasis on the test (it leaves little room for exploration or creativity in the classroom, and often overlooks science and social studies), but this year I am planning on purchasing a standardized test on my own to know exactly where he stands.
Policies protecting children from educational neglect would weed out the people who are not doing their job as homeschoolers and would only serve to support and protect people like me who are trying their hardest to give their best to their children. What a peace and freedom I might have if I had a more specific standard to aim for in our home academy. I could remove the burden of scraping around the Texas public schooling website for the second and third grade standards, and instead just find joy again in teaching my child. If we were tested or checked up on, we could have something specific to aim for each year, rather than just hoping that we’re on target. Unlike many of the homeschoolers I know, I don’t have a distrust of doctors, police, or even public schools. I know if we had more options where we live, and if I could guarantee my son might have an educational experience similar to my own, I would happily enroll him in public school. We don’t homeschool to avoid things or hide from any public entities, and I don’t teach my children any conspiracy theories or instill distrust or fear into them. But I feel like we’re floating in the ocean alone with too many options and too little oversight.
E. Bradshaw is a homeschooling parent in Texas. For additional thoughts and experiences of homeschooled parents, see our Testimonials page.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Get Involved in Homeschool Reform
2017 has brought with it increased interest in political activism and in participation in the political process. This presents an opportunity for those interested in homeschool reform. While it may seem like there are so many issues at hand that no one could possibly take interest in yours, it is your legislators’ job to consider concerns from all of their constituents—and about every aspect of life in the district they represent. Because homeschooling is as diverse and geographically widespread as the United States itself, homeschool reform should matter to every lawmaker in every state.
Change is a long process that can seem intimidating from the outside, but depends on individuals like you who reach out to their legislators and stay engaged. If you are feeling inspired to get involved and advocate for homeschool students and families in your state, now is always the time. Your story belongs to you; by sharing it, you are empowering policymakers to make more thorough and thoughtful decisions. We have been working on new resources to help you as you navigate the issues, have meaningful interaction with your legislator’s office, and make your voice heard.
Start with our newly expanded page on how to contact your legislators. Since knowing the issues is key to having successful conversations with your legislator’s office, we’ve compiled background issues and some ideas on getting up-to-date on any home education bills in your state. From there, you can find out who represents you in your state legislature and the many ways to contact their offices. We have included tips for each method of contact; you may want to use multiple methods to follow up with your representatives. Our updated Share the Word page contains a detailed background on CRHE issues of interest, recommended reading on each, and some sample talking points you can use as guide for your conversations.
Once you’ve decided how to contact your legislator and what you want to say, you can use our new Legislative Handout to provide a broader context for your story. It contains concise points about the importance of homeschool oversight, and references our research and other home education data. The handout can be printed to a one-page (front and back) document and mailed to your legislator or handed to them at a meeting. You will notice that it includes space for personalization with your story and contact information–this is very important. If you are sending your legislator an email and want to attach this handout, that’s great, but make sure you include your own reasons for supporting homeschool reform and a way for them to respond to you in the body of your email.
As a constituent, your experience is ultimately what matters to your legislator.
If you meet legislators who seem supportive but might need further information, or if you otherwise need support, please reach out to us. We would love to hear about the variety of experiences CRHE supporters (whether they be students, alumni, parents, family or friends) have when talking about these issues so we can improve these resources to maximize impact.
The best way to create change is for many passionate people like you get involved early, stay engaged, and reach out to lawmakers often.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by Rachel Coleman
Reactionary Homeschooling
At CRHE, we sometimes receive questions from individuals planning in advance to homeschool. Sometimes they intend to homeschool because of negative experiences they had attending public school as children. In other cases they plan to homeschool because they have concerns about Common Core, or because they disagree with the education policies of the state or nation. We encourage these parents to consider and evaluate all available options, including the local public schools, before making the final decision to homeschool.
Schools today are not identical to schools when you were a child.
Public school teachers and administrators are always looking for ways to make education better. Since the 1980s there have been major shifts in how schools address bullying, for example, and an increasing move toward project-based learning. Don’t assume that today’s schools are the same as the ones you attended.
Your children are not destined to repeat your experience.
Every person is different, and that means you and your child are different, too. Your children will have different teachers, meet different classmates, and excel at different subjects from you. Let your children create their own stories.
Educational quality varies by state and region.
State and local policy have a large impact on the quality of any given school district. You may be concerned about the direction of federal education policy, or even state education policy, but you should give your local school district a look rather than pre-judging it based on the actions of bureaucracy.
Don’t judge a public school without visiting it first.
Test scores often have far more to do with student demographics than with school quality; school ratings based on test scores can contribute to segregation by race or class. Place more weight on the experiences of parents whose children attend the school than on its reputation in the wider community, and remember that diversity enhances children’s experiences.
Your child is not your political pawn.
While it is commendable to make political statements with your own choices, it is unfair to your child to let your political activism determine the quality of the education they receive. Your child’s education should be about what is best for your child, not about making a political statement.
Your child should have input in this decision.
Don’t make this call for your child without involving them in the decision making process! What your child wants should matter. Many homeschool advocates value homeschooling for its potential to be child-centered, but upholding this value necessitates centering the decision to homeschool on the child’s wishes.
Why would a homeschool advocacy group encourage parents to consider alternatives to homeschooling? Wise parents remain flexible and receptive to the changing needs of their children—different educational options may be best for your child at different seasons in their life. Evaluating the various options available is an important part of determining whether homeschooling is best for you—and, more importantly, for your child.
Last Updated: 23 March, 2021 by Rachel Lazerus
Arkansas Data Contradicts HSLDA’s Claims
Last week, Scott Woodruff of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) used homeschool testing data from Arkansas to argue that homeschool programs in that state are superior to those offered by public schools. We have been analysing Arkansas’ testing data for several years now, and were surprised to see Woodruff reference this data. Arkansas’ homeschool testing data runs in direct contradiction of both Woodruff’s specific claims about Arkansas’ students’ scores and HSLDA’s broader claims about homeschooled students’ performance nationwide.
Arkansas has long required homeschooling families to submit test scores for certain grades; this ended in 2015 under the HSLDA-supported House Bill 1381. The Arkansas Department of Education makes available homeschooling reports from 1997 to 2015 on their website. This data has limitations: The state does not collect demographic statistics on homeschoolers, and reports only the average of all students have taken the test for each grade, offering no way to know the distribution of homeschooled students’ scores scores. Furthermore, page 61 of the 2013-2014 Home School Report (the last year in which that test scores for homeschoolers were required) lists 13% of homeschoolers as “not known if they were tested or not.”
In his comments, Woodruff states that “[f]or many years, all Arkansas homeschool students were required to take standardized tests” and that these students “consistently out-scored their public school counterparts.” The actual records of the Arkansas department of education state otherwise. As seen on pages 35-54 of the 2006-2007 Home School Report (2006-2007 Home School Report), the last year a full battery of subject scores are reported, the average scores of homeschooled students and public school students varied. The mean score of the homeschooled students was often slightly better than the mean score of students attending the state’s public schools, but only slightly, and it is unclear whether this difference in scores is statistically significant or if it merely reflects underlying demographic patterns (students’ race, family income, and parental education levels were not reported).
Woodruff would have been only slightly inaccurate if he had stopped here, but he did not. Instead, he drew on two oft-misused national studies of homeschooled students’ test scores, those by Lawrence Rudner and Brian Ray, to claim that homeschooled students score 30 percentile points higher than public schooled students. At CRHE, we have frequently criticized these studies (see here and here), noting that both relied on volunteer samples and oversampled homeschooled students in two-parent, non-poor, college-educated families. But what makes Woodruff’s use of this data puzzling is that it stands in stark contradiction with the homeschool testing data Arkansas collects, which Woodruff already cited positively.
It is technically possible that homeschooled students in Arkansas score 20 to 30 percentile points lower than homeschooled students nationwide. It is more likely, however, that Arkansas’ testing data backs up what we have noted repeatedly—that Ray and Rudner’s national studies of homeschooled students’ performance dramatically oversample homeschooled students from families with background factors that correlate with high academic performance. As a result, their findings cannot be compared to the public school average (given the different demographic factors), and are not representative of the homeschool population as a whole, as the Arkansas data makes clear.
Woodruff also references homeschooled students’ higher than average SAT scores, failing to mention that the SAT is typically taken only by homeschooled students who plan to attend college, leaving out those for whom college has been rendered unobtainable. Further, CRHE recently published a study calling attention to the startlingly low number of homeschooled students who take the SAT, and highlighting concerns that homeschooled students may attend college at a lower rate than their public schooled peers.
We suspect that Woodruff felt he could play fast and loose with statistics in this piece because his readers may not know that Arkansas’ homeschool reports are public information. Unfortunately, Woodruff and the organization he represents, the Home School Legal Defense Association, have used this strategy to mislead lawmakers across the country for some time now. Only two states make available data from a wide cross-section of homeschooled students—Arkansas and Alaska—and neither state’s data backs up either Rudner’s or Ray’s findings. Until recently, data from Arkansas’ homeschool reports and Alaska’s popular homeschool charter programs have been little studied and little promoted, allowing Woodruff and others at HSLDA to make claims dramatically out of step with reality. In making these claims about Arkansas itself, Woodruff makes it clear that he cares more about claiming that homeschooling is academically superior to other methods of education than he does about the actual academic performance of homeschooled students.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Natalie Finn’s Death Points to Lack of Homeschool Oversight in Iowa
For Immediate Release: Recent Iowa child abuse fatality is not the first to implicate homeschooling and abuse
Canton, Ma., 01/03/2017—On October 24, 2016, sixteen-year-old Natalie Jasmine Finn died after suffering years of starvation and abuse. Natalie, who lived in West Des Moines, Iowa, was homeschooled by her parents, Nicole Marie Finn and Joseph Michael Finn II. “This is far from the first case where homeschooling has contributed to the concealment of child abuse,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE). “Natalie’s death is part of a larger pattern.” CRHE was founded in 2013 by homeschool alumni in order to advocate for homeschooled children..
State Senator Matt McCoy, who represents the district where Natalie lived, called Natalie’s abuse “one of the most torturous forms of death I could think of” and “absolutely tragic.” Some researchers have identified a correlation between homeschooling and severe child abuse or child torture. In a 2014 study of child torture, Barbara Knox of the University of Wisconsin found that 47% of the school-aged child torture cases she examined involved children who had been enrolled in school and were later removed to be homeschooled. According to Knox, this homeschooling “appears to have been designed to further isolate the child” and “typically occurred after closure of a previously opened CPS case.” As Knox noted, this isolation “was accompanied by an escalation of physically abusive events.”
Natalie attended an alternative school during the 2014-2015 school year, but was subsequently homeschooled. While few details have yet been released, Natalie’s parents were reported to child protective services on a number of occasions. However, Iowa allows parents to homeschool even when they have been repeatedly reported to child protective services. Because there are no background checks for homeschool parents, even those previously convicted of violent crimes, sexual assault, or child abuse are permitted to homeschool. Since 2000, over 100 homeschooled children have died of abuse or neglect in the United States. “Homeschooling works best in stable, healthy home environments,” said Coleman. “Homeschooling offers abusive parents a way to isolate their children and may lead to an escalation of abuse.”
Five years ago, Iowa had some of the most thorough oversight of homeschooling in the country. Then, in 2013, the state’s legislature passed a law repealing the state’s homeschool requirements; today, homeschooling takes place with no accountability. Previously, parents were required to homeschool under the supervision of a certified teacher or to submit an annual assessment providing evidence that the child had made adequate academic progress. Iowa’s defunct homeschooling requirements may have saved 11-year-old Sarah Neely’s life a decade ago; when Neely’s father began canceling their meetings, her supervising teacher made a report to the police. Neely was found locked in an empty room, thirty pounds underweight.
“It is time to say enough is enough,” said Coleman. “When the legislature gutted its protections for homeschooled children four years ago, it created conditions that contributed to Natalie’s death.” Two states, Pennsylvania and Arkansas, require background checks for homeschooling parents, and legislators in several other states, including Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, have sought to create protections for at-risk homeschooled children in recent years. “Homeschooling should be used to provide children with a solid education in a loving home environment,” said Coleman, “not to isolate children and hide child torture.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.