Share the Word

Share the Word

You can help raise awareness of the need for better protections for homeschooled children by sharing articles on social media, talking to friends, and contacting local media organizations and lawmakers. Raising awareness of the need for reform is critically important. Below are some tips—both key articles and talking points—that may aid you as you speak with family members, engage with others on social media, and reach out to others you know.

Homeschool Law

Many people are shocked to learn how little their home state does to make sure that homeschooled children receive an education. Sharing this information can be a good way to raise awareness. Some individuals are concerned that oversight could create problems for homeschool parents. Point out that there are ways to provide accountability without requiring homeschool parents to use the same curriculum as public schools.

Recommended Reading:

• Current Homeschool Law: An Overview
• How Oversight Would Have Helped
• Why Self-Policing Is Not Sufficient
• Why We Need Accountability for Portfolio Evaluators
• The Conservative Case for Homeschool Oversight
• Our Policy Recommendations

Talking Points:

• Eleven states don’t require homeschool parents to provide notice of homeschooling.
• Most states do nothing to assess whether homeschooled children are being educated.
• Parents should be allowed to decide how to educate their children, but not whether to educate their children.
• Without basic accountability, some children will always fall through the cracks.

Homeschooling and Child Abuse

While most homeschooling parents are not abusive, homeschooling gives abusive parents the ability to isolate their children. In some cases, abusive parents homeschool solely to hide their abuse. The results can be disastrous. Sharing stories of children who were abused or killed by their parents in homeschool situations can be an effective way of raising awareness of the need for better protections for at-risk children.

Recommended Reading:

• Homeschooling’s Invisible Children (HIC)
• HIC Preliminary Data on Homeschool Child Fatality Rates
• HIC Cases by State: Interactive Map
• Homeschool Law and At-Risk Children
• Abuse in Homeschooling Environments
• Homeschooling is an abusive parent’s dream
• How I was almost rescued from abuse

Talking Points:

• Homeschooling allows abusive parents to isolate their children and hide abuse.
• Child abuse in homeschool settings can be especially severe.
• A study of child torture found that nearly 50% of cases involved homeschooling.
• Most states do not require background checks for homeschool parents.
• When homeschooling can be used as a cover for child abuse, everyone loses.

Homeschooling and Educational Neglect

How should you respond to those who believe that homeschooled children outperform other children academically? First, point out that homeschooled children’s performance depends on the amount of effort their parents put into their education. Share testimonials written by homeschool alumni who were educationally neglected. Second, point out that the studies that find higher scores draw on volunteer samples of children homeschooled in non-poor, college-educated families. Share accurate information on homeschool research.

Recommended Reading:

• Homeschooling & Educational Neglect
• Research on Academic Achievement
• The Homeschool Math Gap
• The Alaska Data
• Fruit Salad Fallacies
• Brian D. Ray and NHERI, Part One
• Brian D. Ray and NHERI, Part Two

Talking Points:

• Most states do not require evidence that education is actually taking place.
• The research is consistent that there is a homeschool math gap.
• There is reason to believe that homeschool graduates under-attend college.
• Homeschool performance varies based on things like parents’ education.
• Organizations opposed to oversight of homeschooling frequently misrepresent the data on homeschool academics and success.
• Everyone, including homeschooling parents, benefits from accountability.