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\r\n Declan: \u201cI want in any way I can to be the person I needed to advocate for me\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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I have suffered with imposter syndrome for the last 15 years; feeling like I have somehow lied or tricked my way into getting a seat at the tables where I find myself seated, not being able to feel truly proud of my own social, academic and career accomplishments despite my childhood and upbringing. Content Note: This testimonial contains detailed descriptions of physical and emotional abuse, and instances of ableism and queerphobia.\u00a0 I was raised and homeschooled by fundamentalist Christians in south Louisiana for the majority of my childhood, later ‘graduating’ in Texas. Louisiana law required yearly submission of coursework to… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Candice K.: “I do not think my story is rare or even exceptional.”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cI am sharing my story now because I have seen the society that I live in repeatedly fail its most vulnerable members, those who have no volition over their own lives. I have seen my neighbors\u2019 children endure substantially increased abuse and neglect due to homeschooling during the pandemic, and others just not attend school at all because our government and its protocols of red tape and bureaucracy seem more concerned with protecting the rights of the adults abusing their children, than of the children being traumatized.\u201d Content Warning: This testimonial contains graphic descriptions of child abuse, and a brief… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Valerie: \u201cI know that not everyone in my position is so lucky\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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At first, being home seemed fun and easy. However, as the subjects progressed, I felt myself falling behind. I would overhear other kids at the co-op talking about their classes and I was never learning about any of the same things. My parents pulled me out of private christian school when I was only in kindergarten. I had recently been diagnosed with ADHD and was really struggling with school, despite my love of reading and how much I enjoyed being at school. At first, being home seemed fun and easy. However, as the subjects progressed, I felt myself falling behind…. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Abbey L.: \u201cIf anybody ever saw something concerning, nobody ever said a word.\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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If I had been in a normal high school I would have noticed that other people lived differently. I also would have been around mandatory reporters who would have noticed my Dad\u2019s obvious psychosis and the emotional, spiritual and psychological abuse I lived with. But instead, I didn\u2019t even have a close friend to confide things to. And if anybody ever saw something concerning, nobody ever said a word. I have never had so many emotions as those that flowed through me when I heard that Josh Duggar had finally been brought to justice. I actually got on the phone… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Song HyoA: \u201cThey mold me into an identity that is perfect for them, but not for me\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cIt takes time, dedication, experience, expertise, money, resources, and structure to homeschool your children, not just spending dollars on a curriculum that will not help them get into university. You give your children a future that changes their lives.\u201d Homeschooling has been quite popular in Malaysia during the COVID pandemic as many children stayed at home, but in reality, it was a tough decision to homeschool or send your children to homeschool centers. It takes time, dedication, experience, expertise, money, resources, and structure to homeschool your children\u2013not just spending dollars on a curriculum that will not help them get into… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Amber Moore: \u201cNobody could help me except myself\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cThe cognitive dissonance grew so intolerable that it took me down a road that led me to throw away many of the beliefs I grew up having.\u201d I am 25 years old and I am the middle child of five. We were all homeschooled from a very early age up to adulthood. My family moved to Connecticut when I was young. My father made sure we went to a state with little homeschooling legislation. When my mother got arrested for assaulting our neighbor, they decided that the best course of action was to move to another state with little legislation… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Mary T.: \u201cHomeschooling tends to attract parents who value control\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cI was terrified to make my own decisions, unsure of my ability to survive outside of my parents\u2019 controlling framework.\u201d I was my family’s “first.” The first to learn to read at home. The first to complete K-12 without ever attending school. The first to fully benefit from this great experiment full of boundless potential and equally boundless expectations. I was five when my parents pulled my older brother and sister out of school and started homeschooling. My mom, terrified, turned to God and Sing Spell Read & Write to teach me to read. I\u2019m not sure about God\u2019s involvement… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sage N.: “My parents were clearly unprepared to be teachers”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Some level of oversight would have really helped me because I think my parents would have felt compelled to keep up with my education far more than they did, and it may well have prevented my experience from also happening to my sibling.“ I was home educated by my parents from birth to age 16. As an adult, I have since discovered that what happened to me is known as ‘unschooling’ and constitutes nowadays as educational neglect. Coming to terms with this has been, and continues to be, an incredibly difficult journey which has permanently altered the way I view… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Hope M.: “I don\u2019t even know how many people knew we existed”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“There were certainly several years in which we didn\u2019t take any sort of test. There was no way for me, as a child, to connect with anyone outside of my household. There was no way for anyone to even see that I existed.” I am the middle child out of five sisters (I\u2019m smack in the middle). My sisters and I were all homeschooled all the way through school, never once attending any other sort of public or private school. While homeschooling can be a great experience, the lack of oversight creates a breeding ground for abusers to trap their… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Danielle C.: “The state never followed up on my education”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Enforcing the current requirements that Indiana has in place could help to prevent children like me from slipping through the cracks.” As Gloria Steinem said, \u201cThe final stage of healing is using what happens to you to help other people.\u201d In 2019, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD stemming from the years of isolation and neglect I experienced during my childhood. I was homeschooled in the \u201890s and early 2000s in the state of Indiana. From birth through my \u201cgraduation\u201d at age 18, my mother oversaw my entire education. In Indiana, there are very few regulations on homeschooling… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Amy W.: “Supporting homeschool oversight is the least we can do”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I lived in a continuous state of fear and learned helplessness. I was afraid to make even the smallest decisions for myself.” My family began homeschooling in 1991, the year my older sister was set to enter kindergarten. Our local public school had a terrible reputation, and my mother believed she could provide us with a better education by homeschooling us. My mother was in some ways a model homeschooling parent, or at least she was very disciplined about doing school every day, and I was given a high-quality education, at least according to my standardized test scores. The problem,… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Reanna G.: \u201cHomeschooling was not in MY best interest.\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cMy goal one day is to help give children a voice about whether or not they wish to be homeschooled or go to public school.\u201d I was homeschooled. It has to be the worst aspect of my childhood. I was raised by a relative, whom I called mother, and who ended up homeschooling me because I suffer from anxiety. (My biological parent thought it would be a great idea to have me be homeschooled so that I did not end up doing drugs behind the high school dumpster like she had.) I was behind in some subjects in school early… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Kelley Richey: “My mom let her mental health issues seep into every aspect of our lives”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Mom would tell me that I was refusing to learn how to read because I didn\u2019t love her. That really triggered so much anxiety in me as a youngster trying my very best to understand new concepts that weren\u2019t easy.” The following story is my own experiences as a product of homeschooling. I have taken chunks of already written material from my blog where I discuss my experiences in depth. I have compiled the most relevant information within this testimonial and I hope it is eye-opening as well as informative.\u00a0 My name is Kelley Richey and I am the middle… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Elizabeth B.: “I begged my mother to help me come up with a transcript and diploma”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“When I was 18, I begged my mother to help me come up with a transcript and diploma, so that I could attempt to pursue a higher education. She would refuse each time and tell me that she didn’t want to ‘limit me’ by defining what my education was.” I was homeschooled by my parents through my entire childhood. I never received any formal education and I am also the oldest of eight children. From a young age, my parents taught us to lie to our family and hide the reality of our education and daily lives. We would be… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Joan T.: \u201cMy dysfunctional and emotionally abusive home was my school.\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cI believe to this day\u2014as I did in childhood\u2014that I should not have been homeschooled, at least not all the way through high school as I was.\u201d For fifteen years, I was a princess in a tower. I was homeschooled for my entire childhood and adolescence. My parents, as they proudly told everyone, picked their own textbooks to patch together their own curriculum. I love my parents dearly, and to this day I don\u2019t harbor ill will for them. They are both well-intentioned, well-educated people who genuinely believed they were doing the right thing. My sister struggled with bullies and… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sarah: “The school never did anything to enforce their regulations”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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When I was growing up, I was badly abused by my parents, to the extent that it meets the current definition of intrafamilial child torture. Solitary confinement (being locked in my room for days or weeks at a time) was a significant part of my torture, and when I was locked in my room I had inconsistent access to food, water, and bathroom. I also endured beatings that were planned and systematic, and sometimes had religious components (father telling me I was possessed with a demon, and screaming “OUT Satan!” while beating me). I was also sexually abused. During a… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Catherine S.: \u201cEveryone needs a checks and balance system\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cThe horror film that was my life growing up in an isolated homeschool household is what will keep me a forever supporter of this organization.\u201d I was educated using a curriculum that was self teaching — read and follow directions — and later, my education was outsourced to homeschool coop groups for college prep high school classes. I was often left alone to figure out answers on my own and use deductive reasoning. This forced me to think critically, but it was often challenging without educated feedback from an adult to confirm my findings verbally.\u00a0 I might have looked like… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Bea M.: \u201cUnchecked power is perilous\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cIn my profession, I understand that teaching is a skill. Parents may love their kids, and even be educated themselves, but that doesn’t make them teachers.\u201d I was homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade. I am the oldest of five children. We were a very traditional, religious family. My mother and father both hold bachelor’s degrees. My father worked and my mother stayed home.\u00a0 I am in favor of responsible home education, and feel additional oversight is necessary.\u00a0 My educational and social opportunities were very limited. My mother was overwhelmed with young children, and isn’t a professional educator. She wasn’t… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Faye Marcinko: “Homeschooling in America is full of contradictions and extremes”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“The idea that I have the ‘right’ to do anything I want with my child, without respect to his\/her or society’s well-being, strikes me as utterly barbaric.” I am a former attorney homeschooling my child because I love learning and want to share it with them rather than outsourcing it to institutions that are distracted by many concerns other than education. Homeschooling has been a wonderful thing for our family and my academically advanced child. I think homeschooling should be legal–and heavily regulated. I am troubled by the prevalence of stories about abuse and neglect of homeschooled children. I am… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jackie H.: “You owe your child a proper education”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“If you are a parent reading this: Ask yourself, why am I homeschooling? Can I give my child a proper education? You owe your child a proper education.” I was homeschooled from kindergarten to eighth grade and also tenth grade. I went to private school in the 9th grade and public school my last two years. My early homeschooling experiences were pleasant. We were involved in a homeschool group, and we were able to go on many outings, and my mother put a lot of effort into our education. In middle school I began struggling with math. Our homeschooling group… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Elle S.: “Some years I had science, most years I didn\u2019t”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“There was a direct correlation between the minimum legal requirements for homeschooling in the state where I was home-educated, Ohio, and the content of the education that I received.” I went to a private school from grades 1-4. During fourth grade I was pulled out of school during an unexpected move and homeschooled through high school.\u00a0 I like to imagine that eventually there will be a form of homeschooling oversight where kids will also have a voice in their educations. If someone had asked me, I would have told them what I told my parents \u2013 that I wanted to… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Erika S.: “Verbal and physical abuse was a norm”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“My ‘education’ was in spite of my homeschool education.” My experience homeschooling was a fight to survive and every day a focus to cultivate skills for after I left. I went to public school through 6th grade and my mother decided to give homeschooling a trial period through the summer. I insisted on daily work and was obsessive with \u201cnot getting behind\u201d. I set 6am alarms and read through text books until I couldn\u2019t retain any more. My mom yelled so much when teaching that I eventually gave up in favor of independent study. (Reading through text books with both… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Linda P.: “I wish I could paint a happy ending to this story”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I want families who choose this route to have a tremendous homeschool experience. After hearing about the Turpin case, like many others with homeschool experience, I believe changes needed to be made in the laws.” My name is Linda. I have raised seven children and am currently an artist and community volunteer. My decision to homeschool was not a thoughtful one. Over time, homeschooling proved detrimental to myself and my family. Here is a bit of our story. When we had our first child in 1988 we became interested in the homeschool wave that was gaining momentum. As our family… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jane N.: “We were completely cut off from the outside world”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Even when taken to the doctor, I was not allowed to see them without a parent present. I think this was because my mother was afraid what we might say. I believe I was pulled out of public school for a similar reason when a few teachers began noticing her controlling behaviors.” I was homeschooled in the mid 90s and again in the early 2000s for some of grade school and most of junior high and high school in a state that only requires notification. While I was not educationally neglected like some of my peers, I was unprepared for… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Rai Storm: “There was no gratefulness. There was no escape. It just went on and on.”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“When I was in regular school, I had several adults telling me that I was smart, that I was kind, that I was capable of producing good things and of being a good person. When I was homeschooled, the main voice I had in my life was telling me that I was nothing, that I was ‘too stupid to do anything right,’ and that I was bad just because I happened to be alive.” My parents have always been prone to rage and impulses. My family has had large and violent arguments that began because \u201csomeone\u201d (me or my brother)… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Brittany Randolph: “As time went on, our schedule became looser and looser”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“My sister and I were fine with this at first. No school! We could spend time on the things we actually wanted to do. One thing, though, is that none of these things involved friends, at least not ones we had ever met in person.” I was in public school up until the early 8th grade, when my dad demanded my mother take my sister and me out. It was over something I won’t go into complete detail over, but to simplify I’ll call it spiritual beliefs. I was initially very excited. When you’re that age, who wants to go… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Rebecca F.: “The physical abuse and neglect was obvious to me from a very early age”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cAlthough parents had to submit lists of textbooks that they were using for each grade as part of their report to the local school district, it became apparent that the school district didn\u2019t know what to do with this, and didn\u2019t read the reports at all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jennifer I.: “All that was required was a note every year”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Most of my homeschooled peers were much like me, in that they were handed a textbook and then expected to essentially teach themselves from grade eight on.” I was homeschooled from K-12 alongside my siblings by my mother, initially due to concerns about the quality of the local school district, and then due to religious reasons. We tried many different versions of homeschooling, from unschooling, to support groups, and pre-packaged curriculums like Sonlight. While my parents chose to homeschool out of a desire for the best for us, the experience left me essentially playing catch-up to this day, even as… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jesse M.: “Some of these things would most likely not have been done if they were not required”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I am grateful that a minimal amount of planning was required at the beginning of the school year and that some type of assessment was required at the end of each school year. I\u2019m also grateful that medical checkups were required. Some of these things would most likely not have been done if they were not required.“ I am in favor of homeschool oversight because homeschooled children need their rights to health, safety, and education legally protected. Without oversight, parents or guardians can claim to homeschool as a means to hide abuse, neglect, and failure. This misuse of the freedom… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Rebecca A.: \u201cI feel I have been denied the opportunity to live up to my potential\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cMy days revolved around taking care of my siblings and our home. Our mother would leave her bedroom periodically to yell at us for being too noisy and messy. I spent most of my teenage years being overwhelmed and depressed.\u201d I attended Christian (Protestant) schools through most of my education, having been homeschooled in 4th grade. When I entered 7th grade in 1988, the school I was attending closed a few months into the school year and there was no choice but to attend public school. I had been so sheltered that this new reality was a literal hell for… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n E. Bradshaw: “Some kind of oversight for me would help me out”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I’m a people-pleaser and a rule-follower. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything [my son]\u00a0is 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… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Maria M.: “I’m still playing catch-up”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Ultimately, it is me who pays the price. I’m now 25 and I’m still playing catch-up. My Math and Science skills are at an 8th grade level and I’ll have to spend a few years in remedial classes that government aid won’t cover. Homeschooling in our family didn’t start off as a choice at first; it was more of a necessity. In 1991, shortly after I was born, my older sister was diagnosed with a devastating life-long illness, of which there is no known cure. She was in elementary school at the time doing extremely well in the gifted program… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Lillie S.: \u201cI was never once asked if I felt safe at home\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cI was never once asked if I felt safe at home. I was never asked if lessons frequently degenerated into screaming and tears. I wasn’t asked if my sister and I were hit on a semi-daily basis. No one asked if we had a fear of government workers or if my sister and I had been instructed on what to say if a children’s services worker ever approached our door. No one asked if we’d hide when an unfamiliar car pulled up the driveway.\u201d I was the younger of two sisters, both homeschooled by our mother. I was homeschooled K-6… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sarah M.: \u201cThese assessments turned out to be easily avoided\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cAlthough Pennsylvania had homeschooling oversight on the books, they failed to reliably enforce it. Even within my local school district I knew families with vastly different experiences with the district office\u201d I\u2018m the oldest of six children, raised in a conservative Christian family that homeschooled until I was sixteen. My home state of Pennsylvania was often described as \u201cone of the worst states\u201d in which to homeschool because of the accountability requirements. Looking back, I don\u2019t think that \u201cworst\u201d was a fair way to describe it at all. Like most homeschooling families I knew, education was my mother\u2019s job. She… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Alex H.: \u201cI often wonder at what cost\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“The goal was lofty, but our secular home education was primarily based on a fear of negative outside influence. What my parents did not understand is that safety by isolation has many consequences long into adulthood.” While I have had both positive and negative experiences with homeschooling, I strongly believe in homeschool reform. I was educated at home by my mother, from 1st through 8th grade (no preschool or kindergarten), and went into community college instead of high school at the age of 15. To an outsider it would have appeared to be a success, as my two younger siblings… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Roianna: “I think complete dysregulation is dangerous and harmful”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“While I was researching what I would need to do to homeschool, I was stunned to find that in Texas homeschooling is completely unregulated. . . . Professionally I am a counselor. [At one point] I was working with people struggling with substance use disorders and trapped in poverty. . . . A sizeable portion had left school because their parents pulled them out, allegedly to homeschool them.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n W. S. Hunter: “Parents are flawed people, like all of us”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cNow that I am a parent myself, I recognize the pride and naivety of any parent—no matter how loving and well-meaning—who thinks they can be the sole adult and authority in their kids\u2019 lives<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Emilie Huffman: “This has been a love letter to my mom”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u201cMathematics education is a very important focus area in homeschooling, as there is evidence for a homeschool math gap, and many anecdotal accounts of homeschooled girls in particular receiving subpar mathematics education.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jessica A.: \u201cHomeschool is an abusive parent\u2019s dream\u201d<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I support homeschool oversight because most child abuse is committed by parents against their own children. I believe people oppose homeschool oversight because most people only worry about their own kids. They won\u2019t admit it, but as long as their own kids aren\u2019t at risk, even \u201cgood\u201d homeschoolers just don\u2019t care.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Lynne A.: “I wasn’t protected at all”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“If not for the Religious Exemption clause, my parents would have had to, at the very least, turn in my standardized test scores to the county officials. I think it would have strongly encouraged my parents to educate me better.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Katrina B.: “My parents sincerely tried their best”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I believe oversight of homeschooling is a necessary starting point. I also encourage parents who are homeschooling to actively distinguish their roles as teacher and parent. I encourage them to learn about the effects of social contact on children\u2019s brain development, and follow the recommendations of mental health professionals for each age group.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Eleanor Skelton: “I saw no balance”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“My homeschooling put me on the dean\u2019s list in college. But I didn\u2019t know anything about life beyond academics. … My parents focused so much on academics, shunning extracurricular activities, that I had no idea how to do anything else.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Samantha Field: “It was far too easy to outright lie”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“I believe that requiring my parents to have more than a high school education would have made a significant difference, as well as requiring a state-certified or licensed professional to evaluate an annual portfolio. It was far too easy to outright lie in the portfolios we submitted to our umbrella school.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sarah Jones: “I’ve been lucky”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Standardized testing isn\u2019t enough. I performed well on those tests, but still received a substandard education. Parents should be required to submit curriculum plans to the local district every year, and they should also be required to adhere to certain basic academic standards. School district officials should also be trained to recognize signs of abuse in homeschool families.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Bethany Brittain: “It didn\u2019t take long for me to lose my excitement”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Oversight of my home education would have given me someone to see the severe authoritarian parenting happening in our home. The beatings that were handed to us daily as obedience to god. Maybe an agency of oversight would have missed the abuse. But I can tell you that not having anyone really paying attention to my education cost me years of having to make it up.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sarah Henderson: “We did not wish to be home schooled”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“If my parents were required to show some sort of portfolio, they would have needed to make sure that there were books, and show progression through grades (even if the progression was at an individual pace). They would have also needed to obtain and evaluate school work from us.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Jane Smith: “I am haunted by the question of what might have been different”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Homeschooling students who, like me, are privileged to have the skills necessary to fill in the gaps in our education can often bounce back from sub-standard educations. But others, like my brothers, who lack these skills will forever pay the price. The costs of the lack of oversight are borne by the most vulnerable.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Cynthia Jeub: “I wasn’t really taught anything after I was ten years old”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“In the state of Colorado, homeschooled students are required to take placement tests every couple of years. There’s an exemption for parents who are certified teachers. My dad had a bachelor’s degree in English, and had taught it briefly, so we never took any tests.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Sierra S.: “My mom … was obviously overwhelmed”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“If there had been more oversight, my mom may have been able to get more motivated to get organized and give me and my sisters the education we needed. My sisters and I would not be in the very difficult place we are right now because of being under educated.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>

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\r\n Alisa Harris: “Even growing up, I knew I was one of the lucky homeschoolers”<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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“Even growing up, I knew I was one of the lucky homeschoolers. My family knew homeschooled children who worked in the family businesses instead of doing school, kids who could barely read and who had learning disabilities that their families were not equipped to even identify, let alone address. . . . In so many of these cases, the physical, educational, and emotional neglect was never confronted, not even by fellow homeschooling parents, the only people in a position to see it.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>","max_pages":2}