As homeschool enrollments soar to historically high numbers — Urban Institute reports a 30% increase in students who homeschool — many homeschool parents cite “concerns over school environment” as a top motive to homeschool.
30% increase in students who homeschool*
Even more, the disappointment in our U.S. school system extends well beyond the homeschooling set. According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 16% of Americans say public K–12 education is going in the right direction.
It’s hard to argue with such widespread disappointment in the country’s education system.
1.2 million students lost
What can rising homeschool numbers tell us about the challenges our school classrooms face? Are the two trends intertwined in a cause-and-effect relationship?
While the Urban Institute reports a 30% increase in homeschool enrollment, America's public schools have lost at least 1.2 million students, according to the New York Times, reporting on a study published by Return 2 Learn Tracker.
Parents have concerns
74% of homeschool parents said “concerns about school environment” motivated them to homeschool.
A Washington Post-Scar School poll found parents who homeschool opted to educate their kids at home for a variety of motives. Many concerns point to a lack of trust or dissatisfaction in traditional school learning environments.
While the majority of parents (74%) polled cited "concerns about school environment" as the No. 1 reason they chose to homeschool, other motives include:
To provide moral instruction
Dissatisfaction with academic instruction at schools
Concern about bullying
Local public schools too influenced by politics
A front-row seat
Chaos in the classroom, distractions, and bad behavior are commonplace in many traditional school environments.
“What led us to homeschool, honestly, was volunteering in my children’s school. I was able to have a front-row seat to what was going on in the classroom. And I could see where my kids were not accustomed to that much distraction.”
“Too many negative influences”
Even in top-performing school districts where academics and strong standardized test scores are lauded, many parents opt to homeschool anyway. Cassie Hagerstorm of De Pere, Wis., is one such parent. She once worked as a middle school counselor, and the experience, according to the Washington Post, left her with impressions she couldn’t shake.
“I’m not really on board with the schooling process as a whole,” she said. “Too many negative influences.”
In the fall of 2022, more than 60,000 students were homeschooled in districts that rank in the top fifth of academic achievement nationwide, according to research by the Post.
Battle Weary
Many homeschool parents who have opted out of traditional school share concerns about external influences, including political intrusion and moral instruction.
In an interview posted by “Where Learning Lives,” an online resource provided by Abeka, a homeschool mom of two teen boys said, “Had I not been able to homeschool, I would have constantly battled external influences during their formative years. Because of homeschooling, I have teens who understand the importance of honesty.”
According to the Washington Post-Scar School poll, 46% of homeschool parents cited concerns about the influence of liberal viewpoints in schools.
Flexibility
A Treatment for the Side Effects of a “Poor Learning Environment”
When it comes to learning environments, a parent’s desire for flexibility and freedom is common among homeschool families who use Abeka, a leading publisher of research-based curriculum. Not ironically, flexibility is a useful treatment to many of the side effects of an undesirable learning environment.
With flexibility, homeschool parents can:
- Affirm family values through educational content;
- Create a distraction-free environment that helps children focus;
- Adjust the pace of instruction based on a child’s ability to grasp a new concept;
- Select proven reading programs to boost reading comprehension and fluency;
- Ensure balance between school, family time, and extracurriculars;
- Mix and match curriculums and educational materials to manage learning gaps and keep children engaged;
- Choose the most-effective teaching methods by matching methods to a child’s unique learning style.
