Homeschooling is just for families like the Duggars, right?
There’s a grain of truth to that: the modern homeschooling world has largely been run by white, middle/upper-class religiously and politically conservative Christian families, most located in the suburbs and rural areas. And the perception is that those families are specifically evangelical Christians who don’t believe in evolution.
But things are changing.
The homeschooling world is becoming very diverse, in every sense of the term: racial, religious, socio-economic, more dads. (I was surprised to find and meet so many Catholics and other “high Church” folks, but I don’t know whether they’ve always been there or that group is also on the upswing.)
I’ve found it interesting how so many people speak of homeschooling in terms of a division between “secular/atheist” and “Christian.” Because there are many people left out there, including our family! I think it’s problematic that we are basically forced to group everything as either “secular” or “Christian,” when it’s really a division of “Christian vs. not-Christian.” I’m not really secular, but that’s the group I fall under in this false dichotomy we’ve created for reasons that seem unclear and are probably a fluke of history in a post-Scopes Trial world.
I have seen an unfortunate number of negative comments against non-Christian homeschoolers and blindly racist comments because, as is now my favorite analogy, “fish can’t see the water they swim in.” I hope that as the homeschool world diversifies and increases, we’ll all learn from each other and create materials that allow each of us to provide the education that our families need. Not every parent is a crazy researcher/DIY person like me or the five million other bloggers out there. As more voices come forward, it will become easier to find the voice that resonates with you, but it’ll also become harder to find them in the ocean of voices. Ain’t that how it always is? A double-edged sword.
People chose to homeschool for any number of reasons, though most people assume it’s only a religious choice (though religion may still be a factor of course). Military families are a large subgroup of homeschoolers for obvious reasons: they move a lot. Black families are increasingly choosing to homeschool because of institutional racism, racist bullying, and low educational expectations for black children. Jewish families choose to homeschool for cultural reasons just as much as religious ones, and it can be hard to separate the two. Urban and rural families are choosing to homeschool because their local public school is underperforming. Families from different ethnic backgrounds (including Jewish families) may want history and foreign language curricula that reflect their own heritage. Families with special needs and/or gifted kids want their kids to have more individualized support or may think that the current educational model doesn’t meet their kids’ needs. I’d bet that a year from now, we’ll see articles about parents who began homeschooling now because of safety concerns. The choice of how to educate your child, if you choose to wade into it, is deeply complicated. We all choose and weigh factors differently, as we should. Al pi darko, train your children according to their way. Just as we’re seeing a growth in demand for Montessori Jewish dayschools, we will Gdwilling see an increase in demand for all educational choices and an increased respect for making those choices.
There’s no wrong answer for why people homeschool. And no one makes that call thoughtlessly. It must be actively chosen and sacrificed for in our society. That deserves respect, even if you disagree.
Here are some articles to read about how homeschooling is changing!
The Rise of Homeschooling Among Black Families | The Atlantic
Homeschooling Without God | The Atlantic (a lot of unnecessary religion slamming rather than statistics, but you get the point and an insider’s perspective)
Homeschooling: A Growing Trend | Jewish Action (but predicts that it will always be small in the orthodox community)
Choosing Homeschooling | Chabad.org
Homeschooling While Orthodox | Lilith Magazine
Homeschooled Jews Are a Minority Within a Minority | The Forward
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