It’s Not Just Happening Here
By : Mike Scheibe
Although a local political party leader recently stated in a facebook rant that homeschooling in Shenandoah County has risen because of school board members who hold conservative values, the facts say otherwise There is no universal, all encompassing reason for parents choosing to educate their children at home, and the reasons given definitely vary. Some go this route for religious reasons, others due to their wants for better education, some to protect their children from bullying, or social anxiety issues, and some because they feel their own teaching methods better suit their child’s needs. One answer that is typically lacking amongst most reasons given for choosing homeschooling is political views. . Experts say home schooling has grown in popularity across the socio-political spectrum, from the religious right to the humanist left, driven most recently by the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s resulting fallout. With the conservative majority in Shenandoah County, it would make you think think that the numbers would actually be lowering here with a more conservative presence on the Shenandoah County School Board, which further dismisses the political narrative. Not everything has to be political, although some would make it that way. A recent post on a Shenandoah County Political Facebook page is even making Halloween candy a political talking point, insinuating that candy should only be purchased from manufacturers who employ union workers Homeschooling certainly doesn’t fall into much that can be construed to follow political motives. Words like indoctrination, diversity, and equity don’t seem to have much to do with the reasons given either. In short, it’s not political in the majority of instances. The chart attached to this article shows the numbers in Shenandoah County in relation to homeschooling, which match the rises across Virginia. Areas like Loudoun County, Fairfax, Charlottesville, and Richmond are seeing the same increases. These areas all have different social and economic atmospheres, showing that the numbers are similar in almost every area, rural, suburban or urban.
There are approximately 62,000 home-schoolers in Virginia – a number that has doubled over the past decade and is up 40 percent since the fall of 2019. Over the past two years, home schooling has increased in 120 of Virginia’s 132 school divisions, including in the largest districts. An interesting fact is that If home-schoolers were a division unto themselves, it would in the top 6 in the Commonwealth – with as many students as areas like Virginia Beach.
Numbers have increased over the years, but COVID-19 triggered the recent sudden jump.. When public schools went virtual for the 2020-21 academic year, the number of home-schoolers in Virginia increased from roughly 44,000 to more than 65,500. In the fall of 2022, that total dropped to about 62,000. Which is still 40% higher than it was before the pandemic. Many people had thus decided that learning at home and/or virtually was better for their children than returning to school in person. Data also shows that Home schooling has increased the most in the lower grades, specifically kindergarten through 5th grade. There was an almost 56% increase in total homeschooled students in the 2020-21 school year and the amount of K-5 homeschooled students rose by 50% during that time frame. Homeschooling in Virginia allows parents to meet their children where they are, rather than children struggling to keep up in schools according to some experts. The home environment is also safer for children who deal with bullying or harassment in public schools, Parents can also provide resources, such as curriculums that adapt to specific learning styles, that are not always available in public or private schools. Another defite difference is that learning environments are most definitely not as standardized with homeschooled students. In short, parents can think a bit more outside of the box, where teachers in public schools aren’t able to do typically do so.
Homeschooling groups and resources have popped up all over the country, especially since the coronavirus Pandemic. These resources are rreadily available and it’s recommended by experts to get plenty of information and find some mentors before jumping into the world of homeschooling your children.
The Virginia Department of Education has information on the criteria required for homeschooling at https://www.doe.virginia.gov/parents-students/for-parents/home-instruction
The Home Educating Association of Virginia (HEAV) has many resources abd is available to assist homeschooling parents. Their website can be found at at https://heav.org/how-to-start-homeschooling-in-virginia/
The fact Is, it’s not what’s best for every student or family but it does seem to be a viable solution for more and more people as of late, regardless of what they might think about political leanings on the school board. Politics don’t belong in schools anyway, but in this case it’s not why most people say they are choosing homeschooling.
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