While the reasons for homeschooling vary widely, they all point to one thing: Choice. According to an NHES survey in 2016, the biggest reason for homeschooling, in order of popularity, were:
- a concern about school environment [33.8%]
- a dissatisfaction with academic instruction [17%]
- desire to provide religious instruction [15.9%]
- child with special needs other than physical or mental [5.8]
- desire to provide a nontraditional approach to child’s education [5.6]
- child has physical or mental health problem [5.5%]
- a desire to provide moral instruction [4.7%]
All of these reasons point back to a need or desire to make a choice. A choice for a different environment, different curriculum or instruction method, a choice of content, to include religious or moral instruction, or even a choice of time and flexibility in order to schedule around appointments.
Homeschooling has only been legal in all 50 states since 1993. Founded in 1983, HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) has been fighting for and defending homeschooling families to make choices that best suit their family. Even though it is legal to homeschool, that does not mean it is always easy. Every day, there are many families that continue to fight and defend their right and freedom to choose homeschooling, and HSLDA continues to prove crucial and central to that effort. Services at HSLDA include legal representation, educational consulting, practical help with special needs, homeschooling through high school, help with getting started, record keeping, grants opportunities, and even an online academy for grades 7-12. Everything they do “flows from their core mission of making homeschooling possible.” An invaluable resource, I highly recommend you check them out, especially to see what the homeschooling requirements are for your state.
A recent effort that will benefit many homeschoolers is that HSLDA worked with Google to facilitate making G Suite for Education available for free to Homeschool organizations, just as it does for public and private schools. This may be a valuable resource for your homeschooling co-op or community. Your organization will need a website and verification code in order to set up an account with Google. For more information check out HSLDA or contact us about coming under the wing of Digital Chickens.
Why does my homeschool group need G Suite for Education?
