Opinions On Homeschooling Have Changed (for the better) During The Pandemic

Forbes ^ | March 9, 2021 | Mike McShane

[DoodleBob]

It was one year ago when school buildings began to shutter and students retreated to their homes to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus. While not technically homeschooling (they were still enrolled in their school and working on curriculum prescribed by teachers, not their parents), many families got a hint of what homeschooling might feel like, and how the dynamics of their family might change were they to educate their children at home.

If you only looked at social media, you would think it a complete disaster. Numerous posts on Twitter and Facebook decrying how unprepared and overwhelmed parents were went viral, as did calls to pay teachers multi-million-dollar salaries after parents had to try teaching their kids on their own. Homeschooling, it seemed, was a bridge too far.

But were those posts representative of broader sentiment? We at EdChoice have been polling a nationally representative sample of Americans (including a huge number of parents) every month since March of last year, so we have a more holistic view of public—and parent—opinion.

A year in, let’s take a look at what they think.

Result #1: Parents are more favorable to homeschooling as a result of the pandemic.

...

Result #2: Parents are open to hybrid homeschooling.

...

Result #3: Homeschooling parents have been satisfied with their children’s learning during the pandemic.

[DoodleBob]

A few months ago, I opined that homeschooling families aren't generally regarded as freaks or right-wing wackos by your average American on a post-pandemic basis. Many of those who struggled found help online from 'full-time' homeschoolers. They also came to find that homeschooling is a legit option when they saw what Mary and Johnny were being fed at school.

It is good to see data backing up my own observations.

[dsrtsage]

Unfortunately, women and minorities are hardest hit

[knarf]

[volunbeer]

We have homeschooled for the last 11 years. I can say the one difference now vs a year ago is that fewer people who experienced it look down upon it.

Public school and “higher education” has a lot of problems and those were far more noticed in the last year than they previously were.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping

[Alberta's Child]

I have long believed that public education is the homage a society pays to the mediocrity of its members.

[metmom]

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Unintended consequences of the lockdown. The lockdown exposed a LOT about public schools that people were not aware of.