LOCALIZE IT: A guide to coverage of homeschooling surge

Virus Outbreak-Homeschooling

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

Is the surge in American homeschooling here to stay?

Families turned to homeschooling in record numbers during the pandemic. Some have sent their children back as schools have reopened their doors, but in the second full school year of the pandemic, many more of them have stuck with it for now.

Parents in the U.S. always have had a range of reasons for taking the reins of their children’s education, including a desire for flexibility or a faith-based curriculum or what they see as flaws in local schools. During the pandemic, some families that tried it discovered benefits for their children. Others have cited the health risks the disruptions caused by outbreaks or mandates on masks and vaccines.

Here are some ways to localize reporting on the sustained numbers of families homeschooling. Local stories could run alongside the AP story, US—Virus Outbreak-Homeschooling.

THE DATA

The AP reached out to education departments for all 50 states to request data on the number of homeschooling students in each of the last five school years. The data they provided is available here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yUzUs8PINedQDFkbpBNdWFUhmxVOHDvJHJR8Dz5IavY/edit#gid=0

The 28 states that offered numbers reported that homeschooling spiked in 2020-2021, the first full school year during the pandemic. Of the 18 states whose enrollment data included the current school year, all but one state said homeschooling declined from the previous year, but remains well over pre-pandemic levels. (South Dakota’s number was higher this year it after recently changing the way it collects data.)

SOME IMPORTANT CONTEXT

The families who have flocked to homeschooling account for a large portion of the enrollment declines that public school districts around the country experienced during the pandemic. Public schools that lose students could eventually see losses in funding, although federal relief money is boosting budgets for now.

Black households account for many of the newcomers; their homeschooling rate rose from 3.3% in the spring of 2020 to 16.1% in the following fall, according to U.S. Census Bureau surveys.

The surging numbers have stirred long-simmering debates over how closely homeschooling should be regulated by local governments. At a time when school systems around the country are working to re-engage students, some advocates have argued more oversight is needed to ensure all homeschooling students receive a quality education.

States have a range of laws on steps required to withdraw from public school and requirements on testing and mandatory subjects. The Home School Legal Defense Association offers information on the policies for each state here:

http://hslda.org/legal

The Coalition for Responsible Home Education, which advocates for more oversight, has a similar analysis here:

https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/research/current-policy/

GETTING PERSPECTIVE

There are a number of homeschool support groups you can find online in communities across the U.S. It can be helpful to talk with them to understand local trends in homeschooling — and potentially to connect with homeschooling parents for interviews. Some examples:

https://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/

https://a2zhomeschooling.com/support_groups/support_groups_homeschool_worldwide/

STORY ANGLES

—Interview local families on why they are sticking with homeschooling. In addition to the pandemic, how are issues related to race and politics factoring into these decisions?

—What kind of support networks have emerged for local homeschoolers? Are some collaborating with other families in pods?

—Is there a push by local officials or lawmakers to step up oversight of homeschooling arrangements?

—What are local public school districts doing to reconnect with homeschooling families?

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Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Ted Anthony at tanthony@ap.org