{YML Voices} Opting Out: Our Decision To Homeschool

I had actually considered homeschooling my children for a while last year. I figured, I was home with them, I love when I teach them something new, so why not homeschool? Well, business got crazy and I felt like I didn’t want to shortchange them, but I am still considering it in a few years. I learned that Victoria, one of my YML buddies, homeschools her daughter, I wanted to know more. She obliged and wrote this guest post. Check it out: 

by Victoria Calvin

If someone would have told me a few years ago that I would be a homeschool educator, I would have slapped them silly! I had bought into the stereotype that homeschool families were either ultra-conservative religious families attempting to shelter their children from the horrible, sin filled public schools or extremely liberal nonconformists who were rejecting all the conveniences and trappings of modern society. However, as life would have it, my husband and I, after almost two years of discussion and research, have made the decision to homeschool our daughter. Bold? Yes. Scary? Oh my God YES! Exciting? You bet!

First, I want to say, my husband and I want to support public schools. We are products of the public school system (K-12 and post-secondary). My husband was a certified government teacher at one point in his career and we’ve both had the pleasure of teaching and working at public universities. We believe that everyone is entitled to a free, comprehensive education that is provided by the public school system.

But…

Public schools as we know them have changed over the past 10 years. The shift toward high stakes testing, changing curriculum, impractical student and teaching standards combined with continuous budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and crowded classrooms, are leaving a generation of students without the critical skills needed to perform in college and in industry. We’ve all heard the news stories: districts shortening or eliminating recess, PE, and the arts in order to focus on testing. In some schools kids are rushing through lunch due to long cafeteria lines leaving them without enough time to eat.

School administrators are losing power to more government standards set by politicians instead of education experts. And minority students in public schools have higher rates of dropping out and getting ticketed for seemingly minor school infractions. And don’t be fooled…even the best schools are not exempt from these issues. These systemic issues cannot be addressed over night. Real public school reform will take a shift in ideologies and a willingness to do some things differently such as year-round schooling and dismantling of the high stakes testing environment.

However, the Calvins cannot wait for this reform. We want a superior education for our daughter. One in which she can be free to explore subjects that she is interested in, apply what she is learning to the real world, and develop the analytical and critical thinking skills that are needed to compete in industry. We want her to be an innovator and creative thinker.

So…we are opting out.

The decision to homeschool wasn’t made overnight. My husband and I spent a little over a year researching any and everything related to homeschooling. What we found was eye opening! The homeschooling movement isn’t new, yet has gained in popularity over the past 10-20 years. Homeschool families are very diverse (both culturally and socially) and have made the choice to homeschool for a variety of reasons. And in case you were wondering, homeschooling IS legal in all 50 states; however, each state sets their own requirements regarding homeschooling (some more restrictive than others). There are legal organizations that help parents navigate their legal right to homeschool, support groups, co-op groups (parents who teach classes for homeschoolers), conferences, conventions, more curriculum options than you can shake a stick at, and much, much more! To be honest, it’s very overwhelming. We had no idea where we would start!

We decided to begin as soon as possible…starting with preschool curriculum. My husband and I consider ourselves to be co-teachers; working as partners to teach our kiddo. We turned the dining room into a homeschool room and office, purchased supplies, and are currently reviewing preschool curriculum (and will probably create some of our own). We are so excited about the possibilities and challenges of homeschooling! To have the freedom and flexibility to create an environment focused on individualized attention is amazing. We’ve spent an enormous amount of time preparing and are committed to making homeschooling work.

What’s Next…

We officially open The Calvin Academy (yep, we have a name and everything!) on September 4th. So far, we’ve received mixed reviews from our family and friends, most excited about our decision, others apprehensive (in a caring way). What is important is that my husband and I feel, at least for now, that we have made the right decision. Homeschooling is a huge commitment. We will always support improving the public school system. But for our child, we want a different educational experience that focuses on holistic learning.

This is both a luxury and a sacrifice. We are sacrificing the benefits that come from having a second full-time income. However, we are blessed to be able to live as a one-income family so that I can stay at home to teach our daughter. Many families are not in the financial position to do so, but it is possible even for single parents to successfully navigate the homeschooling process. We’ve found such a supportive homeschooling community full of diverse families. If you are uncomfortable with the state of public schools in your area, but know that a quality private school education is financially unattainable, we invite you to learn about and consider the third choice of homeschooling.