When the pandemic shut down schools, more families turned to homeschooling to educate their children, opting out of remote learning. Now, a movement that decades ago was on the fringe has seen an explosion in popularity.
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education estimates around 3% of school-age children were homeschooled. By May of 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau found 5.4% of households homeschooled at least one child. By October of that year, the number jumped to 11.1%.
Students of color also saw sizable increases. Homeschooling jumped among Black students from 1% to 8% from 2019 to May 2021. In that same period, the rate jumped from 2% to 9% among Hispanic students.
Joining Cincinnati Edition to discuss the growth in homeschooling and the possible reasons behind the increases are University of Oklahoma Professor of Educational Policy and Education Next Reporter Daniel Hamlin, Ph.d.; Carrie Goodrich, who homeschools her children; and Washington Post Reporter covering national education issues Moriah Balingit.
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