Do you remember sentence-diagramming in school? I do. It was the onerous process of breaking apart individual sentences into their component parts and identifying those parts, like the subject, the verb, the modifiers, and so on. By the time sentence-diagramming was introduced in elementary school, I had learned how to play the game of school. […]
Do you remember sentence-diagramming in school? I do. It was the onerous process of breaking apart individual sentences into their component parts and identifying those parts, like the subject, the verb, the modifiers, and so on. By the time sentence-diagramming was introduced in elementary school, I had learned how to play the game of school. […]
Many parents choose homeschooling specifically because of the harms they believe are caused by public schooling. Those of us who have homeschooled for years are accustomed to periodic calls for greater regulation of homeschooling. Whether it’s a Harvard professor or NPR, the hackneyed hollers to regulate homeschoolers remain unconvincing. Joining the tired chorus is comedian […]
Education entrepreneurs are finding joy in launching their own innovative learning programs and are spreading that joy to their learners. I spent much of last week in the greater Kansas City area visiting microschools and learning pods, and talking to founders, ahead of the Heartland Hybrid & Microschools Summit, hosted by Kansas Policy Institute. All […]
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “Go Local“? The concept, which encourages supporting local industries and businesses, has grown in popularity over the years with people of all political persuasions. But oddly enough, there’s one area where “go local” has been roundly shunned over the years, and that is education. Oh, sure, people […]
Americans have soured on public schools. That’s the takeaway from Gallup polling results released earlier this month showing that Americans’ confidence in public schools is at a low point, with only 26 percent of respondents indicating a “Great deal/Fair amount” of confidence in that institution. Indeed, public schools join three other institutions that are also […]
“It was devastating for all of these children and families to suddenly close,” said Ariel Maguire. Ariel Maguire gathered together with other moms in her rural area of the Big Island of Hawaii to create a child-centered educational solution for local families. It was late 2021 and the parents realized that nearly two years of […]
The ubiquity and widespread acceptance of homeschooling as a valid educational option for American families can obscure the fact that homeschooling freedoms were hard-fought. The ubiquity and widespread acceptance of homeschooling as a valid educational option for American families can obscure the fact that homeschooling freedoms were hard-fought. Homeschooling didn’t become legally recognized in all […]
“We want to be as big as Boy Scouts, be that kind of a household name.” ~ Barefoot University Co-founder, Madeleine Braden It was a cool, muddy morning in March when I pulled into the empty parking lot of a sprawling forest and nature preserve about 40 miles outside of Fort Worth, Texas. Soon, cars […]
Now is often the time of year when parents begin looking into other learning options and schooling alternatives for their kids. The new school year has been in session for several weeks and some parents may be finding that bubbling issues may have reached a boiling point. Perhaps their child isn’t a good match with […]
I can recall, thinking back years ago now, that my friend and Mentor. Pastor Ennio Cugini, had talked about what needed to be done to ensure real educational freedom in this country. He mentioned two specific things I still remember. He said that you needed to get rid of compulsory attendance laws in the various […]
Homeschooled children fared better than children who attended public schools in many categories. Researchers at Harvard University just released findings from their new study showing positive outcomes for homeschooled students. Writing in The Wall Street Journal last week, Brendan Case and Ying Chen of the Harvard Human Flourishing Program concluded that public school students “were […]
The exodus from government-run schooling continues There is a lot to be frustrated about as 2021 concludes. Some places are back in lockdown over rising coronavirus cases, while others are re-imposing previous restrictions and introducing new ones—including my city. But at this joyful time of the year, I choose to be optimistic and focus on […]
Children not enrolled in public kindergarten are not ‘missing.’ Their parents know exactly where they are. Public school enrollment has consistently declined across most states this academic year, and there are new signs that the trend will continue this fall. On Thursday, New York City’s education department reported that kindergarten applications for the 2021/2022 school […]
Many families took one look at their school district’s remote or hybrid learning offerings this fall and said “no, thank you.” That’s the message gleaned from national and state-specific data on the surging number of homeschooled students this academic year. Prior to the pandemic and related school closures last spring, there were just under two […]
By now you’ve probably heard of Harvard Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, whose name catapulted into the public’s view when she called for a “presumtive ban” on homeschooling. Ironically, her call for a homeschooling ban came right when the entire nation was forced to homeschool due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Early America had widespread literacy and a vibrant culture of learning. Parents the world over are dealing with massive adjustments in their children’s education that they could not have anticipated just three months ago. To one degree or another, pandemic-induced school closures are creating the “mass homeschooling” that FEE’s senior education fellow Kerry McDonald predicted […]
Given the Corona-Boost to the Wonderful World of Homeschooliing – we have decided to bring this back to the Front. ~ Ed. 1. Homeschoolers perform well academically. 2. Your kids may be happier. 3. Issues like ADHD might disappear or become less problematic…
We have collectively become so programmed to believe that education and schooling are synonymous that we can’t imagine learning without schooling and become frazzled and fearful when schools are shuttered. As the global coronavirus outbreak closes more schools for weeks, and sometimes months – some 300 million children are currently missing class – parents, educators, […]
The idea that parents get in the way of children’s education and can halt their flourishing is nothing new. It’s also false! At the heart of debates around education freedom and school choice is the subtle but sinister sentiment that parents can’t be trusted. They are too busy, too poor, or too ignorant to make […]