Homeschooling is a choice that is now available in all 50 states across the country. It seems ironic that a country that started out as homeschoolers is increasingly moving back toward that style of education.
Choosing the option to homeschool affords a family many opportunities.
Parents determine what children are learning and when they learn it. Parents have more flexibility in making the learning environment fun and not boring. Parents can tailor the teaching to fit the individual learning style of the child, including daily one-on-one time to work through particular areas of struggle. Parents can give freedom for children to dig deeper in areas of interest, allowing children to flourish and grow in certain subject matters as curiosity leads, without restraint. Homeschooling allows the family to be the center of homelife instead of school dominating the family, allowing significantly more time for meaningful relationships to form with your children. This allows for more time to share your set of values and beliefs to your children as the questions arise in a safe and loving environment. This also allows for significantly more time to nurture your children’s natural talents in the extracurriculars of life…art, music, athletics, or a particular subject area of education.
There are certainly downsides to homeschooling. But what I never thought would be included in the list is a lack of opportunity. Certainly not in the land of opportunity!
In Virginia, if you are not enrolled in a public school, you may not participate in public team sports. You may not participate in any publicly funded activity associated with the public school.
With the growth of private sports programs, you might not think this is a problem. But that’s not how US all-star Patrick Foss, 17, of South Riding feels. “With the national team, I’ve represented the United States throughout the world, yet in my own community, I’m not allowed to participate.” After considering colleges from all over the country, Patrick decided to go to UVA. One of his main reasons? “The opportunity to represent my home state,Virginia, the same state that has deemed it inappropriate for me to play for my neighborhood high school.”
Maybe you ask why homeschoolers can’t get together to form their own team? Gary Gard of Virginia Beach has done just that, forming the Beach Breakers homeschool teams that skillfully compete against both private and public schools.
But in many smaller areas of the state, the only opportunity for big team sports at the higher level is through the local high school. Will Brockman, 13, of Christiansburg is one such example. His mother laments, “If push comes to shove, he won’t play high school soccer either. It’s more important to us that his education be what it is than he gets to play public high school sports.”
Twenty-four states across America allow homeschoolers access to sports programs. Delegate Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville) has introduced legislation into the House, HB-947, to allow homeschoolers the same kind of participation available to children across the country. And rightly so.
The Virginia Education Association, the PTA of Virginia, Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the Virginia High School League oppose the bill because they think it unfair to public school students. They would have you believe there is little observation of academic progress of homeschoolers being done by the parent, as if only teachers in the public school system are capable of evaluating a child or administering a test.
This gets to the heart of the issue. Teacher groups and associations have long held the belief that they know what’s best for your children. The very basic freedoms of a parent’s first responsibility have been taken away.
Scripture commands us to teach our children. To press upon them the truths of life, directing them in the way to go. Each parent must decide how he or she is going to do that. This is a freedom created by our Lord, yet sadly, governed by the state. We must not pit one decision against another, but embrace the diversity of thought and experience that comes with each.
With the rise in homeschooling options, parents are increasingly able to personally direct the paths of a child. We all know that there is more to education than classes and books. Extracurricular activities play an important role in the educational process. And if the local public school district offers these opportunities, why shouldn’t parents be able to take advantage of them, whether the child is otherwise educated there or not?
Everyone knows someone who has been homeschooled or who is being homeschooled. You may not have made that choice, but surely we can support those who have with legislation that makes the option of homeschooling full of opportunities leading to a well-rounded education for our children. Let’s get behind this legislation! Not just in spirit, but in our talk, time and treasure. Let’s not be ignorant of a truly important and growing area of educating America’s finest.
* The Family Foundation is hosting a School Choice Rally on Tuesday, February 7 at 11am on the lawn of the State Capital by the bell tower. Governor Bob McDonnell will be the keynote speaker.
