Homeschooling ‘Soaring’ in Popularity

Homeschooling families used to be the guaranteed outcast, often enduring a never ending stream of probing questions and funny looks.

But the tide seems to be turning. Homeschooling is now “soaring” in popularity, as more options become available, more families seem to be taking the plunge.

ABC took a closer – and quite honestly refreshing – look at homeschooling. Good Morning America host and former NFL star Michael Strahan revealed he had homeschooled his children for a period of time, while ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza, a homeschooling mom, joined the segment to provide an in-depth look.

Normally, homeschooling is chastised and derided in the national discussion. The debunked myths such as homeschooled children will not be socialized properly continue to persist, making a glowing segment such as this one a welcome departure from the norm. This report featured an interview with Tim Tebow, who was homeschooled as a child. While they definitely covered some of the challenges homeschooling families face, it largely focused on the positives such as flexibility, closeness with family, and being able to add family values – such as religion – to your child’s education.

But now, people are seeking out homeschooling as an option for even more than just religious and value reasons. Some, as the report covers, believe they will be able to provide a better education for their child.

There are approximately 1.7 million families across the country who homeschool their children in one way, shape or form. Some choose to do it completely on their own while others use community based approaches such as the model Classical Conversations uses.

Tim Tebow spent his childhood working on the farm and being taught by his mother and father, telling ABC that his family had something more important in mind than purely academics.

“They wanted us to learn reading, writing and arithmetic, but it wasn’t No. 1. It wasn’t the most important thing… They wanted to instill love in our hearts, love for God, love for one another. They wanted us to be able to learn a work ethic, a dedication.”

“We were waking up, doing chores. Doing Bible study. And then we would break up into our individual studies. The whole process was always something I knew had a great purpose.”

Between 1999 and 2012, the percentage of homeschooled students has doubled.