Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has developed into a viable option for a number of Texas families seeking an alternative to public education.
State figures indicate more families have begun seeking a different educational forum, particularly over the course of the past year. The Texas 2036 report provided information on the latest figures, pointing out there were 242,000 fewer students with 99% of school districts reporting. That includes both remote and in-person learners, Education Daily Wire reported.
The Texas Home School Coalition indicates there is a trend toward homeschooling both nationally and in Texas.
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"A recent survey from Real Clear Opinions found that 40% of registered voters were more likely to enroll their children in a home school or a virtual school after the coronavirus,” the Coalition reported.
There are a number of Texans who would highly recommend the experience, including Jillian Glawson of Collin County. Glawson has three children: 2, 5 and 9. Of the children, the two oldest are educated in a homeschool format in kindergarten and third grade.
“Homeschooling has always been in the back of mind,” Glawson said. “My degree is in early childhood education, although I have been a stay-at-home mom since graduating, I have always enjoyed the thought of being the one that educated our children. However, we have been blessed to live in fantastic school districts, so we started our daughter in public kindergarten when the time came. In the spring of 2020 when the world stopped and we were forced to attend school virtually, we re-visited the idea of homeschool as being more of a real option for us because we were not loving the virtual set-up for our daughter.”
The Glawsons also are a member of a homeschool co-op, Classical Conversations. They attend every Friday and it provides the opportunity to build relationships within the homeschool community and for the kids to be social.
As far as curriculum is concerned, Glawson said they use The Good and The Beautiful for both math and language arts. Classical Conversations is used to supplement science, history and fine arts subjects.
“We currently use the same curriculum for both,” she said. “We recently switched my oldest from Saxon math to The Good and The Beautiful.”
Despite switching to the homeschool format, the kids remain active in extracurricular activities. Between the two oldest students, they participate in dance, art class, martial arts, gym, theater class and soccer.
Given Glawson’s experience, there is an expectation more parents will resort to the homeschool option. While saving the state money, it will strip school districts of funding leaving only questions marks when staring into the crystal ball, particularly when the COVID-19 subsidies run out. The American Federation for Children referred to a Real Clear Opinion indicated 40% of registered voters are more likely to home school or enroll their children in a virtual school after the coronavirus.
