The Missing Children Aren’t Actually Missing

Are 1.3 million students missing? That is what “The Progressive” is reporting.

Following the school closures, these 1.3 million students didn’t return to public schools. They didn’t move to charter or private schools either. The reality is that these families have decided that the traditional model didn’t fit their family and have begun homeschooling or attending a microschool.

Homeschooling numbers jumped for all ethnicities across the board, nearly doubling for most groups. But Black families jumped from 3.3 percent to 16.1 percent of families choosing this model. That is a huge statistical shift.

Why? These families, like my family, decided that the values taught in the schools didn’t align with their values. Others felt that their child wasn’t being challenged or that they were being forced into standardized learning. 

Public schools just aren’t serving Black students very well. Black students are more likely to be suspended from school for the same behavior as other students. Black students are more likely to be retained or held back a grade. Black students have fewer options for accelerated programs. 

But in homeschooling, the parents are put into the driver’s seat. They get to make the decisions. One mom would have them help in her business. By the time her oldest daughter became an adult, she was praised in her new position for her communication and leadership skills. 

Although some are alarmed at the “sudden spike in homeschooling” in our nation, I celebrate. 

When you look into the eyes of your children and you see their greatness and potential, ask yourself, “Is my child getting an education to match who they are born to become?”

If not, you have options available to you.