There has been a lot of conversation lately about homeschool vouchers! It seems to be a much more controversial topic than a first glance would suggest. After all, who would say ‘no’ to free money? As it turns out, quite a few homeschoolers are highly cynical of the whole scheme. And I realized I needed to take a closer look at this latest kerfuffle.
Some argue that homeschool voucher money is the right thing to do – the money is coming out of taxpayers pockets expressly for education, so it should be going back to the educators. For homeschoolers, those educators are parents. And, it is pointed out, it is only fair. The public school system gets about $13,000 per student per year (!!!), in my home state of Alaska that number is $18,000! So the couple of thousand per kid (depending on the State) per year in homeschool vouchers is really peanuts compared to the money sloshing around in the public school system.
Bang for the buck
Currently the U.S. ranks around 11th in grade school competitiveness. However, we are ranked 30th in math. In expenditures per student, we are 4th. Only Luxemburg, Norway, Austria, and Iceland spend more. (this is pre-Covid, 2018 data – the last time this study was available) So an argument can be made that we are not getting the education value for our money.
Of critical relevance, homeschoolers rank around 15-25% higher than their public school peers on standardized tests. So for a small fraction of the cost of a public school student, the nation ‘takes delivery’ of a homeschooled student with a significantly higher quality education. Less money, higher quality product. Clearly, homeschool vouchers make economic sense.
But there are concerns…
There are many individual reasons to homeschool but the overshadowing theme governing the decision to homeschool is dominated by a belief that the government is not able to provide an education to that specific homeschool kid/family. Those reasons are widely variable: a handicapped child in a district with few resources, a family with strong religious beliefs, a geographically remote/variable home (military families, ‘off-grid’ in remote Alaska, migrant worker families, etc.), families in districts that politically lean strongly one direction while they lean another. There are as many reasons as families who homeschool, but all of them have reached the conclusion – rightly or wrongly- that the public school system can’t provide a sufficient education.
So the concern is that ‘government money’, in the form of homeschool vouchers, will come with a ‘hook’ in it. Perhaps it is in the form of a required curriculum (or an ‘approved’ curriculum set), maybe required testing, mandatory ‘counseling’, required teaching credentials – approved by the State of course, etc. All of these requirements- and these are real requirements from around our nation – not made up ‘boogie men’- come down to a system which is viewed as having ‘failed’ their family inserting a failed philosophy into the homeschool environment. It is no surprise that these families are skeptical at best and downright frightened at worse!
My views coming in
To be honest, up to this point I haven’t put a lot of critical thought into where I stand on this. I have 6 kids and the cost of homeschooling them is considerable. We do participate in Alaska’s homeschool program and we do accept the homeschool vouchers as a part of this program. In general, I approach most government ‘handout’ programs like this: I vote against EVERY.SINGLE.ONE, but once the law/program is in place – I fully use it if I ‘qualify’. My reasoning is that if I am not using it, I am paying for it. But, with all the consternation in the homeschooling community on homeschool vouchers, I thought it fair to take a deeper dive and refine (or change!) my thoughts as my research guides me. So lets dive into what I have found.
Our experience with homeschool vouchers.
To be fair, we happen to be homeschooling in the absolutely LEAST regulated state in the union, Alaska. There is only the requirement to educate your children, either in a public school or alternative school, homeschool included. No notice to the state, no required teaching credentials, no required subjects, no required testing. However, if you decide to accept the homeschool voucher funds through participation in one of the homeschool programs, there are some requirements imposed:
-Required core subjects: you have to pick 4, though you have some flexibility on which four. Technically you could pick all four in one general subject. For example you could do four separate ‘science’ courses: geology, astronomy, ecology, and meteorology. That would meet the ‘4 core classes’ requirement. We, and I would guess most other homeschool families, have no problem meeting the 4-core course requirement with math, science, music, PE, and English (remember my kids are bilingual with English as their second language!) in various combinations.
-An ‘approved’ Individual education plan’: you work with a State assigned teaching representative to put together an education plan for the year. This is primarily focused on choosing the classes and corresponding curriculum and really is very simple. Yes, this representative has the ‘authority’ to approve your plan. At least, the portion of your plan that you will be getting state money for. In our experience, our representative has been extremely helpful and ‘parent/child’ focused. Our classes are primarily ‘parent designed’ courses, which is an acceptable category for curriculum choice, and at no point has our representative even asked in detail for what we were planning on teaching. We have approached all interactions ‘in good faith’ and have received ‘in good faith’ back. Yes, this has been a very successful relationship and I could see another personality not being as successful. But so far it has worked marvelously.
-Work samples. You have to turn representative work samples at the end of every semester. They can be tests, worksheets, portfolios, etc. Anything that shows that your child(ren) are actively involved in the process of learning. Last semester I included a video of Yuki playing the koto (a traditional Japanese floor harp-like instrument). The requirement is very open-ended and, as above, we have experienced no negative ‘push-back’ on our submittals. But with another personality, perhaps an ideologue on a mission, that experience could be far more negative of course.
-The homeschool voucher money can not be used to buy religious material. You can’t buy Bibles or Qurans, you can’t buy religious-themed texts, etc. That does not mean you can’t include a religious themed course in your official education plan. It just means you can’t use your State homeschool voucher money to pay for it. You can also buy non-religious themed material through religiously themed outlets. I love Saxon math, always have. If you learn math from the Saxon curriculum than you are REALLY good at math (you might hate it now…. But you ARE good at it!) It isn’t a religious themed text, but I buy it from christianbook.com. No problem, State paid for it.
Altogether we have had a very positive experience with the Alaska homeschool program. Very little regulation in general, and nothing intrusive. If we get a different representative that we don’t work so well with, we can request a different counselor, go to a different program (Alaska has quite a few programs approved for using the Alaska homeschool voucher program – you go through one of these programs to ‘tap’ into the funds), or, if it comes down to it, drop from the homeschool voucher program and go back to fully solo. None of those options are currently ‘off the table’ and would draw no fines, penalties, or extra scrutiny.
But, that is Alaska, and it is Alaska ‘now’
One could certainly envision a future path that is far more rigid and intrusive. There are several States that are already there.
New York (not really surprisingly…) is one of them. You have to submit a notice of intent, an education plan, standardized testing, quarterly reports, annual reports, and… mandatory subjects with required logging of day/time/hours.
Mandatory subjects…Scary stuff!
Just for New York, lets take a look at the mandatory subjects for 1-6 grade:
Grades K–12: Patriotism and citizenship, About substance abuse, Traffic safety (including bike safety), Fire safety
And at least once before grade 9: US and New York history and constitutions,
Grades 1–6: Arithmetic, Reading, Spelling, Writing, English, Geography, US History, Science, Health, Music, Visual arts, Physical education
I have to say this, with all due respect to the very passionate on this subject, I find absolutely NOTHING concerning about this list of required subjects. Not even going to dive into this one. If you object to what is on this list, than you might as well quit reading, we aren’t going to find common ground. If you object to the actual existence of this list, rather than the specific content, than stick around and let’s see where we go from here.
A quick perusal of the other ‘high regulation’ States lead to more-or-less similar setups, so won’t pick at each one here.
Legitimate concern? Or a ‘boogie man’?
Reading through some of the more concerned parties posts and articles quickly reveals that the concern with taking homeschool voucher money is that, as a contract, it either comes with ‘strings’ attached or opens the doors for strings in the future. And, of course, that is not just a concern but a reality. History is rife with examples of various factions and governments using education as a propaganda tool:
Nazi Germany: One of the most infamous examples of the use of education to spread a particular ideology, where the Hitler Youth program was used to indoctrinate children with Nazi ideology. The curriculum of the program was designed to promote anti-Semitism, glorify war, and promote the superiority of the Aryan race.
Soviet Union: In the Soviet Union, the Communist Party controlled education and used it to promote Marxist-Leninist ideology. Schools taught children the virtues of the socialist system and the evils of capitalism, and also encouraged a strong sense of nationalism and loyalty to the Soviet state.
China: In China, the ruling Communist Party uses education to promote a particular ideology, known as “Xi Jinping Thought.” This ideology emphasizes the importance of the Communist Party, the need for centralized control, and the superiority of Chinese culture and values.
Iran: In Iran, the government uses education to promote Islamic ideology, with a particular emphasis on the Shia branch of Islam. The curriculum of Iranian schools includes extensive religious instruction, and students are required to study the Quran and Islamic law.
North Korea: In North Korea, the government controls education and uses it to promote the cult of personality surrounding the ruling Kim family. The curriculum emphasizes the need for loyalty to the state and the Kim family, and children are taught from a young age to view the ruling party as infallible.
These are relatively new examples, anything from further back or is this something ‘new under the sun’?
Japan: In the Meiji period (1868-1912), the Japanese government used education to promote the idea of a “modern Japan.” The curriculum was designed to promote nationalism and patriotism, while also emphasizing the importance of science and technology in the country’s development.
Turkey: In the 1920s and 1930s, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, used education to promote his vision of a secular, modern state. This included the introduction of a new Turkish alphabet and the promotion of a new Turkish identity that was distinct from the Ottoman past.
South Africa: During the apartheid era, the South African government used education to promote white supremacy and justify racial segregation. Black students were often taught a separate curriculum from white students and were given an education that was designed to prepare them for menial labor.
Cambodia: Under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s, education was used as a tool of social engineering. Schools were closed, and students were forced to work in labor camps. The Khmer Rouge promoted the idea of a “new society” based on Marxist-Leninist principles and sought to eliminate all traces of the past. (now there is a new twist….)
But these are the ‘bad guys’ and/or ‘others’ right? Surely WE wouldn’t do anything so nefarious….
United States: During the Cold War, the US government used education to promote its ideology of capitalism and democracy, while denouncing communism. This led to the development of programs such as the Fulbright program, which aimed to spread American values abroad through education.
United States: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the US government used education to forcibly assimilate Native American children into white American culture. This policy, known as Indian boarding schools, aimed to “kill the Indian, save the man” and was intended to eradicate Native American culture and traditions.
Canada: From the late 19th century until the 1990s, the Canadian government operated residential schools for Indigenous children, which aimed to assimilate them into Canadian culture and Christian values. The schools were notorious for the physical and sexual abuse of students, and many Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families and communities to attend.
Australia: From the late 19th century until the 1970s, the Australian government forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families and communities and placed them in institutions known as “Stolen Generations.” The aim of the policy was to assimilate Indigenous children into white Australian culture and values, and many of the children suffered abuse and neglect while in care.
And, of course, you can’t leave out the British (Papa?)…
Ireland: During the 19th century, the British government established a system of National Schools in Ireland with the aim of anglicizing the Catholic population and promoting British values. The curriculum emphasized English language and literature, Protestant beliefs, and British history.
India: During the colonial period, the British government established a system of education that aimed to produce a Westernized Indian elite who would serve as intermediaries between the British authorities and the Indian population. The curriculum emphasized Western subjects and devalued traditional Indian knowledge and culture.
Kenya: In the early 20th century, the British colonial government established schools for the Kenyan population with the aim of producing a Westernized African elite who would support colonial rule. The curriculum emphasized British values and history, and marginalized traditional African knowledge and culture.
New Zealand: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the British colonial government established a system of Native Schools for Māori children with the aim of assimilating them into Pākehā culture and values. The curriculum emphasized English language and literature, and denigrated Māori language and culture.
A horrifying (but obvious) conclusion…
Once you peek under the hood, using education as a propaganda tool (even propaganda you might agree with…) to squash an ‘undesired’ minority starts looking like the rule, rather than an over-hyped exception.
So the idea that accepting government ‘strings’ is willfully inviting a fox into the hen house is most certainly not a ‘boogie man’ argument. It is a legitimate concern and anybody who says otherwise is selling something.
But…surely nobody considers homeschoolers an ‘undesired minority’?
Oh, boy. Sorry to be the one to break one this to you, but there is a very active and extremely hostile-to-homeschooling faction in this country working to not just regulate, but outright ban homeschooling. And these aren’t fringe loonies, this article by Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Bartlett calls for:
“…a radical transformation in the homeschooling regime, and a related rethinking of child rights and reframing of constitutional doctrine. It recommends a presumptive ban on homeschooling, with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool.” A more readable Q&A follow-on article can be viewed here.
Please read this article. This is where the battle lines are being drawn, whether you join the fight or not. After reading that article, follow up with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association’s response – it will make you feel better that SOMEBODY is fighting for our side!
So… the threat of radical ideological intrusion, prohibitive regulatory burden, and outright banning is real. How do homeschool vouchers fit in?
The overwhelming argument against supporting, and participating in, homeschool voucher programs centers around letting the government get a ‘hook’ into us and the possibility (probability?) that the ‘hook’ will lead to more regulation, more intrusion, and thus diminishing any benefits of homeschooling – essentially extinguishing any parental prerogatives in the raising and education of their child.
After researching these arguments, and the history of governments use of education in general (of which homeschooling is a subset), I wholeheartedly agree that this path is possible. And if we don’t get our act together, probable.
But I still support homeschool vouchers. Here is why:
There are two groups ‘against’ us, an ‘in-good-faith’ group who just isn’t aware of the benefits of homeschooling to both the child and the nation. This group is either unaware or have been mislead by anti-homeschoolers. They truly believe that homeschoolers are trying to subvert society, abuse their children, and get off Scott-free under the umbrella of homeschooling. This group does not need to see less of us. They need to see more. Let them see our test scores, our rates of child abuse (research showing significantly less than their public school peers). Let them see us providing quality parent/child bonding experiences – let them see our education plans and what we are buying to educate our nations future. This group can be won over with the truth.
The other group is purely anti-homeschool. They are on a mission and it is diametrically opposed to us with malice. They are trying to shape the nation’s future in their image and our education of our children stand in opposition to that image. Nothing we do will change them from being our adversaries. It doesn’t matter if we accept vouchers or not, whether we show them our education plans ‘in-good-faith’ or not. If we defeat their attempts to control us with ‘strings’ then they will simply go for the jugular, as Elizabeth Bartlett has, and try to ban us altogether. Not accepting vouchers to stymie them is simply shifting the fight somewhere else. It wins nothing.
So from a Public Relations point of view, there is more to be won by showing the nation who we are. And by participating in school vouchers, ‘strings’ and all, we are showing that we have nothing to hide and we are fully participating citizens in this nation. We will never win the ‘anti-’ group, but we can reach the ‘in-good-faith’ group.
Quite simply, it is our money. I vote against entitlements and handouts and programs. I will vote against homeschool voucher money every time. But once it is law and the program is in place, they are taking the money from somewhere and giving it to someone else. You can either re-claim your tax dollars, or pay for who-knows-whom to educate who-knows-what to their kids. You ok with that? I am not. Its my (tax) money, give it back. I have seen an argument that the homeschool voucher money far exceeds how much you, as an individual, has paid in taxes to support the program. So, the argument goes, you are leaching money from someone else to pay for your homeschool program. It is a true observation. I have 6 kids and am not rich (monetarily anyway). The homeschool voucher money we get far exceeds our overall tax burden. I hope that the money we get is being paid for by taxpayers that hate homeschoolers – let them fund their own opposition for awhile. I am tired of paying for them to oppose me. Its like sending aid money to countries that hate us. Nope – lets let THEM fund US for once!
Here is an interesting argument for participating in homeschool voucher programs. Our country is a bureaucracy. A bureaucracy exists to protect the power of the bureaucracy. No more, no less. When we allow homeschool programs to expand and become part of this bureaucracy, money and funds especially, that is a weirdly effective form of preservation. Once established, bureaucracies will do ANYTHING to preserve itself. So when we put these laws and programs in place, the bureaucracy itself will fight to preserve homeschooling! After all, Federal money is coming into the State coffers and funding not only the pittance they pass on to the homeschooling parents, but the legions of staffers that are hired to administer the programs. And, it is often forgotten, a good portion of the money that is coming in for homeschoolers are actually going to the public school system. So the public school system ITSELF has a financial incentive to, however grudgingly, allow homeschooling to continue. After all, if you ban homeschooling, and all of us homeschoolers pull our kids out due to ‘mental stress due to bullying at school’, the school gets nothing. (most school systems get money in a per student/per day rate – that is why a lot of states require homeschool students to record days and times learning, it affects their grants!) So by participating in these programs we are actually enshrining homeschooling in our State bureaucracy. By disappearing ‘into the woodwork’ there is no bureaucratic incentive to help us out at all. A weird argument, but I think it holds up (haven’t seen this one anywhere, came up with it on my own)
Here is my bottom line:
The fight to preserve our rights as homeschoolers does not exist in the minutia of laws, programs, and regulations. The fight is in the perception of homeschoolers within the eyes of the general public. If we lose that fight, than HOW they shut us down doesn’t really matter. Will they slowly strangle us with ever tightening regulations that we swallowed with the ‘hook’ of homeschool voucher money? Or will they simply ban us as a threat to their system? Doesn’t matter. If we lose the Public Relations war, that we have lost. The condemned man doesn’t really care if he is executed by firing squad, hanging, or electrocution does he?
So we wait for guillotine? Roll over and whatever will be will be?
Absolutely not. Fight every step of the way. Vote. Write your congressional representative. Campaign for candidates that support homeschooling. Write letters to the editor. Start a blog 🙂 , post on social media. Become a contributing member to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. DO something! Run for your local school board and don’t hide that you are running as a homeschooler! A LOT of those seats in a lot of districts are empty and running will be unopposed. You will simply win by default. Get involved with your local politics – “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”― Plato
Fight Back! Conservatives, and homeschoolers are predominantly conservative (not “Republican-Conservative”, but little ‘c’ conservative) are starting to wake up to the fact that we are in the existential fight of our era, but the fact remains that we are just starting to wake up to this reality. For the last couple of decades we have been trying to ignore the problem away. It hasn’t worked so very well has it? Stand up now! Be heard and don’t be ignored. Stop trying to ‘disappear’ and not be seen. BE SEEN!
For me, participating in homeschool voucher programs, and accepting the money that comes with it, doesn’t hurt my rights as a parent – but helps me give my kids a better education, and it makes me visible to the State and, by extension, the public. They are paying us to educate the nations future citizens – We can’t be ignored.
