ARLENA BROWN, A 36-YEAR-OLD mother in Henderson, Nevada, had considered homeschooling her three children, but it took the pandemic to open her eyes to how homeschooling could improve their lives.
"Parents are seeing the value in being able to teach their own kids what they feel is necessary for them to learn," Brown told Newsweek. "Parents feel more empowered."
The world shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic turned homes into schools, exposing millions of American parents to the concept of nontraditional education. While teachers bore the brunt of lesson plans and putting together virtual learning modules, parents experienced a new way of life, and thousands decided to not return to an in-person school.
Brown's children each have individualized needs one has a learning disability, one has autism and one is borderline gifted. Combined with the fact that they move around the country and take a lot of road trips, she said homeschooling is the "ideal" choice for her family. Once her 4-year-old is ready for school, they'll follow in their siblings' footsteps.
As a homeschool family, Brown said they get to choose what to learn and not to learn. She also doesn't have to worry about bullying, which has become an increasing problem in schools since the pandemic. A 2023 survey from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America found 40 percent of the over 130,000 students surveyed had been bullied at school, a 14 percent increase from 2019. Dr. Jennifer Bateman, senior vice president of Youth Development, called it the highest the organization has ever seen.
"As the number of parents withdrawing their children from public schools continues to increase, traditional models must either evolve to better meet students' and families' needs or face declining enrollments and increased competition," Amir Nathoo, CEO of Outschool, an online learning platform, told Newsweek.
This story is from the August 30, 2024 edition of Newsweek Europe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 30, 2024 edition of Newsweek Europe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Falling for Romance
A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters
Cracking the Norse Code
Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans
Monumental Shift
The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves
'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'
It is a well-known fact across the globe that the North Korean regime is irrational and unpredictable, but we have been consistent in strengthening our defense posture against the threat from North Korea since the Korean War, and I believe that their conventional capability is much inferior to that of the Korean military.
'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'
Like Paris Hilton, Natasia Pelowski claims she was subjected to abuse at a teenage therapy program
Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout'
Vladimir Putin admits difficulties” as the country’s key interest rate reaches a historic high
China's 'Silent Chemical War'
The U.S. must investigate Beijing's role in the manufacturing of fentanyl that is killing Americans, says one mom whose daughter died after accidentally taking the illicit substance
HARSH HEADWINDS
President Yoon Suk Yeol's BATTLE to reform a South Korea beset with structural problems under the specter of an increasingly aggressive neighbor to THE NORTH
Bridget Everett
BRIDGET EVERETT NEVER THOUGHT SHE'D BE THE LEAD OF A TV SHOW. \"I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don't happen, you don't find yourself with three seasons of HBO.
Amber Ruffin
A LATE-NIGHT COMEDY SHOW ON CNN? YES, and it's a game show, too.
