Homeschooling Phenomenon Continues to Explode

Many news outlets, including Education Reporter, have chronicled the growth of homeschooling, and few deny that it has become a phenomenon since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The Washington Post recently released new data which shows that homeschooling has increased more than 50 percent since 2018, with 2.7 million students now learning at home, according to Parenting Mode.

The Post reports that it collected “reliable data from 32 states and the District of Columbia, representing more than 60 percent of the country’s school-age population.” The resulting analysis includes “school registration figures for nearly 7,000 individual school districts,” and is, The Post asserts, “the most detailed look to date at an unprecedented period of growth in American homeschooling.”

Microschooling Flexes its Muscle

In lockstep with the homeschooling boom is growth of the movement known as microschooling, commonly described as education in small learning groups but which some observers characterize as a return to the one-room schoolhouse. While types of microschools vary widely, US News.com described them as “a unique entity, usually registered as an official school and a for-profit business.”

One example of such a company is called Prenda. Founder Kelly Smith describes it as “providing an effective microschool operating system, a learning model that puts the child at the center, and an inspiring and supportive community.” Prenda means “gift” in Portuguese and is akin to the Spanish word “aprender” meaning “to learn,” forming the message that “learning is a gift.” The organization instructs would-be education “guides” on how microschools work and what parents, teachers, or professionals from different walks of life need to know to start their own microschools. Prenda provides learning “modes” that can vary from rigorous academics to more creative and/or social development.

An Interview with Dr. Miriam Grossman

The following is an interview with the eminent Dr. Miriam Grossman, an accomplished child and adolescent psychiatrist, author, and expert on sexual health. Dr. Grossman agreed to take time out from her busy schedule recently to discuss her new book, Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist’s Guide Out of the Madness, and to share some of her thoughts about the incalculable harm being done to young people by the transgender lobby and comprehensive sex education (CSE) in the schools.

Shop now for Christmas!

Phyllis Schlafly sounded the alarm for many years about the failure of schools to teach reading, and in response to the crisis, she created both her First Reader for young children and Turbo Reader for older students and adults.