Large Washington Homeschooling Numbers Continue After Pandemic

Large Washington Homeschooling Numbers Continue After Pandemic

My more than a decade, my sister has taught her three boys in their rural community north of Spokane. The trend to educate children in the home picked up in recent years. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 20,000 homeschooled children in Washington. 

That number jumped to 39,000 homeschoolers at the height of the pandemic.

There are currently 28,000 registered homeschoolers in the state of Washington - 71% of the peak amount.

Of the 19,000 new children who began homeschooling, due to the pandemic - almost half have stuck with it and continue to learn from their parents or guardians at home.

The Washington Homeschool Organization lists four reasons why homeschooling positively affects parents: 

* Parents are with their children all day.

* Parents know and understand their children, and are influential in their lives, even as they enter the teen years.

* Homeschooling prevents premature parent-child separation, avoiding inappropriate pressure on children.

* Parents and other adults are the primary role models for homeschooled children

Three positive reasons for children in homeschooling include: 

* Children are allowed to mature at their own speeds, with no “hurried child” syndrome.

* Homeschooled children are largely free from peer pressure.

* Each child’s education can be tailored to his or her unique interests, pace, and learning style.

The Washington Homeschool Organization maintains that “Family values and beliefs are central to social, emotional, and academic development.”

The 29,000 children learning at home in Washington means fewer kids in the public school systems. Ultimately this means fewer state and federal dollars coming to school district budgets. The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, says that just over $17,000 was portioned out per student for school districts in Washington state. 

According to a study at Stanford University: Nationwide, homeschoolers account for a little more than a quarter of the million-plus decline in student enrollment. While private schools took another Homeschooling is estimated to account for about 1 in 6 of the declining public school headcounts.

If you wish to homeschool your child, Washington State law demands that you, the potential home educator must have 45 college-level credit hours or the equivalent. Read the full list of qualifications to homeschool your child here.

SOURCE INFO: Washington Homeschool Organization, Stanford University, Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction