The Road to Freedom - #4

 
8 Million Children Educated Outside Public Schools! 

And the number grows every day.  Parents are taking back their children, choosing and creating alternatives and restoring their families.  6.3 million children attend 27,000 private schools.  Nearly 2 million are home schooled.

To put these numbers in perspective, consider this:

• The number of public schooled students in the US is only six times greater than the number of independently schooled students.
  
  
• The number of US students independently schooled is about equal to the number of public school students in the following 25 states (and Washington, D.C.) combined: Washington, D.C., Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, Montana, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Idaho, West Virginia, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Utah, Oregon, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
  
  
• The number of independently schooled students is nearly twice the number of public schooled students in Texas, almost three times that of New York, and 2 million more than in California.

That adds up to a lot of commitment on the part of a lot of parents.

Not only are 8 million students educated outside the control of the government, but the options available to these students are wide and creative. Take a look at just a handful of them:

• Private schools are free to pursue the most creative and effective teaching methods, and many of them take full advantage of the liberty.
  
• Private schools often allow home schoolers access to individual classes and extracurricular activities.
  
• Groups of teachers offer part-time schools for home schoolers.
  
• Parents research and utilize teaching methods that draw on their children's strengths and talents.
  
• Parents co-op to share teaching responsibilities.
  
• Thousands of tutors offer one-on-one help, as well as classes.
  
• Several families pool their resources to hire a teacher.
  

The creativity doesn't stop here.  Learning is a lot more than what happens in a classroom. Parents also utilize the following methods of enhancing their children's education:

• Scouts, 4-H, Little League, community sports, private leagues, martial arts, fencing, horseback riding, swim teams, tennis, gymnastics, soccer...
  
• Community theater, private troupes, ballet and other dance, art classes, music lessons, community orchestras, choirs, bands, living history...
  
• Volunteer work in hospitals, nursing homes, community kitchens, disaster areas, neighborhoods, churches, foreign countries...
  
• Exchange student and hosting programs, foreign language classes.
  
• Science and history fairs, county fairs, spelling and geography bees, art shows, craft shows, debate, mock trial...
  
• Apprenticeships with local businesses, entrepreneurship for students.
  

Thousands of home school support groups offer regular meetings, PE for students, field trips, classes, social events, and more. As the number of independent families grows, so do the options available to them.

Parents also take advantage of their stronger role in their children's lives to teach practical skills like gardening, cooking and money management, as well as relationship skills.

Your mind is probably roiling with ideas of your own at this point -- possibilities for your own children. Freedom is exhilarating -- and a little scary.

 
The Scary Part for Parents

It's all in your lap -- or so it seems. That's the scary part.  You worry about how you'll manage, if you'll be able to afford private schooling or handle home schooling. Maybe you have a special situation -- you're a single parent or have a limited income, you have a special needs child or health problems of your own. In coming articles, we'll offer suggestions and resources that address these concerns and many more. For now, you should know that there are many thousands of parents in each of these situations who have successfully pursued independent schooling for their children.

We're not suggesting that this choice is a cakewalk, only that it's the best possible option for your children and that there has never been a better or more important time to choose independence. Parenting is tough work, big-time commitment, sometimes painful. But the sacrifices are worth it -- your children are worth it. And the level of support and options available today are truly mind-boggling.
 
Do you have children in public school? Do you know children who are suffering in public schools? Are you ready to choose educational freedom or help someone else to?
 
In our next article you'll read about some parents who chose independence in the face of difficulties. We'll also look at some of the many options available to parents and others who wish to support independent education.

Sources and Notes

Next Article:  A Big Decision:  Choosing and Supporting Independence

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Road to Freedom - #4
Last updated January 24, 2008