Over the past two decades, the number of homeschoolers in Mississippi – and in America – has more than doubled as this education choice has moved from the fringes of society to a practice that is legal in every state.
But even with that growth, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, homeschoolers represent just three percent of the student population. However, that was before the coronavirus pandemic shut down more than 100,000 schools for over 55 million children last spring.
Even if it was government led with government curriculum, every family in Mississippi had a taste of homeschooling. Some sarcastically quipped that would end homeschooling. But then polling started to tell us otherwise. Almost overnight, homeschooling favorability rose. Twenty, thirty, even forty percent said they wouldn’t be sending their kids back to school in the fall.
While the strongest advocates of homeschooling know that we probably won’t see numbers like that, we are all expecting a large departure from both public schools, and potentially from private schools as well. Why? There’s an interesting mix of parents who feel that sending their children into a large school setting isn’t safe, while another large group doesn’t like the restrictions that will be coming, limiting interaction with friends, while requiring face masks in many (or perhaps all) school settings.
Fortunately, it is easy to get started homeschooling in Mississippi. For a state that has generally shown little interest in education freedom, the freedom to homeschool is broadly supported and protected by law. The one thing a parent must do is file an annual certificate of enrollment with your local school district’s school attendance officer. All you need on the form is your child’s name, address, phone number, and a simple description of the program such as, “age appropriate curriculum.”
When you do that, your child and you are now exempt from the state’s punitive compulsory education laws. There are no requirements on curriculum or testing or who can teach. Parents, instead, have the freedom to choose the educational system, style, and setting that works best for them and their children.
The Department of Education “recommends” parents review state curriculum guidelines and maintain a portfolio of their child’s work, thought that is not required. As opposed to following a government curriculum that tells your child what he or she must learn at what age, homeschooling allows you to let your child learn at their own pace.
That means a child who is excelling can move forward at a quicker pace, cover additional topics, or take in material at a deeper level. If a child is struggling, you can slow down, switch your teaching style, or bring in new materials. If your child has a unique interest, the world is literally at their fingertips with scores of free, online training materials. Yes, YouTube is filled with funny cat videos. But it also provides a library of instruction on virtually any topic you can think of.
Thanks to today’s technology, a quick Google search can help you get more comfortable with homeschooling. There is an abundance of homeschool Facebook groups with veterans who are willing to share their ideas on getting started, curriculum, extracurricular activities, maintaining your sanity, and much more. Connection to these groups is also a venue to plan an endless variety of outings and field trips. It won’t take long to realize your child will receive as much “socialization” as you would like.
There are also options such as co-ops, where families gather together and share teaching responsibilities among parents. Similarly, we have seen the emergence of microschools this year in which a small group of parents pool their resources together to hire a teacher.
If you’re on the fence about homeschooling, worried about what homeschool might look like in your family, or just not sure you can do it, at least take a closer look. Fill out the necessary forms, do your research, and talk with other homeschool families.
You might find what many homeschool families did long ago: Giving children time and freedom to pursue their individual interests while utilizing a curriculum consistent with the values of your family, rather than following forced government mandates created by faceless bureaucrats, tends to produce very positive results.
This column appeared in the Daily Corinthian on August 2, 2020.
“We made the decision to homeschool when our school district decided online learning would only be for students who have a medical need to stay home. And we didn’t want our daughter to wear a mask all day long.
“We've thought about homeschooling before because we move a lot for the military and it seems easier to just pack up and go.
“We decided to homeschool with Abeka so we do have the monthly cost of that. But that is definitely a choice! We know there are cheaper options.
“I hope to be able to say we did our best no matter what. I hope my daughter excels in all of her subjects and hopefully can return to school after the pandemic."
Taylor Crawford
Gulfport, Mississippi
“The decision to homeschool our children was made for multiple reasons.
“Having homeschooled our oldest for a few years before moving to Pearl, we knew what it was like to truly homeschool, and that the crisis schooling that happened in the spring semester of 2020 was not an accurate representation of homeschooling. Knowing another shut down in the fall was possible, my husband and I decided that if I was going to potentially be teaching our children at home, they were going to learn what we wanted them to learn and be on our own timetable.
“We had a lot of good discussions with our oldest child when he noticed some things in his end of the year Covid project that were more like propaganda and repeating a narrative than what we’ve been teaching our children. As a former public school teacher, I already had issues with some policies and procedures already in place in some schools pre-Covid, like taking away recess and special programs, especially around test prep time, fully silent lunches each day, and putting so much emphasis into testing. Knowing that return to school policies were going to be varied and possibly include compulsive hand sanitizing, social distancing, mask mandates, etc., we knew that would not be the best learning environments for our children.
“We want them to love, or at least enjoy learning, not dread getting up and going to school each day. We have already started on our curriculum this summer because they wanted to, and they are enjoying it and the ability to have so much free time once they’re finished.
“I have had to put my own career as a doula and student midwife aside in order to homeschool because the hours and being on call are not conducive to me personally caring for my family of six and homeschooling four children.
“But I love teaching and this is a way I can still teach as well as invest time in my children’s lives. For my children, I want them to enjoy learning, be well educated, be critical thinkers, learn responsibility, independence, and how to make wise choices, and learn life skills instead of how to regurgitate information.”
Heather Roberts
Pearl, Mississippi
“The schools plan to return to school safely isn’t much of a plan and we can’t risk our kids getting sick and getting my immune compromised husband sick.
“We will be homeschooling this fall. We never considered it in the past.
“We’re a dual working household. I’m self-employed and I’m having to put my business and my career on the back burner for now. We’ve also had to use our savings to go get all of the kid’s laptops to do their work.
“But we’re doing this because I don’t want my kids to fall behind academically.”
Jessica Lopez
Biloxi, Mississippi
A new order from Gov. Tate Reeves will only allow bars to sell alcohol to seated customers, and only until 11 p.m.
In making the announcement today, Reeves said “our bars should look more like restaurants and less like mobs for COVID-19 spread.” The thinking is that if customers are not congregated at the bar, they will be less likely to spread COVID-19.
Your ability to order alcohol has been at the center of a spattering of new government orders recently.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is requiring customers to purchase food if they want to purchase alcohol. He then clarified that a bag of chips or nuts does not meet the food requirement. Specifically, you have to buy sandwiches, soups, or the vague “other food.”
Previously, one bar in New York was serving $1 “Cuomo Chips” with every drink order.
The state of Pennsylvania has a similar order in place requiring you to purchase food with your drink order. They also had to clarify that snacks are not food, only meals. And after you’ve finished eating, you cannot buy more alcohol.
In Colorado, last call is at 10 p.m. In Chicago, bars will no longer be able to serve customers indoors. In Indianapolis, all bars have been re-closed. Same story in Louisiana, unless that bar also serves food.
The story continues.
One hundred years after prohibition spread across America, businesses that serve alcohol are again in the fight for their lives.
Are you considering homeschooling for the first time in Mississippi this fall?
You’re certainly not alone. Fortunately, getting started is easy.
How do I begin?
Mississippi provides parents with the right to educate their children at home in a manner that they choose.
To be removed from the state’s compulsory education law to homeschool, you must fill out a certificate of enrollment form for each child and return it to your local school attendance officer. The Mississippi Department of Education provides a list of each officer. Use it to find your local officer. Traditionally, they would provide the enrollment form, but MDE also has a form on their website.
On the form, a parent or guardian must enter basic contact information. Per state law, you must also provide a description of the education program for homeschooling. This doesn’t have to be complicated. You can just say “age appropriate instruction” or something similar.
Compulsory age for education in Mississippi begins at six, so there is no need to fill out this form for a traditional kindergarten age child.
If your child is currently enrolled at a public school, you will need to contact their current school to notify them you will be homeschooling.
Are there other requirements?
No. Among the most common questions or requirements in other states, in Mississippi:
- There are no teacher qualifications
- There are no curriculum mandates
- There is not a required number of school days or hours
- There is no bookkeeping or portfolio requirement
School districts cannot require additional information
In the past few years, we have seen stories of school districts overstepping their authority in an attempt to control homeschoolers.
- The Greenville Public School District Deputy Superintendent Glenn Dedeaux said the district is “legally responsible to ensure every child of educating age receives an adequate education” and he warned that not all homeschool curricula “are approved by the Mississippi Department of Education to meet the necessary standards.” Dedeaux also implied that homeschoolers must take subject matter tests to graduate. Not true.
- There is also the story of a Mississippi mom who was arrested on truancy charges. Her child had previously been enrolled in public school, but she chose to homeschool him because of health reasons. She decided to begin homeschooling the following year but was arrested before the September 15 deadline to file her notice to homeschool.
- The Natchez-Adams School District tried to demand homeschoolers provide receipts for curriculum purchases.
Even MDE has recommendation on their website, such as reviewing state curriculum to have “clear expectations of what a student should know and be able to do at each grade level” along with a suggestion to maintain a portfolio for each child. However beneficial that might be to you, these are “recommendations.” The state has no authority to require anything along those lines.
If you feel your rights have been violated, contact Home School Legal Defense Association.
What groups are available for support?
When it comes to homeschooling, you don’t need to do it on your own! Many local co-ops and support groups exist to aid students and families who homeschool. Small groups of families can also come together to create their own microschools or cottage schools.
That’s a start. But the quickest path for information will likely be Facebook. A quick search of homeschool groups in Mississippi with yield an expansive list of informal groups where veterans and newbies come together to share information, curriculum, and other tips to make your homeschool a success.
Classical Conversations is one of the largest nationwide networks of homeschool classes. They are offered in 40 communities throughout Mississippi.
There are also private schools that offer a non-traditional path where classroom learning and homeschooling is blended. In these settings, children attend school a couple days a week, while families educate at home on the other days. This includes St. Augustine School in Ridgeland and Jackson Classical in the Reservoir area.
Are free resources available?
Yes!
Here is a great website that offers free resources in a variety of subjects, including math, science, Bible, technology, health, language arts, history and social studies, foreign languages, art, music, and a variety of electives.
Do you want to share your story?
At MCPP, we believe your ability to raise your child as you see fit is a fundamental right that cannot be restricted by government. We have been sharing stories of new homeschoolers who have made the decision to leave public or private school this year.
Is that you? We’d love to share your story. Just fill out this form and we’ll follow up with you!
“I want my children to be well educated students, but more importantly to keep their lives as stable as possible without having to be consumed with everything ‘socially distant related.’ I truly believe that homeschooling will keep my children's mental health safest.
“We made the decision to homeschool because I am opposed to children being in a ‘masked’ environment, along with the uncertainty of random school closings paired with disrupted virtual and in-person schooling.
“I’ve had fleeting thoughts of homeschooling in the past, but only during middle school years, not during this time of elementary studies.
“Fortunately, I am a work from home mom, and I believe the monies that would've been spent for school supplies/clothing/random fundraisers etc. throughout the year should hopefully balance itself out."
Julia Overfield
Pass Christian, Mississippi
“We never considered homeschooling because I believed we received a quality educational experience up until this point in our district. But I don't believe our public school district's new policies during this pandemic will yield any meaningful academic advancement for its students in the foreseeable future.
“The adjusted school, bus, class, and bell times, strict mask and social distancing mandates, daily wellness screenings, polycarbonate barriers, simultaneous virtual and traditional teaching, and cancelation and major changes to many courses, sports and clubs will be a huge distraction to the teachers, staff, and students.
“The state's Department of Education is prioritizing military-style policy enforcement based on haphazard political opinions instead of a quality educational experience for our youth. Teachers and staff will be preoccupied with reporting sneezes and coughs and jumping through COVID hoops handed down by the state and district leaders instead of academic progress.
“Not to mention, the first time a child tests positive, entire classrooms and/or teachers will be forced to quarantine for long periods of time. I would be surprised if any class can complete a single lesson before the first quarantine. The school experience this year is sure to be a miserable one.
“I can’t afford to leave the workforce, but I may have to adjust my work hours and offset lost wages and the cost of homeschooling and tutors by canceling some services and cutting back on discretionary spending.
“I hope to meet or exceed our academic goals this year in a relaxed setting that allows us to maintain focus on studies and retain some freedoms of youth by avoiding the hyper-vigilant ‘virus policing’ theme of the public school systems this year.
“We may only homeschool temporarily. Time will tell.”
Jamie Mitchell
Olive Branch, Mississippi
“We decided to homeschool this year because my children and myself have asthma, and my mother is immune suppressed. We do not want to bring COVID into our home.
“I considered homeschooling in the past when the school denied me help with my son. That’s one of my concerns. That I will not have the resources to teach my child with learning disabilities.
“To make this change, we are having to cut back on things we enjoy on the weekends to pay for homeschooling. But in the end, I just want my children to be safe and healthy and to learn at the appropriate grade level.”
Kayla Manning
Moss Point, Mississippi