A Form of Resistance

Unhappy with what is being taught to their children in government schools, parents across the country are calling on legislators to enact or expand programs that give them more education choices. Interestingly, a growing number of black families are opting out of government schools because of what isn’t being taught. In 2020, the number of black families homeschooling their children increased from 3.3 percent to 16.1 percent. Some are calling this a form of resistance.

Tracie Yorke is an example. When her fourth grader began taking classes on Zoom at the start of the pandemic, she saw chaos. She decided to homeschool her son. CNN reports that,

She has put together a curriculum that meets his specific needs and can teach him about race and African American history without the risk of politicians intervening. [bold added]

This gets to the very heart of the school choice movement. Children are not monolithic. They have a broad range of needs, desires, and interests. School choice enables parents to select the education that best serves their child. By their very nature, government schools can’t do this.

Further, government schools are highly politicized institutions. The rancor and controversy over curriculum, textbooks, and transgender bathrooms are but a few of issues that create intense political battles. The decisions made by government officials—whether politicians or education bureaucrats— on these issues are imposed on parents and students. For many parents, if those decisions are unacceptable, there are no viable options to government schools.

Regardless of their reasons for objecting to the curriculum in government schools, parents should have the freedom to choose how and where their child is educated. School choice programs, such as vouchers and education savings plans, provide parents with more choices, and thus, more education freedom.

Speaking of the homeschooling trend among black families, Cheryl Fields-Smith, a professor in elementary education at the University of Georgia, told CNN,

I conceptualize it as a form of resistance. Instead of accepting the status quo, families are resisting what’s happening in their schools.

Education freedom enables parents to reject the status quo. School choice programs are a step in the direction of education freedom.