Why more families are choosing to "unschool"
by Kelley Rosario, M.S.Ed.
COVID-19 was probably the most impactful global event to happen in the last 100 years. The quickly spreading illness had every aspect of our lives in a chokehold, but none of our norms saw as great a shaking up as our public schools. With just about every child in America learning virtually, many parents became frustrated with what they considered sub-par education. Families without internet or computers found themselves locked out of learning; students struggled to navigate learning platforms well enough to submit work; teachers in districts where technology was typically resisted or simply outdated were forced to learn and adapt to the virtual world; and some students simply missed the social benefits of in-person learning. However, as much as we’d like to blame someone or something for the deficits in our children’s learning, the truth is COVID-19 isn’t the culprit. In fact, NAEP data supports that prior to COVID-19, the average American public school was already performing well below national standards in critical content areas like Reading and Math. As I indicated in “Decision Dilemma”, the September 14 issue of Latter House Blog, no public school in the country demonstrated proficiency in Reading as recent as 2019. Depending on the state, those numbers improved or worsened between 2017 and 2019, but the fact remains that our schools have been playing catch-up for decades. And whose fault is that? Well, yours.
The Problem
When it comes to student performance, parents who aren’t educators really only have two data points they can use to check student progress: standardized tests and grades. Although standardized tests aren’t an accurate measure of what a child knows overall, they are effective in showing what a child knows about a certain subject compared to what their grade level peers know about the same subject or at least whether or not the first child can express what they know. Parents should pay attention to this data, but they only receive those scores 2-3 times per school year. Grades are updated much more frequently. However, grades are easily made up - by “made up”, I mean falsified.
A teacher can choose to give a student any grade he/she desires and it will go unchallenged as long as it isn’t a stretch. For example, if Sarah typically gets A’s and all of a sudden gets a D, her parents will challenge it. But if Sarah gets a B and the teacher chooses to bump it up to an A simply because he/she likes Sarah, no one will ask any questions because it isn’t out of the ordinary for Sarah to get A’s. If all of Sarah’s teachers do this, it’s not only possible that she isn’t actually giving A level performance, it’s probable.
Another thing to consider is proximal expectations. Unless teachers are using standards-based grading, and most aren’t, what earns an A in one state may not earn an A in another. In a narrower scope, what earns an A in one class may not earn an A in another class of the same content at the same grade level in the same school.
Since I mentioned standards-based grading, let me take a moment to explain what that looks like. Teachers who use the standards to grade student work assign letter grades to progress on a scale that starts with Limited (the equivalent of an F) and progresses to Advanced/Exceeded Expectations (an A). Beyond the surface, this fosters a growth mindset and that’s a conversation for another time. But on a surface level, letter grades are assigned to mastery. The rubric for each assignment outlines what the student should be able to do at each level. This means that a child who achieves an Average (C) knows what skills he/she was able to apply. Further, his/her parents know what knowledge he/she acquired and now know how to help, especially if Average is as far as the student is able to go in subsequent assignments. Because Advanced is the equivalent of an A, Proficient (mastery) is achieved at a B. This disrupts our society’s understanding that an A means the student comprehends the content and can apply the knowledge. The truth is that we like A’s because of our desire to be the best; they make us feel good about ourselves, but if we’re implementing the nationally adopted College and Career Readiness Standards with fidelity, a B indicates mastery and is what most students should be getting.
The Solution
The only way to truly know what your children are learning and be sure their grades match their progress is to teach them yourself. In Responsible Parenting and Homeschooling: How to Free Your Family from the Oppression of Miseducation, Rachel C. Jones explains “[Students] connect what they are learning to life in a very real way and it shows me that they are indeed learning” (2020). What Jones learned in her proximity to the public school system as an educator and parent prompted her to establish The Cool Nerds, a Christian, African-centric homeschool cohort located in Memphis, TN. “While I was in the system, I learned that grades did not mean a thing…There were students who had IEPs and showed up 170 days a year and did minimal amount of anything except misbehave. These kids usually slide by with C’s and D’s. Why? Because the district will only allow you to fail a certain percentage of your students and IF they fail, you will need to justify how you failed someone who showed up most of the year…” (2020). It is less likely that grades reflect mastery than they do the pressure placed on teachers to keep failure numbers low. Yes, kids are often promoted simply because their teachers are blamed if they aren’t. We are expected to “make a way”.
The Cool Nerds model aims to revolutionize education by developing their curriculum around the needs of the students and their families. In addition to core subjects, Jones’s curriculum also includes content relevant to the community served by The Cool Nerds to include Culinary Arts, Firearms Safety, and Birthing Education. Similarly, homeschooling families across the nation have embraced the opportunity to educate their children in the areas that are most relevant to them while still teaching them the critical subjects and accurately tracking progress toward mastery.
If you can afford it financially and mentally, homeschooling can liberate your family. The Cool Nerds offers a guide to getting started, but there are lots of online resources you can access to help you transition.
How Can Greater Writing Help?
Greater Writing Tutoring Service offers homeschool packages which include regular Language Arts lessons to suit your family’s specific needs. We provide individualized instruction for up to three students for one monthly price. Additional support is included if needed. At Greater Writing, we believe that students deserve instruction that is data-driven, research-based, and tailored to their unique needs. Our flexibility allows us to do that whether your child attends public school, private school, or homeschool. Book a free consultation today.
Comments