Homeschooling in California: What Parents Should Know
In the wake of stalling academic achievement, controversy over inappropriate race-based and sexualized curriculum in schools, and a student population yet to recover from COVID lockdowns, parents have turned to homeschooling in record numbers. In an era where California parents have to challenge local school boards, the California Department of Education, and the legislature to have a voice in their children’s education, homeschooling offers the flexibility and personalized approach that many families seek.
A 2022 survey by the Public Policy Institute of California posed the question, “In general, how well do you think your local public schools prepare someone for a well-paying job in today’s economy?” Only 7 percent of Californians said “very well.” Forty-one percent said “not too well,” and 12 percent said “not well at all.” When asked about the quality of education in California public schools, 32 percent of respondents identified it as a “big problem,” while 52 percent said it was “somewhat of a problem.” That’s a combined 84 percent who are concerned about the quality of California’s public education system.
Furthermore, when asked to rate the quality of their local public schools, only 17 percent of African American parents and 10 percent of Latino parents gave their schools an ‘A’ grade. Forty-six percent of African American parents and 32 percent of Latino parents gave their neighborhood schools a ‘C’ grade.
Even before the COVID pandemic, a rapidly increasing number of families were already turning to homeschooling. From 2012 to 2015, the number of Hispanic homeschooling families rose by a whopping 68% nationwide. But school closures during COVID catalyzed tens of thousands more families to make the switch. Across the country, homeschooling doubled during 2020, and increased even more dramatically for Black families. National Public Radio reports that in 2020, “the proportion of Black homeschoolers increased fivefold, from 3.3% in late spring to 16.1% in the fall.” Research by the Home School Legal Defense Association shows there were upwards of eight million homeschooled students in the U.S. by the end of 2021.
California followed the national trend and saw a massive shift to homeschooling in the wake of the pandemic. Lance Izumi, Senior Director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute and author of The Homeschool Boom: Pandemic, Policies, and Possibilities—Why Parents Are Choosing to Homeschool their Children, reports that tens of thousands of students left traditional California public schools for homeschooling between the 2020 and 2021 school years. The latest data (2022-23) from the California Department of Finance shows that enrollment in California public schools has declined by over 310,400 students since the 2019-20 school year.
One of the chief reasons parents choose to homeschool is academic achievement. California’s student achievement test scores are some of the worst in the nation. Black and Hispanic student test scores should shock the conscience of California’s leaders. . Among all Black fourth grade students in California, fewer than three in ten meet state English Language Arts (ELA) standards, and fewer than two in ten meet grade-level math standards. Among all Hispanic eighth grade students, only 36 percent meet California’s ELA standards and fewer than two in ten meet grade-level math standards. And on the national student tests, the National Association for Educational Progress (NAEP) found that only 7 percent of Black students and 11 percent of Hispanic students in California scored at or above NAEP’s “proficient” level for eighth grade math in 2022.
California’spoor performance comes despite the state’s massive spending on public education — amounting to $128.6 billion this year alone — as well as targeted spending for disadvantaged students. California spends billions each year on programs for disadvantaged students, in addition to billions in federal funds for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, data on homeschooling shows homeschooled students often outperform their public school peers across race demographics. A 2017 analysis found that “college students who were homeschooled earn higher first-year and fourth-year GPAs when controlling for demographic, pre-college, engagement, and first-term academic factors.” The National Home Education Research Institute reports that “78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools,” and this phenomenon is not limited by demographics or household income.
If you’re considering homeschooling and want to learn more about your options, a great place to begin is a brief overview of California homeschool laws. There are also homeschool networks throughout the state where parents support each other in their homeschool journeys. Although making the switch from traditional schools to homeschooling may feel overwhelming at first, remember, you’re not alone —you’re part of a robust movement of California parents doing what’s best for their children.