Why homeschooling families should support school choice

By Gary Houchens, Ph.D.

Homeschooling has surged in popularity in Kentucky and across the nation, and for good reasons. Many families, dissatisfied with the education options offered from public and private schools, have opted to do it themselves.

The reasons families choose to homeschool, and the various approaches they use, vary widely. But the one thing all these families seem to have in common is a fierce commitment to protect their right to educate their children according to their own values, principles and methods.

That’s why Kentucky homeschooling parents are wisely asking thoughtful questions about the upcoming school choice constitutional amendment.

Amendment 2, which will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot, asks voters to change the state constitution clarifying that lawmakers may, at some point in the future, pass legislation providing support for eligible families to access education options outside the traditional public schools.

It’s important to note that Amendment 2 does not create any new programs, contrary to the noise made by its opponents. It doesn’t set up a voucher plan, fund charter schools or include provisions that affect homeschooling families.

Amendment 2 simply makes it possible for the state legislature to consider school choice policies without the interference of courts which have previously prevented the implementation of even the most modest bills that would empower parents with education options. After Amendment 2 passes, lawmakers will have to decide what kinds of school choice will be appropriate for Kentucky, which is currently one of the only states in the country without such programs.

A handful of states have included homeschooling provisions in their school choice laws. Arizona, Florida, Idaho, New Hampshire, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia all offer vouchers, scholarships or some other form of direct payment to homeschooling families purchasing curricula, instructional materials and other expenses associated with educating their children.

Other states, including Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Minnesota provide a tax credit to homeschooling families, reducing their overall income tax liability to offset their out-of-pocket education costs. Some of these programs are income-based, while others are available to all families. It's difficult to know what percentage of homeschooling families choose to participate in these programs, but many do. Families make enormous sacrifices to educate their children at home while continuing to pay taxes that support the public education system.

Naturally, homeschooling parents want to know what strings might be attached to participating in such programs. Homeschooling regulations vary widely by state, but states that include homeschoolers in their school choice programs typically do not add any new requirements for participating beyond those already established by law.

It is impossible to predict what kind of school choice program Kentucky will adopt because of Amendment 2. Whether some homeschooling families will be eligible to participate is unknown for

now. What we know for sure, however, is that if homeschooling parents for whatever reason don’t like the conditions for participating in such a program, they may decline to do so.

Homeschooling parents should support expanding education freedom in Kentucky, even though we don’t know yet if homeschoolers will be included in a future school choice program. That’s because homeschooling families know better than anyone else the importance of being able to choose the right learning environment for their children, and how no one should have the authority to make that decision but the parent.

Far too many Kentucky children are trapped in schools that don’t meet their needs and parents lack the means to do anything about it. That’s wrong, and Amendment 2 paves the way for making it right.

Gary Houchens, a Bluegrass Institute Scholar, is professor in the School of Leadership and Professional Students and director of the Educational Leadership doctoral program at Western Kentucky University.