BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - National data over the last year and a half, shows the number of homeschool students doubled from about 2.5 million in 2019 to over 5 million this past Spring.
In Western New York, Homeschool New York has received a significant increase in calls and inquries asking how to begin homeschooling.
"A lot of parents are doing it because of concerns about their children's health, for the learning environment and because they want to have more control over their child's academic programs," said Dan DiFrancesco, Western New York representative for Homeschool New York. "I think many are just fearful about sending their children to school with mask mandates and an uncertain environment. Parents are exploring all of their options."
DiFrancesco said homeschooling is really a family decision and an intentional decision. "There's been a lot of remote learning in the past year, or school-at-home," said DiFrancesco. "That's different from homeschooling." He described the remote experience that public school students endured last year as "a forced accommodation to keep educational activity moving forward."
Curriculum materials are different with homeschooling families. "They have a lot of flexibility and can tailor their educational needs and learning styles with
areas of interest," said DiFrancesco.
Homeschooling is a commitment for parents. "In our circumstance, my wife is a stay at home mother. She had been teaching at a local community college before our children were born. When our children became school age, it came down to, I can go to work and teach other people's children, or I can stay home and teach our children. We had the flexibility to do that," he said.
Like public school students, homeschool children must also have 180 days of instruction throughout the school year according to the New York State Education Department. Hours of instruction vary depending on the child's age.
"Ultimately, it's the parent's responsibility to see that their children are educated. That can include the services of public schools, private schools , or homeschooling. Each family needs to determine what works best for them," he said.
For more information about homeschooling, DiFrancesco recommends you visit Leah.org (Loving Education At Home), a homeschooling support group. "There's a lot of information there about how to start homeschooling, there are statistics and a lot of resources on New York State regulations."
