Los Angeles metropolitan area hosts many traditionally renowned school districts: students excel academically, and many are able to gain admission to prestigious universities. However, an increasing number of parents feel that both public and private schools are not meeting the educational needs of their children, leading them to seek alternative methods that are more suitable for their kids.
Ms. An, a resident of Los Angeles, enrolled her child in a private school last year, but she was not fully satisfied with the teaching methods and outcomes. So, she decided to join a microschool along with like-minded parents. Here, in addition to the regular curriculum of public schools, children also have access to courses in arts, history, martial arts, and more.
“I just want my child to receive a traditional education,” Ms. An stated. She believes that the current educational focus in some public schools is problematic and is concerned that her child might pick up negative habits, hence opting for a form of education closer to homeschooling.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, there has been a growing trend of American parents choosing to homeschool their children. A recent report from The Homeschool Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Education Policy analyzed data from 21 disclosed states and found that 19 states saw an increase in the number of children receiving homeschooling education, with growth ranging from 2% to 29%.
The Lab’s director, Angela Watson, discussed with The Hill, pointing out that while the number of students homeschooling increased during the pandemic, one would expect a reduction once schools resumed normal operation with the decline in the pandemic. However, this scenario did not unfold as expected.
According to The Washington Post estimates, there are currently around 1.9 to 2.7 million homeschooled students in the US, surpassing the 1.5 million in 2019. 32% of parents cited that public schools were unable to meet their children’s special education needs as a reason for choosing homeschooling. Previously, the majority of homeschooled students were for religious reasons, nearing two-thirds in 2012, but now only 30% cite that as the reason.
Some parents feel that contemporary public school education no longer focuses solely on teaching children subjects like English or mathematics, but instead imparts values that are not aligned with their own.
Others believe that public schools make children feel marginalized, perceive the education system as stagnant, and unable to meet their needs.
The increase in homeschooled students is almost synchronous with the decrease in public school enrollment. Research from the Urban Institute estimates that among the source of students lost by public schools, 14% transfer to private schools, while 26% opt for homeschooling.
California is one of the regions in the US with the fastest-growing number of homeschooled students: a 78% increase from 2017 to 2023. In San Diego County, the growth rate reaches 130%.
California has relatively lenient regulations regarding homeschooling. Parents need to submit an online application each year within a specified timeframe to the state education board website and submit a declaration of intent for homeschooling to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Teachers engaged in homeschooling do not need to hold a California teaching credential but must possess teaching capabilities to offer instruction in subjects like math, science, health, and physical education in English.
Apart from homeschooling, California also offers microschools, similar to homeschooling but accommodating more students. In California, nearly 30,000 private schools with fewer than 5 students each saw an increase of over twofold in the 2023-2024 academic year compared to the pre-pandemic 2018-2019 school year.
As homeschooling and microschools gain popularity, they bring to light deep-seated issues within the public education system, particularly resistance to change and reliance on the “test-oriented education,” making many students feel disengaged.
While some researchers argue that the quality of homeschooling may not guarantee children’s right to education and poses risks due to lack of supervision, educational experts believe that microschools or homeschooling offer flexibility that public schools lack.
Michael Matsuda, the superintendent of Anaheim UHSD, commented on the EdSource website that one advantage of microschools is their ability to innovate rapidly.
The bureaucratic nature of public schools and their compliance-driven characteristics often stifle innovation. In contrast, microschools can make decisions relatively quickly and flexibly respond to challenges, thereby meeting the special needs of some students, such as those with learning disabilities, gifted children, or those who excel outside the traditional framework.
Matsuda believes that as microschools become more widespread, public schools face two major challenges: transitioning from a “seat-based” teaching model to a “work-based” model and moving beyond the standardized testing culture to focus on the “whole child,” aiming to enhance student engagement.