By Kerry McDonald On Monday, I debated the Harvard professor who proposes a “presumptive ban” on homeschooling. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch the live, online discussion hosted by the Cato Institute. With 1,000 submitted audience questions, the 90-minute webinar only scratched the surface of the issue about who is presumed to know what is best for children: parents … [Read more...] about 5 Things I Learned Debating the Harvard Prof Who Called for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling
Homeschooling
Where Do I Start with Homeschooling?
By Linnea Johnson You made it through the school year “homeschooling” your children; and either you’re saying “never again”, or you are now considering homeschooling this next school year. There are differences between coping with an unplanned and potentially chaotic quarantine school at home and planning for a homeschool experience in the fall. If you’ve questioned your … [Read more...] about Where Do I Start with Homeschooling?
Are You Really Qualified to Homeschool Your Child?
By Linnea Johnson Am I qualified to homeschool? Boy, is that a question fraught with controversy! Every homeschooler has asked that question in the beginning. Not only that, but your friends and family members may ask the same question. You may have had a less than perfect experience homeschooling during the recent pandemic. That interruption in our routines came with … [Read more...] about Are You Really Qualified to Homeschool Your Child?
The CDC’s Guidelines for Back-to-School Under COVID Sound Traumatizing
By Kerry McDonald When schools reopen in the US amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they will be even more restrictive than they already were. Schools have long controlled students’ movements and imposed constraints on where they can go, when, and with whom. With virus concerns, those controls will increase in quantity and intensity. NPR recently proclaimed that … [Read more...] about The CDC’s Guidelines for Back-to-School Under COVID Sound Traumatizing
Harvard’s Latest Attack on Homeschooling Abuses Reason and Justice
By Kerry McDonald Harvard University publications continue to present a skewed perspective of homeschooling, spotlighting Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Bartholet’s call for a “presumptive ban” on homeschooling while failing to provide an accurate picture of American homeschooling. In addition to the recent Harvard Magazine article on “The Risks of Homeschooling,” … [Read more...] about Harvard’s Latest Attack on Homeschooling Abuses Reason and Justice
Harvard Magazine Calls for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling: Here Are 5 Things It Got Wrong
By Kerry McDonald Author's Note: This is a copy of my submitted Letter to the Editor of Harvard Magazine regarding its recent article,“The Risks of Homeschooling.” Dear Editor: As a Harvard alum, longtime donor, education researcher, and homeschooling mother of four children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I was shocked to read the article, “The Risks of Homeschooling,” … [Read more...] about Harvard Magazine Calls for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling: Here Are 5 Things It Got Wrong
Coronavirus Reminds Us What Education Without Schooling Can Look Like
By Kerry McDonald As the global coronavirus outbreak closes more schools for weeks, and sometimes months—some 300 million children are currently missing class—parents, educators, and policymakers are panicking. Mass compulsory schooling has become such a cornerstone of contemporary culture that we forget it’s a relatively recent social construct. Responding to the … [Read more...] about Coronavirus Reminds Us What Education Without Schooling Can Look Like
Coronavirus May Lead to “Mass Homeschooling”
By Kerry McDonald As fears of coronavirus mount around the globe, cities and countries are taking action to prevent the new respiratory virus strain from spreading. While the virus has not yet hit hard in the United States, government officials and health agencies have enacted response plans, corporations are halting travel abroad, and education leaders are grappling with … [Read more...] about Coronavirus May Lead to “Mass Homeschooling”
“We” Should Not Regulate Homeschooling
By Kerry McDonald The desire to control other people’s ideas and behaviors, particularly when they challenge widely-held beliefs and customs, is one of human nature’s most nefarious tendencies. Socrates was sentenced to death for stepping out of line; Galileo almost was. But such extreme examples are outnumbered by the many more common, pernicious acts of trying to control … [Read more...] about “We” Should Not Regulate Homeschooling
How Microschool Networks Expand Learning Options
By Kerry McDonald Technology has the potential to decentralize K-12 education and make it more learner-directed, upending a top-down system in favor of individual autonomy and self-determination. But the technology can’t do this alone. It requires a learning environment that fosters creativity and curiosity, using digital platforms and supportive adults to facilitate … [Read more...] about How Microschool Networks Expand Learning Options