School Districts Begin to Roll Out Reopening Plans—Parents Turn to Homeschooling

The Old Schoolhouse® sees a significant spike in the number of homeschooling families they serve.

GRAY, TN, USA, June 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Now that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has posted guidelines for the reopening of schools in the fall, school districts have begun to present parents with options, most of which are met with opposition. Parents in the Webster Central School District in New York are fuming as the Reopening Schools Task Force meetings are happening without the input of parents. Now that they have had a taste of what it’s like to have more control over their children’s education, they are not willing to give it up so easily. Though several states such as North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey have begun to outline reopening plans, many are vague and include phases or several possible options dependent upon certain factors. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom is unsure whether or not schools will meet in-person or virtually even though many parents are not satisfied with the virtual schooling that has been taking place over the past few months. In Maryland, virtual schooling caused an uproar when mother Courtney Lancaster shared that her 11-year-old son was met by the police for a weapons search in his room due to a concerned viewer of his Google Meet class. The weapon in question? A BB gun.

“Privacy and parental control are serious concerns for families at this time,” Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine comments. “Additionally, the increase of regulations and new restrictions that are being put into place will be too overwhelming and stressful for many children.”

The regulations Suarez is referring to are the ones planning to be enforced in places such as New Albany, Ohio, where students will be forced to wear electronic beacons to track their location throughout the upcoming school year. Rather than waiting for definitive plans to be laid out in their home states or complying with these overreaching measures, parents are reaching out to the homeschooling community. In fact, a RealClear Opinion poll states that some 40 percent of parents are considering schooling from home even after the schools open back up.

It is no surprise then that Suarez has seen an uptick in subscribers to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There is a 57 percent increase in our magazine subscriptions compared to this same time last year,” Suarez confirms. The popular homeschooling magazine provides insight, support, and content relevant to homeschooling. This sudden spike in sales is in addition to a 17 percent increase on their homeschool curriculum platform, SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

Rather than waiting to see if their children will be allowed in the classrooms or on buses or to be a part of sports teams this fall, parents are considering taking the education of their children into their own hands by joining the 2.5 million students already homeschooling in the United States (NHERI.org). Parents seeking resources may visit TryHomeschooling.com which is available to any parent, regardless of educational background, to assist in homeschooling needs for children in grades PreK–12.

About The Old Schoolhouse®
The Old Schoolhouse® (www.theoldschoolhouse.com) is a privately held corporation that publishes the industry-leading homeschool education print magazine, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, as well as hundreds of books and planning support tools for homeschooling families. SchoolhouseTeachers.com, a division of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, supports over 9,000 member families, with more than 400 courses for preschool through high school, as well as educational videos, World Book Online, and planning and recordkeeping tools. Established in 2001, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is focused on providing high-quality, encouraging, affordable solutions for homeschooling families.

Paul and Gena Suarez
The Old Schoolhouse®
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