Education News: Turning Disaster into Opportunity
By Mimi RothschildIn the wake of Katrina, the homeschooling option may look more attractive than ever to New Orleans parents who are concerned with their children's quality of education. Hurricane evacuees have been relocated to all 49 remaining states; of them, the highest concentration remains in Texas. The problem is one of funding: schools will likely not receive the additional federal assistance they were originally promised following the disaster. For many, this could make homeschooling a viable, and even preferable, alternative to under-funded public school districts. The practice of homeschooling continues to increase in popularity as public education is tragically swallowed in a sea of dwindling resources and increasing need.
Parents who homeschool often consider the decision to educate their own children the best they have ever made. Homeschooling, as a rule, drastically decreases the teacher-to-student ratio and allows children to receive a more focused and concentrated education in a safe, comfortable environment. The homeschool movement has gained more momentum from the devastation of Katrina than any other catalyst. According to thousands of homeschooling parents who are thrilled with the results of homeschooling, this side effect presents the ultimate bright side. Distraught parents may be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel of public education.
Texas is one of the states with the highest concentration of homeschooled students. For this reason, parents who are dissatisfied with the lack of federal assistance for Texas' public school system can turn to homeschooling with confidence. One of the most beneficial resources a homeschooling parent can have is an established network, and this certainly exists in Texas. With hundreds of students enrolled in homeschool settings, parents can take advantage of a proven strategy to get the best education available for their children.
Homeschooling is an excellent and viable alternative to public education; many parents are realizing this holds vast potential for benefits. Homeschooled students typically score as well or better than their publicly educated peers on standardized testing. More colleges are opening their doors to enroll students who come from a homeschool background. Hurricane Katrina was a devastating blow to the country, and it ultimately underscored our need for a better educational system. For many parents in the New Orleans and Texas areas, homeschooling just might be the answer they have been seeking all along. Turning to public education is a difficult choice for many parents, and now it doesn't have to be the only option.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
