학술논문

School Choice Programs Need a Firewall for Homeschoolers. Briefing Paper Number 164
Document Type
Reports - Evaluative
Source
Cato Institute. 2023.
Subject
Florida
Iowa
Michigan
North Carolina
Wisconsin
Arizona
New Hampshire
Utah
West Virginia
Tennessee
Nevada
Georgia
Massachusetts
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Language
English
Abstract
The growth of homeschooling from a somewhat fringe movement during the 1970s and 1980s to a more widespread and socially accepted approach in recent decades has provided a strong foundation of flexible learning models. When Florida's school choice expansion, House Bill 1, was introduced in January 2023, one of its goals was to allow more homeschoolers to participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. But many homeschoolers and homeschool advocacy groups balked at the proposal. Having worked hard to achieve independence, they were loath to be linked to government funding. Even if the program were optional, they feared that associated regulations would eventually extend to traditional homeschoolers. In the end, the bill passed with new language that satisfied traditional homeschoolers by creating a new option for parents to educate their children at home. As states continue to enact and expand education savings accounts, Colleen Hroncich argues that it is crucial that policymakers craft bills in a way that maximizes freedom and minimizes roadblocks.