The best research on homeschooling indicates the total number of children who are homeschooled is 1.5 to 2 million, and that number is growing by 10 to 15 percent per year. But not everyone recognizes the academic and social success of homeschoolers and some criticize the movement as being white and elitist. While it's true that the large majority of homeschool children are white, the number of black homeschoolers is growing rapidly. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, estimates that there are 30,000 to 50,000 black children being homeschooled today. Others estimate that black homeschoolers make up 5 percent of the total homeschool population. Most importantly black homeschool movement is growing at a faster rate than the general homeschool population.
Virtual charter schools are popping up all over the country, providing free computers, textbooks and educational materials to any family who would like to enroll in their program. Jennifer James takes a hard look at how these schools are detrimental to black homeschoolers.
This youtube video gives a look into a large successful homeschooling family. This African-American family of seven children has had all children go to college, starting while still in high school.
Drs. Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom's new book "No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning" shows that the government education whites receive is nothing to write home about, but for blacks, it's no less than a disgraceful disaster.
Their purpose is to be a trustworthy, conscientious, and dependable resource in the "true" education of youth and families. By providing consistent support, guidance, and current relevant information, they are committed to assist in all academic subjects and critical life areas that cultivate children to be young dedicated scholars, critical thinkers, builders, and problem solvers; addressing the specific needs of Black/Afrikan people.
This work looks at contemporary Black homeschooling as a form of resistance among single Black mothers, exploring each mother's experience and perspective in deciding to homeschool and developing their practice. It faces the many issues that plague the education of Black children in America, including discipline disproportionality, frequent special education referrals, low expectations in the classroom, and the marginalization of Black parents. Most importantly, this work challenges stereotypical characterizations of who homeschools and why.
Black Homeschoolers' Network is intended to facilitate a network among African American homeschoolers across the country. Here you will also find a message board for general communication as well as an email pal listing for homeschooled kids.
With the educational landscape becoming more diverse in America, black parents are looking for better ways in which to teach their children. One of the new educational alternatives and the only one thus far exhibiting parity between the races is home schooling. Though many blacks are embarking on home schooling as a new educational choice, many don't fully know why home education tends to work for black children. This article will piece together clues that account for black children's affinity for learning at home.
This is a great social networking site for black homeschoolers. It is designed to help share educational goals and curriculum plans as well as connect with other families.
A new wave of pioneers is sweeping onto the home schooling trail. After decades of promises that the public school "system" holds the key to success, some African-American families are finding, like those of other ethnicities, that an increasingly centralized system and social decay are fast dissolving the bonds of their culture and families. And many have found a way to reconnect and restore those bonds by home schooling—an educational path so old and overgrown that it's considered radical and cutting edge.
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers is a discussion group designed to lend support and resources to parents who are home schooling alone.
Mothers are bears when it comes down to protecting their children. Read about how this home school mom fought racism in her way and created highly acclaimed multicultural educational tools in the process.
Footsteps Magazine is a magazine designed for young people, their parents, and other individuals interested in discovering the scope, substance, and many often unheralded facts of African American heritage. It is an excellent classroom resource for teachers, a valuable research tool for students, and an important vehicle for bringing this rich heritage to people of all backgrounds.
African-Americans are joining the national home schooling community at larger and larger numbers every year. Following a nationwide trend, educating children at home is becoming a popular option for Black Americans as private school costs rise and the reputation of public schools grows worse. Read about the current movement of African-American homeschoolers.
The National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance was born out of a desire to unite African-American homeschoolers nationally. Launched in January 2003, NAAHA is the only nonsectarian organization for African-American home schooling families. The primary objective of NAAHA is to disseminate home schooling information relevant to African-American homeschoolers or to anyone home schooling African-American children. NAAHA's fundamental mission is to consistently provide the latest and the best home school information and resources for members and online guests to enjoy--from home schooling books and curricula to new African-American support groups and organizations. In addition to being an information clearinghouse, NAAHA also provides free educational advisory help from educational professionals and from those with a degreed knowledge of a particular subject.
Margaret is a homeschool veteran who explains why traditional schooling was never an option for her children. Margaret’s narrative documents the complexity of being a single Black mother and choosing to live in a low-income housing community, and not working full-time in order to fulfill her rights as a mother to do what she determined would be best for her children. Her account also demonstrates the role of faith, spirituality, and the complexity of building a curriculum to meet her children’s needs.
Significant growth in black families’ participation in home schooling is beginning to show up on the radar screens of researchers. The National Center for Education Statistics computed African-Americans as 9.9 percent of the 850,000 children the federal agency figured were being home-schooled nationally in 1999. Veteran home-schooling researcher Brian Ray figures blacks are currently about 5 percent of the 1.6 million to 2 million home-schooled children but he agrees that black home schooling is growing rapidly.
In order for home schooling to be successful in the African-American community, it is imperative that local and state support groups and organizations be formed. There are several ways that African-American homeschoolers can reach out and create support groups either on the local or state level. This article gives tips and ideas for starting a homeschool support group.
The National Black Home Educators Resource Association (NBHERA) is a resource network founded by Eric and Joyce Burges in July 2000. This association encourages, supports, and offers fellowship to families who are exploring benefits of home education. NBHERA was created to serve the African American community by providing assistance with information about getting started homeschool, networking/connecting veteran families with new families, recommending resources such as books, music, films, speaking information, curriculum, etc. NBHERA’s mission endeavors to empower parents to educate their children for excellence.
Black parents are now turning to homeschooling their children. After realizing that public schools are failing black children on a massive scale, black parents are turning to homeschooling. This video discusses these issues.