Harvard Elite’s Anti-Homeschooling ‘Propaganda’ Rebuked by School Choice Expert

Moreover, the school choice advocate pointed out how Bartholet “doesn’t provide any data on the prevalence of ‘extreme religious ideologues.’”

DeAngelis agrees that “of course there might be some” religious extremists who homeschool their children, but said that to punish all homeschooling families for the actions of a “few bad actors” would be wholly unjustified.

Lastly, DeAngelis responded to Bartholet’s assertions that one of the most important aspects of education is “exposing children to a variety of views and values and preparing them for civic engagement,” and that homeschooled kids are sheltered from being exposed to a diverse range of perspectives to help them function in American society.

His evidence-based rebuttal sharply contradicted the professor’s stance.

“She conveniently forgot to mention that the preponderance of the evidence shows that homeschooled children perform better academically and socially than their otherwise similar peers in conventional schools, and that around two-thirds of U.S. children are not proficient in reading. If anything, the evidence suggests it’s the government schools that are failing to prepare our youth to function in a proper democracy,” DeAngelis told The Western Journal.

“A 2019 study published in the Peabody Journal of Education examined data on a nationally representative sample of students and found that homeschoolers were more likely to engage in cultural and family activities than otherwise similar students attending government schools. Maybe being stuck in a government school building for several hours a day for 13 years is what really shelters kids from experiencing diverse perspectives?”

DeAngelis’ closing comments highlighted what he sees as the gaps in logic that fill Bartholet’s arguments. If such a small percentage of the nation’s children are being homeschooled at the moment, DeAngelis wants to know if Bartholet really believes they are actually responsible for America’s problems.

“We are living in an era of extreme political participation right now, yet about 82% of children attend government-run schools today,” he said. “Does Bartholet really believe that the 3 percent of the population identified as homeschoolers is causing all of our problems, or could it be that the government schools are contributing to the intolerance and polarization we see today?”

Story cited here.