Shauna Reisewitz of Santa Cruz has homeschooled both of her children and advises others how to do the same.
"There are so many different types of homeschooling,” Reisewitz told the Southern California Record. “There's following a set curriculum that homeschool companies have created or creating a curriculum yourself. There are people who homeschool through unit study or using literature, the Charlotte Mason method. Some families follow unschooling where children are given a ton of time to play and freely express themselves.”
Reisewitz is among the more than 2.5 million homeschooling parents in the state, according to the Homeschool Association of California (HSC), and since Gov. Newsom issued his March 19, 2020, COVID-19 stay-at-home order, HSC began hosting their Homeschooling 101 webinars two to three times a month rather than once a month due to high demand.
“It's more in the news now because families are looking to support the education of their families during a time when traditional public schools are transitioning to virtual friendly and safe post-COVID-19 approaches,” said Martin Whitehead, HSC board member and director of communication. “Our website and HSC Facebook page have seen strong year-over-year double-digit traffic increases."
Homeschooling is an alternative for parents who want to directly lead the education of their children rather than choosing private or public school options, according to Whitehead.
In some counties, private and public school options are limited now more than ever since Gov. Newsom decided to delay the reopening of school buildings in counties that are on the state’s COVID-19 watch list.
As previously reported, schools are only permitted to offer distance or e-learning if their counties are listed. Positivity rates, hospitalizations and hospital capacity are among the metrics the state is using to determine if a county can re-open bricks and mortar school.
Statewide, 514,901 coronavirus cases were reported along with 9,388 deaths as of Aug. 3, according to California’s COVID-19 dashboard.
“Every parent has to decide if homeschooling is a good fit for their family and circumstances,” Whitehead told the Southern California Record. “Our mission at HSC is to provide information and support for families making the decision to homeschool and then to support them on their journey.”
When she’s not spending time with her children, Reisewitz works as an HSC volunteer, answering the hotline.
“The downsides of homeschooling are a messy house because your children are never away at school,” she said. “There could be a lot of chaos and you don’t have a lot of ‘me’ time, which is very popular these days. Sometimes, it's hard for parents to come up with their own philosophy of how to educate their child but that's also a plus because you're more in charge rather than just giving it to the state to figure out.”
Finally, getting kids to follow their parent’s direction and instruction can be a challenge, according to Reisewitz.
“Navigating your role of being a parent and a teacher is tricky,” she said.
HSC is hosting it's 30th Annual Homeschool Conference remotely Aug. 6 through Aug. 9 for parents who want to explore their options.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to homeschooling,” Whitehead said. “Families can tailor an approach that meets the needs of their children and their financial means. The homeschooling community is broad and deep enough that no family has to make the journey alone.”