Two years after the COVID pandemic caused an exodus from Texas public schools, the trend not only continues, but it is accelerating. The latest report from the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) analyzing state enrollment data shows that, following a notable rise in home school enrollment during the initial pandemic year of 2019-2020, there was another 40-percent rise in homeschooling across Texas during the 2020-2021 year. "That means there was a 40 percent increase over the biggest single-year explosion of homeschooling in Texas history, happening last year," says Tim Lambert, THSC president in a video posted on the group's website.
Of course, school closures, classroom restrictions and mask mandates implemented during the pandemic played a large role in declining public school enrollment. However, the THSC report notes "more families now cite concern over the public school environment and the quality of academics as a reason they chose to homeschool."
Lambert further explained those findings. "We're continuing to see this issue of 'anti-racism' and 'anti-racist' curriculum---which is really just racism---being taught in the public schools," he says.
"We saw parents going to school boards and raising these issues, saying we don't like this, it's wrong, we shouldn't do this," Lambert continues. "But now what we're seeing is there are some parents who are just saying you know what, enough is enough."
The Texas Legislature passed a bill last year to ban the teaching of critical race theory in schools, but the law could prove difficult to enforce, as some schools are still teaching CRT indirectly.
"Parents are saying I don't want to expose my kids to this racism, I don't want to expose my kids to this transgender agenda...and so parents are voting with their feet," says Lambert.
Photo: Digital Vision