When Homeschooling Becomes a Test of Faith

 

I actually went to public school for most of my childhood. My parents weren’t fully for or against it—they wanted me to experience the good and bad for myself. Looking back, I think they wanted me to see the hard realities, the parts of life you can’t avoid forever.

I left public school in my junior year, not because I hated school itself, but because of abuse I was going through at the time. I needed a change. If K12 or Connections Academy had existed back then, it would have been perfect for me. Instead, I enrolled in a correspondence school and finished that way.

For me, homeschooling worked. It gave me space to heal and complete my education.

But my parents’ more neutral stance on schooling left me open to being pulled into “the movement.” And that’s where things got complicated.

Homeschooling can be amazing when it’s about meeting a child’s individual needs. But the movement—especially in certain Christian circles—is another story. It’s been pushed as the only acceptable choice for “real” Christians. I’ve seen it used as a litmus test for spiritual worthiness. I’ve been told that sending kids to “government schools” is proof you’ve failed as a parent. And that mindset is toxic.

On top of that, there’s another problem I can’t ignore: there is no oversight.

No minimum standard for what a child should learn by a certain age. No support for parents who don’t know how to teach—especially when their kids have special needs. In some cases, it feels like the movement wants to quietly get rid of children who don’t fit their mold.

I’ve seen firsthand how this lack of structure has harmed my own kids’ education. Without direction, resources, or accountability, families are left to sink or swim—and too many children are quietly sinking.

That’s a conversation the homeschool community doesn’t want to have. But it’s one I think we need to. Because homeschooling can be a lifeline, but only if it’s done well—and right now, there’s nothing in place to make sure it is.

In my next post, I want to talk about why homeschooling needs some regulation—not to destroy its freedom, but to protect the children it’s supposed to serve.