Growing Population of Homeschooled Children in Northern Virginia

Twenty years ago, families that chose to home school their children might have been labeled “hippies” for bucking the traditional public school system. Today, there is a strong undercurrent of support for the homeschooling movement flowing through Northern Virginia.

 Homeschooling, once seen as a small alternative culture, is now almost mainstream, and growing strong.

Last year, 33 students ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade were homeschooled in Manassas Park, according to data. 

 The Department of Education estimates the homeschooled population has grown at the rate of 8.3 percent per year over the past four years. In Prince William County, students registered for instruction at home has increased by nine percent in the past two years whereas the county’s overall student population has only grown by three percent, and the rise is expected to continue.

 According to National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), there's reason to believe that we would expect to see a surge in the number of children being homeschooled over the next 10 years, as "those individuals who were being home educated in the 1990s may begin to home school their own school-age children."

 So, why is it that, in part of the country that celebrates some of the finest public schools, we see such a prominent community of homeschoolers? The NHERI research found that most families decide to homeschool for multiple reasons, including: to customize learning environments and curriculum for their child; provide structured social interactions with peers; provide a safer environment because exposure to violence, drugs and alcohol; mental abuse; “improper and unhealthy sexuality associated with institutional schools;” and to teach a particular set of values and beliefs.

 Amanda Mattson, a mother who homeschools her six children, said teaching at home met two needs for her family: offered a learning environment where her son diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) could thrive without the use of medication, and provided a Catholic education for her children without the hefty price tag associated with parochial school.

Missie Gautsch, mom of three, has homeschooled her children from the very beginning.

 “It was a combination of a lot of things—moving around a lot as military, the idea of sending our 6-year-old to full day school was not appealing, and our oldest could read fluently before she entered kindergarten. I was worried she would go to kindergarten and be bored or be a pest because the things they taught, she already knew,” says Gautsch.

“[Homeschoolers] tell us, ‘Don’t try to lump homeschoolers in a single group’. We all have different reasons for doing what we do,” said Prince William County School Board member Grant Lattin.

Lattin said he first encountered concerns among homeschooling parents in 2004 while going door-to-door meeting constituents during his campaign. He said there was “a frustration amongst homeschoolers that the Prince William County Schools were not as helpful as they could be.”

Lattin and fellow board members decided that they needed to see what they could do to make homeschoolers as welcome within the PWCS as anybody else. “We asked the superintendent to ensure that this was not a confrontational process, that people were welcome to come in and register,” said Lattin.

In June 2005, homeschooling legislation was passed that removed the “approval before removal” requirement which often made it difficult for families transitioning into homeschooling to remain compliant with the law. The revised legislation provided the time needed for families to make the decision to homeschool and file the appropriate documents without feeling pressured by the school district.

In addition to the procedures becoming more user friendly, Lattin said Prince William County and other Northern Virginia school districts led the way in Virginia with another major policy change regarding home instruction.

“We allowed homeschoolers to take classes in the public schools on a space available basis, and that was very well received by homeschooler students and parents,” Lattin said.

Lattin said he hasn’t had a single complaint from a homeschooling parent in his district since the law was changed.

Making the decision to homeschool your child may be the most difficult part of the process.

“As a mom, you’re already worried if you’re doing the best you can for your children, and you’re going to add their academic career on top of your responsibilities; it can be really stressful,” Gautsch said. To help prepare for homeschooling, Gautsch recommended visiting other homeschooling families, research the different approaches, and support similar organizations.

The community support for homeschooling families is vast. A good place to find contacts within your community is through the website for The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers, that provides resources such as updates on legislature, advice from fellow parents, and provides connections with homeschooling support groups in local communities, as well as a forum for relevant issues.

The website provides a guide for homeschooling your child, which outlines the steps to create a learning environment in your home, as well as finding support in your community and filing the proper documentation with your school district.

The Code of Virginia requires a parent to file some kind of notice of intent to provide home instruction for their child no later than Aug. 15 prior to the start of the school year. Each county outlines its specific procedures and point of contact within their school district on their websites.

In Manassas Park, that person is Dr. Virginia Bowerman, director of literacy, federal programs and English as a Second Language programs. 

More information on home instruction is Manassas Park can be found at Mpark.net. 

“You don’t need to provide a reason [for withdrawing your child],” Mattson said. “It’s not asking permission to homeschool. It is letting them know that you are homeschooling.”

While homeschoolers in Virginia and nationally are growing in numbers, will providing home instruction ever get to the point of being mainstream?

“I think there’s always going to be a stigma with something that is countercultural,” Mattson said, “but now there are enough people that know somebody who homeschools or has been homeschooled. People are recognizing it as a valid choice for education for their children.”