A recent poll found 40 percent of families are more likely to choose to homeschool their children or engage in virtual learning once the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
The RealClear Opinion Research poll asked parents, “Are you more or less likely to enroll your son or daughter in a homeschool, neighborhood homeschool co-op, or virtual school once the lockdowns are over?”
Of the 626 parents who responded, 40.8 percent said they were “more likely” to do so, while 31.1 percent replied they were “less likely.”
Results of the poll appeared on the website of the American Federation for Children (AFC), which promotes school choice. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was chairwoman of AFC prior to her nomination by President Donald Trump.
John Schilling, president of AFC, said in a statement:
“Every single family with kids in school has been incredibly disrupted by the lockdowns. With 55 million students no longer in their normal educational setting, families are clearly considering new options and many are seeing the benefits of homeschooling and virtual schooling.”
Schilling added many families are also seeing “the inadequacies of school districts that are too inflexible.”
Schilling said, “Moreover, policymakers owe it to the taxpayers who are footing the $800 billion K-12 education bill to maximize their investment by ensuring every child has access to a quality education.”
The poll was conducted April 18-21 and has a +/- 2.31 percent margin of error.