Teachers Union President Randi Weingarten Expresses Bewilderment Over Growing Popularity of Homeschooling

The President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, shared an article that tries to address the heightened interest of parents who are choosing to homeschool their children rather than sending them to traditional public schools. She recently came under fire for shutting down schools during the pandemic, which led to more parents opting to homeschool their children and finally seeing the true nature of public education. Surprisingly, she disabled comments on her post, possibly due to public relations concerns or because she cannot handle legitimate criticism. Regardless of the reasons, as a homeschool parent and a lifelong critic of the public education system, I feel it is necessary to shed light on the arguments presented by homeschool detractors and the invalidity of their concerns. Most parents opted for homeschooling during the pandemic due to the significant failure of ‘Zoom school’, for which Randi can be partially blamed. The Washington Post has also reduced the rise in homeschooling to the perceived fractured state of the nation as a result of the pandemic and political division, rather than acknowledging the underlying issues with public schools. Critics often argue that homeschooled kids will lack socialization and proper education, but this view is outdated and inappropriate. In contrast, evidence suggests that homeschooling can lead to a decrease in pandemic learning loss. This practice also allows parents to allocate state funding towards private and homeschool expenses, rather than placing all educational responsibilities solely on the government. Public figures and education officials seem frightened of the homeschooling trend, as it threatens their dire hold on societal development. Ironically, through their failure to provide quality education, public schools are the bane of America’s educational system. Homeschooling empowers families to take control of their children’s future. Randi’s failure to acknowledge these shortcomings inadvertently encourages parents to consider homeschooling alternatives.