Number of students being homeschooled in Colorado more than doubles

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the rate of households homeschooling reached 11% by September 2020. Six months prior, only 5.4% of families were registered for homeschooling.

In our state, the latest data from the Colorado Department of Education shows the number of students homeschooling more than doubled last year to 15,773. In 2019, only 7,880 students were being homeschooled.
kdvr.com/news/problem-solvers/number-of-...o-more-than-doubles/

Unfortunately, the reporters did not or would not post the comments of parents that have chosen to home school. An increase of over 50% is dramatic and will certainly affect the budgets of the school systems in the state.

Why do you think so many Colorado families are choosing homeschooling?

ramage wrote:
Why do you think so many Colorado families are choosing homeschooling?

Because of Covid, they are finding out what kind of nonsense is being pumped into their children's brains. I guess covid was good for something.

Some states want to give parents the tuition money instead of the school districts. Might be a good test program to try.

It's not just homeschooling but childcare worries during the Delta Variant surge that concern parents.

Especially as the Delta variant spreads, many parents of young children — those under 12 who cannot yet be vaccinated — say they’re unable to return to workplaces or apply for new jobs as long as there is uncertainty about when their children can safely return to full-time school or child care.

Companies have been struggling to hire and retain workers for other reasons, too, and many parents have had no choice but to work. (In a recent Census Bureau survey, 5 percent of parents said their children were not currently attending child care for pandemic-related reasons.) But for the group of parents who still have children at home — they’re disproportionately Black and Latino, and some have medically vulnerable family members — it’s a significant challenge.

www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/upshot/covid-...ight&pgtype=Homepage

The following is a comment regarding public school funding from the letters section of wsj.com

"The Teachers Unions are creating a situation that will ultimately backfire on what they want to do. During the Pandemic the number of home schooled or children in private schools doubled. If they pull the same stunt again that number will double again. State Funding of Schools is base upon FTE the as the number goes down the amount in dollars go down. So will have to teach fewer student but also with less money"

It is always about the money for the Teachers Union.

The NYTimes.com comment, does not address the increase in home schooling. As usual the Times colors (pardon the pun) their reporting without mentioning homeschooling.

Unions are fighting vaccine mandates. This might help divide the Democrats. Worker's rights versus public safety?

Wayne Harrison wrote: It's not just homeschooling but childcare worries during the Delta Variant surge that concern parents.

Especially as the Delta variant spreads, many parents of young children — those under 12 who cannot yet be vaccinated — say they’re unable to return to workplaces or apply for new jobs as long as there is uncertainty about when their children can safely return to full-time school or child care.

Companies have been struggling to hire and retain workers for other reasons, too, and many parents have had no choice but to work. (In a recent Census Bureau survey, 5 percent of parents said their children were not currently attending child care for pandemic-related reasons.) But for the group of parents who still have children at home — they’re disproportionately Black and Latino, and some have medically vulnerable family members — it’s a significant challenge.

www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/upshot/covid-...ight&pgtype=Homepage

The great thing about America is that parents can make their own decisions for their children. If a parent doesn't want their kid to be in school because they are afraid there's a significant risk of illness (despite science and the facts), then that parent has the right to keep the kid home. If parents don't want their kids in a certain school because of the trash they are being taught, they should have to right to chose another school.

Jefferson County is requiring students mask up. Florida wants to offer private school vouchers to public students that feel they are being bullied into wearing a mask. Should Colorado also offer this option?

Yes
to Fred's question

Instead of defunding the police we should defund the teachers unions.