Here’s a surprising fact: North Carolina is number two in the nation, second only to Alaska, in the number of homeschools per capita. A study published by the NC Division of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE) in July 2021 shows a total of 112,614 state-approved homeschools, which represents an 18.7% growth rate during the COVID pandemic school year 2020-2021. This number is up from 94,763 the year before (when the growth rate was only 4.6%).
Using a low-end formula of 1.6 students per homeschool, the NCDNPE estimates 179,900 students ages 7-17 in NC homeschools. However, they note that since most homeschools with students below age 7 do not officially open a school (because the law does not require it), there are actually more homeschools than this number represents. NCDNPE reports a more realistic estimate is 2.5 students per homeschool for a total student population of 281,535.
A homeschool, where the parent/guardian designs and administers the curriculum, is not to be confused with school online, where the public school system provides standardized curriculum to be completed by the student online due to COVID stay-at-home restrictions.
With the onslaught of COVID came an unprecedented growth in homeschools and Wake County far outnumbers every other county in North Carolina. In Wake County, there are 10,090 registered homeschools with 16,347 students. And it appears these homeschooled students are flourishing.
Michelle Ristuccia, Homeschool Group Coordinator
In addition to being the mom/teacher/principal of her homeschooled children (a middle schooler and two elementary-aged), Michelle Ristuccia is also the Town of Fuquay-Varina Homeschool Group Coordinator. In this role, she facilitates a Facebook page that answers questions about homeschooling and disseminates homeschool information. People can ask questions, discuss what is available in this area, share upcoming homeschooling events and learn about free resources like the Free Math Online Khan Academy.
Michelle is a big fan of homeschooling because it can be tailored to the child’s needs. A child may be advanced in some classes and slower in others, and she appreciates the fact that a homeschool education can be paced to suit the individual’s needs. She appreciates the individual attention she is able to give each of her three children that would not be possible in a large classroom setting.
While the State of NC does not have requirements on what to teach, NC homeschool law requires that each student take a nationally normed end-of-grade (EOG) test annually. Although these records aren’t required to be submitted to the NCDNPE, Michelle notes that a homeschooler’s EOG test results can be used to focus on areas of weakness in planning the child’s curriculum.
She also likes the flexibility that homeschooling affords. Children have more opportunities to explore a wide variety of interests because the curriculum is tailored for them and can be arranged to fit the child and their schedule. And while some subjects, like drama, may be better taught in classes, other subjects, like math, may be more conducive to working on their own. But instruction is not confined to a classroom or to a computer. Michelle’s 12-year-old son is signed up for a wilderness survival class that he attends at a local park.
In addition to curriculum options, Michelle enjoys scheduling flexibility—the ability to take family vacations outside the public-school calendar, to attend a doctor appointment, to take a needed sick day without missing classwork, to spend more time with family.
Michelle notes that one of the reasons for the huge popularity of homeschooling in Wake County is the abundance of resources in the area. The area is rich in teaching resources: science, history and art museums as well as fine libraries. The NC Zoo, Raven Rock Park, the State Farmers Market and multiple tech businesses are nearby. Camp Agape Science Museum also runs great programs. You can find classes ranging from physics to a park play day and everything in between.
Homeschooler Jacob Wright
Jacob is a 16-year-old student, homeschooled since age seven. He is a champion of homeschooling, which has facilitated his ability to laser-focus on his chosen career path, becoming an emergency medical services (EMS) technician, or EMT. He has been able to choose teachers and classes that interest him in terms of his career objective. “In public school,” he says, “you must sit eight hours and learn what they want you to learn, and you can’t work except on the weekends,” (which would take away his freedom on the weekend).
Jacob explains, “Homeschool is geared to help you succeed in life.” He notes that homeschooling enables every kid to feed their interests and their goals. “If science is your big interest, you can spend your time taking more science classes; if math, take more math classes, or more history. With homeschooling you can choose what benefits you, tailor your learning to your interests, and there is plenty of space for things you want to learn.” He assures me that homeschool is not sitting in a room all day with no socialization. He describes a full and active schedule and relates that ever since second grade he has had tons of friends, has played plenty of sports, and has had many opportunities to work due to his flexible homeschool schedule.
In eighth grade, he joined a club that met every second Monday to learn a different EMS skill each time. For example, how to intubate a patient, or how to handle trauma. He entered a Wake County EMS cadet program in 2018, and, once completed, he was cleared to ride along with any medic. His flexible homeschool schedule enabled him to participate in the 12-hour EMS shifts that would not have been possible attending traditional school where he would have to be in a classroom every day. Through this program, he has become part of an EMS crew. He completes station chores, goes out on calls, and is allowed to do certain hands-on patient care.
His mom, Vanessa Wright, who also homeschools Jacob’s 14-year-old twin siblings, adds that “there are still boxes he has to check, but his schedule is flexible and can be arranged to spend certain weekdays volunteering as opposed to only having the weekends free.” She relates that Wake County has a huge number of homeschool teachers, classes, and resources, and “it is really about creating and picking your classes to achieve your goals.” She feels fortunate to live in this homeschool-friendly area, and notes that she has been in other states that do not have the same opportunities. She says the parent must guide their children, and she calls the homeschool parent an “educational opportunity provider.”
Jacob has fixed his sight on the end goal and has laid out his own detailed plan and path to receiving his bachelor’s degree in emergency medical science. He believes that when applying to college, his resume, grades and experience will far surpass a traditional school kid who only had time for one job. In addition to his EMS work, he has volunteered at the library and has had time during the school year to be an off-season summer camp worker. Right now, he already has well over 2,000 hours of community service. He feels college admissions will look favorably on all the volunteering and community service hours he was able to complete due to the flexibility his homeschool education has provided him.
With increasing numbers of parents working from home and children relegated to online classes during the height of COVID, statistics show that in our state, and especially in our county, many families have taken this opportunity to begin homeschooling. And our children are thriving.
