Paper Short Abstract:

This study examines the precarity of public schooling in the US and why families are selecting homeschool as a viable alternative in times of uncertainty. Motivating factors and the quest for agency are explored as the connecting thread between such families.

Paper Abstract:

This study examines the precarity of public schooling in the US and why families are selecting homeschool as a viable alternative in times of uncertainty. Using grounded theory and qualitative methodology, this study uses sociological and anthropological perspectives to explore how families today are reimagining schooling alternatives. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated and catalyzed widespread fresh motivations, organizing power, networking competence, and justification for alternative educational approaches amongst increasingly diverse families opting out of mainstream US schooling. Whether the motivating factor is faith-based, safety-related, nature-inspired, or politically-driven as a way to reject neoliberal and colonizing curricula mandates, the quest for agency is explored as the connecting thread between such families. By examining current homeschooling trends in the US, this study provides a platform for international discourse on alternatives to traditional school models that support and reimagine transnational educational flows. The analysis draws on 16 interviews with parents who currently homeschool their children, data collected from three different homeschooling conventions, and multiple homeschooling social media platforms.