Equal Access for Homeschoolers

There is an argument as to whether public schools should allow homeschooled children access to class offerings and extracurricular activities. Though this has occurred in other jurisdictions, it is not something that is currently available through Memphis or Shelby County schools systems. My questions would be why not? Parents of homeschoolers pay taxes in to the school system. It would, therefore, seem that their children would be allowed to receive services. There, of course, is the argument that schools receive funding based on their enrollment. Homeschool students are not counted in the enrollment numbers. Therefore, the amount of money per student would be less. While I do understand this argument, I do not see a problem. Could this not be rectified simply by charging homeschool students for the classes and/or activities that they take part in? There are an estimated 4,000 children in the Memphis area that are homeschooled. Think of the revenue that could be generated if schools allowed those students to play football, take art class, or work on the school newspaper for a fee. Don’t get me wrong. There is a vast array of classes, programs, and sports activities offered to homeschool students in the Memphis area. But, they are just a drop in the bucket in comparison to what would be available to students if the doors of the schoolhouse were open to then as well. But, let’s not forget the cost involved. Most homeschool families, by nature, are single-income families. Therefore, in most cases, there are a limited number of funds to provide experiences outside of the daily lessons. And, those experiences that are chosen have to be carefully weighed. Families must take into consideration not only the cost of the class, but the cost of transportation, materials, the age range permitted, and the quality of the program offered. Currently the Memphis Area Homeschool Association offers the following sports: archery, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, bowling, and swimming. What about the child that is interested in football? The sheer number of interested athletes needed is a deterrent to MHEA starting a team. Not to mention that once they have a team, they would have to figure out whom to play. As it stands right now, neither Memphis City Schools nor Shelby County Schools’ sports programs compete against homeschoolers. That leaves private schools, both in and out of the area, to take up the slack and not all of them do. On a different note, what do you do about the student whose parent is not equipped to teach advanced mathematics? Yes, it would be very simple to just hire a tutor. But, wouldn’t (or shouldn’t ) it be just as easy to allow the parent to pay the school system a fee per semester and let the child take the class on their campus? The homeschool students would benefit by receiving the lesson from a teacher trained in that field and the public school students would benefit from the diversity that the homeschool student would bring to the class. In addition, the school would benefit from the revenue generated. As the parent of two children that attend public school students and two children that are homeschooled, I have the unique opportunity of seeing this issue from both sides. My public school children are in high school and have always attended public school. They have participated in the band, played football, basketball, and softball, taken art, advanced mathematics and honors Spanish, learned to design and theater stage, play chess, and how to crochet. I am forever grateful for the things they have learned in public school and the opportunities they have been given to do so. On the other hand, my homeschooled children are both elementary age. They have taken taekwondo, traveled without regard to the school calendar, participated in matinee productions of area plays, taken art classes at the Brooks Museum and science classes at The Pink Palace and Memphis Zoo. Again, I am grateful for the opportunities they have been given by being homeschooled. However, as they approach middle school age, I am finding that I wish I could send them to school just for band or just for art. Alas, they cannot. So, for now, I will continue to homeschool and drive to the different classes that I pay for my children to attend. For, above all else, their academic education is what is most important and, sadly, I am not ready to entrust that to my local school.