The History of Homeschooling

[Will Williams]

The History of Homeschooling

Homeschooling in the United States has grown to include roughly two million students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Throughout the years, a diverse group of parents have chosen this educational alternative for their children. Here's a look at homeschooling history in America.

Homeschooling: Early History - 20th Century
The history of homeschooling in America is somewhat intertwined with the history and availability of public schooling. In Colonial America, a few public schools were established for boys. These were often associated with religious groups like the Puritans, who began to mandate basic public education. Up until the 18th century, though, most children in the United States received their education at home.

A one-room schoolhouse was a change from homeschooling in 18th-century American history.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw more students leaving homeschooling for the iconic one-room schoolhouse. By the mid-1800s, education reformer Horace Mann had spearheaded the Common School Movement, which sought to secularize and standardize public education. During the Progressive Era, attendance laws requiring secondary education were instituted.

Legal Challenges to Homeschooling
Since education is regulated by individual states, the laws governing homeschooling vary throughout the nation. In many cases, homeschooling—which meant the absence of children from a conventional school setting—was considered truancy by the state. Accordingly, homeschooling families have sometimes been forced to defend their educational choices in court, as evidenced in the following cases.

State vs. Levisen (1950)
In 1950, the State of Illinois pursued a truancy case against Marjorie Levisen, a Seventh-Day Adventist who opted to homeschool her daughter. The court ruled that this homeschooling arrangement could be considered a private school under Illinois law.

State v. Massa (1967)
In June 1967, the Superior Court's verdict in State v. Massa stated that parents in New Jersey could homeschool their children.

The history of homeschooling has been rife with legal challenges.
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
In Wisconsin v. Yoder, three Amish fathers following the dictates of Amish culture pulled their children out of school after the eighth grade. The U.S. Supreme Court determined in May 1972 that an exception to compulsory school attendance would be made for Amish children, in order to uphold their religious freedom.

Defending Homeschooling Families
Even when state governments and parents both have the best interests of children in mind, they may drastically disagree about how to educate them. In the early 1980s, groups like the non-profit Rutherford Institute were formed to help families outside of the mainstream, such as homeschoolers. In March 1983, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) was created to help members by answering legal questions and providing other legal assistance. HSLDA helped legalize homeschooling in Virginia in 1984; it also contributed to the official acceptance of homeschooling in other states.

Historical Trends in Homeschooling
Christian Homeschooling Movement
The Christian homeschooling movement started in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming more widespread in the 1980s. This arrangement gave parents a greater opportunity to impart their religious and moral values to their children. Conversely, it decreased the influence of the secular worldview on their children's education. Families of other faiths have homeschooled their children for similar reasons...

The Cosmotheist homeschooling movement started in the past decade and will become more widespread as Cosmotheist values replace Christian values and parents reject current Judaized public school indoctrination.

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