Education
That other school choice
January 29, 2014
Brandon Dutcher
It’s National School Choice Week, and there’s been lots of discussion these last few days about some very important educational options — charter schools, online learning, vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, Education Savings Accounts, and more. But let’s not forget about another educational choice that is gaining in popularity: homeschooling. (Full disclosure: I’m hopelessly biased towards the homeschooled children featured in this FOX 25 report.)
What do Oklahomans think of homeschooling? A new survey released by the Friedman Foundation and OCPA contains a couple of interesting nuggets. The statewide survey was conducted by Braun Research, Inc., a firm which has been used by such research organizations as Gallup and the Pew Research Center. It has a margin of error of ± 4.0 percentage points. Oklahoma voters were asked: “If you know one or more families that homeschool their children, what is your impression of the quality of their education?” A plurality of voters, 45 percent, rate the education as “good” or “excellent,” while 28 percent say it is “fair” or “poor.” (The other 27 percent don’t know a homeschool family or didn’t give a response.)
By way of comparison, the same survey asked respondents to rate Oklahoma’s public school system. While 39 percent rate it as “good” or “excellent,” 58 percent say it is “fair” or “poor.”
Also of interest is the question below about what option parents would select for their own child. Eleven percent of Oklahomans say they would choose to homeschool.
