Homeschooling is currently under attack from prestigious institutions. Recently, Harvard , the Washington Post , and HBO’s John Oliver have each targeted homeschooling for reasons ranging from allegedly poor academic standards to claims of abuse to fears of homeschooling’s unregulated nature. But try as they might to slander home education, the education choice movement will ensure that homeschooling — and its benefit to student learning — is here to stay.

About a half-century ago, homeschooling was an illegal education option for some families in the United States. However, due to tireless legal and legislative battles from homeschooling advocates, by 1992, all 50 states recognized homeschooling as a viable alternative to traditional public schooling. Nonetheless, homeschooling can become an unsustainable fiscal burden for many families because yearly homeschooling expenses, such as curriculum, supplies, field trips, and more, can range anywhere from $500 to $2,500 dollars .

But thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic disruption of K-12 education and overzealous teacher unions prolonging unnecessary school closures , educational freedom has boomed over the past three years. From 2021 to 2023, nearly 50 education choice programs were created or expanded across the country, going on what the American Federation for Children’s Nathan Cunneen correctly described as a three-peat. In 2023 alone, nearly two dozen states expanded school choice.

Many of these states established education savings accounts, or ESAs, that give families direct access to restricted-use scholarship accounts parents can use on various private educational expenses for homeschooling, such as instructional materials, tutoring, online education, special needs therapies, and more. Thirteen states now have ESAs, shifting the status quo regarding who receives funds for educating students from traditional public schools to students. Furthermore, this change will continue to accelerate in 2024 because states such as Idaho, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and others are expected to pass ESAs in their upcoming legislative sessions.

One consequence of more states adopting ESAs has been a rise in the number of students accessing diverse homeschooling models such as microschools , learning pods , or hybrid homeschooling . For instance, in October, the Washington Post released homeschooling data estimating that about 2 million-3 million children are homeschooled in the United States. Moreover, during the pandemic, the rate of white and Asian families homeschooling almost doubled. However, the most significant growth in homeschooling was observed among black families, with the number of black families choosing to homeschool their children, often through black-run microschools , surging from 3.3% to 16.1%.

The education choice movement, by removing financial barriers, has made sure homeschooling is no longer a fringe option used primarily by those from specific religious backgrounds. Indeed, the trajectory for the homeschooling sector points upward as families from all backgrounds increasingly seek to homeschool their children and enjoy the autonomy to tailor their student’s curriculum to various nonreligious themes such as arts, technology, or social justice. According to recent YouGov polling , the majority of parents and adults in the U.S. support customization for homeschooling. ESAs and direct funding have played and will continue to play a significant role in increasing accessibility.

Instead of bashing homeschooling and those who choose to do it as incompetent or abusive, critics should champion the flourishing models the homeschooling renaissance provides. Families already know the future of education does not lie in the one-size-fits-all traditional public school system. Critics would be wise to listen to them and support their work by advocating that all states pass ESAs so every student and family can take part in the customizable homeschooling sector that recognizes their unique gifts and qualities.

Cooper Conway is a contributor at Young Voices, focusing on education reform. Follow him on X @CooperConway1 .