Chapter 6: Through The Lens of Homeschooling: A Response to Michael Apple and Rob Reich

Michael Apple¹ and Rob Reich² speculate that the practice of homeschooling will have negative consequences for our society. Apple contends homeschooling contributes to the “withering” of our “very sense of public responsibility,” and Reich speaks of “the civic perils of homeschooling.” I wrote this response in anticipation of their participation on a panel at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA).³

Perhaps unwisely, I broached the topic of deregulation of home education at a recent family gathering. At the mention of the word deregulation, my sister-in-law gasped and exclaimed, “You’ve become a Republican!” Her comment amused me. I still consider myself a liberal, but I no longer believe that the state should have a role in the regulation of home education. My direct personal experience as a homeschool mom and homeschool advocate,⁴ coupled with my continuing explorations of the history and philosophy of education, provide me with a new lens—the homeschool lens—through which to view school issues.