Education for Blacks

                A new study illustrates a variety of facts, among them is the fact that students do much better when their parents get involved in their education.  This particular study shows that Black students excel when their parents are involved in their education.   The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) released their study showing Black homeschool students get better scores on achievement tests than White students attending public schools.  The study is a “first of its kind” showing what happens when Black parents home school their children.

                Dr. Brian Ray, the researcher and president of NHERI studied Black families and their children who were homeschooled at least half of their school years.  As part of the study, the parents completed surveys about why they chose to homeschool their children, and their children took standardized academic achievement tests.

                “The Black homeschool children’s high achievement test scores were remarkable.  Parents without teaching certificates helping their children from a traditionally low-achieving minority group excel this way should cause all educators and social advocacy groups to take special note.”

                When comparing Black students who were homeschooled with Black students who attended public schools, the researchers found homeschooled Blacks excelled those attending public schools by the following percentile points:  reading (42), language (26), and math (23).  Researchers controlled for gender and family socioeconomic status.

                This study shows the great effects on students when their parents are involved.  Those parents who desire to “provide religious or moral instruction,” “transmit values, beliefs, and worldview to the child,” and “customize or individualize the education of each child,” as well as for their children to “accomplish more academically” can have great influence on how their children do academically.

                Antonio Buehler blogs about education; he also “works with homeschoolers to identify individual learning styles so parents can better tailor their homeschooling approach to their children’s capabilities and needs.  He also helps students who want to gain admission to a highly competitive college or university.” 

                Buehler wrote a guest post for Penelope Trunk about “why black kids should be homeschooled.”  “Homeschooling is by far the best alternative for most black children.  There are problems in public school for all children, but the institutional racism of traditional schools means that black children have the most to gain from homeschooling.

                “Today 15% of homeschoolers are minorities, but that percentage should escalate rapidly as parents begin to realize the benefits of homeschooling compared to the tremendous harm of public schooling.”

                Buehler listed the following reasons for why Blacks should be homeschooled:  (1) “Politicians sacrifice the black community over and over again.”  There are many government policies that harm Black families. 

                (2) “Public schools are still segregated” because “non-white students are disproportionately located in the worst schools in the country.” 

                (3) “Public schools expect less from black students.  A culture of low expectations surrounds black students on a daily basis…. While they are reminded that society has been extremely unkind to the black community, at the same time they are reminded that they must know their place in society, and that demanding equal treatment is disruptive, uncouth, and unacceptable.”

                (4) “Private schools are not a solution” because “stereotypes and biases exist in private schools as well.”

                (5) “Homeschooling solves a huge number of educational problems for black kids.”  Homeschooling “emphasizes their worth as individuals;” allows them to “learn to read … in a way that is relevant to them;” learn math from someone who expects them to do their best; study history and “learn about all the inspirational men and women who aren’t prioritized in the Euro-centric curriculum of public schools.  Instead of being told how stupid they are or how little is expected of them, they can be free to develop their unique talents to the best of their abilities."

                According to Jessica Huseman black parents are “increasingly taking their kids’ education into their own hands.”  She also discusses the fact that lower income families have a difficult time having one parent at home to do the schooling.  In other words, most families that homeschool their children have higher incomes and can afford to have a stay-at-home parent.  In spite of the difficulties, more black parents are opting to homeschool their children and they should be applauded for doing so.