According to Mickey Muldoon of educationgadfly.net, there are nearly the same number of kids being homeschooled as there are in charter schools. Muldoon hopes recent support of homeschooling by presidential candidates is a sign that "homeschooling is finally going to get the education-policy attention it deserves."
President Obama has plans for education and supports charter schools, but does Obama support homeschooling? In his book The Audacity of Hope he said that the decision to homeschool should be honored and he was himself homeschooled for a time, although his official stance on homeschooling as an educational choice is unclear.
Candidates who appear to support homeschooling include
- Herman Cain
- Michele Bachmann
- Ron Paul
- Newt Gingrich
- Rick Santorum
- Rick Perry
- Mitt Romney
2012 Presidential Candidates on Homeschooling
Political blogger Shane Vander Hart reported that Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) visited Des Moines, Iowa earlier this year to court homeschoolers.
Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain
Herman Cain's message: “Get government out of the way.” He said that we need empowerment, not entitlement from our government. He further said that people addicted to entitlement rather than empowerment have loss the ability to pursue the American Dream.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
Michele Bachmann, who homeschooled her five children, said: "I may be 5-foot-2 and wearing a yellow suit, but I am one tough lady when it comes to protecting our freedoms." Bachmann gained popularity as a Tea Party spokesman. She describes herself as a constitutional conservative.
Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX)
Ron Paul received applause at the Iowa capitol when he said, "If we strictly followed the constitution we wouldn’t have a Department of Education.” Paul remarked on the part of the homeschool movement he likes best: that homeschooled kids are being taught respect for the rule of law and the Constitution.
Congressman Paul has sponsored a bill which would give families who spend money on education outside of the school system a $5000 per child tax credit. You can learn more about Ron Paul's support of homeschooling at his campaign website.
There are a few other presidential hopefuls who are likely to be supportive of homeschooling, including Newt Gingrich, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, R-Pa., Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.
Sources:
Dillon, Sam. "Obama to Wave Parts of No Child Left Behind." The New York Times, Sep 22, 2011.
Hart, Shane. "Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, and Ron Paul Court Iowa Homeschoolers." caffeinatedthoughts.com, Mar 24, 2011.
Zdechlik, Mark. "Michele Bachmann: From Home-Schooling Mom to Tea Party Rockstar." Minnesota Public Radio, June 14, 2011.
Muldoon, Mickey. "Republican Presidential Hopefuls Quietly Turning Homeschool Policy Into a Real Issue?" educationgadfly.net, Sep 2, 2011.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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