For four decades, the number of conservative parents who homeschool their children has risen. But unlike others who teach at home, conservative homeschool families and organizations have amassed an army of living-room educators ready to defend their right to instruct their children as they wish, free from government intrusion. Through intensive but often hidden organizing, homeschoolers have struck fear into state legislators, laying the foundations for Republican electoral success. In Homeschooling the Right, the political scientist Heath Brown provides a novel analysis of the homeschooling movement and its central role in conservative efforts to shrink the public sector. He traces the aftereffects of the passage of state homeschool policies in the 1980s and the results of ongoing conservative education activism on the broader political landscape, including the campaigns of George W. Bush and the rise of the Tea Party. Brown finds that by opting out of public education services in favor of at-home provision, homeschoolers have furthered conservative goals of reducing the size and influence of government. He applies the theory of policy feedback—how public-policy choices determine subsequent politics—to demonstrate the effects of educational activism for other conservative goals such as gun rights, which are similarly framed as matters of liberty and freedom. Drawing on decades of county data, dozens of original interviews, and original archives of formal and informal homeschool organizations, this book is a groundbreaking investigation of the politics of the conservative homeschooling movement.

Homeschool the right way from day one. Are you considering homeschooling for your family? Today, many parents recognize that their child's school options are limited, inadequate, or even dangerous, and an increasing number are turning to homeschooling. But where do you start and how do you ensure the highest-quality educational experience, especially in that pivotal first year? This comprehensive guide will help you determine the appropriate first steps, build your own educational philosophy, and discover the best ways to cater to your child's specific learning style, including: ·When, why, and how to get started ·The best ways to develop an effective curriculum, assess your child's progress, and navigate local regulations ·Kid-tested and parent-approved learning activities for all age levels ·Simple strategies for developing an independent child and strengthening family and social relationships ·And much, much more! "To the thousands of requests we receive for help from families new to homeschooling, we will now recommend this warm and knowledgeable book. It will ensure that all families make it to the second year—including yours!" —Elizabeth Kanna, editor in chief, Homeschool.com "Linda Dobson addresses all the issues facing parents as they consider the task of homeschooling over other educational options. Those who wonder whether they really can or want to do the job will find unique perspectives in this well-researched work."—Beverly K. Eakman, author and cofounder, National Education Consortium

The Wiley Handbook of Home Education is a comprehensive collection of the latest scholarship in all aspects of home education in the United States and abroad. Presents the latest findings on academic achievement of home-schooled children, issues of socialization, and legal argumentation about home-schooling and government regulation A truly global perspective on home education, this handbook includes the disparate work of scholars outside of the U.S. Typically understudied topics are addressed, such as the emotional lives of home educating mothers and the impact of home education on young adults Writing is accessible to students, scholars, educators, and anyone interested in home schooling issues

In Homeschooling: The History and Philosophy of a Controversial Practice, James G. Dwyer and Shawn F. Peters examine homeschooling’s history, its methods, and the fundamental questions at the root of the heated debate over whether and how the state should oversee and regulate it. The authors trace the evolution of homeschooling and the law relating to it from before America’s founding to the present day. In the process they analyze the many arguments made for and against it, and set them in the context of larger questions about school and education. They then tackle the question of regulation, and they do so within a rigorous moral framework, one that is constructed from a clear-eyed assessment of what rights and duties children, parents, and the state each possess. Viewing the question through that lens allows Dwyer and Peters to even-handedly evaluate the competing arguments and ultimately generate policy prescriptions. Homeschooling is the definitive study of a vexed question, one that ultimately affects all citizens, regardless of their educational background.

Estimates suggest there are around 1.5m Americans who have turned to homeschooling for their children (and this is probably a significant underestimate). Whether this is due to a perceived failing in the state education system, religious or political convictions or the need to accommodate some special need of the student or family, it is an issue that causes controversy and, undoubtedly raises very serious questions about the state of future generations of American citizens. Advocates of the system claim it improves the education of the child, shapes it more to their needs and aptitudes and leads to a more rounded individual experience. Critics claim it undermines the public school system, makes children more narrow and prejudiced in their outlook and doesn’t offer any significant advantages academically. So who is right? As with all such debates there is a high degree of subjectivity involved when assessing claims and counterclaims. It is difficult to substantiate or disprove a lot of these and not enough objective, scientific research has been conducted to come up with conclusive results either way. Many who have used the system are very happy with the results though they assert it is hard work and requires lots of commitment (and often cost). A few are honest enough to admit there are considerable drawbacks and that the concept is not suitable for everyone – adults or children. A lot of its critics are opposed to it on political grounds claiming it is a reactionary idea that breeds inequality and perpetuates right-wing principles. Others oppose the association with religious beliefs, though there is no strong evidence that this is a major factor in most decisions to homeschool. Homeschooling has had a long, hard road to acceptance. It has been equated with truancy and illegality and has been criticized and pilloried often by people who know little about it. Its practitioners have been branded as ‘kooks’, religious fanatics, right-wing pedagogues and many other things. Some of these accusations might be founded but the average homeschooler is probably none of these. In fact they are probably just that – average. Many will agree it is a parent’s right to give their children the best possible education and it is an issue of choice, freedom and independent thinking. Whether this is largely beneficial or detrimental will ultimately be down to the perspective of individuals as they consider the pros and cons.

Your one-stop resource for information, insight, and inspiration. More than forty veteran homeschooling parents help you foster your children's moral and spiritual development, teach kids in special circumstances, and handle other common problems homeschoolers face.

Over twenty years after the 1989 UN General Assembly vote to open the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) for signature and ratification by UN member states, the United States remains one of only two UN members not to have ratified it. The other is Somalia. Child Rights: The Movement, International Law, and Opposition explores the reasons for this resistance. It details the objections that have arisen to accepting this legally binding international instrument, which presupposes indivisible universal civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, and gives children special protection due to their vulnerability. The resistance ranges from isolationist attitudes toward international law and concerns over the fiscal impact of implementation, to the value attached to education in a faith tradition and fears about the academic deterioration of public education. The contributors to the book reveal the significant positive influence that the CRC has had, despite not being ratified, on subjects such as educational research, child psychology, development ethics, normative ethics, and anthropology. The book also explores the growing homeschooling trend, which is often evangelically led in the US, but which is at loggerheads with an equally growing social science-based movement of experts and ethicists pressing for greater autonomy and freedom of expression for children. Looking beyond the US, the book also addresses some of the practical obstacles that have emerged to implementing the CRC in both developed countries (for example, Canada and the United Kingdom) and in poorer nations. This book, polemical and yet balanced, helps the reader evaluate both positive and the negative implications of this influential piece of international legislation from a variety of ethical, legal, and social science perspectives.

This is a lively account of one of the most important and overlooked themes in American education. Beginning in the colonial period and working to the present, Gaither describes in rich detail how the home has been used as the base for education of all kinds. The last five chapters focus especially on the modern homeschooling movement and offer the most comprehensive and authoritative account of it ever written. Readers will learn how and why homeschooling emerged when it did, where it has been, and where it may be going. Please visit Gaither's blog here: http://gaither.wordpress.com/homeschool-an-american-history/

An in-depth look at the global movement to curtail LGBTI rights—and how the LGBTI movement responds to it In the past three decades, remarkable progress has been made in numerous countries for the rights of individuals marginalized due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. The advancements in LGBTI rights can largely be attributed to the tireless efforts of the transnational LGBTI-rights movement, forward-thinking governments in pioneering nations, and the evolving human rights frameworks of international organizations. However, this journey towards equality has been met with formidable opposition. An increasingly interconnected and globally networked resistance, backed by religious-nationalist elements and conservative governments, has emerged to challenge LGBTI and women's rights, even seeking to reinterpret and co-opt international human rights law. In The Global Fight Against LGBTI Rights, authors Phillip M. Ayoub and Kristina Stoeckl investigate this complex landscape, drawing from over a decade of in-depth fieldwork and over 240 interviews with LGBTI activists, anti-LGBTI proponents, and various state and international organization actors. The authors explore the mechanisms and strategies employed by the conservative transnational movement, seeking to understand its composition and the construction of its agenda. With a wealth of empirical evidence and insightful analysis, this book is a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in understanding the ongoing global battle for LGBTI rights.

Homeschool leader Christopher Klicka documents the modern history of the homeschool resurgence in America, profiling the legal issues as well as the tireless champions of this education movement.