Author Archives: David Armstrong

Homeschool participation trends matter because they show more than a change in enrollment. They point to families making deliberate choices about instruction, time, values, safety, academic fit, and community life. For parents who teach at home, the numbers can be encouraging, but they also call for steady planning: stronger co-ops, better library partnerships, clearer local communication, and learning plans that help children build knowledge across subjects.

During the 2024-2025 school … Read the rest

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit is drawing attention from private school and homeschooling families because it may affect how scholarships are funded for elementary and secondary education expenses beginning on January 1, 2027. As of October 12, 2026, it was not yet available for taxpayers to claim, so families should treat it as a planning topic rather than a benefit they can use right now.

For homeschool parents, the key … Read the rest

AI literacy courses became a clear priority for New York City high schools after the city announced on September 2, 2026, that high school students would receive required instruction twice per year while younger students faced tighter limits on student-facing generative AI. For homeschool families, the news is more than a public-school policy update. It is a useful signal that families need to teach children how artificial intelligence works, where … Read the rest

Recent New York regulations on literacy teacher preparation deserve attention from homeschool families, even though the rules are aimed at educator preparation programs rather than parent-led home instruction. For parents building reading, writing, history, and civics lessons around the kitchen table, the policy shift is useful because it names several practices worth studying: evidence-based reading instruction, assessment during real teaching, support for students with reading difficulties, and stronger preparation across … Read the rest

Homeschool legal protections moved forward in 2026 through a mix of federal recognition efforts and state-level rule changes. For parents, the practical question is not only whether a bill sounds friendly to homeschooling. The real question is how a law affects graduation records, college aid forms, withdrawal procedures, privacy, and the daily confidence families need to educate children at home.

As a homeschooling advocate, I see these developments as a … Read the rest

The Bilingual Teacher Shortage in California is not only a public school staffing issue. For homeschool families, it is a clear social studies lesson about language access, workforce planning, local partnerships, and how teenagers can be invited into public service before they finish high school.

California’s plan is especially useful for parents who want civics, geography, economics, and literacy to connect in one unit study. The state is trying to … Read the rest