The Homeschool Switch: Why One Woman Left Her Career as a Private School Principal
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former private school principal Mandy Davis came on Fox News to reveal why she chose to leave the school system behind and homeschool her kids.
“There are so many hands in education and in our school system, but really the hands that should matter most should be those of the parents and the students,” Davis said.
Movieguide® recently reported that homeschooling increased by 30% in the last couple of years.
To have a stronger say in what her children learn and how they learn it motivated Davis. The massive teacher shortage also had a huge impact on her decision to leave her principal role.
“I talk a lot about the current teacher shortages because it affects so much. It’s causing larger class sizes with a rise of discipline and behavioral issues in the classroom and the shortage of teachers; that’s not the type of balance we want to see,” Davis said.
“According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 45 [percent] of U.S. schools are operating without full teaching staff,” The Fox News anchor said.
“That number is only expected to go up. And you know what’s concerning as a parent is wondering who’s going to come into those roles, and we’re already seeing dozens of states moving towards changing certifications and licenses required to try to grow this pool of teachers. And I’m not sure that’s the best environment we want our children in,” Davis added.
“When teachers are saying, ‘I need to leave because I feel unsafe because there are so many curriculum changes because I can’t have support of my admin’ and essentially feeling out of control in their own classroom, that’s a reason for concern and a reason to look [at] what is happening in our schools today, “ Davis said. “That needs to concern us as parents, and even as a former educator, that was something that sounded the alarm for me.”
THE HOMESCHOOL AWAKENING, a documentary that features Kirk Cameron, also emphasizes the importance of parents’ roles in their children’s education. Movieguide®’s review said the documentary, “explores how parents can spend time with their children, educate them and develop their individual talents and skills, while inserting faith, fun and adventure into the mix.”
The documentary supplies that, “by homeschooling their children, parents can focus on the uniqueness of their children, which is known only to them. Also, children can spend more time excelling in their special talents or skills, instead of being slaves to a ‘cookie cutter’ curriculum.”
Like Cameron and the other parents in the documentary, Davis highlights how homeschooling is oriented toward her children’s specific needs. She recently posted on her Instagram:
✨ While the school system relies on schedules and pacing to accommodate a great mass of students, we have the freedom to personalize our children’s learning, without those constraints.✨
Taking every opportunity to prioritize character development, life skills, and personal growth, let’s break free from the belief that the pace of childhood is “one size fits all.”
Another one of her posts reads:
I have three very different children at three very different stages of development. While some may think that this makes homeschooling more difficult, I would argue that it serves our family all the better!
Throughout our days, homeschooling allows my children to have the flexibility to emerge themselves in their passions. Not pre-selected electives that may not be of interest or leveled appropriately to their learning, but the full availability to study and grow in areas they care about. ❤️
