COVID-19: 5 Years Later

Five years ago this week, the Georgia school system, and our lives, shut down because of a global pandemic. The world changed that week, including schooling. Millions of children began homeschooling during 2020 and are continuing to choose to homeschool, but are they receiving the support they need to experience the greatest outcome? 

The Academy is designed to meet this growing, important population. Findings indicate that the families who are continuing to choose homeschool are generally making this choice based on concerns about safety, dissatisfaction with academics, and moral/religious education. These are engaged families who want the best for their children and are willing to go against the norm, take on a greater personal burden, and sacrifice for their children– noble endeavors that are producing success! 

Students in Covid-19 masks outside of school

Research finds homeschooled students score 15 to 25 percentile points higher on standardized tests than public school students, with 78% of studies showing academic superiority. Homeschooled students have a higher college acceptance rate at 87%, compared to 68% for public school graduates. Approximately 74% of homeschooled students pursue college education, contrasted with 44% from public schools. Notably, homeschooled students exhibit a higher SAT average score of 1190, while public school students average around 1060 (source).

Our vision is for these homeschool families to have the support they need through a standardized resource made available in every city throughout the United States–much like the standardized library system and public education system. The Academy aims to have a brick and mortar community learning organization (CLO) in every city throughout the US which will provide homeschool resources, support, teacher training and development, and community learning opportunities to every homeschool family. The homeschool opportunity will be made more accessible and more approachable through these resources and the tremendous benefits of homeschooling will continue to have an increased impact on the rising generation of US children in unprecedented ways.