TYLER, Texas — In July 2019, the Texas Home School Coalition processed 201 withdrawals. Fast-forward to July of this year, they have processed more than 3,100 withdrawals. That's almost as many withdrawals as were processed in the 2019 calendar year.
Now, some parents are choosing to homeschool their children for the first time because of the coronavirus.
If we've learned anything from COVID-19, it's that anything can happen in a pandemic. It's those unknowns that got a lot of parents thinking and ultimately making the choice to keep their children at home.
For some, homeschooling is something they've never considered until now. For others, the pandemic provided that certain nudge.
"With this COVID, it just caused my husband and I to look inward and say – 'what are the things we will regret not doing when we are 60?'" Jasmine McGown, mom of two, said.
A new school year brings new possibilities, but in 2020 with the pandemic never far from our minds, that means something different for everyone.
"Like let's look at that and do it now, and really being able to pour into our family," MCGown said.
The McGown family is making the move to East Texas from North Texas. That means a new school and a new teacher for their daughter, Faith. You remember that excitement.
"I'm going to be her teacher," Jasmine said. She's taking a leap with Faith. "It's always something that's been in the back of my mind."
However, the coronavirus brought it to the forefront. Jasmine will now be homeschooling her soon to be third-grader and plans to do the same for her son when he's old enough.
The Morning Loops Dana Hughey asked, "Do you think, had COVID not happened that this would have happened so quickly?"
McGown says, "no, for sure, hands down no. Because there was nothing wrong, We loved her teachers and her teachers loved on her. You can tell when there is a genuineness there, and they have a love for your family."
But going back to school just didn't seem practical for the McGowns.
"When it came to littles, they're lovey dovey. They like to braid each other's hair. They like to hug on their teachers. I just felt like it might be more of a torture to send my child to school than they need the social. I feel confident enough that I can orchestrate those things for her in a safer manner for her than the school has the capacity to do," McGown explained.
She shares the same concerns as many other parents. There's no vaccine and still so many people testing positive for the virus in Texas, and some who won't make it. There's always that possibility someone could test positive for coronavirus at school.
"I think the realization so many of the decisions made on behalf of our families are financially and politically driven. Both of my sisters are still in education and just watching them have to make decisions, basically coming down to my family or my job," McGown said.
"Then the TEA made their announcement that they were going to do in-person school. Our volume went from about 300 families a week to 900 families per week," Tim Lambert, President of the Texas Home School Coalition, said.
The Texas Home School Coalition is a non profit helping families navigate homeschooling, and this summer, they've been busier than ever before.
"That's really being driven by the uncertainty. So, there's uncertainty in the virus and how it effects children and uncertainty in terms of what are the schools going to do," Lambert said.
The THSC realized back in the spring that Texas families would be thrust into homeschooling that they never intended on, so they put together a resource – coronavirushomeschooling.com.
"So we put up lesson plans and videos and tips and tricks for parents in kindergarten through 12th grade and we had between 6,000 and 7,000 families who signed up for those," Lambert said.
Since then, interest in homeschooling has sky rocketed.
"This is not just Texas this is all over the country – we saw poll numbers from people who did this in the spring that 30 to 40% of people would consider continuing to homeschool because they found it worked better for their family, and it was much more we can target it or tailor it to our children," Lambert said.
"I have a little girl. She is going to be due for kindergarten next year. I am a very big proponent of education, but also of hands on learning and letting kids be tactile at a young age and she needs that, you know little kids need to play," Sam Gurney said.
Sam Gurney is a mom looking to the future.
"This will be kind of a good year to see what it's like out there from a distance, but next year, when that choice has to be made, if it's as distracting as it looks like it might be, I will be keeping her home," Gurney said.
Sam is concerned how social distancing and restrictions put in place to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus in schools could disrupt the education process, not just this year, but in years to come.
"Some of the classroom time and even recess time my aunt in California has described to me has been very strict," Gurney said. "That's not the recess I want her to know. I want her to maintain playing with others, and learn how to share and problem solve in a group setting."
Sam is already connecting with other East Texas homeschool moms through Facebook and will be looking for a co-op and curriculum that fits their education style. However, she's not alone. Jasmine's doing the same and she's already settled on a curriculum as their family prepares to settle in Lindale.
"I feel like if I've learned nothing else you need a support system, and so we are already going through so many changes as a country as a family, I knew I would need other moms, she said. "Before I even get down there, I want to reach out and make those connections not just for me but for our kiddos."
In a time where so many people are worried about what the future holds for their children, Jasmine says "I'm excited I get to see in real time her little light bulb going off."
These moms are looking forward to the lessons they'll teach and even, lessons learned.
"As far as what I wish for this short time period, God willing, short time period in our history, I hope that she learns grace. I hope that she can get a really good handle on compassion," Gurney said.
If you have any questions or something you want Dana to look into for Lessons Learned, email her at education@cbs19.tv.