The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

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  • Kimberly Bellamy

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August 11, 2009

Homeschooling on the increase in N.C. and in Edgecombe County, too

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

More parents have decided to take responsibility of their child’s education by home schooling them, according to a reported released by the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education.

The increase isn’t significant with only seven more households deciding against public or private schools. From the 2007-08 to the 2008-09 school year, Edgecombe’s number of home school households increased from 154 to 161, and enrollment increased from 237 to 248 children.

Edgecombe’s addition in home schools mirrors a statewide increase of 41,042 from 38,367. Among the counties with the largest total of homeschoolers are Wake, Mecklenburg and Buncombe.

A home school is defined as “a non-public school in which one or more children of not more than two families or households receive academic instruction from parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household,” according to the state's General Statues.

The report didn’t reveal any evidence about the reasons for the increase in home school enrollment, but two Tarboro moms chose that route last year for similar reasons.

“She was having so much trouble with being distracted in the classroom, and having so many kids in the class,” said Denise Rogerson.

“I can teach and not have to worry about behavior problems.”

Rogerson home schools her 10 year-old daughter Erin who will be entering the sixth grade this year.

Michelle Sexton’s son Jacob is 11 and made the transition from Edgecombe County Public Schools to having the option of learning new concepts without leaving his bedroom.

“I felt like the environment he was in wasn’t conducive to the learning I wanted,” Sexton said.

“I felt like he could advance further … with one on one, I thought we could do a lot more.”

Both children have moved from being in a classroom with at least 20 kids and listening to a teacher to a sitting in front of a computer with their mom by their side.

Both parents use a computer-based curriculum, that still requires them to be assessed on their proficiency.

“They’re tested at the end of the year just as they are in public school, and he did excellent … well above grade level,” Sexton said.

More evaluation can be spent on who the student is doing in the independent setting of school.

“I can see her weaknesses as we’re going along daily,” Rogerson said.

The software the parents use for teaching their children has religious ties as well.

“We can also incorporate God into our lessons,” Rogerson said.

Although both Rogerson and Sexton have older children who are attending or have attended public school throughout K-12, they chose the home school option for their younger children but not without forgetting to engage them in social activities.

Rogerson belongs to a home school group in Rocky Mount called Charm, Erin will be starting band soon and both children participate in physical education at he YMCA in Rocky Mount.

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