As local kids and families prepare for the new school year, for many, the classroom is at home.
While the kitchen table might be a homework spot for most local kids, all school work is home work for the Poindexter children in Chesapeake.
Mom, Meghan, says the decision to teach her girls at home was easy because it’s what she knew growing up too. Her husband, a public school product, didn’t need much convincing, she tells News 3.
“I enjoyed the freedom of homeschooling growing up and so I always knew that was something I wanted to offer my kids," Poindexter said. “We really try to make it feel like a comfortable environment. I’m not trying to recreate a classroom.”
To many families doing the same, homeschooling is a newer concept.
According to the Virginia Department of Education, there were 38,282 homeschooled children in the commonwealth in the 2019-20 school year. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number ballooned to close to 60,000, but has since settled closer to 51,000 for the 2022-23 school year. North Carolina reports an increase in homeschooled children too in that time.
It's easy to pinpoint the pandemic as a big factor, but the president of TEACH — Tidewater Educators Association for Christian Homeschooling — says interest in the group's programs is still growing much faster than in the past.
“TEACH has been around for a little more than 40 years," said Melissa Caldwell of the organization that provides support for homeschool families, like the Poindexters.
TEACH also has programming outside the home so kids can meet and share some of the same experiences as their in-classroom peers.
“Beach Breakers, which is our competitive middle and high school level sports. We play private schools and some public schools in the area," said Caldwell. "We have a prom once a year for homeschoolers and their guests.”
One of the big concerns families and advocates say they hear most is what drives many organizations to expand programming and opportunities.
“It’s a joke in the homeschool community. It really is because that’s the number one thing people say. 'Well, how are your kids going to be socialized?,'" said Wendy Archbell, Treasurer for co-op Homeschool Out of the Box.
The group brings children to a location to learn various subjects outside the home and their parents are required to not only be there, but volunteer, as well.
Archbell and fellow co-op parent, Elizabeth Spencer, met News 3 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, but the two moms are quick to point out that their organization is not affiliated with any religion.
Spencer teaches a handful of subjects and the group can design classes based on the interest of the students involved in the co-op. This semester, she's teaching engineering for kids ages six to eight.
“I have another one that is a chemistry class based on Harry Potter," she said. "Potions and transfiguration."
Both Spencer and Archbell are former classroom teachers and make a point to tell News 3 they're supportive of the public schools. It's just that for their families, learning at home was the better fit.
“My middle kid has sensory processing disorder, has ADHD and I personally know he would struggle in a classroom setting," said Archbell. “Everybody has their own reasons for choosing to homeschool and sometimes that does include…feeling like your child isn’t being met where they’re at.”
Homeschool, Archbell tells News 3, also allows for more flexibility with family vacations and the overall school schedule. She says her kids learn year-round.
Back at the Poindexter home, Meghan's girls spent the summer on break, with back-to-school season in full force.
“Refreshing all of our supplies like crayons, pencils, notebooks and all the things," she said.
One business she says helps is Moore Expressions in Virginia Beach. The decades-old store is run by former homeschool parents and officers a wide variety of curriculum books and supplies. Employees help families plan and find success in what they're going to teach.
Moore also sells new and used products at different price points.
Poindexter admits the costs can add up, especially for a single-income household.
“I’m blessed that my husband has a job that allows me to stay home. I know that that’s a privilege a lot of families don’t get to experience," she said. “I think that time that you get with your kids as a homeschool family is something you can’t get back and it’s something that I really treasure and cherish.”
Poindexter has an Instagram and Youtube page passing along what she's learned as a homeschool mom, offering advice to any family looking to take the leap into a different way to learn.
