Homeschooling interest on the rise in Kansas City as schools implement mask mandates
By Emily Holwick
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SHAWNEE, Kansas (KMBC) — School mask mandates have some parents considering alternatives to traditional classrooms. KMBC 9 spoke with a homeschooling group about the increased interest they’re seeing in the Kansas City metro.
Jacklynn Walters has been homeschooling her children from the start.
“I always said that when I had my own kids I would homeschool them,” she said as she sat in the classroom inside her Shawnee, Kansas, home.
In the last year, more families in the Kansas City area have joined her.
“Much more than before the pandemic,” she said. “That’s the reason my role was created, because there was this demand for it.”
Her role is with Midwest Parent Educators, a group offering support and resources for homeschool families.
Walters says school districts’ COVID-19 rules have some parents wanting out.
“Most of what we’re hearing are those that are not wanting the mask mandate and or possible vaccination mandate,” she said. “A lot of parents have voiced their opinion to the school board and feel like they’re not being heard and so they’re just looking for alternatives, and homeschooling is one.”
Walters says there are many ways to homeschool, from virtual programs to more traditional book learning. Families can tailor programs to fit their schedule and lifestyle.
“So even if a parent is working or working out of the home or whatever the options are, it’s flexible,” she said, “so you can school in the evening if that works better for your family.”
Walters is glad to see more people learning about a different way to teach their children.
“We’re excited to see homeschooling in a little more positive light than maybe it has been in the past,” she said, “and those parents that maybe thought that they couldn’t, realizing that they can, too, homeschool their children.”
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