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Home Sweet Home School
� Sugar Land Magazine � Sugar Land, Texas 2006
January 15, 2006
By Kristi Pool
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Many Sugar Land Families Think Home Is The Best Place For Learning
�What are you doing at the library this early on a school day?�
It�s an innocent question that more and more kids in the Sugar Land area answer politely with two simple words, �I homeschool.� Chances are you know of a family that chooses to homeschool. Their numbers are growing at an
explosive rate.
Nationally, some put the number of homeschoolers close to 2 million, increasing by 10 to 15 percent each year. That makes homeschooling the fastest growing educational alternative in the country today. According to the
Texas Home Educators, there are more than 300,000 homeschooled children in Texas alone. Although it is difficult to estimate the total number of homeschoolers in the Sugar Land area, the numbers are growing each year.
Homeschooling regulations and requirements vary state by state. In Texas, a home school is simply considered to be a private school with no regulated requirements. Unlike some other states, Texas private schools are not
under the jurisdiction of the public schools. Texas homeschoolers enjoy many freedoms that homeschoolers in other more restrictive states do not.
Why Some Families Homeschool
There are many reasons why homeschooling families make a decision to keep their children out of conventional schools, either public or private, and take direct responsibility for their children�s education. Many have
basic educational philosophies or religious beliefs that are inconsistent with public or private schooling. Others begin homeschooling to provide a more regulated social environment for their child. Some families choose
homeschooling to customize a curriculum suited to their child�s interests, learning styles and needs. With the responsibility of solely educating one�s children, there are many issues to be considered, including time
commitment and personal sacrifice. Along with these concerns comes the question of what to teach. It simply comes down to researching the alternatives and deciding what is best for your family. To help with that
research, check out the Homeschool Resources Section in this issue.
According to the Texas Home Educators, there are more than
300,000 homeschooled children in Texas alone.
Submit your Sugarland news to [email protected].
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Magazine is a member of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, the
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Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and the Texas
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