SHOCK POLL: Most Parents Likely to Homeschool in the Fall, Many Teachers Won't Return

A new poll released by USA TODAY/Ipsos reveals that six in ten parents said they were likely to homeschool next academic year, with three in ten saying they are very likely. In a separate survey, one in five teachers may not return to schools when they open again in the fall. Two-thirds of teachers asked said that changes brought by the lockdown orders, in response to the CCP coronavirus pandemic, have made it impossible to do their jobs.

The report states:

If classrooms reopen this fall, parents by 59%-36% say they would be likely to pursue at-home options, such as an online classes or home schooling. By double digits, men were more likely than women to consider pursuing those alternatives. Those with lower household incomes were more interested than those with higher incomes, and racial minorities were more interested than whites.

Parents overwhelmingly acknowledged that teachers are working harder than in a normal classroom setting. More than four in five teachers said their jobs have become much harder, with 71% of parents saying the same. Interestingly, more teachers than parents think their students have fallen behind due to distance learning – 76% of teachers, versus 46% of parents.

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Both sets of poll respondents agreed, however, on one issue: 63% of parents and 65% of teachers believe schools will reopen in the fall. That’s not a high level of confidence, signaling a potential sea change in how American society chooses to educate its children.

Parents have had to make enormous adjustments. One third of small businesses that have ceased operation during the lockdowns don’t expect to be able to reopen—ever. For many parents, there will not be any jobs to return to when schools open up again, forcing difficult decisions for families all over America.

Teachers have had it rough too. As USA TODAY reports:

Almost all of them, 83%, say they are having a harder time doing their job right now, and two-thirds say they have had to work more than usual. Two-thirds also say they haven’t been able to do their job properly since starting to teach remotely, a task that most say they hadn’t been prepared well by the district to do.

The newest teachers, those who have been on the job for five years or less, struggled the most with distance teaching; 6 in 10 said they hadn’t been trained well for the task. The oldest teachers had the most difficulty dealing with technology. Among teachers 55 and older, 1 in 4 said it hasn’t been easy for them to use the technology required.

Many of those surveyed said that finding a vaccine is key to returning to normal school. About four in ten teachers and parents opposed reopening schools, while a virtually equal number favored reopening even without a vaccine.

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It’s important to revisit the point that racial minorities are more likely to homeschool than white parents. This has come up in survey after survey, with those in poorer socioeconomic condition seeking better alternatives to the typical public schools in these neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, school districts only now have started considering what school will look like in the fall. Parents, students, teachers, and everyone else will have to wait to determine their next move.