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By Patrick McIlheran
Ask Dave and Sara Smith why they decided to homeschool their kids, and they first mention the local public school being too understanding.
Their oldest son was in 7th grade, said Dave, and let a lot of uncompleted assignments pile up. No problem, said the teacher, reassuring the Howards Grove couple that he’d get “full marks” even on work turned in late.
The Smiths didn’t see that as educational: “Half of what they’re supposed to learn here is responsibility,” Dave said.
Then came COVID, with virtual lessons badly executed, and little hope for normality from the school district as fall 2020 approached. The Smiths, after conferring with homeschooling neighbors, took the leap. They committed the fundamentally parental act of opting for what their children needed.
There was more in between, said Dave. Gender politics wormed into the schools “even in our rural town,” with pronoun drama and notions about one’s sex being mutable. “And there’s zero discussion allowed,” he said. “You’re not allowed to question these things, or even discuss them.”
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