Asking for Truth and Dialogue Amid Unfair Homeschool Control

By Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam

Recent reports have put homeschooling in West Virginia under the spotlight. Public Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt claimed that only 37% of homeschooled students submitted the required assessment scores for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11. However, this accusation raises more questions than it takes no responsibility for it and places the homeschooling community in a defensive position based on potentially erroneous information. data.

Homeschooled students did not have the opportunity to discuss these statistics with Superintendent Blatt before they were presented to the public. This public revelation has influenced opinions, not only among the public but also within the homeschooling community. This has forced homeschoolers to defend themselves against statistics that even Blatt admits may be inaccurate. This brings me to several concerns regarding the findings of the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE).

First, the data covers the 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years. Including the chaotic years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 is misleading. During this time, public schools were effectively closed by Governor Jim Justice, leading thousands of parents to temporarily turn to homeschooling. Our homeschooling classes increased more than tenfold, and many parents were unaware of the homeschooling laws or chose to ignore them. Most of these students have since returned to public schools. Public schools themselves struggled to track and supervise their students during this time. Including these years in the study skews the data, as the confusion was widespread for all West Virginia parents.

Second, including the 2023-24 school year in the statistics is fundamentally flawed. The deadline for submitting assessment results (June 30) has not yet been set. Thus, the WVDE can only reasonably draw data from the 2022-23 school year. That year was also marked by significant disruptions, particularly in Kanawha County—the county with the largest homeschool population in the state—where all records were misplaced and parents were asked to resubmit them. Were these missing records flagged as non-compliance? It is a known problem that county school boards frequently lose assessment results, and Blatt acknowledged in a recent email that managing these exemptions is extremely taxing for attendance directors. Reports from across the state describe lost documents, unretrieved mail, false information given to homeschooled students, and harassment and intimidation aimed at forcing children to return to public schools. How can we trust the statistics of a system that loses funding for every child removed?

Superintendent Blatt says the 37% submission rate is unacceptable, although schools are not required to act on unsubmitted assessments. This is a choice, not an obligation. Public school systems have chosen not to use the law already on the books and not follow up, even though state homeschooling organizations have long noted that county superintendents can choose to do so.

Additionally, WVDE data showing that 70 percent of students who left public schools were chronic truants begs the question: Why did they leave? Reports indicate an increase in bullying, suicides and unsafe conditions in public schools. Berkeley County, for example, has recently come under scrutiny for significant safety concerns, prompting many parents to remove their children for their well-being.

Blatt also mentioned the 6,000 children in the foster care system, suggesting a need to reevaluate homeschooling laws. However, given that the state generally denies homeschooling to foster children, this point seems irrelevant and intended to garner public sympathy. Furthermore, at a recent Wood County School Board meeting, board member Rick Olcott was quoted as saying, “The first thing we need to do is go after homeschoolers and get them back into the school system.” How can a system with such animosity toward homeschoolers be trusted with their statistics? This overt hostility only deepens the distrust between the homeschool community and the public education system.

There has been a public outcry from those who believe the homeschool community should face stricter regulation (despite West Virginia being one of the most heavily regulated states) to prevent child abuse. But where is the outcry for public school students who have been abused in the classroom or sexually manipulated by school staff outside the classroom? Why hasn’t there been a push for more regulation of school personnel?

The homeschool community has not been included in these discussions. As a result, incomplete data presented out of context paints an inaccurate picture, shocking the public and legislators by asserting a lack of accountability. It is essential to bring all the facts to light and engage with legislators to counter misinformation with logical and factual arguments.

Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, represents House District 19, which is comprised entirely of Putnam County. She has served in the House since December 2021 and is vice chair of the House Workforce Development Committee.