HOMESCHOOLING ON THE RISE: Retta Dunlap, who runs the Vermont Home Education Network, tells listeners that homeschooling is growing nationally and in Vermont.

ESSEX JUNCTION — Last week the advocacy organization Parents’ Rights in Education held a presentation as part of a series of discussions raising awareness of disturbing trends in educational instruction — and what parents can do about it.

Attending the event were about 50 Vermonters who visited Holy Family Parish Center to get details on what is being taught in public schools, and how parents can get involved.

The event’s speakers warned that far-left social justice agendas are being taught in national education policy, and that it can be difficult to prevent even when parents opposed to that instruction gain control of local school boards.

One bit of good news for parents who don’t want politics in the classroom is that the homeschooling trend continues to grow, even in Vermont.

Homeschooling is growing locally and nationally

Retta Dunlap, who runs the Vermont Home Education Network, spoke on the latest trends in homeschooling. Homeschooling effectively doubled in Vermont during the COVID-19 shutdown, and that rise has remained steady even after public schools reopened for in-class instruction.

Dunlap discussed how homeschooling groups, and the rights they have, are backed by numerous legal precedents going back to the early 20th century, and even the 1800s. One such case was Com v. Roberts, a ruling in 1893 that pertained to parents who sent their child to a school that wasn’t approved by their local school committee.

“Well they went to the Supreme Court, the court sided with the parents,” Dunlap said. “They said the object of the compulsory attendance statute has been that all children be educated, not that they be educated in any particular way.”

Dunlap noted that while some have advocated that homeschooling families get vouchers from the government, she opposes it. While taxpayer money could be helpful for families struggling to homeschool kids, she said public funding is often how special interests introduce their agendas in the curricula.

“If you allow them to destroy our [home schooling], then you have a bigger problem,” she said.

Engage with local school boards

Tara Ferf Jentink, the Vermont affiliate leader for Parents’ Rights in Education, also spoke at the event. She got involved in education after hearing about the growing politicization of public education, and now encourages other parents to become active.

“So many things are falling right through the cracks because of a lack of involvement and questions being asked by parents,” she said. “It’s OK to ask questions. I know there’s the intimidation factor, I know there’s fear of retaliation.”

PUBLIC SCHOOL INDOCTRINATION?:  Tara Ferf Jentick, who is the Vermont Affiliate Leader for Parents’ Rights in Education, detailed how schools are being pressured both from local activists as well as national curricula writers to implement social justice messaging to kids.

Ferf Jentink shared her story of confronting her local board and superintendent over social justice education and the lack of transparency with parents. The response she received was not reassuring.

“The principal sat there and said, ‘Well, we are being transparent with you now.’ Now that’s not something that a parent wants to hear.” she said. “… The trust had been broken between the teacher and parent. … Now my red-flag meters were going off the charts.”

Ferf Jentink added that Vermont law does not require the education of the social justice material currently being debated. The importance of this is parents therefore have the right to opt their children out of certain classes, such as health classes that, she said, have become more about politics and gender ideology than about health.

A detransitioner may visit Vermont

She also shared the story of Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who has been speaking out about her experience. She quoted Cole, who said, “It is impossible to recoup what I’ve lost, but I will be sure that no child will be harmed at the hands of these liars and mutilators.”

Ferf Jentink said she hopes Cole will come to Vermont this summer to share her story in a future forum.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.