Education is a constantly shifting landscape, and the last few years have proven no exception: homeschooling is on the rise all across the country. Many parents are now taking charge of their children's education, making up what amounts to an informal teaching workforce.
But the stigma of homeschooling is strong and difficult to overcome — as academic expectations rise and digital tools change how kids learn and grow, some homeschoolers find themselves asking: would it be worth it to earn a formal education degree?
While most states don't technically require homeschooling parents to hold a teaching qualification, having one can bring a lot of meaningful benefits for children and parents alike.
The Changing Role of Homeschool Educators
First, let's take a glance at the current state of homeschooling as we know it today. In the past, homeschooling often centered on flexible, family-led learning that was mostly guided by parental intuition and community resources. While that still may be true in some cases, modern homeschooling is more sophisticated.
Today's homeschooling parents must navigate more rigorous state standards and college-prep expectations, more online curricula and learning platforms, and the challenges of bringing STEM, digital literacy, and social / emotional learning to their classroom environment.
In short, parents who homeschool often act as administrators, curriculum designers, and teachers all at the same time. This means understanding common methods of education as well as the psychology and technology involved in learning. That's a heavy responsibility and a lot of skills to master.
Do Homeschool Teachers Need a Formal Degree?
Do you need a formal degree as a homeschooling parent? As previously mentioned: technically, no. Most US states don't require homeschooling parents hold an education degree, but some states do For example:
- Texas, one of the least restrictive states, merely requires parents to teach a bona fide curriculum that covers reading, spelling, grammar, math and citizenship.
- Pennsylvania, on the other hand, is much more regulated: parents must submit an education plan, maintain portfolios and make sure their students undergo yearly assessments.
- New York requires filing an Individualized Home Instruction Plan as well as quarterly reports that must meet state standards.
Nonetheless, in many states it's not necessary to have an education degree or even a teaching license. But that's subject to change, and expectations for homeschoolers will increase nationwide as homeschooling itself becomes more common.
How a Formal Education Can Help Homeschoolers
However, there's more to getting a formal degree in education than just checking off a regulatory box. Getting formal training can improve the quality and confidence of your home instruction. Here are a few key competencies that having an education degree can grant you:
- Understanding educational psychology — learning how children develop cognitively and emotionally, so you can tailor lessons to each child's learning style
- Curriculum planning and pedagogy, so you can design lesson plans that will engage your students as well as meet developmental needs and academic standards
- Assessment and feedback — applying formal evaluation methods so you can meaningfully measure progress (or lack thereof) and work to fill the gaps
- Digital and inclusive learning tools — so you can understand, master, and integrate virtual platforms, adaptive technologies, and diverse teaching strategies.
Getting an education degree doesn't have to mean dropping everything else to obtain one -- you can pursue a BA in education online and study at your own pace, even putting the things you learn to use in your own curriculum as you go! The typical entry requirements for an online BA in education include a high school diploma (or equivalent), application forms, and possibly placement or transfer credits for previous coursework.
Career Opportunities
But there are even more perks when it comes to obtaining an online BA in education -- while you might start out homeschooling your children, but later on, when your children are older, you could potentially leverage that experience into a new career.
For example, you might get a certification to become a teacher and go to work in a public or private school, or become a private tutor or learning coach to provide specialized support to clients.
You could also potentially become a curriculum developer and design educational resources for schools, edtech companies, or some other organization. Graduates also sometimes become education consultants, working with families, schools, or other organizations to help them with strategy and learning techniques.
And if the technology side of things ends up being your strength, you could become an instructional technologist, implementing and supporting digital learning systems for schools or other educational settings.
Final Thoughts
A formal degree can be a powerful and versatile tool in your arsenal, and can continue to serve you even after your own homeschooled students graduate. With homeschooling on the rise in the US, the laws and requirements may not stay flexible forever, and it's worth looking into pursuing formal training to give yourself a strong foundation in teaching.
