Florida Homeschooling Surge Defies Public School Norms

In a quiet but powerful revolution, thousands of Florida families are reclaiming their God-given right to raise and educate their children according to their own values. The latest data from Florida’s Department of Education reveals a dramatic 46 percent increase in homeschooling over the last five years, with more than 155,000 students now learning at home. This remarkable shift is not just a statistic—it is a clarion call from parents who are standing up to protect their children from the corrosive influence of today’s failing public education system.

Make no mistake: this is a cultural moment of great significance. For years, traditional American families have watched helplessly as government-run schools have drifted further from the values that built this nation—faith, discipline, virtue, and patriotism. In their place, radical ideologies have taken hold: gender confusion, historical revisionism, and a celebration of victimhood over personal responsibility. But in Florida, families are saying, “Enough is enough.” And thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis and the support of a pro-family administration in Washington, they finally have the tools and freedom to act.

Governor DeSantis has not only defended the rights of homeschooling families, but actively championed their cause. From legislation allowing homeschooled students to participate in public school sports, to scholarship programs that empower parents to direct their own educational spending, Florida has become the model for educational freedom in America. As Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas rightly put it, no other state rivals Florida in giving parents the power to decide what is best for their children.

And what’s driving this exodus from public schools? The concerns are as varied as they are serious. According to data from the Pew Research Center, 83 percent of parents cite dangerous or unhealthy school environments—rife with peer pressure, drugs, and violence—as a key reason for homeschooling. But even beyond safety, many parents are alarmed by the deterioration of academic quality. Nearly three-quarters of parents surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the instruction their children were receiving.

But perhaps most telling is the profound emphasis parents are placing on moral and religious instruction. Fully 75 percent of homeschooling parents said they chose home education to provide moral training, and 53 percent cited the desire to teach their faith. This is not incidental. This is a clear and urgent response to the secularization of public schools, where God is banned from the classroom but radical ideologies are welcomed with open arms.

For decades, leftist ideologues have worked to undermine the authority of parents and centralize control over children’s minds. They have used the public education system as a Trojan horse—indoctrinating students in woke ideology, erasing the moral bedrock of our society, and replacing it with a relativism that breeds confusion and division. But the rise of homeschooling in Florida represents a hopeful counteroffensive. It is a return to the tried and true: family as the cornerstone of society, parents as the primary educators, and faith as the guiding light.

We must not overlook the broader implications of this movement. As more families embrace homeschooling, we are witnessing a rebirth of national pride and familial responsibility. Children raised in homes that value truth, hard work, and faith are the future leaders of this great Republic. They are being taught to love their country, to respect their heritage, and to hold fast to eternal truths in a world drowning in moral chaos.

This trend also stands as a rebuke to those who seek to dismantle the traditional family and replace it with state dependency. The left has long understood that control over education is key to reshaping society. But they underestimated the resolve of American parents—especially in states like Florida, where liberty is cherished and defended.

As we look ahead, let us pray that other states follow Florida’s example. Let us support policies that empower parents, protect family values, and restore moral clarity in our children’s upbringing. And let us never forget that the heart of this nation lies not in bureaucratic institutions, but in the homes, hearts, and hands of the American family.