National Survey Finds African American Parents Twice as Likely to Be Affected by COVID Education Issues

"COVID-19 is not only impacting the health of adults in minority communities, but could have a large and lasting effect on the education of a generation of young people. African-American parents are clearly sacrificing and investing in the education of their children to ensure that COVID-19 does not create a lasting disadvantage. “ (Crossman)

BEND, Ore., Sept. 17 -- HomeschoolExpert.com, an online platform that equips parents with education resources and support, today announced the results of a national educational survey of parents with school aged children. The study found that African American parents were twice as likely to have reduced their work hours to educate their children compared to white parents.   66% of African American parents stated they have reduced work hours to support their children’s education, while only 33% of white parents have done so.

The primary reason?  Health and safety of their children.  56% of African American parents stated that they were “very” or “extremely” concerned with the health and safety of their children, making it their top concern, with only 40% of white parents concerned about health and safety.  The top concern for white parents was socialization at 42%, which was the second highest concern for African American parents at 52% saying they were “very” to “extremely” concerned.

The worries of African American parents are well-founded, with a recent CDC study finding that COVID-19 was disproportionately impacting the health of young people in minority communities.  

"COVID-19 is not only impacting the health of adults in minority communities, but could have a large and lasting effect on the education of a generation of young people. African-American parents are clearly sacrificing and investing in the education of their children to ensure that COVID-19 does not create a lasting disadvantage.  To see two-thirds of parents reducing work to support their children is both inspiring and heartbreaking, recognizing the impact it will have on the economic well-being of these families,” said Anne Crossman, CEO and founder of HomeschoolExpert.com. "It’s important that as a community we invest in supporting parents during this season who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”   

The concern is widespread among African-American communities-- 78% of parents were considering some sort of schooling at home, compared to 66% of white parents.   

The number one need cited by African American parents in teaching from home: training.  “Parents are  looking for resources to ensure their children have a healthy educational experience at home this year," Crossman said. "Arguably, the teacher is the most important part of a student's education--all the more reason for us to equip parent teachers to manage their children's school day at home.  We built Homeschool Expert to teach parents how to support their children’s education, no matter the background, so they can school at home confidently and with excellence."

In response to recent data about reduced work hours, and to support families in this stressful season, Homeschool Expert has reduced the cost of their training for parents by 40%. Homeschool Expert also announced that it will donate 10% of profits to nonprofit education programs to support the needs of at-risk students.

Homeschool Expert features a comprehensive variety of resources for both new and seasoned parent teachers, beginning with the video Quick Start Guide to get parents successfully homeschooling in under 25 minutes.  Following the Quick Start Guide is a video series that equips parents to homeschool confidently their first year with practical advice that takes less time to watch than a superhero movie.  The full video series includes monthly webinar "Expert Access" for parents to get continued training and support throughout the school year.  The website offers additional free resources, such as classroom printable, articles, and podcast interviews with experts.

Crossman’s latest book, "Homeschool Like An Expert," shares much-needed, practical insights on effective homeschool practices, supplementing the "Homeschool Like an Expert: Video Series" with additional tools and resources to help all parents educate at home.

For more information on Anne Crossman and homeschooling resources, visit HomeschoolExpert.com. For full survey results, click here.

About Homeschool Expert

Based on decades of extensive research and work with psychologists, behavioral specialists, educators, and expert homeschool parents, Homeschool Expert is a multi-channel online platform to equip both new and experienced homeschool parents to teach their children with excellence. 

The CEO and founder, Anne Crossman, is a former homeschooler who attended Stanford and Duke Universities (graduating from Duke with degrees in English and Education, with a focus in Psychology), taught in public high schools and military barracks, authored three books on education, and has been homeschooling her four children since 2006.  Crossman offers a perspective of education that is well-informed, rare, and highly valued.  For resources and more information, visit HomeschoolExpert.com. 

SOURCE Homeschool Expert