NYC Homeschooling in the News
Recently the New York Post interviewed me and some NYC families for a homeschooling article published September 9, 2026, with the headline: Homeschooling explodes 200% in NYC as frustrated families reject Big Apple’s failing public school system.
The article states more than 14,000 children are currently being homeschooled in New York City. I was interviewed as a homeschooling expert, and selected quotes were included in the article. «
“So many students are in large classes where they feel intimidated to raise their hands, and parents come to me asking, ‘Why is my smart kid so unhappy at school?’” longtime New York homeschooling advocate Laurie Block Spigel told The Post. »
I’m sure I said “unhappy,” but I remember thinking, “struggling.” Schools are more than overcrowded; they are intimidating and can even be cruel, but they are also boring. Standardization in a test-driven system has taken all the joy out of learning. When learning feels like an enforced chore instead of a personal adventure, something is seriously wrong! Forced to submit to endless boredom and meaningless tasks, students learn to hate every subject. I’ve heard public-schooled students say they never read an assigned that they liked. The article quoted me correctly when I said, [Schools are] “teaching students how to write badly and how to hate reading.”
Local families graciously volunteered to be interviewed and photographed for this article. Seeing photos of kids learning in the park, in museums, at home relaxed and at ease, and doing hands-on projects, reminded me of my family many years ago when we started homeschooling. Once school was out of the picture, my kids were able to create personal relationships with their learning, find excitement in pursuing their curiosity, and ended up finding their direction much earlier than I had thought possible.
There are a couple of things in this article that I disagree with. A clinical psychologist is quoted as saying, “Parents need to think carefully about what their child might lose as well as what they might gain. … Schools provide access to different teachers, specialists, group learning, activities and a wide variety of social situations.” What the psychologist doesn’t know is that all of those elements are available to homeschoolers, who qualify for special services from the DoE, and have access to a vibrant community that offers plenty of social interaction. I had no regrets when my kids traded school for homeschooling. In fact, within weeks I realized it was the best decision of our lives. What we gave up was a stressful, anxiety-riddled reality where very little learning happened, and traded it in for a world of endless learning opportunities. This psychologist may be under the wrong impression, as many are, that homeschoolers have only one teacher (a parent), no social life, and learn only from their parent at home. My homeschooled kids had way more teachers than when they were in school, and far better social opportunities. They took classes all over NYC, including afterschool activities, free college classes through College Now at CUNY, classes at homeschool learning centers, and they attended high school proms and graduation ceremonies for homeschoolers.
I disagree with the closing comment in the article: “Unfortunately, most New York families currently have no practical way to leave the system, unless they are wealthy or super-determined parents can homeschool.” It’s true that if both parent work and have no childcare available for their young kids, they will likely not be able to choose homeschooling. The truth is that most parents sacrifice income in order to homeschool and many do it on very little money. When I started I was so broke, we couldn’t afford bus fare. We walked everywhere, and quickly discovered the educational riches of NYC that are free for the taking. Our library system, museums with free days, historic sites and more, quickly became part of our homeschool curriculum. Homeschoolers now get metro cards so they can travel to and from classes and activities for free. Every parent wants their kids to have friends, and every homeschooler knows they can’t do it alone. It takes a community to make it work. Classes and activities are organized by homeschooling parents (many who are educators), and any parent can create a class or group activity that works for them and their kid and invite others to join. Far from being only for the “wealthy or super-determined,” homeschooling can be accomplished with just a library card, computer access, and connection to the local homeschooling community.
Thanks to Marissa Mattozo, NY Post Reporter, who was a pleasure to speak with, and who kept an open mind when talking to me and families.
Here’s the article.
For more information on homeschooling in NYC, find articles on the HomeschoolNYC Page.
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