El Paso Standard

Since March 2020 most people have been struggling with uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Questions of health, employment and financial security as the virus spread across the nation have posed challenges to many. 

For parents of school-age children, those challenges include uncertainties surrounding public school. According to a report by Texas 2036, approximately 250,000 students disappeared from the Texas public school system, with the majority of those choosing an alternative schooling method such as private school, virtual learning or home schooling. 

The factors behind the decision to withdraw from public school vary by family, but in 2020 they likely included concerns about children's health, scheduling conflict with parents' employment or frustration with the public school system. 

Some parents, however, have been home schooling since long before COVID-19 reached American soil, such as Raquel Ruiz, an El Paso mother of three who has been home schooling her children for more than five years.

"I really never thought I would home school my kids," Ruiz told El Paso Standard. "I was excited to have them start out their education in public school."

Ruiz, who received a private school education herself, grew concerned for her children when they encountered negative social influences entering middle school at their local public school. 

"Those weren't the values we were trying to teach at home," said Ruiz who describes herself as a person of faith. "I was pretty concerned about that."

Ruiz's idea of home schooling when she was growing up was of sheltered children with no social skills. For that reason she was skeptical of switching her own family to home schooling, but knew she had to stop the environmental elements her kids were exposed to in public school. 

"I said, 'if this is what it's gonna take to get my kids on a good track, then I guess it's worth it,'" she said. "I guess we're willing to sacrifice a lot for our kids."

Ruiz began searching for groups, people and resources for the switch to home schooling but was intimidated by the amount of information available. She eventually thought that all these smaller home schooling co-ops would be more effective as a collaborative effort. As a result, Ruiz founded and is the director of the El Paso Homeschool Association. 

The mother of three said the association is a valuable resource for any parent who has been in her position, frustrated with their children's current public schooling experience, overwhelmed by the information about alternative schooling and in need of a resource hub to help get them started. 

Since becoming a home schooling parent when her oldest (now a senior) was starting middle school, Ruiz's preconceived notions about the social aspects of home schooling have changed. Despite not being in the public school system, her children have been able to participate in extracurriculars such as basketball, field trips and art classes, much of it done through the home schooling community. 

"Kids can get together with other kids once a week, but you're not under that obligation of having to get up and go to school every day," Ruiz said. "You can still work on schoolwork the way you want to in your home, and then still have that social time with others."

For El Paso parents considering diving into the world of home schooling, Ruiz recommends browsing curriculums online, using free resources and contacting the association for guidance. 

One of this mother's biggest takeaways for prospective home schooling parents is that choosing to withdraw children from the public school system doesn't have to be a permanent decision. Ruiz's oldest child, who switched to home schooling in middle school, returned to public school in his junior year of high school. 

The structure, curriculum and scheduling needs of a home schooled family's children will vary but Ruiz says not to be discouraged by the days that don't go smoothly, to just focus on the parent-child relationship and remember what are your family's goals of home schooling. 

Ruiz also encourages two-spouse households to remember a home schooling parent is not necessarily a stay-at-home parent. 

"If you're a mom, and you're the one staying home with the kids more to home school, [your spouse] needs to understand that maybe the house didn't get picked up or maybe the laundry wasn't done on time because mom was working with the kids doing schoolwork," she said. "Sometimes home life can get a little topsy-turvy but it's really worth it because you're focusing on spending that time with the children."