Fields-Smith quoted in Christian Science Monitor on popularity of 'unschooling'
Cheryl Fields-Smith, an associate professor of educational theory and practice, was recently quoted in the Christian Science Monitor about the growing unschooling movement among African American families.
According to the article, the number of children being home-schooled has skyrocketed in the past decade. Education experts say this is because “unschooling is becoming a less risky choice for parents and increasingly represents a viable alternative to a public school system that has received a lot of bad press in recent years.”
In her study, Fields-Smith discovered that “many black families believe it is a greater risk to keep their children—particularly boys—in school than to take them out. These reasons ranged from the perceived quickness of administrators to label black boys as ‘troublemakers,’ to potential violence at schools, to a desire for a more holistic education at home.”