Last year, I wrote a working paper on the history of what I call “parent-driven education.” That is a term that “tries to capture any education option where parents act as teachers, administrators, funders, or hosts.” It’s a distinctly different approach than simply enrolling a child in a school, and it’s growing.

Essentially, the paper argues that the rise in significant parental involvement in educating their children and in parent decision-making about educational options is not entirely new. Instead, it’s a modern revival of what we’ve seen before in our nation, “now with modern features, innovative options, and public resources.” It traces the history of American education policy through the lens of parent-driven education, including, among many sections, education during the colonial days, the common school era, the early homeschooling movement of the 1960s, the modern education choice surge, and more.

The paper also recommends three specific reforms Utah lawmakers should consider: boosting funding for the Utah Fits All Scholarship, increasing parent access to information about curriculum and parent engagement, and improving open enrollment law and data.

Parents and policymakers alike may find the paper useful in understanding education policy, where we are likely headed, and what we should do next.

To read the full paper, find it here on Sutherland Institute’s Reports & Polling page.