An Economic Theory of Home Schooling offers a fresh and timely analysis of home schooling in the United States, framed in a way that challenges conventional narratives about education and family choice. The book opens with a historical overview of home schooling, contextualizing its emergence as a viable educational alternative amid growing dissatisfaction with public schooling. Baugus posits that the rigid structures of standardized K–12 education fail to accommodate the diverse values and needs of American families, thus creating a fertile ground for increased interest in home schooling.
Baugus begins by tracing the history of home schooling in the United States, highlighting its evolution from a fringe practice to a mainstream option for families. This historical context is vital, as it illustrates how societal shifts, including changes in family dynamics and increasing parental engagement in educational choices, have contributed to the growth of home schooling. The author connects these trends to broader societal issues, such as the quest for academic quality and parental autonomy, which resonate with contemporary debates surrounding educational policy and the current school choice movement. Baugus also notes that the Covid-19 pandemic, which essentially forced many parents to simultaneously begin schooling from home and examine the content of their children’s curricula, has shifted how typical parents think about home schooling. The history the author describes is as much a change in mindset as a change in practice.
The book's central argument is that the public school system, bound by bureaucratic constraints and a one-size-fits-all approach, is ill-equipped to meet the diverse needs of a politically and religiously varied populace. Baugus argues that public schools’ inability to address individual learning needs drives parents toward home schooling, where they can tailor educational experiences to their children’s unique interests and aptitudes. This perspective reframes home schooling from a mere alternative to public schooling into a legitimate response to systemic failures in the traditional educational framework.
One of the most compelling aspects of Baugus’ work is his use of important thinkers ranging from Elinor Ostrom to Israel Kirzner in his analysis of home schooling. He draws on concepts from entrepreneurship and market dynamics to illustrate how home schooling operates within a decentralized, polycentric framework. Unlike the centralized bureaucracy of public schools, which can stifle innovation and responsiveness, home schooling fosters a network of cooperation among parents, educators, and community resources. This decentralized structure enables families to form co-ops and informal learning groups that provide diverse educational opportunities, ranging from academic subjects to extracurricular activities like sports and the arts. Later in the book he even applies insights from public choice to explain political opposition to the home-schooling movement.
The application of entrepreneurship theory is especially thoughtful and interesting. Baugus presents different models of entrepreneurship: Schumpeterian creative destruction, Kirznerian alertness, and Baumol’s notion of radical innovation. The book includes explanations of how, in other cases at different times, home schoolers have taken on the functions of entrepreneurs. Many home schoolers fit the Kirznerian description, by simply being alert to an opportunity to better educate their children while providing more flexibility to seize new opportunities as they arise. Some home schoolers are engaged in creative destruction, in that markets have emerged for curricula and pedagogies to help parents fill in gaps in standard K–12 education. A good example, and one familiar to many readers of this journal, is innovation in economic education and teaching political economy to children. Typical public and private school curricula do not emphasize thinkers like Frederic Bastiat, F.A. Hayek, or Leonard Read. However, many home schoolers can integrate what Peter Boettke calls “mainline economics” (2012, Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,Independent Institute, p. xvii) into their children’s education through materials provided by the Foundation for Economic Education, Hillsdale College, Libertas Press, and others.
The book also dispels some myths surrounding the topic. Baugus effectively counters the common critique of home schooling—that it inadequately socializes children—by demonstrating that home schooling, in practice, often involves vibrant social networks. These networks not only provide academic instruction but also facilitate a rich array of social interactions and collaborative learning experiences. By leveraging community resources, home schooling families create an educational environment that may, in many cases, surpass the social opportunities available in traditional schooling settings.
Another significant contribution of the book is its exploration of innovation and flexibility inherent in home schooling. Baugus argues that the absence of a standardized curriculum allows parents to experiment with educational methods, thereby fostering creativity and individualization in learning. This flexibility is crucial in a world where educational possibilities continually evolve, with technological advancements and the emergence of new career paths. The author posits that home schooling encourages a more responsive and adaptive form of education that can better prepare children for the complexities of contemporary life.
Baugus’ insights align with broader discussions in education about the importance of adaptability in learning environments. By examining how families navigate the complexities of home schooling, he highlights the potential for significant advancements in educational practices that prioritize student agency and personalized learning.
The narrative is enhanced by a number of vivid anecdotes of home-schooling parents, often reluctant. For example, the story of Alicia Knight and her son Roger describes how a child convinced his parent that the public school was neither addressing his learning difficulties adequately nor challenging him where appropriate. His mother, who had at one point vowed never to home school, changed her mind when she saw how great his struggles were becoming. But she also found that home schooling freed her son to read and learn more broadly than he had been able to in public school. The basic story is that by being allowed to pursue his intellectual interests, Roger developed a love of learning that spilled over to the other subjects that previously were so difficult for him.
While Baugus’ economic analysis is innovative, the exposition of his ideas can be unnecessarily complex. Many of the figures used to present his analysis are overly abstract and, at times, difficult to interpret without carefully reading the accompanying text. For readers unfamiliar with the economic concepts presented, these visualizations may serve to obscure rather than clarify the underlying arguments. In several instances, the explanations in the text are sufficiently clear that the visual aids feel redundant, if not confusing.
This disconnect may detract from the book’s accessibility, particularly for readers who might benefit from a more intuitive grasp of the economic theories being discussed. While Baugus’ use of economic modeling is commendable and demonstrates scholarly rigor, a more streamlined approach to visual representation could enhance understanding and engagement.
Despite this criticism, An Economic Theory of Home Schooling stands as a significant contribution to both the literature on home schooling and the broader discourse on educational economics and entrepreneurship. Baugus’s unique perspective elevates the conversation beyond traditional policy debates, encouraging readers to consider the fundamental differences between education as merely schooling versus education as a flourishing process of learning.
The book is particularly relevant in today’s educational landscape, where discussions around school choice, educational equity, and the role of parents in education are increasingly prominent. Baugus’ arguments advocate for the reevaluation of what constitutes effective education and challenge prevailing assumptions about the necessity of formal schooling.
In conclusion, An Economic Theory of Home Schooling provides a thought-provoking exploration of the home-schooling phenomenon, offering valuable insights into the economic and social dynamics that underlie this educational choice. Through careful examination of the historical, economic, and social dimensions of home schooling, Baugus enriches our understanding of educational alternatives in the modern landscape. While there are areas for improvement, particularly in the presentation of economic models, the book is a worthwhile read for educators, policymakers, and parents alike. It invites a deeper consideration of how education can be more effectively tailored to meet the diverse needs of families and children, ultimately contributing to a more nuanced discourse on education in America.
