Homeschooling in Chicago has transitioned from an ideological fringe to a central pillar of the city’s educational landscape, as a diverse range of families seek alternatives to traditional public and private institutions, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
The shift, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a rise in “microschools” and “unschooling” models that prioritize child-led learning over standardized curricula. While Illinois is one of a handful of states that does not track homeschooling data, national figures from the Johns Hopkins University Homeschool Research Lab show participation rose by approximately 5% last school year—nearly triple the pre-pandemic growth rate.
“Children aren’t standard, right? Education shouldn’t be standard,” Claire Jakubiszyn, a former charter school teacher who founded the Blazing Star School microschool in her Irving Park home, told the Tribune.
Her program, which has a waitlist, focuses on hands-on practice rather than tests or desks.
While it is Christians and conservatives who have pioneered the homeschool movement across the United States, the Tribune noted that the demographic of homeschoolers in Chicago is broadening in character.
In Chicago, this trend coincides with declining enrollment at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Between 2018 and 2023, the percentage of the city’s school-aged children enrolled in CPS fell from 75% to 71%.
Researchers cite safety as the most common motivation for the switch, though the term encompasses concerns ranging from bullying to the shielding of children from specific viewpoints. Additionally, about 40% of homeschooling families have a child with special education needs.
For some, the move is a response to systemic inequities. Aziza Butler, a former CPS teacher who runs WeSchool Academy in South Holland, described homeschooling as an empowering tool for Black communities to bypass what she termed a “failing system.”
The growth persists despite a lack of state oversight. Illinois law mandates certain subjects be taught, but families are not required to submit homework, tests, or even register with the state. A recent legislative attempt to increase oversight through a homeschool declaration form failed to pass after advocates argued it constituted government overreach.
Experts suggest the trend is unlikely to reverse. “Everyone thought it would go back to normal. It didn’t,” Angela Watson, director of the Johns Hopkins lab, told the Tribune. With a burgeoning network of resources—including theater troupes and online communities—the transition away from traditional classrooms has become increasingly accessible for Chicago families.
Homeschooling is an example of people taking control of key parts of their quality of life and finding an alternative to the established, but often unpopular, mainstream.
The same tendencies can be seen in healthcare where Christians have led the way in developing healthshare ministries as an alternative to costly and often dysfunctional insurance policies.