The Data Shows They’re Dead Wrong
A radical leftist podcaster recently sneered that homeschooling parents are enabling “trickle down stupidity.” This is peak progressive arrogance: the same crowd that turned public schools into indoctrination mills now mocks families who opt out. The claim is not just wrong. It is the opposite of reality. Decades of data prove homeschooled children outperform their public school peers across academics, socialization, college readiness, and long-term success. Public schools, bloated with bureaucracy, unions, and ideological fads, are failing millions. Homeschooling is not the problem. It is the solution for parents who refuse to surrender their kids to mediocrity and madness.
Far-left podcaster Jennifer Welch calls homeschooling “trickle-down stupidity.”
No, Jennifer.
Trickle-down stupidity is spending $3 trillion on the Department of Education and ending up with only 1 in 3 kids reading proficiently. pic.twitter.com/uOidf3vSXh
— Erika Donalds (@ErikaDonalds) July 17, 2026
Academic Performance: Homeschoolers Dominate
Study after study shows homeschoolers crushing standardized tests. The Home School Legal Defense Association and independent researchers consistently find:
- Homeschooled students score 15-30 percentile points higher than public school averages on standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, and state assessments.
- In reading and math, the advantage is stark—often 20-40 points higher. This holds across income levels, race, and parental education.
- College admission and performance: Homeschoolers are admitted at higher rates to top universities and maintain stronger GPAs. They graduate at higher rates with less debt.
- Long-term: Higher workforce participation, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Lower welfare dependency.
Public schools? The results are grim. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show chronic stagnation or decline, especially post-COVID and amid curriculum wars. Math and reading proficiency hover below 40% in many grades. Graduation rates are inflated by lowering standards. Chronic absenteeism, violence, and ideological capture (CRT, gender ideology) distract from basics. Billions spent per pupil yield mediocrity at best.
The gap widens with customization. Homeschooling tailors to individual needs—gifted acceleration, special needs support, or faith-based values—without union rules or one-size-fits-all failure.
Socialization, Behavior, and Well-Being
The “socialization” attack is the laziest. Homeschoolers are not isolated. They participate in co-ops, sports, community groups, and apprenticeships. Data shows they are better socialized:
- Lower rates of bullying, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
- Stronger family bonds and moral development.
- Higher civic participation: voting, volunteering, community leadership.
Public schools often breed tribalism, peer pressure, and exposure to age-inappropriate content. School shootings, fights, and mental health crises make headlines regularly. Homeschool flexibility allows real-world interaction with adults and varied ages—better preparation for life than factory-model bells and lockdowns.
Why the Left Hates Homeschooling
The podcaster’s insult reveals the real issue: control. Public schools are pipelines for state ideology, union power, and dependency. Homeschoolers opt out, raising independent thinkers who question narratives. Data threatens the monopoly—when families succeed without the system, the system looks obsolete and expensive. “Trickle down stupidity” is projection from institutions producing functional illiteracy while demanding more funding.
COVID exposed the rot. Remote learning revealed what many parents long suspected: hours wasted on screens, radical curricula, and poor results. Homeschooling surged, and outcomes held or improved. The data vindicated families, not bureaucrats.
The Bottom Line: Homeschooling Works, Public Schools Fail Too Many
Homeschooled children are not just keeping pace—they are excelling. Higher test scores, better college outcomes, stronger character, and real-world readiness. Public schools deliver inconsistent results at enormous cost, with growing ideological baggage. The leftist podcaster’s attack is envy and fear: successful homeschoolers prove parents can do better than the state.
Parents should have every tool—homeschooling, charters, vouchers, competition. Defund failure. Empower choice. The data is clear: homeschooling is not “stupidity.” It is one of the smartest decisions a family can make in a failing system. America thrives when parents lead, not when government monopolies dictate. The podcaster can cope. The numbers do not lie.