Collective Action and Sense of Community: African American Home Educators and Their Sense of Community

Presentation given at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

This project was designed to explore the debate on African American parents choosing to home educate over advocating to improve their local schools. Using case study research methods and cross-case analysis I found that parents describe sacrificing their children's education was too great and there were limited options available therefore these families selected to teach in the home. Parents also described issues on race relations within their social networks and how their communities have changed over time. Given new leadership in the US and other strides in race relations many parents still believe that schools do not adequately address concerns of Black parents and there is little they can do to usher in change.