Tim Tebow is so wonderful that spending five minutes around him will make you a better person. Take it from Thom Brennaman — he knows. Anyway, it’s become pretty common knowledge that Tebow was homeschooled prior to attending the University of Florida. But I’ll bet you didn’t know that the homeschooling rates are up dramatically since that time. An LBS reader who works in the field of education sent in this article citing a recent study that says homeschooling has grown 36% since 2003. Our Heisman winner set foot on the campus at Gainesville in 2006. Coincidence? I think not. Top reasons for homeschooling?
When the parents were asked which one of the selected reasons for homeschooling was the most important, religious or moral instruction was the highest with 36 percent. For 21 percent of parents, the most important reason was concern about the school environment, and for 17 percent, it was dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools. Other reasons, including family time, finances, travel and distance, were cited by 14 percent of parents.
What the study did not publish was that a whopping 38% of parents cited Tim Tebow as a reason for having their kids homeschooled. And why not? The guy won the Tour de France riding a unicycle, has counted to infinity twice, and Superman wears his pajamas. OK, I was kidding about that 38% thing, but I’ll bet he’s a factor in the proliferation of homeschooling lately; he’s gotta be their poster-child.
