Why does santorum homeschool

As various media outlets from Mother Jones to the Washington Post have reminded us in recent weeks, Santorum's record as a home-schooler is ambiguous at the very least, and arguably hypocritical. From through at least , when Santorum was serving in the Senate and living full-time in Loudoun County, Va. But owning a home is not sufficient to prove residency, and public records, neighborhood testimony and common sense all suggest that Santorum's constantly enlarging family -- his kids now range from age 3 to age 20 -- never actually lived there.

At the time of the Penn Hills Progress investigation, Santorum's wife's niece and her husband were registered to vote at that address. Appearing to live in Pennsylvania was distinctly advantageous for the Santorums, because state law required school districts to pay 80 percent of the online charter-school tuition for local families who chose it. No such law pertained in Virginia. The Penn Hills district challenged Santorum's local residency, and the ensuing dispute only ended when the senator withdrew his kids from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.

Since the Santorum kids have reportedly been registered as Virginia home-schoolers. In the end, the Pennsylvania department of education was forced to refund most of that money to the local district. Before winning three primaries on March 6, plus Alabama and Mississippi on March 13, Santorum was urging homeschoolers to organize rallies, to post favorable features on social media and to ring doorbells on his behalf. Drawing on his experience as a homeschooling father of seven, the former Pennsylvania senator has also sought to rally enthusiasm by pledging to continue that course in the White House.

Rallying homeschoolers could provide a huge boost to Santorum's bare-bones campaign. The tightly knit and predominantly Christian communities are famous for furnishing favored candidates with hundreds of steadfast foot soldiers. Studies show that homeschoolers are disproportionately likely to vote, donate and volunteer for campaigns.

Many are motivated by the unwelcome prospect of seeing homeschooling critics elected to office. An estimated 2 million children are home educated in the U. The request was made after the disclosure that Santorum and his family spent most of their time in Virginia.

Santorum withdrew his children from the program. View the discussion thread. Skip to main content. Public school advocates beware: Rick Santorum is not a fan. Don't miss a brief.

Sign up for our daily email. Your Email. Rick Santorum communicates the vision and has exhibited the strategic and tactical prowess the pro-life movement must have in order to succeed. Of all his accomplishments, Santorum is most proud of his role as a husband and father. They will just be the first in modern history. We had local education. Parents actually controlled the education of their children. You get what we give you. One color, two models.

The former Senator is often seen on the campaign trail accompanied by several of his children. Some of the children thought it would be a great experience, while others were more hesitant. His wife, Karen, cares for the special needs of Isabella full time now so they hired a tutor to help homeschool the younger kids. John Santorum, 19, is taking a year off to campaign with his dad while considering his future plans which may include going into the military or doing public service before starting college.

Like many of you, our family cherishes the opportunity to learn at home. With your help, we can become the first family in modern history to homeschool in the White House. On the campaign trail our father was recently asked if this would be a historical occurrence.

We know for a fact that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were educated at home, along with numerous other American leaders. As a homeschooling father with seven children, our dad understands the importance of a flexible and personalized approach to education. Educational freedom and choice is a precious right that must be safely guarded. Our parents believe families should be allowed to explore all forms of education, but for us, homeschooling is the best option.

Students should not be held back if they are more advanced than their peers, and neither should students be forgotten if their understanding of the subject matter is inferior. Not everyone excels at every subject; like most of you, we all have our own struggles.