The XX Factor

Should Liberals Homeschool Their Kids? Dana Goldstein and Astra Taylor Discuss.

Dana Goldstein caused a stir with a DoubleX piece last month arguing that homeschooling violates progressive values. “Lefty homeschoolers might be preaching sound social values to their children, but they aren’t practicing them,” she wrote. Goldstein was responding in part to an n+1 essay by writer Astra Taylor, who described her “unschooling” childhood and explored unorthodox approaches to education. (The original essay is no longer available online, but Taylor’s response to Goldstein is here.)

Recently, Goldstein and Taylor appeared on the radio show To the Best of Our Knowledge, where they discussed their divergent views on homeschooling, whether progressive parents have a moral obligation to support public schools, and more. You can listen to the program here.