These articles reference a case in Buffalo New York where a mother who chose to home school her children was arrested and her children were removed from the family home.The mother, Kiarre Harris was arrested for educational neglect. According to some of the online reports, the children were placed in foster care.

This article raised two issues for me. The first being that many Black parents are now starting to home school their children because they are recognizing the connection between the high rates of Black people in prison and the high level of suspensions that occur in Black student populations in schools. There is a level of distrust between towards the American educational system. Is this distrust warranted? Based on my own experiences as a parent, student and an intern that spends many hours a week in a school that is predominately Black, I believe it is.

The other issue that this raises for me is the measures used to intervene with families whose children are removed because of educational neglect. Before going any further I should add that I do not believe that home schooling is educational neglect. However, in families where there is educational neglect should children be removed? It seems to me that this would just create a greater level of instability. I believe that educational neglect causes harm to children, I in most cases it does not cause imminent harm that facilitates removal. Removing the children does little to support family intervention.

https://blackmainstreet.net/buffalo-ny-mother-arrested-homeschooling-kids/

http://buffalonews.com/2017/02/13/homeschool-mom-blames-neglect-charges-school-district/