“It required a lot of sacrifices,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of money by any means, but it allowed me to work at my own pace and I was able to graduate early.”

For her own children, Camellia decided homeschooling was the best option. “I wanted to have a little more control over what they were getting not only in terms of the curriculum but also in terms of their worldview,” she said, noting that homeschooling is a commitment both in terms of time and finances. “Not everybody can homeschool.”

Republican politicians are calling themselves the Parents’ Party. Parents are holding them to it. Last year, Glenn Youngkin won Virginia’s gubernatorial election by riding a wave of parental discontent over district schools that were failing to open for in-person instruction, be transparent about radical curricular materials, or even keep kids safe.