As Alabama private schools rake in millions from a new school choice program, a host of out-of-state vendors also are cashing in on the state’s CHOOSE Act.

This year, more than 6,000 students will use funds – up to $2,000 per person – for home education, in addition to the 13,000 using money for private school.

With some of the nation’s weakest homeschooling rules, Alabama is quickly becoming fertile ground for companies profiting from state-funded vouchers. The new program leaves it up to families to figure out the quality of a curriculum or tutor, with virtually no oversight.

Some vendors provide therapy for kids with learning disabilities. Others offer art and music lessons, or standardized test prep. Several others offer a substitute for school entirely – either through textbook subsidies or online courses.

Veritas, a popular online Classical education provider, accepts tax credits in Alabama and at least a dozen other states that run voucher-like programs. President Marlin Detweiler said tax credit programs are a “bargain” for states that can fund private education at a fraction of the cost of enrolling a student in a public school.

He estimated it would cost between $5,500 to $6,500 for a family to buy his course materials. The average cost to educate a public school student is about $12,500 in Alabama.

“It’s really helped us help people more, because now the idea of paying twice (once with their tax dollars and once with their tuition dollars) is no longer the concern it was,” he said.

What is in homeschool curriculum?

Alabama doesn’t regulate homeschooling in general; anyone can do it. But if a family wants to use CHOOSE Act money to pay for curriculum, tutoring or counseling, they must select from a list of vendors approved by the state.

Of the 243 tutors, therapists, and other vendors that had applied to participate in the program by April, the state has denied 18 – mostly due to missing licenses or certifications.

AL.com reviewed nearly a dozen textbooks commonly recommended for homeschool use.

Apologia, a North Carolina-based company that publishes Christian textbooks and online courses, states in its biology curriculum that the Earth is thousands of years old, rather than millions of years old. In a zoology textbook, authors claim dinosaurs came into existence on the sixth day of Creation and suggest that they lived among humans.

An excerpt from an Apologia textbook. Mila Oliveira/AL.comMila Oliveira/AL.com

“If dinosaurs lived ‘millions of years ago’ as some scientists believe, how did ancient people who had no access to fossils of these animals produce such accurate artwork depicting them?” one passage reads. “It is more reasonable to conclude from such pictures that humans and dinosaurs were created together and shared this planet until the dinosaurs went extinct.”

Apologia did not respond to a request for comment. Veritas and a few other approved vendors, however, use many of the company’s science books in their online courses. Detweiler said while students may hold many different beliefs, the school encourages open dialogue about controversial topics.

“All of them understand that our statement of faith guides what we believe,” he said, noting that the school attracts thousands of students from different backgrounds. “And many of them just say the education is so good, we want it anyway. But we have an enormous opportunity for open discussion guided by teachers that is crucial to getting students to think and believe on their own.”

“And we also teach students that even if they disagree, it’s great that they can disagree, but they have to do it kindly,” co-founder Laurie Detweiler added.

Detweiler said Veritas teachers aren’t required to be certified by public school standards, but all hold a bachelor’s degree. At least two in three hold an advanced degree – usually in the subject they teach. The program also offers as many as 25 math courses, which go up to advanced calculus.

If a student is struggling, he said, there are systems in place to quickly get them the help they need.

“It’s a little different than the typical 300-student Christian school in Birmingham because of our sheer size, and that really allows us to do some wonderful things from a specialization standpoint,” he said.

Startups join school choice market

Online companies have also embraced education savings accounts and private school vouchers.

Their offerings include a wide range.

Former public school teacher Karen Lemons founded Lemons-Aid Learning in her Virginia home at the onset of the pandemic. Now, she serves just over 3,000 students across the country.

Lemons said she’s quadrupled her staff to handle increased interest in Alabama since the CHOOSE Act. She also hired a specialist to help families of students with disabilities.

Her online courses are backed by the science of reading and other evidence-based practices, she told AL.com, and teachers are carefully vetted.

“There’s a common misconception that homeschool curricula lack rigor or aren’t evidence-based,” she said. “In reality, our curriculum is intentionally designed using research-validated and evidence-based practices that prepare students for success in higher education and careers.”

But the company isn’t shy about its faith-based approach.

The school says all coursework is aligned with the Master’s Seminary, a conservative doctrine that rejects homosexuality and the theory of evolution. Some lessons also take a firm stance on “humanistic” political theories such as Marxism, which, one description reads, “short-circuit God’s design and result in human suffering.”

Lemons told AL.com that she partners with parents if tough topics come up, and teachers encourage students to be knowledgeable about a range of scientific theories, worldviews and interpretations of the Bible. However, all learning is ultimately guided by scripture, she said.

“Since we view scripture as inerrant and the absolute truth, that is our foundation for everything, including controversial or sensitive topics,” she said.

Alabama has also approved companies with explicitly political missions.

One vendor, the Tuttle Twins, uses graphic novels to teach economics concepts. In the “Road to Surfdom,” the main characters learn that a new road was poorly planned by government officials and will have unintended consequences. Critics call the books “conservative indoctrination” and “libertarian propaganda,” claiming that they uncritically tout free market ideals.

In a statement, spokesman Chad Thomas said the books are focused on making topics like economics and history “fun and accessible for kids.”

“Our materials don’t espouse one particular viewpoint (in fact, we warn against political tribalism),” he said. “Rather, we teach principles that are rooted in merit and we strongly emphasize the importance of critical thinking. We help kids to value freedom, think for themselves, and become prepared for the real world. We’re thrilled to offer educational resources to families in Alabama with the same goals.”

‘Room for all of us’

As the state prepares for its next legislative session, lawmakers will weigh possible changes to the new program – including whether or not to tighten restrictions on vendors.

Some advocates say they think regulations are already “too stiff.”

Robin Mears, at the Alabama Christian Education Association, said there’s two camps of homeschoolers that he encounters as a private school accreditor. There are those who want to stay involved with public and private school systems, and those who “just want to be left alone.”

“And there’s room for all of us,” he said.

Experts and educators, meanwhile, say parents can do their part to make sure homeschoolers are getting a well-rounded education.

Vet textbooks carefully, including their authors and their funders. And question any book that confirms your own political or religious beliefs.

Anna Clinkman, a public school teacher and former homeschooler, said she enriched her own learning by visiting her local library and enrolling in college courses.

Pick a book as a family to read together, she said. Add in an article from the Associated Press. Watch videos and listen to podcasts.

“Just know what you’re teaching them,” she said. “And also please, please be willing to supplement.”

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