Author's Note: This is a copy of my submitted Letter to the Editor of Harvard Magazine regarding its recent article,"The Risks of Homeschooling."

Dear Editor:

As a Harvard alum, longtime donor, education researcher, and homeschooling mother of four children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I was shocked to read the article, "The Risks of Homeschooling," by Erin O'Donnell in Harvard Magazine's new May-June 2020 issue. Aside from its biting, one-sided portrayal of homeschooling families that mischaracterizes the vast majority of today's homeschoolers, it is filled with misinformation and incorrect data. Here are five key points that challenge the article's primary claim that the alleged "risks for children—and society—in homeschooling" necessitate a "presumptive ban on the practice":

1. Protecting Children from Abuse

I agree with the author of the article and Harvard Law School professor, Elizabeth Bartholet, who is widely quoted throughout, that it is critically important that children be protected from abuse.