About Homeschool Pioneers
Hi, my name is Israel Wayne. I am a homeschooled graduate (1991) whose family began home educating in 1978. The “Unschooling” movement began in 1977, and the modern-day Christian homeschooling movement began in 1983.
My mother, Skeet Savage, was a pioneer homeschooler who founded the national magazine, Home School Digest (HSD), in 1988. Her publication was responsible for helping to launch and further the writing careers of many homeschooling authors and conference speakers for nearly three decades.
I grew up in the Christian publishing world, and in 1993 I became the Marketing Director for Wisdom’s Gate, a publishing company founded by my mother. In 1995 I began speaking at homeschooling conventions and seminars around the nation. I also became a regular featured columnist for HSD. In 2000, my book, Homeschooling from a Biblical Worldview was published, launching my career as a published author.
Growing up, I had the privilege of getting to know many of the homeschooling pioneers through their articles, books and seminars, but also through meeting many of them in person, and spending time with them and their families.
As time goes on, a number of these homeschooling pioneers have either died or withdrawn from the public spotlight. Many of them are no longer well-known, nor is their work appreciated by many new homeschoolers. My goal is to be a bit of a bridge between these two worlds; of the pioneers and the new homeschooling community.
I want to introduce you to some of the people who paved the way for homeschooling to become free and legal in America. These are the folks who wrote the early books on home education, conducted seminars, created and/or spoke at homeschooling conventions, and developed the curriculum that created the homeschooling marketplace. My criteria, for now, for those who will considered for inclusion on this site are:
1. They must have begun homeschooling on or before 1995.
2. They must have created content for homeschoolers via books, seminars, curriculum or been involved in the publication or distribution of homeschooling materials on a national and/or international level.
3. Consideration will be given to those who helped to develop homeschooling on a state-wide level, or who were involved in pivotal court battles regarding home education.
4. Under certain conditions, homeschooled graduates from that era will also be featured, to share their unique perspective as well.
There is much to be learned from the wisdom of those who have gone before us. I hope you will be encouraged as you learn from the interviews and features on this website. Please note that just because someone is featured on this site, it does NOT imply that I agree with them on their beliefs and/or teaching, nor is it an implicit endorsement of everything they believe, teach or embrace. I disagree with many of them on many points. However, I desire to honor them for their important contribution to the development and growth of private home education in America and beyond.
May God richly bless your family!
Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.