Homeschool Pioneers

Tag: Homeschooling

Dean and Karen Andreola
“Charlotte Mason Comes to America”
Plus: “14 Quick Tips for a Gentle Art of Learning”
Story told by Karen Andreola

Shaky Beginnings

In 1984, when my child was 2 and I was expecting another, I heard about homeschooling on the Christian radio. Dr. Raymond Moore was being interviewed. What a curious thing! But homeschooling also sounded like such a wholesome and intrinsically natural a thing for a Christian parent to do. Another reason homeschooling interested me was the economy of it. My husband Dean was a Christian Bookstore Manager. We had one car between us that Dean drove to work (45 minutes in traffic) and even while living frugally we couldn’t afford Christian school. Therefore, although I went to public school I started preparing my heart and mind for home style teaching.

Discreet About Homeschooling

I got to know a new mother at church. The remarkable thing about her was that she had been a Christian school teacher but was now homeschooling her three girls. I’ll never forget the day we were standing in the hot parking lot next to her van. The Florida sun was beating down on our heads. She gave me a short answer to my question about homeschooling and then told me in a hushed tone, to please keep quiet about it. I must have been frowning, and not just because the sun was glaring off the cars, for she explained, “I don’t wish to seem contrary to the Christian school here.” I kept my word and kept quiet.

Discouraging News

When this mother had a meeting in her home for those interested in home teaching, she invited me. I noticed that no one else from our church was there. I gained some basic knowledge about how to teach phonics that day but I also learned something discouraging. The Florida Christian college that my friend had attended, sold their classroom materials exclusively to accredited teachers. My shoulders drooped. What would I do? I didn’t have an answer then. But I would not change my mind about home teaching – even though this choice was an embarrassment to some of my extended family. I’d just have to cross that bridge (of materials) when I came to it.

A Year in London

In 1986, our family left America for the London suburbs. Dean volunteered to help a Christian literature mission for a year. All we brought were our suitcases. I would be teaching Kindergarten but had nothing that resembled classroom material. My little girls and I (once I became brave enough) took the red double-decker bus to a large public library. We had the pick of an abundance of picture books and cassette tapes. Reading Montessori guided me to making hands-on materials. Everyday we walked along a busy main street to the park, stopping at the shops to fill my back-pack with groceries. Then we climbed two flights of stairs to our tiny third-floor flat.

Enthusiasm Springs From Inspiring Ideas

I was lonely. But that winter, far from the dawning homeschool movement back home, God brought into my life a mother who was homeschooling. She was a British missionary and an accredited teacher. She loaned me her copy of For the Children’s Sake. In it I read with insatiable interest, the ideas and quotations of the Victorian Christian, Miss Charlotte Mason. I wanted to know more. And after borrowing one of the last copies in the British inter-library loan system of Charlotte Mason’s book, Home Education, I felt my prayers were answered. At first, I found the reading of it to be a bit of an awkward experience (she wrote 100 years prior). Yet her words were welcoming, confidently authoritative and assuring. If I figured out how to follow Miss Mason’s tried-‘n-true methods, I believed my children would receive the kind of education that I had envisioned for them, but hadn’t yet put into words. It was the kind of education I would have liked for myself. Looking back on my childhood I saw a barren land. My children and I would have to learn together.

Deprivation Set me on a Course of Blessing

I have seen it in my own life and have had been told by others, that God can bring blessing through deprivation. It is probable that if I could pay for Christian school (and the transportation) or had a complete curriculum kit available to me, I wouldn’t have clung so tightly to Miss Mason’s guidance. I may never have relied on her method of “narration” and forming an eclectic array of odd and interesting books in our homeschool rather than textbooks and workbooks designed for large classrooms and the convenience of constant testing. Consequently, we had a wonderful adventure. I treasure my memories gratefully.

Where, oh Where are Miss Mason’s Books?

Because I am asked what our contribution has been to the homeschool world, I’ll turn the next page of my story. Back in 1987 in London, I longed for for a copy of Home Education of my very own. Thus began my husband’s amazing quest.

In search of any and all books written by Miss Mason, Dean telephoned every used bookshop in Great Britain. To no avail. Next, Dean tracked down the last British publisher of Miss Mason’s books and gave them a call. A salesman told him that they had just relegated a warehouse full of Miss Mason’s hardcover books “to the bin” (a dumpster in this case) due to lack of sales. “If only you would’ve rung up two weeks ago. I could’ve sold ‘im to you cheap. We’ve been sitting on ‘im since the 1950’s.”

About to Give Up
Just as Dean was about to give up, an elderly book shop owner told him, “Haven’t seen any of Miss Mason’s works for years . . . but have you tried the Charlotte Mason College?” A stunned silence followed. We were unaware that such a place existed.

In the early spring of ’87 Dean was away on business for the Christian literature mission he worked with. Travels north brought him near Scotland’s boarder, and as Providence would have it, the Lake District of England; home of Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and . . . the Charlotte Mason College. After booking into a B&B in the quaint village of Ambleside, he stepped into the college library and asked the librarian to direct him to the works of Miss Charlotte Mason.
“Oh, we don’t keep them out here,” the librarian said, waving a hand toward the shelves all around the room. “Not much interest these days. I’ll get the set out of the vault if you care to sit with them for a bit.” And sit Dean did . . . for the next several hours . . . wishing that I were beside him to enjoy the moment. He wasn’t watching the clock. After closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead he got up and found the librarian again. He hazarded to ask if he could borrow the books. The librarian strictly informed him, “It’s the only complete set we have, and they’re not for loan.”

Not Ready to Call it Quits
Having come so far Dean was not ready to call it quits. He said, “May I have a word with the college president, if he’s available?”

“He sees no one without an appointment,” came the reply.

“Tell him that I represent publishers in the USA who may wish to reprint these books and I would be delighted if the president would consider writing the forward.”
The librarian dialed the president’s office from a short-corded wall phone. With his back turned, he spoke in hushed tones. Dean waited, composed but a little anxious, straining his ears for what he hoped would be good news. He didn’t wait long. Soon after he was met squarely with, “Dr. Thorley will see you in five minutes.”

A Precious Loan
Dean spent the next hour with cheerful, gracious Dr. John Thorley, a Greek and Medieval history scholar, who exhibited a rare enthusiasm for educational reform. He was more than happy to give Dean a walking history of the school, a brief biographical sketch of Miss Mason, and finally to his delight, a package containing all six of Charlotte Mason’s rare out-of-print books – on loan from the archives.

Charlotte Mason Comes to America

Our mission term ended that spring. We headed home with one of the only complete sets of Miss Mason’s books. It was nestled securely in a carry-on flight bag – not a suitcase. Dean would not entrust them to any airline baggage handlers. Back in the States Dean was in communication with Christian publishers to see who would take on the expensive and risky project of reprinting the entire six volumes in a box set. After months of rejections one publisher agreed. And in 1989 The Original Homeschooling Series was published by Tyndale House with Dr. Thorley’s forward as promised. Tyndale House kept it in print only a few years. After this we took on the printing for twenty years or so – although the cover remained the same. Only in its latter years did we bother to make the change to our logo.

To Learn it and Live It

Years of endeavoring to practically work out what I understood from my reading followed. In the 1990s we hosted a monthly CM home discussion group, edited and mailed out a quarterly Charlotte Mason magazine (Parents’ Review). Mary Pride asked me to become a columnist for her Practical Homeschooling magazine – which enabled me to offer my personal interpretations of the Charlotte Mason method to her readers. I call these interpretations, “The Gentle Art of Learning.” TM

Dean and I were invited to share “The Gentle Art of Learning” at conferences. I think we were able, happily, to make Miss Mason’s practical philosophy approachable to our eager listeners.

Many may remember seeing our family’s faces and reading The Andreola Reviews in the catalog of Christian Book Distributors.

For our local community and church we taught a number of group studies in our living room. In that room took place Shakespeare plays, Beautiful Girlhood get-togethers, speech and worldview courses.

Many Voices Spreading the Message

In ’97 I finished writing my book, A Charlotte Mason Companion. A movement was emerging. Today by way of the Internet, many voices are spreading the message. It’s marvelous. Miss Mason’s simple, yet straightforward method is being employed with freedom and success in homeschools across the nation and overseas. For those who have the courage to trust in the natural, God-given curiosity of their student – a burden is lifted. A new refreshing learning experience awaits all who follow what I call “The Gentle Art of Learning.”TM

Friend-to-friend, Mother-to-daughter
Charlotte Mason’s ideas are being passed friend-to-friend, mother-to-daughter. I now hear, “My mom read your book.” Miss Mason could not have known how her wisdom would be enthusiastically welcomed by tens of thousands of families a century later.

Tea and Sympathy

My gratitude goes out to those who have shared their copy of A Charlotte Mason Companion or a book from The Original Homeschooling Series, hosted a discussion group, or have passed along Miss Mason’s helpful ideas to a lonely, overwrought mom. Let’s keep encouraging one another. Good ideas given in friendship go a long long way. Apostle Paul tells us that what we do out of love abides. (1 Cor. 13:8,13).

Today

Our daughters are married. Our eldest daughter is home teaching her children. Our son lives with us and is working through a handicap that he acquired from a tragic accident. He is a graphic artist. Coping with chronic pain since 2007 I no longer fly to conferences but have been serving mothers through my limitations with the carefully written articles on my blog: MotherCulture.com. Dean likes to teach adult Sunday school.

14 Quick Tips for a Gentle Art of Learning
1. Children are on loan to us from God. Hannah of First Samuel is our beautiful example. We really do have them in our care for a short time.
1. Use books – don’t let books (or curriculum) use you. A good book isn’t boring. It has the literary power to open the door of a child’s mind in ways no classroom textbook can. It may be full of facts – the same facts found in a textbook – but they are presented in a more palatable and memorable way. Try a new book alive with ideas. Lay a lifeless one aside with no qualms.
1. Children chatter. Like tapping a sugar maple for its sap, the home teacher can take advantage of this“talking resource.” Ask your student to tell in his own words (narrate) what he has observed or read. If a quiet child says little ask “what else” and “what else” again. This is laying the foundation of composition, naturally and without tears.
1. Learning is not limited to sitting immovable at a desk. Get outdoors. Observe nature, keeping a record of your “finds” in a Nature Notebook, where science, composition, and art join hands.
1. Cultivate an appreciation for what is beautiful in art and in music simply. Now and again display a picture from a famous painter, play a CD of a noteworthy composer.
1. Look for heroes in history. The Bible, biography and historical fiction can supply inspiring heroes whose virtues and character your children my choose to esteem and emulate.
1. Build good habits one at a time. Lay them brick by brick. It is remarkable what the quiet discipline of routine and the practice of good manners do for the home atmosphere. Prioritize and strive to be consistent.
1. Keep lessons short in the beginning years. Ten to 15 minutes of math seems ridiculously short if you come from a public school background of one-hour lessons but tutoring one-on-one is wonderfully efficient.
1. Homeschool pioneers have fought to win us legal freedom. Therefore, use a Mother’s Prerogative. What is it that you’d like to teach? What do you want your children to know? Do some of what you “like” to teach with some of what you “have” to teach everyday.
1. Information and knowledge are two different things. Rote memory is only an exercise for memorizing data. Children are persons not parrots. Give them, too, all kinds of odd and interesting books and experiences and they will have the kind of knowledge that goes into making a person.
1. Curiosity is to education what a wick is to a candle. Children are born with God-given curiosity – until it is schooled out of them by constant quizzing, testing, working for the grade, and peer-pressure. The home teacher can safeguard curiosity by asking herself, “What is it my child would delight in knowing more about?
1. Beware of comparing. Follow the path of your personal convictions. All education is divine. That is, the Holy Spirit comes along side us in all subjects, to guide, and enlighten. His yoke is easy.
1. Keep up your “Mother Culture.” You are a person, too, who needs to keep growing. To prevent burn-out, dabble in domestic arts, read your Bible, take a walk, and/or any number of interests. To keep growing we need our daily bread – the bread of life – Jesus. Taking a little time to grow ourselves is not a self-fish thing to do. The advantage does not end with ourselves. When our cup overflows it spills over into the family circle – which includes our husbands.
1. Home teaching is “kingdom work.” Little things do make a difference. Little steps taken with daily faithfulness can take us far. The home teacher sows seeds – rather than fills in holes. Children seemingly learn and grow in spurts and lags. Though, not evenly matched to the teacher’s planner, seeds are sprouting, children are learning. Given the right food and atmosphere, “mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” (Gal.6:9)
My Facebook: KarenAndreolaAuthor

My blog: MotherCulture.com
My company: Charlotte Mason Research (LLC).

My upcoming (new) website is CharlotteMason.com

I am co-founder and co-owner of Great Expectations Book Co.

The photographs in this article were taken during our year of Christian literature missions with Operation Mobilization – based in Bromley, England and where we once lived in Maine. We now live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.
December 5, 2015
Gary & Jan Bloom – BooksBloom

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Gary & Jan Bloom: 1982. We heard about homeschooling at a L’Abri seminar when Ranald Macaulay, husband of Susan Macaulay, who is the author of For the Children’s Sake, did a talk on “The Educational Philosophy of Charlotte Mason.” We liked the ideas presented. Later that summer Gary heard Jim Dobson interview Raymond Moore. We called Dr. Moore, discovered he would be doing a weekend seminar in Minneapolis that Fall, and attended the weekend, where we met the other 50 couples in MN wanting to homeschool.

We liked our children and were excited to be with them for school. We also lived in the city, and liked having our children spared the 45 minute bus ride to a school elsewhere across town. We really did not expect to homeschool them through high school, it just kind of happened as time went on.

I also think a few negative school experiences of my own maybe pushed me into thinking my children would not have to do this or that or suffer this or that if I homeschooled. Ah! The ideas we have…

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Gary & Jan Bloom: Our families were not supportive at all. We used to wonder which parent would turn us in for truancy first! We could not buy curriculum (except for Alpha Omega, which was VERY ugly on newsprint, or Christian Liberty Press, which meant enrolling in their school ), which ended up being a GOOD thing since we had to figure things out as we went along.

At church we usually were the only homeschooling family in those early years. Actually most of the time we were either the only homeschooling family or we had the oldest kids being homeschooled. Kind of lonely sometimes.

When we moved to a rural location, THAT was interesting. Kids are defined by the school, and parents know other parents due to school. We attended a church in a small town but since we were homeschooling, we were viewed with suspicion. We didn’t stay at that church long!

It was frustrating that our pastor at the church our children ended up in for high school, who became a family friend, still blamed homeschooling for any problems our kids had. He did NOT blame the public schools for problems those kids had. Seemed like a double standard. Kind of irritating and annoying! (Oddly enough his son married a home school graduate and they have seven kids already and (gasp!) are homeschooling!)

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Gary & Jan Bloom: I’ve been a member of support groups and co-ops. We helped begin one of the first co-ops in the Twin Cities. I organized field trips. Then I started selling books. It was all downhill from there…

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Gary & Jan Bloom: The importance of routine. I regret my own busyness sometimes that got in the way of teaching.

At one point in time both Gary and I worked part time so we could each be with the kids. That was pretty wild. We also decided to have a back-to-the-land adventure that lasted four long, long years. Long, long years. Did I say that it was a long, long time? It was VERY hard to try to homeschool and tend goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, the garden, and make all our own food. Jenni, our oldest, even built a tofu press. We were isolated and poor and lonely. At least I was! Gary worked at the grocery store in the town 14 miles away, so he had contact with people.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Gary & Jan Bloom: Something I think about is that those of us who homeschooled without SCHTUFF understood more of what we were doing and why. So many younger homeschoolers just buy what someone has told them to buy. They haven’t developed a philosophy of education, which is what kept me going during hard times. I knew WHY I was doing this. I sometimes wondered HOW I was homeschooling…Principles, not particulars. What I mean is that people nowadays want that list that will show them what they need to read and study in order to be learned, as IF there is a guarantee. We cared about teaching our children how to learn so they had the tools to learn what they wanted to know, not what someone else wanted them to know.

New things? I appreciate talking to young moms who have just discovered good books, not having grown up with them. The delight and wonder is soul-stirring! I’m glad there are so many opportunities for homeschooled students to be a part of – drama, music, classes, speech and debate…sometimes it seems homeschoolers are never HOME ….

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Gary & Jan Bloom: Simplify! Eat simply. Dress simply. Share chores. Teach your kids to WORK cheerfully. Read great books!

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Gary & Jan Bloom: Gary and I just finished our 16th year of traveling to conventions with our tons of great books that we’ve rescued. We never planned to do this, but it’s been an adventure.

I’ve written four books – two reference books about great authors (Who Should We Then Read?), a book about the importance of a family library (What Should We Then Know?) and a book about teaching business principles through good books, Business by the Books.

Our kids are OLD. Yikes!

Our oldest, Jenni, lives in a beautiful small town in MN with her hubby and 3 kids. She and Jason own a janitorial service, so their kids are learning how to clean and how to do great customer service. Jenni is homeschooling their oldest, Michael, who is 5th grade. He has some rather curious personality and learning issues and she hopes to get him through these next few years. Their school district is actually quite wonderful though there are a growing number of homeschooling families in the area. Jenni is viewed with awe since she was a homeschooler all the way through her years of schooling.

Jenni spent 5 summers in Europe after high school, teaching English at Christian camps in Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. She received her B.A. in Linguistics and Psychology from a state university and was in the Master’s program for English as a Second Language when motherhood hit. She also has taught piano and harp.

Our second daughter, Jodi, went to a Bible College in Colorado after graduation from homeschooling and currently lives there with her hubby, their daughter, and his two sons. She works at Comcast. Stan is a parole officer at a half-way house. I would be surprised if Jodi ever chose to homeschool her kids. She was not very happy as a teen homeschooler. If she could have participated in activities like speech and debate or drama or band I think she would have been much more satisfied with homeschooling.

Jodi has attended different college programs over the years but did not finish a degree. She likes to design and develop different fund-raising benefits. She organizes everyone at work and receives lots of kudos from employers and fellow employees.

Our son, JJ, is in the Navy, where he is currently on shore duty, working at a building that is not identified (That’s kind of a joke, though they have to take off their work id’s too upon leaving the building…) He is a computer geek. He got his first computer (an 8086) from a farmer in the church we attended for a brief time. He took it apart. He studied computers at the community college before going into the Navy 13 years ago. He is almost finished with an electrical engineering degree. He has two sons. He fixes my computer remotely, which is quite odd to see!

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Gary & Jan Bloom: Laugh. Don’t take yourselves too seriously. People have turned out well after public school and people have turned out well homeschooled. It is a puzzle, that’s for sure!

There is no guarantee that life will be wonderful and easy and painless if you homeschool. I would say probably the opposite is true! Life is challenging and parenting is HARD. But the relationships we have with our adult children are so incredibly different and so much better than the relationships we had with our own parents. I think it’s because we spent so much time together and we know each other so well.

www.BooksBloom.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/110168685707464/

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

October 29, 2015
Michael Farris – Founder of HSLDA

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Michael Farris: Vickie and I began homeschooling in 1982. We heard Dr. Raymond Moore (Vickie listening on Focus on the Family, I met him in person) explain that children get their values from the people with whom they spend a majority of their time. Our oldest daughter was in the first grade in a Christian school and this idea rang true for us. And we believed that we were smarter and wiser than six year olds.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Michael Farris: Because of my unique position in the movement, we were never intimidated by legal threats. We “hid” our homeschooling in our first year by having a front page article in the Sunday edition of the Seattle Times—the largest newspaper in the state. My father was a public school principal at the time and he did not like the idea of homeschooling initially, but he was a gracious Christian man and did not share that with us until after he changed his mind.

Lack of resources was a very big deal. A Beka would not sell any homeschoolers any teacher’s editions. The only major publisher who would was Bob Jones. There were almost no minor publishers.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Michael Farris: I was the founder of Home School Legal Defense Association. I continue as Chairman of that organization.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Michael Farris: I think that many current trends are positive. Even though many choices are different than the ones my wife and I made, we believe that God gave children to parents not to the state and not to other homeschooling families. I do wish that more people would be aware of the need to be diligent to protect our freedoms.

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Michael Farris: Take care of your marriage as your top priority.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Michael Farris: We just finished our 33rd year of homeschooling. Eight of our ten children are married. All of our grandchildren of school age either have been or are being homeschooled. We have 19 grandchildren. We are still very active in the movement mainly through my work with HSLDA. We have children and grandchildren at our house pretty much every day. If my wife was healthy, there would be even more interaction.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Michael Farris: God blesses us far beyond what our efforts would justify. My wife and I have no greater joy than this, our children are all walking with God. Maybe they are not all identical to us in every respect—but we view that as a positive and not a drawback. We were trying to raise authentic Christians not clones. We are convinced that homeschooling is an absolute key reason for this spiritual success.

https://www.facebook.com/michael.farris.374
www.HSLDA.org
www.PHC.edu

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

October 12, 2015
Curt & Sandra Lovelace

Israel Wayne: Curt & Sandra Lovelace, in what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: I say we began homeschooling in 1978 at the birth of our first child. When we chose to avoid the compulsory attendance statute in Massachusetts we did so in light of a joke we’d always made as unrepentant public school teachers. “If we ever have children (which we didn’t plan to do), we’ll teach them ourselves since we could do a better job easier and faster.” As it turns out, God arranged our path along those very lines.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: When we started homeschooling there was opposition on every side. Family stood in opposition. Government schools didn’t know how to respond to us, and when they did it was with a superior attitude. Publishers only sold educational materials to schools. People looked at us as if we had two heads. There were many legal challenges in our state as well as across the country. Parents were arrested and children taken away. Supportive pastors were taken to jail and the doors of their churches were chained shut. Nobody shared another family’s contact information without first getting their permission. Every household had an exit plan in case the pressure became too great.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: We offered encouragement to everyone God brought to us. Sandra spoke on the phone and met with moms who were struggling. We developed several support groups to meet various needs and served on our state organization. We were appointed to a committee in our town that updated an illegal homeschool policy. Sandra accompanied parents to school committee meetings. She took our children to court proceedings to support other families. We participated in national homeschool conferences. Eventually the Lord used all this exposure and experience for us to serve international homeschool families.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: I wish there had been more awareness that homeschooling cannot guarantee smooth sailing through every phase of family life, to be accompanied by candid discussions about how to respond to the storms. If the Lord granted another round, I would leave more in His hands.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that bother you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: I’m concerned about the enthusiasm for co-ops as opposed to support groups and the worry about being seen as counter-cultural. I’m also waiting to see how the larger community develops with fewer full-time state organizations. I appreciate the larger dialogue and mutual support that can happen because of the social media connections across the country and globe.

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: Dear Newbies, please take time to consider why you’re undertaking the homeschool lifestyle. Prepare yourselves to overcome the challenges and enjoy the rewards by God’s grace. Then stay the course.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: We continue our active life of service. Our grandchildren are being homeschooled. The oldest, a senior at home, is co-captain of the winning soccer team at his local high school. Such participation is a privilege we sought for his mother in the early 1990s. We were eventually successful in our efforts, but not until after she’d graduated. We moved to Europe to serve our homeschool friends, returning to Maine last year where we continue the same.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Curt & Sandra Lovelace: We don’t believe that homeschooling is necessarily God’s plan for every family. We encourage every parent that wonders if it’s for them to take those wonderings to the One who will lead them aright. They’re usually more capable than they think. We found the blessings and rewards well worth the commitment and effort.

Children in Church: Nurturing Hearts of Worship is our joint manuscript.

We can be found at http://www.lifeworkforum.org , http://childreninchurch.com , http://jcurtislovelace.com , and http://sandraallenlovelace.com , on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DocCurt , https://twitter.com , or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lifework.Forum , https://www.facebook.com/childreninchurch , https://www.facebook.com/curt.lovelace?fref=ts and https://www.facebook.com/sandra.lovelace.5 , or LinkedIn as Curt Lovelace and Sandra Allen Lovelace.

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

October 6, 2015
Felice Gerwitz

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Felice Gerwitz: I began homeschooling in 1986, because my special needs son did not fit into the tightly crafted public education “system” – they had mislabeled him and I couldn’t bear the thought of him going through school with a label that did not fit. I never looked back. I thank God everyday that he equipped me to recognize the error since my degree was in Elementary Education, Specific Learning Disabilities and Early Childhood Education. I also thank God that he showed me that homeschooling is a lifestyle, not what we do and as such, our foundation has been God first, and all else second.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Felice Gerwitz: Legally we were scared to go out during the day because we didn’t want our kids turned in for truancy. The law was established to homeschool when I began, yet homeschoolers were heavily monitored by the county. In those days they visited our homes yearly to complete evaluation. After the first year the evaluation “team” included two ladies one was the science head of department for the school board, since the report must have read, “She teaches using science.” After the second year we quickly learned we could decline home visitations, and I did.

My immediate family, the in-laws, had major reservations, even though my husband and I both held teaching degrees – neither of us wanted anything to do with the system, especially after we both experienced education from a teacher’s perspective. When we began text books were not readily available and I learned we had to “name” our school, create letterhead (this is before Microsoft Word) and use “official letterhead” to obtain these book. Once I ordered the book I learned I was curriculum impaired, I could not use a book the way it was designed so soon I began creating my own unit studies and used textbooks sparingly, even to this day.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Felice Gerwitz: I helped form the first support group in town. It consisted of eight other Christian families. I was the only Catholic and yet once we established that I believed salvation was through Christ … I was in 🙂 I was part of the steering committee for about ten years and watched as homeschooling exploded in our area. I have served on the board of two, private Christian (non-denomiantion) homeschool ministries. I also, with the help and blessing of my husband, started a publishing company, Media Angels (R), Inc. with the purpose of writing Bible focused homeschool materials.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Felice Gerwitz: I would relax. I was so hyper about doing what we needed to do each year for that grade that I missed some of those ah-ha moment. I finally figured that out about three years into homeschooling.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Felice Gerwitz: Trends? First the proliferation of online state run schools that homeschoolers flock to in the name of free (sorry if I offend anyone here), second the push for Common Core and third an abdication of unit studies over printables and workbook type activities. I feel that many younger children learn so much more from hands on exploration and that is really how they grow and learn to love learning. If they are glued to a computer there is no interaction with the family and they will bond with the computer vs. the family. (You asked.) I think the trend is out-of-the-box and quick.

I also see that many don’t care about creation vs. evolution. One friend, a vendor told me that in the past people always asked if the books contained evolution – he said now he rarely gets that questions.

As far as something new that I appreciate is the ability to connect with homeshoolers via the internet. The growth of the digital world has brought me closer to my customers who often become my “online friends”… for example the podcast network that I began, I can now talk to my audience without leaving home. I love that aspect and feel that homeschoolers can get so much more help now than we could in the past. (Of course there are downsides to digital media – but this is the positive that I see.)

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Felice Gerwitz: Keep Christ focused and keep your eyes on Him. Ask Him, as a couple in prayer, what you should study and what the focus of your education should be. One year I was all set with my carefully crafted plans (remember, ex-classroom teacher), and the Lord shared with us in prayer that our focus should be on character qualities. So, my husband and I specifically prayed for each child and what character qualities needed work… we then knew we had to exemplify those characters ourselves (we do believe that “character is caught not taught”) and focus on encouraging the character qualities they exemplified. What a year of work that turned out to be! It was also a lesson that our greatest work as a homeschool family is raising godly children for the Kingdom. If you do this, God will provide the resources and energy for those pesky academics that seem to get in the way. 🙂

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Felice Gerwitz: Wow! Let’s see – Jeff (my husband of 36 years) and I have homeschooled K-12. I’m so happy to report that all of my children love the Lord, are committed Christians and love family. We are very close knit. This is all by God’s grace and I am eternally thankful to Him, because I doubt I’d have this praise report if I had not homeschooled. I know many say, “homeschooling won’t save your child,” but earlier in this questionnaire I shared homeschooling isn’t what we did – it was a lifestyle. We took our kids seriously, spent time with them … did not go on vacations and leave our kids for extended periods of time. We just love God and our kids and He did the rest.

My oldest son, 34 years old, with a form of Downs Syndrome, graduated from highschool, successfully and is fully integrated into society. He is very high functioning and has worked many jobs. Right now he has two jobs and does both efficiently. My second child, my 32 year old daughter co-authored a series of books with me while she was a highschooled student. She and I wrote three books (The Truth Seekers Mystery Series), and as of this writing have topped in the tens of thousands of books sold. She went on to complete college in three years and is now happily married for over ten years and has six children which she homeschools. My third child, a son who is 20 loved baseball and school came second. He decided, despite offers to play in college that he’d rather begin life and work, rather than endure school. He was a kid who was always fixing things – fixed my Kitchen aid mixer with a $9 part when he was fourteen. He is wired that way and love work. He is currently VP of my husband’s construction company and has plans to take over. My fourth child a daughter, is 17, and loves softball and school in that order. If she could figure out how to go to college and not do the school work so she could coach some day, she would. She hopes to play softball in college. As far as a major she wants to teach math – hopefully in a Christian non-Common core school-if one exists. My youngest is a son, is 15 and is very creative. He is a gifted athlete (baseball), as well as in academics. Things come easily to him. Too easily, which keeps me on my toes. I am at the end of my homeschool journey, my daughter is a senior and so is a freshman.

I’m still running Media Angels, Inc. (MediaAngels.com) and helping my husband with his construction and home inspection businesses. I am happily podcasting weekly on my Vintage Homeschool Moms radio show, and running the podcast network with many other great podcasts: www.UltimateHomeschoolRadioNetwork.com

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Perhaps you think you’ve make the decision to homeschool – I believe you homeschool because you’ve been called. Homeschooling will change your life. It can either make or break your family. I’ve watched as many of my close friends decided to put their kids “back” in school for high school. I watched one friend after another do this … we prayed and stayed focused. We decided, we didn’t let our kids decide what they wanted to do. We (my husband and I) agreed were were the parents and the decision to homeschool was granted in the first place by the Lord.

Lastly, be there for your kids above all else. This was a lesson I learned early on. When my publishing business first grew I was invited to many homeschool conferences all over the USA as a speaker – after the first three conferences, my husband said no, not outside of Florida and only when he could accompany me. I was upset and cried out to the Lord and asked, “Why did you give me this idea for curriculum if I can’t travel and share the idea?” and I felt a peace and the Lord saying to trust Him. He took my books everywhere without me. My books have been used throughout the US and even by missionaries in South Africa an beyond. I couldn’t do that, but the Lord did.

Websites:
Media Angels: http://www.MediaAngels.com

Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcast: http://www.VintageHomeschoolMoms.com

Ultimate Homeschool Radio: http://www.UltimateHomeschoolRadioNetwork.com

www.Facebook.com/FeliceGerwitz

www.Facebook.com/MediaAngelsPublishing

www.Facebook.com/UltimateHomeschoolRadioNetwork

www.Twitter.com/HSRadioNetwork

www.Twitter.com/VintageHSMoms

www.Pinterest.com/MediaAngels

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

October 4, 2015
Mary Hood, Ph.D., “The Relaxed Home Schooler®”
Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Mary Hood: We started in 1983, when our oldest son was due to enter first grade. He was already reading on a very high level, but, like many small boys, was not really ready for the sit-down, be quiet type of classroom environment, so we started for reasons that were specific to him. However,we soon found we enjoyed the homeschooling environment, and quickly pulled our daughter out of preschool, too.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Mary Hood: Our parents were all public school employees…one teacher, one professor, one librarian…so we met a lot of family pressure at first. There were very few homeschoolers back in those days, so we were viewed as radicals. They were won over after several years when they saw the results, but in the early days it was a constant struggle to get along with the extended family. Of course, no homeschooling resources were available to us at that time, but we used the public library and participated in many community groups, such as community theatre, LaLeche League, food co-ops, community sports, and 4-H.

3. In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Mary Hood: I’ve been serving the homeschooling community as a speaker, writer, and teacher for thirty years. Some of my books are The Relaxed Home Schooler, The Joyful Home Schooler, and God-Free School Zones (an e-book available on our website). I also have my Relaxed Home Schooling Workshop and several other talks available on cds and/or MP3s on our website. One of my newer talks is on common core and how it will affect homeschoolers.

We ran a homeschooling resource center in the Atlanta area for nine years, ending in 2006. I’m the director of The Association of Relaxed Christian Home Educators, Inc., (ARCHERS for the Lord), which is a nonprofit ministry. We are currently in the process of starting a new center in the Cherokee County, GA area. This year we’re teaching in the home of one of our board members, and are serving primarily families with high school and middle school age students.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Mary Hood: I was terrible at math when I first started homeschooling, and wish I had been more willing to address that and take a “can do” attitude towards it, rather than trusting that a particular curriculum could do the job for me. My oldest son should be great at math, but he was hampered by my unwillingness to recognize my own weakness and work harder at it. The rest of the kids thrived when I finally was ready to learn alongside them and work on it.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

A lot of the people who are becoming homeschoolers today are coming out of the public schools quickly, usually because of issues with common core, and have not had the time to read books, listen to workshops, and generally learn from those of us who have been doing it a long time.

Because there are so many curriculum options out there today, they are tending to focus merely on “which one to choose”, rather than taking time to set their own goals, getting to know their children’s learning styles, and adjusting to family life during the daytime. They are trying to become mini-schools. The Bible tells us that new wine doesn’t belong in old wineskins. We have to create new structures, and remember that we are families at home, not small replicas of a school-like setting.

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?
- First, be sure you know firsthand what the actual legal requirements are in your area.
- Then try to avoid purchasing a lot of curriculum at the outset. Set some goals, do some family projects, go on a few field trips, and spend time at the library and reading together at home. When you do purchase materials, do so with a particular child and a particular goal in mind.
- Understand that when you are looking for “free” materials, the best resources are not necessarily on the internet. All the books you will need for almost everything can be found at your public library.
- About the only thing you will need to purchase in the elementary years is something for math.
- Somebody once said, “All you need to homeschool is the Bible and a library card.” Wise man!
- Most people spend way too much money the first year.
Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Mary Hood: Our five children are all grown. Four have college degrees, and one has a master’s degree in counseling. The fifth one is still taking one class at a time to earn his degree in communications, while he works as the general manager of a Chipotle’s Restaurant. We are about to become grandparents for the first time, but the new grandbaby will live in England, so that means I have to become a world traveller. My husband works as a federal investigator and I am still writing, speaking, fundraising for the new center, and teaching high schoolers two days a week.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Mary Hood: Be a family, not a school! Put God first and trust Him and trust your own mama’s instincts. You can do this! Try to get rid of the assumptions you are carrying around from your own days in public school. Set your goals and don’t worry about conforming to anyone else’s standards.

Contact Info: Our website is www.archersforthelord.org. You can use the contact me button to email me directly, and there is info on the speaker’s page if anyone would like to have me come present our “Relaxed Home Schooler®s Workshop”, or invite me to speak at a curriculum fair or other event.

We also have a facebook group, relaxedhomeschooler-ARCHERS.

I also have a free e-newsletter I send out every other month. Simply request one using the contact me button on the website, or through our fb group.

Finally, I am a regular columnist with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Until recently my column was called “The Ordinary Homeschooler”, but it recently changed names to “The Relaxed Home Schooler”. You can read back issues for free on their website.

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.
September 30, 2015
Steve Demme – MathUSee
Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Steve Demme: We attended our first homeschool conference in 1982 and were committed from that point. We knew from scripture that it was the parent’s responsibility to teach, train, and raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hearing Raymond and Dorothy Moore (who if they were alive should be at, or near, the top of the list of Homeschool Pioneers) show how it had been done and could be done was a huge encouragement.

Teaching our children from a Biblical Worldview was also important. But most of all I think it was the desire to have close familial relationships with our sons was the primary motivation. We met families with teens who were still close and they attributed this to home education.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Steve Demme: We didn’t experience many of the obstacles listed, but the health of Sandi, and John, who was born with heart issues and intestinal problems as a baby with Downs Syndrome posted very real challenges.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Steve Demme: In the early 1980s our education law in Georgia was being formed and I became a registered lobbyist so I could spend time at the capitol working with other homeschoolers to meet with legislators and shape the final bill. Many of these dedicated parents devoted themselves in that initial struggle and God wonderfully made the difference as GA was granted a wonderful law for homeschoolers.

During this time I was also a member of the board of GFFIE which was an inclusive statewide group of home educators.

In 1990 I published the first MathUSee book which later grew to be a complete K-12 math curriculum especially designed for home educators. We have recently added a spelling program with the same philosophy. While I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the company I still provide customer support and counsel at fairs and on the phone.

I am presently an author and speaker and attend conferences throughout the US as well as overseas to encourage and train parents under the auspices of Building Faith Families, another branch of Demme Learning.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

The first year we did what most do and used textbooks, refinished desks, a room set aside for “school” and taught subjects. A few years later any room was fine, and we chose to use the unit study method, Konos, which was a wonderful multi-sensory, family integrated approach to education that imparted a love for learning to our four sons.

The biggest thing I would do differently is allow God to work deeply in my own life because while we often think of children first in home education, I now recognize I had significant issues in my own life which affected my relationship with my wife and children. I just learned of these 30 years after we began.

Some of the contributing factors were a misguided understanding of authority and leadership, an unbiblical sense of submission, and an unwillingness to ask for help particularly from a counselor or therapist.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Steve Demme: I will mention two things that concern me.
1. Peer pressure among homeschool parents. Homeschool kids turn out well and I love interacting with them at conferences but so many of the parents are being influenced by the latest trends in particular the academic pressures to perform. Let kids be kids. Take a deep breath and just be. Play together. Take naps. Sleep in and have fun. Remember what first influenced you to homeschool.
2. We are becoming schools again. Coops abound, concerns about testing increase, there is widespread hiring of “certified” professionals to teach at coops, and grade levels are accepted in these same settings. Home educators are tutors, not classroom teachers. These are two conflicting paradigms. No one knows your child like the parent. Let your student(s) move at their own pace and not some textbook. Develop a love for learning. Trust your gut. Listen to your heart. I’ll stop there.
What encourages me is that God is still moving in the hearts of His people and turning their hearts towards home. In this busy hectic world, Dads and moms are making sacrifices to disciple their children at home. I have rarely been asked to speak on family discipleship outside of the homeschool arena. It is only there that I see a hunger to learn how to train children to live forever.

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting on the homeschooling journey?

Steve Demme: According to Deuteronomy 6:5-7, before I can teach my children to love God and His word(7the verse), I must love God and His word with all my heart. My personal relationship with God impacts my horizontal relationship with my wife and children. Then when I am in a good place with my Heavenly Dad, focus on my children’s heart more than their head.

We can become so focused on the children that we sacrifice our own relationship with our spouse. It is vital to maintain the proper priorities of God first, marriage second, then homeschooling.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Steve Demme: The math curriculum I authored many years ago is now a part of Demme Learning, a family owned business. All four sons are joint owners in the company as well as employees. I am also a speaker addressing family topics with at homeschool and men’s conferences. I also write books, produce weekly podcasts, and send out a monthly newsletter.

I wrote a book called the Christian Home and Family Worship. This is free for any parent who will pledge to read it within 30 days of receiving it. Send me an email and I will send you the book! spdemme@gmail.com

We also sponsor a contest to encourage parents to have regular family worship in their home. You can learn more about this contest here: http://www.buildingfaithfamilies.org/bible-resources/

In short, the fire to encourage parents and promote God’s design for the family still burns in my heart and I have no plans to retire. I am continually looking for ways to encourage and inspire parents.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Steve Demme: As discouraging as the news is on a human level, I am not discouraged. God is still God and the best thing I see is the work of the Spirit of God turning parent’s hearts to their children and children’s hearts towards their parents. I do not see home education as an education movement as much as a restoration of the family which God created and designed.

The Building Faith Families website is: http://www.buildingfaithfamilies.org.
My Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/stevedemme

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.
September 25, 2015
Susan Beatty – California Homeschool Leader

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Susan Beatty: The Beatty family began homeschooling in 1982. The catalyst to begin homeschooling came from the radio interview between Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Raymond Moore concerning sending children to school later when they are more mature. Of course, as soon as we realized God had something to say about how we educate and disciple our children (duh) and studied the Word, we became convinced that private homeschooling was the best (and for us the only) way to train up our children. It was no longer about academics, but about training our children in the Lord.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Susan Beatty: In the early days we had little resistance from family or our church, but neither did we have a lot of support. Curriculum and other resources were almost non-existent. We did not personally have any legal threats, but we knew there needed to be a concerted effort to show state and local leaders that homeschooling in California existed as private schools and were protected by our education code.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Susan Beatty: I am the co-founder of Christian Home Educators Association of California, established in August of 1982 (a few weeks prior to the Beatty family’s official start of school). We established ourselves as a statewide Christian private home-based education advocacy organization in order to first have standing with state and local leaders in which to educate them on our rights and second to provide information and support to families to begin homeschooling and to help them in their journey. With help of our attorney J. Michael Smith, now president of HSLDA, the first several years were dedicated to traversing the state with this message. I then co-authored the how-to-homeschool in California resource, An Introduction to Home Education. I have continuously remained on the board and held many positions. I am currently the general manager and events manager, as well as a member of the board of directors. I continue to speak and write on the subject of homeschooling.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Susan Beatty: I wish I had known how fast my children would grow up and really how little time I had to train them. I would have spent less time on the homeschool ministry and more time actually discipling my children. I wish I’d had all the resources available to home educators today! (On the other hand, lack of resources made us very creative in those days.)

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Susan Beatty: Where to start here? I don’t want to be overly negative, but I am concerned with the over-reliance on outside opportunities (classes, groups, Internet, etc). While these resources are valuable, I am concerned that homeschool parents rely so heavily on them, they have lost one of the most important parts of the homeschool equation–being at home together as a family. Many of the groups and classes I have seen insert the same dynamics that many of us kept our kids out of school to avoid in the first place. For example, over-abundance of peer pressure, assembly line education, replacing the parents as the authority, etc. I am also concerned about the trend toward charter school enrollment because of the relinquishment of authority to the God-less public school system, parent’s loss of control, and the legal inability to base all teaching on the Word of God.

I do appreciate the availability of so many of these and other resources, the sharing of information through many media sources, seeing so many young families loving the Lord and wanting the best for their children, and the knowledge that this nutty idea we had 33 years ago of teaching your own children at home is still going strong. Praise the Lord!

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Susan Beatty: I encourage new families to search the Scriptures to know the biblical basis of homeschooling and use that as a foundation for all they do; to seek understanding of the processes of education (a journey, not a quick goal); to put God first, then family; to balance their family time with outside involvement in educational and ministry opportunities; to remember that homeschooling will not be easy, but always refer back to knowing why they’re homeschooling and persevere; and have fun. Homeschooling our children is a gift from God and should be enjoyed.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Susan Beatty: I graduated the last of my three children in 1998 and continue to work full time within CHEA and the greater homeschool ministry nationally (although my husband and I just retired from the board of the National Alliance of Home Education Leadership). Our children are wonderful Christian adults, all married (those with children are great parents), and gainfully employed. Our challenge is our 37-year-old daughter’s second bout with breast cancer. She is in stage IV, but the doctors are optimistic about the outcomes of chemo and surgery. We are spending as much time as possible to participating in her recovery process along with her very supportive husband and her delightful seven-year-old son (as his grandmother, I’m required to tell you how wonderful he is, right?)

http://www.cheaofca.org
http://www.homeschool411.com
https://www.facebook.com/CHEAofCA
https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaChristianHomeEducatorsConventions
http://www.twitter.com/homeschoolCA
https://www.pinterest.com/cheaofca/

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

September 18, 2015
Michael & Carol Boutot

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Michael Boutot: My wife and I began homeschooling as a “test” in 1987. We are now in our 28^th year with an anticipated 5 more years to go since our youngest of 12 is now 13 years old.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Michael Boutot: This is an interesting question namely due to our family backgrounds. My wife’s family is mostly saved whereas mine is mostly lost. I would say initially that most of the “obstacles” came from saved family members and folks within our church. We were fortunate to have never faced any legal threats, however, we always kept HSLDA close by our side so to speak, thus that gave comfort and peace of mind. I pastored a church in the early 90’s and our family size (oddly enough we had just announce the arrival of our fifth child, long before having our 12^th ) and homeschooling and our family size led us to feel forced to resign from the pastorate of that small church. But God had more exciting things in store as I would in time get involved with Christian Home Educators of Ohio (CHEO) and would subsequently become their Chairman and in time their employed Executive Director.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Michael Boutot: We began serving as Regional Representative for Christian Home Educators of Ohio (CHEO) in 1992. By 1993 I would become their Chairman of the Board and then in 1996 would become their Executive Director. I served as part of the national leadership as part of the National Christian Home Educators leadership team while serving CHEO.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Michael Boutot: I think for us personally we would have liked to have known more of the realities of the struggles. We were part of an organization (other than CHEO) that seemed to portray that the ideal homeschool family had no struggles. As far as what we would have done differently, we would have tried to avoid the association with certain groups that seemed to portray themselves as the end-all answer to homeschooling. There was a season wherein we became too focused on a particular leader and “method” of homeschooling and lost sight of God’s plan and purpose for our life. Fortunately we caught that in short time.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Michael Boutot: Homeschooling has become much more broad than just “Christian home schooling”, and I believe there needs to be a clearer delineation as to motivation. While I have personal issues with the public school system, my (our) primary motivation was and continues to be that this to us is a Biblical principle and priority. What I mean by that is that we are not homeschooling because the public school system is bad, we are primarily homeschooling because of biblical conviction and the role of the family and my role as a father.

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Michael Boutot: The #1 advice I would give would be to stay the course and know your motivation. Beyond that, I would strongly encourage folks to plug into support groups and churches that would encourage you in your homeschool adventure. Don’t try to be an island.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Michael Boutot: For us life is awesome. One year ago I took a position with Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis. What is unique there is that when I was the leader at CHEO, the very first speaker I ever invited to speak at our annual conference was Ken Ham. I would in time invite him three other years and establish a relationship with the ministry of Answers in Genesis and now I serve as their Director of Human Resources. Our family has grown to twelve and we have homeschooled nine of the twelve all the way through high-school. We still have two at home we continue to homeschool and lost one son 13 years ago at the age of 2 years old. Four of our children are married and two sets have children and both sets are also homeschooling. We currently have seven grandchild and one on the way. Our oldest married son and his wife are expecting their fourth child and he serves as a pastor in Louisville and just completed his doctorate studies at Southern Seminary.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Michael Boutot: In 1994, while I was the leader of Christian Home Educators of Ohio, I was sued, as was CHEO and many other homeschool organizations and leaders. It was a very challenging time in our life as well as for the homeschool community. I purposely stayed silent on the issue other than attending legal depositions. I have no problem stating with a very clear conscious and before a holy God that my actions and the actions of CHEO were Biblical, above board and legal. We chose purposefully not to respond publicly to issues and allow God to be our defender. That led many to accuse us/me of fault due to silence and that simply is unfair and untrue. But God will one day stand as the ultimate judge of all! I am thankful to God that He did not allow that or years later the death of our son Adrien to dampen our faith and desire to do His will.

My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/michaelboutot and my wife’s is https://www.facebook.com/carol.boutot

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

September 17, 2015
Vicki Bentley

Israel Wayne: In what year did you begin homeschooling, and what was your initial reason to start home educating?

Vicki Bentley: We began homeschooling the first time in 1988 and I really don’t recall the exact reason. It wasn’t a religious conviction so much as it was a gentle nudging. I remember that our daughter asked us to teach her at home, so we hunted up a correspondence course advertised in the back of a Christian women’s magazine. We had met a woman who homeschooled “underground” about three years earlier, and we had just met a family who homeschooled two wonderful teens — that was the extent of our homeschool exposure.

Israel Wayne: What obstacles did you face in attempting to homeschool (resistance by family, legal threats, lack of access to resources, social stigmas, etc.)?

Vicki Bentley: My main obstacle that first year was lack of encouragement. We did great the first few weeks, sort of “winging” it with a learning lifestyle (which probably would have been a great fit for that child long-term), but then the boxes of books arrived, and the troubles began. I knew nothing of learning styles or teaching styles, and there was nobody to talk to back then–or at least, we didn’t have any connections. [In reality, I discovered later that a homeschool friend I met years later in Virginia had actually lived about eight houses from me, around the corner, when we first began homeschooling — but neither of us knew the other homeschooled at the time!]

So, thinking the problems we were having were because I was clueless, I put my daughter back in school, where she had similar issues in that new environment–because the issue had been a maturity issue with her, not so much a homeschooling problem with us. It wasn’t until two years later, in a new state, that we made the commitment to homeschool all the remaining children, and got connected with the homeschooling community for parental support and for opportunities for our children.

Israel Wayne: In what ways were/are you involved in serving the homeschooling community?

Vicki Bentley: In 1991, when we moved to a new state and began homeschooling all our younger children (the olders had graduated from public school by this time), there was no support. So a local mom and I got together with a few friends and began networking, planning field trips, inviting folks to our homes for meetings– and our local support group was born. I have been privileged to be involved in homeschool leadership on a local, state, and national (even international, I guess you’d say) for 24 years now.

Israel Wayne: What do you wish had known when you first started homeschooling? What would you do differently?

Vicki Bentley: All we parents know to do is what WE did, so we tried to re-create “school at home.” Now I wish I’d had the information and the confidence to develop a learning lifestyle from the very beginning.

Israel Wayne: What trends have you seen in homeschooling today that concern you? Do you see new things about homeschooling today that you appreciate?

Vicki Bentley: For many parents, homeschooling is all about academics. Yes, academics are important, but in the context of God’s purpose for our lives and the relevance of the subject matter. Young children should be allowed structured play for longer, as desired — not rushed into maturity, skipping games and activities that are deemed “non-academic” when they would, in fact, help children build brain connections and give them hooks on which to hang their future learning. ( This is a passion of mine — I’ve written on this topic at HSLDA’s site at www.hslda.org/preschool and in newsletters and Homeschool Heartbeat series. )

Israel Wayne: What advice would you give to young families who are just starting out of the homeschooling journey?

Vicki Bentley: Enjoy your children! Enjoy each stage. Love on them. Remember that the one thing that your child does that absolutely drives you bonkers may be just the thing God gave them to accomplish His purpose – your job is to help develop and direct that quality in a way that brings glory to God and maturity to your child.

Israel Wayne: Please tell us what life is like for you today, and give us an update on your family.

Vicki Bentley: After homeschooling seventeen children (including some of our many foster children over a 20-year period), we now have 20 grandchildren, and our second great-grandbaby is due soon. We are blessed to have five of our daughters close by, and treasure our family times. Although our youngest is 26 years old, I am still active in our local support group and in homeschool ministry, and my husband is instrumental in the battle for parental rights in our states and our nation.

Israel Wayne: Please share anything else that you think might be of value to our readers.

Vicki Bentley: Although nowadays you can find all sorts of information on the internet–and that can be a huge blessing– please also connect with a local homeschool group for encouragement and support. Even if you don’t think you need it, someone there needs you!

Also, as I said in the July HSLDA newsletter: “Home education is not a cure-all or instant fix. In fact, it will most likely bring out some character or relational issues that have been hiding in the busy-ness, and now you’ll be faced with them on a daily basis. Your family is a work in progress! Life is messy sometimes. Homeschooling is messy sometimes. But it’s worth it.”

www.hslda.org/elert/archive/elertarchive.aspx?7581

www.hslda.org/toddlerstotweens
www.hslda.org/preschool
www.hslda.org/groupservices
www.everydayhomemaking.com

Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal, LLC. He is also the Site Editor for www.ChristianWorldview.net.

September 15, 2015