The Data on Homeschooling | An Interview with Dany Shakeel
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Release Date: 09/02/2024
Engaging the Culture | An Interview with Jon Noyes
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
What does it look like to raise children who can stand firm in their faith—while also engaging the culture with grace and truth? In our latest Homeschool Talks episode, Jonathan Noyes from Stand to Reason shares his own journey from atheism to Christianity and how that transformation fuels his passion for equipping families. In this discussion with HSLDA President Jim Mason, they explore how to introduce varying worldviews while planting seeds of the gospel in your children. “We don't just keep our kids in these little bubbles and then suddenly when their adults throw them out, because...
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Advocacy in Action | An Interview with Kevin Boden
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Protecting homeschool freedom takes constant vigilance, strategic action, and strong relationships with lawmakers. In this episode of Homeschool Talks, HSLDA Attorney and Director of HSLDA International, Kevin Boden, joins HSLDA President Jim Mason to share how HSLDA’s advocacy is making a difference. From opposing harmful bills to building trust in state legislatures to rallying constituents at the grassroot level, you’ll discover why the work HSLDA is doing today (and the last 40+ years!) is essential to preserving hard-won freedoms while advancing homeschool liberty for generations to...
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Parenting, AI, and the Future of Homeschooling | An Interview with Andrew Pudewa
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Fresh off a trip to Puerto Rico, Andrew Pudewa (Founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing) shares stories from his time with local homeschoolers. Hosted by HSLDA President Jim Mason, they reflect on the growing global homeschool movement and the necessity of homeschool freedom. Together, they dive into the heart of why HSLDA's work matters more than ever—and how emerging technologies like AI are shaping the future of education. “A lot of the people I meet are not aware of the fact that there are people out there who are continuously trying to bring in legislation or influence...
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Victory for Indiana Homeschool Graduates | An Interview with Timothy Wesco
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Representative Timothy Wesco, a homeschool graduate and Indiana state representative, tirelessly introduced his legislative proposal for 5 consecutive sessions. His bill? Explicitly recognize that a parent has the full legal authority to execute any document necessary to demonstrate their child’s education, whether that be a transcript or a diploma. Join Timothy and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) as they discuss Timothy’s homeschool experience, how the bill was passed, and the importance of developing relationships proactively with your state legislators. “Often times it's the most...
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He Asked to Be Homeschooled—and Never Looked Back | An Interview with Darren Jones
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
For Darren Jones (HSLDA Attorney), a single day of playing hooky from public school began as a spontaneous break but turned into a deep realization: there had to be a better way to learn, grow, and live. Darren shares his experiences from becoming a homeschool student to becoming a passionate home education. He became a legal assistant for HSLDA in 1996, and is now an Attorney and Director of Group Services. Explore historical HSLDA processes, notifying members about legal issues in their states through snail mail and answering 75 member phone calls in one day! Darren and Jim Mason (HSLDA...
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Homeschooling in the Navy: From Navy Brass to Homeschool Class | An Admiral’s Journey
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
What do submarines and science fair projects have in common? They both require strategy, patience, and a solid sense of humor. In our latest episode of Homeschool Talks, HSLDA President Jim Mason dives deep (pun fully intended) with Rear Admiral James Waters about being a homeschool father while navigating a high-stakes military career. This episode features: • Why Admiral Waters and his wife chose homeschooling for their kids, even with a life full of relocations and duty stations • What the military taught him about leadership and how those lessons show up at the kitchen table • Real...
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Homeschool Freedom: Victory in Wyoming, Threat in Illinois | An Interview with Will Estrada
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Will Estrada, Senior Counsel at HSLDA, shares his journey as a homeschool graduate and his ongoing work defending homeschool freedom nationwide. He and HSLDA President Jim Mason discuss recent legislative developments—celebrating a victory in Wyoming, where the annual letter of intent requirement for homeschoolers was repealed, while raising concerns about a proposed bill in Illinois (HB 2827) that would impose burdensome regulations and even criminal penalties for noncompliance. In these unprecedented times, homeschool families and state organizations are uniting to make their voices heard...
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Freedom Requires Vigilance | An Interview with Callie Chaplow
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschool freedom came under threat in Virginia earlier this year, and hundreds of families quickly stepped up to defend it—proving that the price of freedom is constant vigilance. In this episode of Homeschool Talks, Callie Chaplow, Director of Government Affairs for the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) joins Jim Mason, President of HSLDA, to discuss how families rallied at the Virginia statehouse to defend homeschool rights during an active legislative season, particularly families new to homeschooling! Join the conversation on how Virginia’s homeschool community made their...
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Homeschooling at a Crossroads: Protecting Parental Rights | An Interview with Chris Butler and Abraham Hamilton
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschool fathers and advocates, Chris Butler and Abraham Hamilton, share their perspectives on the role of government in education. Join them in this episode to explore the positive impact homeschooling has had across the United States, and recent threats including a new bill in Illinois that threatens to impose additional restrictions on homeschooling families (including jail penalties for non-compliance). Chris and Abraham highlight how restrictive legislation can harm disadvantaged communities and how parents from all backgrounds are coming together to protect homeschool freedom,...
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Redefining Success: The Blessings of Children | An Interview with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
What does it mean to live a successful life? For the women featured in Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth, it means embracing the beauty and challenge of raising a large family. Economist, author, and mother of eight Dr. Catherine Pakaluk sheds light on college-educated women across diverse backgrounds choosing to raise large families in an era of declining birth rates. Through her research, Pakaluk reveals a worldview where children are embraced as these women’s purpose, their contribution, and their greatest blessing. Join this thought-provoking, faith-filled...
info_outlineDr. Brian Ray and Professor Danish (Dany) Shakeel launched their investigation into calls for homeschooling bans—when no significant data exists to justify these demands. After conducting an in-depth study that shed new light on the factors contributing to child welfare, their research revealed that risks were double outside the home, proving that the family plays a crucial role in protecting children—and home is the safest place to be. Join Jim Mason, HSLDA President, and Dany Shakeel as they dive into these findings and discuss what his research means for the homeschooling community and how it disproves the recent, unsupported allegations that homeschooling leads to abuse.
“If you compare the numbers, the statistics—the incidences of abuse are double in social settings as compared to at home, which means that the family is the protector of children, as compared to someone else. This makes theoretical sense because any nonsocial actor who is not a part of a family is not likely to care about the child. And on average, the parents are closer to their children. They invest in them. They are likely to protect them. And that's what we see in the data.”—Dany Shakeel