Is Homeschooling a Bipartisan Issue? | An Interview with Tom Leonard
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Release Date: 11/18/2024
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developments—celebrating a victory in Wyoming, where the annual letter of intent requirement for homeschoolers was repealed, while raising concerns about a proposed bill in Illinois (HB 2827) that would impose burdensome regulations and even criminal penalties for noncompliance.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...
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How Homeschooling Strengthens Family Life | An Interview with Vince Loparo Jr.
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschooling can bring a broader vision for your family and deeper engagement with your community. Join Vince Loparo Jr. (homeschool dad) and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) in an encouraging conversation about Vince’s holistic approach to parenting. You will walk away knowing how to define your family’s core values to create an unshakable foundation, even when faced with challenges. Homeschooling can knit your family together and make your family stronger! “There's something in your life that is your core value, and you're not going to give on that. I think you need to know what that is....
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Endless possibilities: The Power of Homeschooling | An Interview with Kaitlyn Bajek
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschool graduate Kaitlyn Bajek shares her experience as a homeschool student. Enabled to pursue her passions, she started her own company! Now, she helps current and future homeschool families navigate the high school years as they plan for their student’s future. Join Kaitlyn and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) as they discuss all the benefits homeschooling has to offer! “I was homeschooled starting in second grade after the holiday break. I remember that day very well. I was sitting on the playground outside in our backyard, and my mom looked at me and said, “Kaitlyn, how would you...
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Transforming Communities Through Homeschooling | An Interview with Dr. Myles Werntz
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschooling has the power to shape not just families, but entire communities. In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Myles Wertz (associate professor of theology and director of Baptist Studies at Abilene Christian University) joins HSLDA Attorney Will Estrada to explore Dr. Wertz’s recent article in Christianity Today and his own personal homeschool journey. When parents choose homeschooling out of a desire to do what’s best for their children, the ripple effects extend far beyond the family—fostering individuals who enrich their communities and drive positive change in society. ...
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Unlocking a world of opportunities through homeschooling | An Interview with Grace Snell
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool
Homeschool graduate and World Magazine journalist Grace Snell believes homeschooling afforded her unique opportunities for community and exploration of her passions! Join Grace and Jeremiah Lorrig (HSLDA Director of Media Relations) as they discuss her military family upbringing and highlight how homeschooling fostered Grace’s passion for storytelling, preparing her for a career in journalism. “I think sometimes, people who are considering homeschooling [face] a lot of fears: “what if this doesn't turn out,” or “what if they don't have social skills”. Instead, think, “what is it...
info_outlineNever assume that an individual is or isn’t an ally of homeschooling based on their political affiliation. Join Tom Leonard, attorney and former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) in an insightful discussion on the grassroot efforts of homeschool advocacy. You’ll be encouraged to cultivate relationships with legislators across parties, because you never know what might
happen!
“It's about the issue. It's not about the party. [I believe] a couple of our biggest allies right now on this issue are Democrats that serve in the House of Representatives. But on the flip side, I can't tell you how many Republicans that you would think this [would be] an easy issue for them. They're conservative. They've got a conservative voting record who when you first bring this up, their first question is, “well, Tom, you're just talking about a registry. What does it matter?” Now once you have that conversation, they
understand it. But again, assume nothing in this business. Never assume that somebody is not going to be an ally and never assume that somebody is. Get out there and educate these legislators in a very respectful way!”—Tom Leonard