The Homeschool Dropout: Recent Episodes
Mike Roberts
Challenging prevailing stereotypes and stigmas about homeschooling and helping parents and students bridge the gap between homeschooling and the professional world.
Growing up in a military family, Janet moved several times growing up. When she started homeschooling in 2nd grade, finding long lasting connections became a challenge. Janet was able to find community and belonging through homeschool athletics and create life long friendships. Eventually she pursed her bachelor's and master's in social work and works as a therapist. In this episode she weighs in on the challenges in homeschooling through adolescence as well as her tips on outsourcing your homeschooling.
Connect with Janet | Email
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This week we welcome back Larissa Carrick, a previous guest on The Homeschool Dropout. Together we review the first chapter of John Taylor Gatto's highly acclaimed book Dumbing Us Down. We take a look at the 7 Lessons taught in the public school system and how we view those lessons in the light of our own homeschooling journies.
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Listen to Larissa's First Episode | Spotify
Buy Dumbing Us Down | Amazon
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Born and raised in Illinois, Hannach Ackley was completely homeschooled with her two younger twin brothers. With a high school diploma signed by her parents, Hannah moved to upstate New York to pursue her undergraduate degree. After meeting her husband, they moved back to Illinois. Despite never thinking she would homeschool her children, Hannah's research on vaccines led her in a direction in which she questioned larger institutions, such as the public school system. She is now a passionate advocate of homeschooling, homesteading, and everything in between.
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Choosing an alternative educational route allowed Cynthia Dragoni to pursue her career as a professional ballerina in a way that made sense for her and fit her lifestyle. Based out of New York City, Cynthia studied with Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and has perfomed worldwide. Now working as a dance instructor, she shares her thoughts on the public model and how ballet taught her to have the courage to challenge the system and ask fundamental questions.
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Learn More about Cynthia's Work | Website
Follow Cynthia | TikTok
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
From a young age Elijah Doyle knew he wanted to become an artist. Raised in Southern Oregon, being homeschooled allowed him to fully explore his artistic interests. When his family was impacted by the 2008 financial crisis, Elijah learned to monetize his artistry, enabling him to gain business skills and to finally commit to being an artist full time. Elijah shares his thoughts on socializaiton in homeschooling and education that means something in the real world.
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Episode with Bree Petty (Elijah's older sister) | Spotify
Follow Elijah | Instagram
See more of Elijah's work | Website
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
A young working mother of two, Leah Kinscheloe joins us this week to reflect on her homeschooling experience. Without graduating from homeschool or highschool, Leah managed to get into a highly rated college and graduate in computer science. She shares her thoughts on finding friends through adolescence, her memories from homeschooling, and how she learned to date in college.
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Jon England was an elementary school teacher for 7 years and an elementary school principal for 7 more years. After 14 years in the public school system, he left to join Libertas Institute in Utah as a Education Policy Analyst. Jon's work with Libertas has helped sign into law the Education Spending Account (ESA) that is now available for Utah homeschoolers.
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Learn more about the Libertas Institute | Libertas Institute
Follow Jon's Podcast | Dimond Education Podcast
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Visit The Homeschool Dropout Website | www.thehomeschooldropout.com
Jake Brown joins us this week to weigh in on homeschooling and share his experience. From the rural town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Jake was the one of the only homeschoolers in his town. He discusses the social impact it had on him as well as the gaps he worked through in his early adulthood. With a DDS, Jake was able to carve his own path after homeschooling.
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Despite being a successful public schooler, my Mom felt inspired to begin homeschooling when she had 6 kids. 30 years and 4 more kids later, she has a wealth of experience and advice to share with homeschooling families.
Nathan Neufeld works as a Pain and Palliative Care Specilist and serves as the Natinoal Chief of Pain Medicine and Supportive Care. He received his bacholors from Touro University in Nevada and completed both his residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Most surprisingly, Nathan is a second generation homeschooler from Canada. He shares his experience being homeschooled with his brothers until his Mom tragically passed away due to cancer. He also weighs in on the massive opportunities homeschooling provides and how it fosters the special relationship between parent and child.
Learn more about Nathan's story | Bio
Connect with Mike | Instagram
As an only child homeschooled in rural Tennessee, Ezra Wyrick homeschooled in an effort to defy the statistical path of his community and set his own course. He speaks on his experience learning alegbra from his father as his father himself was learning algebra. He also shares his thoughts on the overlap between libertarianism and homeschooling, remembering your roots, and building a life for yourself. Ezra is currently the Chief Editor of the Mises Magazine.
Subscribe, rate, and review The Homeschool Dropout for a chance to recieve a shoutout in an upcoming episode!
Connect with Ezra | Twitter
Visit Liberty Lyceum | Liberty Youth Coalition
Support the Liberty Youth Coalition | Give Send Go
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Many families choose to homeschool in order to reclaim decision making power over what the student -- their child -- learns. Jillian Bauer, a recently graduated homeschooler from Portland, Oregon, joins us to share that while she loved her time homeschooling, she inadvertedly was exposed to material that did not align with her values. Tune in to hear how Jillian managed these experiences and the lessons she draws from them.
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Connect with Jillian | Instagram
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Jordan Manley joins us this week to reflect on his homeschool experience and how it impacted his adulthoood. The oldest of 5 children, Jordan was homeschooled on and off throughout his adolescence. He ended up attending college at 16 and moving to NYC when he was 20. Without a high school diploma or any college credentials, he juggled several different jobs before ending up in the softward industry. Jordan has managed to build a successful and fulfilling life for himself despite choosing the unconventional path.
Connect with Jordan | jordan@codetrack.dev
Learn to code from Jordan's program | www.codetrack.dev
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
As a 17 year old junior, Jaden Skye deliberatly chose to close out her high school years by being homeschooled. With a background in Waldorf education philosophies, Jaden has directed her own eduation. She shares her thoughts about teens and social media, her love of photography and being able to chase her passion, and finally her thoughts about college and next steps in life. Follow the links to connect with Jaden on her various pages!
Connect with Jaden (Photography) | Instagram
Connect with Jaden (World Homeschoolers) | Instagram
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Rocky Barrett joins us this week on The Homeschool Dropout. Despite struggling with dyslexia as a kid, Rocky was able to overcome his challenges with reading with help from his Uncle and, surprisingly, through learning to play chess. Rocky reflects on the strength of his familial relationships and how they have been fortified through homeschooling.
Connect with Rocky | Instagram
See more of Rocky's content | Tiktok
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Preserving childhood is becoming ever more difficult in a day full of schedules and timelines and expectations. This week, Mary Beth Barrett joins us to talk about her homeschool days playing with her siblings and slowing life down. As a new wife, she shares her story of meeting her homeschooled husband, Rocky Barrett, while serving at a local ministry. Mary also shares her thoughts on college and how homeschooling enables her to be a free thinker.
Connect with Mary | Instagram
See more of Mary's content | Tiktok
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Preserving childhood is becoming ever more difficult in a day full of schedules and timelines and expectations. This week, Mary Beth Barrett joins us to talk about her homeschool days playing with her siblings and slowing life down. As a new wife, she shares her story of meeting her homeschooled husband, Rocky Barrett, while serving at a local ministry. Mary also shares her thoughts on college and how homeschooling enables her to be a free thinker.
Connect with Mary | Instagram
See more of Mary's content | Tiktok
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
As a second generation homeschooler, Bree Petty has a lifetime of experience in homeschooling. Raised in Southern Oregon, Bree was homeschooled through the Monstessori philosophy and fell in love with learning and education. Now as a mother of 3, she and her husband are homeschooling their children. Bree shares about her growing up years, the mindset of homeschooling, and learning to let go.
Connect with Bree | Instagram
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Mattea Brown joins us this week to discuss her homeschooling experience. Despite building a strong engineering career for herself, Mattea surprisingly did not enjoy school -- public or private. We review her perspective on religously motivated homeschooling and the trade offs to that approach.
As a recently graduated nurse, Ammon joins us this week to share his experience homeschooling through the 90s. With a very mixed education, participating in homeschools, charter schools, private schools, online schools, and public school, Ammon reflects on aching for a sense of belonging as an adolescent and what he would've changed to gain that in his youth.
As the 7th of 11 kids, Seth comes from a large family of homeschoolers. In this episode he shares about dealing with moments of lonliness, learning to embrace being different, and the opportunities that homeschooling offers. Seth takes a unique approach in homeschooling his own kids and emphasizes the gift of giving our time.
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Homeschooled in the 80s and 90s, Marshall Paxson joins us this week to talk about his experience. Without much defined cirriculum or structure at home, Marshall was able to move at his own pace and learn when he was ready to learn. He shares about learning how to read, getting into college, working professionally in sales, and ultimately starting his own business. Marshall has a mixed approach with his own children, homeschooling some of them and not others. He also imparts advice for new homeschooling families.
Learn more about Marshall's company | www.teamworksgroup.com
Connect with Marshall | LinkedIn
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
Homeschooled in the 80s and 90s, Marshall Paxson joins us this week to talk about his experience. Without much defined cirriculum or structure at home, Marshall was able to move at his own pace and learn when he was ready to learn. He shares about learning how to read, getting into college, working professionally in sales, and ultimately starting his own business. Marshall has a mixed approach with his own children, homeschooling some of them and not others.
Learn more about Marshall's company | www.teamworksgroup.com
Connect with Marshall | LinkedIn
Follow The Homeschool Dropout | Instagram
This week, join Natalie Goodman, a full time homeschooler who managed to make her way into a competitive university, graduate in accounting, and work at one of the big four accounting firms. Natalie shares her thoughts on her younger years being homeschooled and what she would've changed. She also discusses the value of the public system as she worked with low income families in the South Pacific to help give them a bright future.
Instagram | @thehomeschooldropout
www.thehomeschooldropout.com
At just 18 years old, Abe is just now leaving his homeschooling days and looking at the rest of his life. In this episode, he opens up about what it's like making friends as a homeschooler, the joys of being taught how to love learning, his successes in debate and politics, as well as tackling college without graduating.
Instagram | @thehomeschooldropout
www.thehomeschooldropout.com
Zach Morrell joins us to talk about his years being homeschooled in Las Vegas, Nevada. He shares his thoughts about homeschool structure and the benefits that he experiences now in his profession. He opens up about concerns he has regarding homeschooling and how to ensure homeschooled kids are well rounded and have healthy exposure in the world and the tradeoff with the public system.
Join Cara Forrester as she digs into her time being homeschooled in Alaska, her feelings about missing some high school activities, and the life she has built for herself since as a mother of 3 and a postpartum fitness coach.
Coming from a homeschooling background, Malia opens up about the struggles she experienced socially and how it informs her choice today to homeschool. She discusses the trade offs between homeschool and the public system and her fears in homeschooling her 6 children.
In this week's episode, Winslow Morrell shares about his path from being homeschooled up to obtaining his Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. As a successful former summer salesman, Winslow gives tips on jumping through hoops in college and beyond.
Sara Patterson joins us to talk about her rich childhood being homeschooled in southern Utah. Despite struggling with dyslexia her entire life, Sara started and manages her own thriving business, is the founder of a non-profit organization, and is active in her state's legislative session.
Jeremy Anderson joins us to talk about his days homeschooling in Alaska and eventually entering his Master's program in Educational Leadership. He shares his thoughts on college preparedness and the public system.
Larissa Carrick shares her experience being homeschooled through her teen years and how it impacted her view on education, approach in college, and unexpected decision to homeschool her own children.