Episode 142

What is your homeschool freedom worth? Today’s episode is probably going to be controversial to some listeners. My guest, Aby Rinella, and I are going to talk about School Choice and Public School Partnerships and what effect these have on homeschool freedom. You might not agree with what Aby and I have to say on these topics. You might agree with part of it. You might agree with all of it. And that is okay. We’re here to share a perspective that is not shared very often during recent conversations about School Choice. I always trust my listeners to use their discernment. You know what is best for your family. And I think we can all agree that there is no one size fits all solution for anything ever.

All of that being said, Aby and I are here today to share our perspective as two veteran homeschool moms with a lot of kids between the two of us. We are both passionate freedom fighting homeschool mamas who have been active in homeschool politics for quite a few years. Homeschool freedoms are under attack & are very much affected by the School Choice movement happening right now. I appreciate you showing up for today’s show and considering a different perspective than the one being sold by politicians…if nothing else, I’m hoping this conversation helps bring foresight to discussions surrounding school choice and public school partnerships as well as much needed perspective from homeschool families who have opted out of mainstream education.

Aby’s Bio: Aby Rinella lives in the mountains of the west with her college sweetheart and their three kids. Aby writes and speaks to encourage and inspire parents to answer the call to train up their children in God’s Word and to stand on truth in a culture that has lost it’s foundation. Aby can be found as a frequent guest on the Schoolhouse Rocked podcast and she and her husband serve on their state homeschool board. Aby also writes for the outdoor industry, sharing her family’s experiences in the outdoors. You can find her at https://calledtothetop.com/.

In This Episode, Aby and I Talk About:

• Aby was a former homeschool teacher who did not feel about
• Homeschool freedoms are under attack
• The history of homeschool in Idaho
• Veteran homeschoolers are saying that the threat to homeschool freedom is harder for
• Homeschool has doubled since 2019
• New homeschool families don’t understand the threats to homeschooling
• Look up Elizabeth Bartholet from Harvard and her backwards ideas about homeschool
• Getting involved in the bigger picture
• How we show up now affects the future of our homeschool freedoms and choices
• Keeping one eye on the now and one eye on the future
• School choice movement
• We already have school choice—you can choose how you educate your
• Why is there such a huge push for something we arelady have
• Accepting funding from the government means partnering with the government in your homeschool
• School choice is a trojan horse—it’s how government comes in the back door with regulations
• Anything the government funds, it regulates
• Regulations can look like mandatory testing, curriculum checks
• Canadian school example
• How school choice is sold to families
• Accepting a little bit of money from the government will cost you your homeschool freedom
• Public School Partnerships—you know you’re part of one if you’re accepting money from the government to “homeschool” your child
• Do you want government strings attached to your child and your homeschool?
• When we take government funding for private education, we lose our freedoms
• What is your freedom worth?
• What true freedom actually looks like in homeschool
• The downfalls of reporting to the government
• Freedom means to be free from restraints, the ability to act without control or interference from another
• School choice is an invitation
• “Experts” don’t know our children
• Children are created unique and with a purpose and a plan
• Freedom honors individuality
• The failings of the education system
• Homeschool gives us the freedom to be family focused
• Homeschooling to who your child is
• There is a sacrifice for anything good
• How families accepting funding affects those of us who don’t accept funding
• The frog in the pop analogy
• How ESAs harm families
• Crisis schooling vs. homeschooling
• Stopping the pattern of doing school at home and putting home first
• Having the patience to homeschool
• The big difference between doing school at home and homeschooling
• Book mentioned: Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
• There is support for homeschoolers outside of government programs
• Coming back to genuine community in a time when we have been trained to be consumers
• Being participants instead of consumers
• Community is more valuable than networks
• God always provides for a child
• The power of being faithful and answering the call to homeschool
• Opting out of societal messages
• Practical ways for parents to keep up with homeschool politics
• Sign up for your local and state homeschool freedom support organizations
• Not taking things on face value and looking deeper
• Seek community
• Participate in your homeschool organizations
• Trust that God always provides for a child

Aby’s Links: Instagram and Website

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SPONSOR

Homeschool Explained. Today’s episode is sponsored by Homeschool Explained, an online course I created to help parents find their confidence as they begin their homeschool journey. This course is designed to save you time; no more maddening online searches for how to start homeschooling—this is me holding your hand and walking you through homeschool 101 in just under 3 hours. That’s it. 3 hours of video tutorial + a downloadable PDF.

I used to teach in-person workshops when I lived on Maui to help families gather all the information and resources they needed, answer all their questions, alleviate concerns, and help them get organized as they started homeschooling. Homeschool Explained is the online version of those workshops. I totally get it, starting any new journey can be really overwhelming…especially when it comes to re-thinking how your kids are going to get an education—and that you’re going to be the teacher. But don’t worry. There is so much support and freedom in homeschooling. It’s do-able. It’s fun. And it takes way less time than most people think. I put over 15 years of homeschool experience and insights into this easy to follow, easy to use online course that answers common questions, helps you work through worries, and saves you time. No more internet search overload. This is all the info you need to get started homeschooling today from a trusted, experienced source.

I show you what modern homeschool days actually look like—all while covering major topics like curriculum, homeschool styles, subjects to teach, cost, state laws, socialization and so much more. This course takes the guess work out of where and how to begin and leaves you with solid support and resources from day one. I would be honored to help you to start your homeschool journey with confidence! Find out more at www.homeschoolexplained.com

LINKS

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