What If School Could Look Different? My Adventure at the Great Homeschool Convention

What If School Could Look Different? My Adventure at the Great Homeschool Convention

by Sandy Printy

When my first child entered the public school system in 1995, I saw for myself what many of my neighbors were talking about with regard to public school education and its decline in certain areas.  Many of those neighbors, who were a little ahead of me with slightly older children, were very unhappy with public school, were opting out, and going in different directions.

My Peek Behind the Public Education Curtain

The prevailing issue at that time was the abandonment of phonics in favor “whole language” for teaching reading skills.  That first year in kindergarten, in addition to my own research on the topic, was instrumental in helping me to make my decision to shift to private school the next year.  I had heard of homeschooling, but dismissed it immediately, thinking it would not work for me and my children.  Mostly I was not confident in my ability to keep up with the discipline and routine that homeschooling requires.  After one “test” year in public school kindergarten, we chose private Christian education.  Over the course of several years with my children in a private Christian school, I began to question several aspects of public as well as private education.

• I never liked the fact that after five to six hours at school, my kids were expected to do more schoolwork at home, stealing away cherished family time, and time to be involved in other extracurricular activities. It seemed to me that 25 hours a week should be sufficient time to provide educational instruction and follow-up practice to reinforce the concepts that were taught.  What if educational instruction and practice could be accomplished in 25 hours a week?
• It also seemed to me that expecting students to sit and behave “properly” for five hours a day, was an unreasonably tall order for children, many of whom need to move and explore in order to learn. What if children could learn but not be tied to a chair for a large chunk of the day?
• Don’t get me started on the perils of bullying and peer pressure, both rampant in public education. What if we could provide an environment where children were free from bullying and peer pressure?

Then from 2008-2011 I substitute taught for K-8 in my hometown, and from 2011-2012 I taught Ancient History in a homeschooling co-op.  As a result of the Covid lockdowns, public education was in the spotlight and a heightened awareness of what was being taught in the classrooms caused many parents to speak up and to bail out.

Homeschooling Statistics

Since 1999, the number of homeschooled children in the U.S. increased from 850 thousand, representing 1.7% of K-12 students, to 3.7 million in 2024, representing around 6.7% of K-12 students.  This continues a recent trend of steady enrollment growth; for instance in 2019 the number of homeschooled students was 2.5 million,  and during the 2021-2022 school year, the number rose to approximately 3.1 million. [1][2]

Common Reasons Families Choose to Homeschool

Parents choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons, with some important motivations standing out among surveyed families.  In a 2019 survey, according to the National Center for Education Statistics) [3] the top 3 reasons parents chose homeschooling were:

• 80% Concerned about the school environment: Many families believe that traditional school settings may expose children to negative influences or an unsafe atmosphere (i.e. bullying, peer pressure, drugs).

• 75% Desire to provide moral instruction: Parents expressed the importance of imparting educational values aligned with their beliefs and principles.  This factor often drives families toward a homeschooling model that allows them to integrate their moral and ethical teaching into their children’s education.
• 73% Dissatisfaction with academic instruction: Concerns about the quality of education in public or private schools were a driving factor for parents choosing homeschool.  Many feel that the standard curriculum does not adequately meet the needs of their children.

A Light at the End of the Education Tunnel

As the news of our educational system becomes more and more dire, it has ignited in me a renewed interest in becoming more informed on the subject of homeschooling.  When I saw an advertisement for “The Great Homeschool Convention” in Ontario, California recently, I signed up.  It was my first foray into the homeschooling territory, with the exception of my one year stint in 2011-2012.  I have always admired parents who chose to make the sacrifice to homeschool their children, and I am especially impressed with both the social manners and the grasp homeschool kids have on a vast spectrum of knowledge.  So off I went to educate myself on the wide world of homeschooling.

The “Great Homeschool Convention” consisted of both informational sessions, and an exhibit hall where vendors were set up to sell their products and services.  The one-hour sessions were given by vendors who were selling a product or service, but these vendors also imparted a wealth of wisdom to homeschool parents.

I spent a good amount of time in the exhibit hall where about 170 vendors were selling their brand of homeschooling curriculums and other homeschool services.  I approached a booth and engaged the nice gentleman in conversation.  He was a former homeschool student, who became a homeschool parent, and is now an entrepreneur.  I asked him my burning question:  “Where would one begin if one is considering homeschooling?”  His response was to first figure out what teaching method you and your child are best suited for, and then look for the curriculum that aligns with that method.  He said that it will narrow down your curriculum choices.  It was great advice!

Prior to attending the convention, in my usual fashion, I had done a little homework, and had printed out explanations on the several methods of homeschooling.  Here some of the ones that I found:

• Classical Method
• Charlotte Mason Method
• Traditional or School at Home (Textbook) Method
• Online Method
• Eclectic/Relaxed Method
• Unschooling Method
• Waldorf Method
• Montessori Method
• Multiple Intelligences Method
• Unit Study Method

For detailed explanations on the teaching methods, click on this link: https://www.homeschool.com/homeschooling-methods/

Throughout the two days I spent at the convention, I attended four sessions, and had enlightening conversations with numerous vendors and attendees.  However, the most telling event at the convention was my observation of homeschool parents and their children.

Many homeschooling families attended the convention, but here is what I didn’t see: screens!  I looked and looked for a child on a screen.  Nope, not one!  I also paid attention to how these children behaved in the hour-long sessions.  They were angels!  They were well behaved, attentive, and not a tantrum in sight!  At some of the sessions, parents allowed their children to sit on the floor in the back or alongside of them to play games quietly.

One family of six caught my eye when I attended a session entitled “How to Teach History in a Co-op or in a Family – Use Games AND the Socratic Discussion”.  I was a few rows behind this family made up of mom and dad with their four children.  There was a boy who was about nine or ten and his brother who looked to be about three.  The older brother had the younger brother in his lap almost the entire hour.  Those four children were attentive, engaged, and well behaved. During the game time, the presenter would offer three hints about a person or place in history and the people in the audience would raise their hands if they knew the answer.  Three of the four children raised their hand every time and had the right answer!  This speaks volumes about the kind of very intentional parenting that is happening in homeschooling families, as well as the quality education they are receiving.

Two Interesting People from the Convention

There were a myriad of interesting sessions offered, so it was difficult to hone in on just a few.  I decided to attend a session with Davy Liu, a former Disney animator.  His topic was “Story Driven Bible Curriculum with Kendu Kids.”  I was captivated by his story.

As a Disney animator, Davy was instrumental in creating beloved classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, and Mulan.  Davy claims that Disney has evangelized millions of children with their animated films.  Most kids know by heart the songs from the movies and they convince their parents to buy Disney merchandise.

When Disney opened the door to less wholesome themes, Davy made the decision to leave to evangelize children for the kingdom of God with his “Disney excellence” brand of animated stories from the Bible.  With his focus on creating books and films, in 2019 Davy founded Kendu Kids.  Employing his outstanding artistic ability and storytelling experience, he has created six books (so far) that tell stories from the Bible from an animals’ perspective.   He is in the beginning stages of turning these stories into animated films, with the financial backing from In-N-Out Burger.  Davy has also developed a homeschool Bible study curriculum called Truth Tails: An Animal’s Perspective of the Bible. 

 “I left the Lion King to work for the King of Kings.”  Davy Liu

 Davy’s enthusiasm for the Lord and for bringing quality Christian Bible stories to children around the globe is infectious.  This man is all in for the Lord and he is incredibly inspiring!  You can find him at www.kendukids.org

Then I spoke to Jake, a young man who works for Turning Point USA.  I asked him to tell me his story, which he was happy to tell. He described himself and his family as “liberal”.  During the Covid lockdowns, he started questioning some of the things that American citizens were being told.  He became aware of TPUSA and got involved, starting a chapter at his high school.  He is now attending university, and is working for Turning Point USA as a High School Field Representative in the southwest region and is no longer a liberal.  He travels to high schools in his region to assist TPUSA chapters with organizing and events.  Each chapter receives training on how to research topics and how to debate subjects with others.

TPUSA is reaching scores of high school and college students, with a presence on over 3,500 campuses.  Turning Point USA is the largest and fastest-growing youth organization in America.

So What Could Happen if School Looked Different?  Well…This Could Happen:

Academic achievement

• 78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools (Ray, 2017)[4]
• Homeschool students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests (Ray, 2010, 2015, 2017; Ray & Hoelzle, 2024) [5]. (The public school average is roughly the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.)
• Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income. (Ray, 2013, 2010) [6]

Social development

• Research facts on homeschooling show that the home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem. [7]
• 87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017). [8]

Forms of socialization

• Homeschool students are regularly engaged in social and educational activities outside their homes and with people other than their nuclear-family members (Hamlin, 2019). They are commonly involved in activities such as field trips, scouting, 4-H, political drives, church ministry, sports teams, and community volunteer work. [9]

Other Factors

• Safe learning environment: Homeschooling eliminates the risk of bullying, peer pressure, and other negative influences found in the public school setting. [10[
• Ability to teach and impart a particular set of values, beliefs, and worldview to children and youth. [10]
• Enhanced family relationships between children and parents, and among siblings. [10]

Excellence is Everywhere in the Homeschool Movement!

I came away from this convention with a renewed sense of hope for the future of America.  I met many incredible people who are making sacrifices for their children every day.  They are choosing excellence; excellence in education, and excellence in character building.

My hope is for the Christian community to embrace this alternative to our failed government-run educational system.  You can play a role in the transformation of education.  Get involved in a Christian youth ministry, mentor a student, teach a subject you know well in a homeschool co-op, or assist homeschooling families by offering to help them with driving their kids to activities.  Get creative!  Use your gifts and talents to usher our youth into the kingdom.  Blessings will follow!

REFERENCES

[1](2025, January 27) Fast Facts on Homeschooling. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/

[2](2025, March 3). Homeschooling Statistics. Mastermind Behavior. Retrieved June 1, 2025) https://www.mastermindbehavior.com/post/homeschooling-statistics-3147c

[3] National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Homeschooled Children and Reasons for Homeschooling. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [June 2, 2025] from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/tgk.

[4] Ray, B. (2017) Academic Performance of Homeschooled Students. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[5] Ray, B. ( 2010, 2015, 2017); Ray & Hoelzle, (2024) Academic Performance of Homeschooled Students. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[6] Ray, B. ( 2013, 2010) Academic Performance of Homeschooled Students. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[7] (2025, January 27) Social, Emotional, and Psychological Development. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[8] (2025, January 27) Ray, B. (2017) Social, Emotional, and Psychological Development. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[9] (2025, January 27) Social, Emotional, and Psychological Development. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations

[10] (2025, January 27) Reasons and Motivations for Homeschooling. National Home Education Research institute. Retrieved (June 2, 2025) from https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#motivations