When I share with others that I have graduated four of my six homeschooled children so far, there’s often a pause, followed by a barrage of questions, from: “How did you do that?” to “What did it look like after they graduated?” Almost immediately, the discussion shifts to high school. While most believe elementary and even middle school are manageable, high school homeschooling is typically viewed as a Herculean effort that’s nearly impossible.
At that point, one of two assumptions is usually formed. Either that the homeschool parent has a hidden superhero cape, or their kids are really not capable of functioning academically—and this “homeschooling thing” is a way to get them a form of education, but not one that will enable them to accomplish much in the future. Usually, at that point, I take a deep, cleansing breath, smile, and internally prepare to shatter some myths about what homeschooling looks like and its outcomes.
Samantha and Joshua, my two oldest, are the only Kent kids who had two years of mommy-at-the-kitchen-table-and-on-the-living-room-floor for homeschooling. Shortly after I gave birth to my second daughter, Jordan, I discovered homeschool tutorials. Homeschool tutorials, or what are sometimes known as hybrid homeschools, are academic programs, typically two days a week, that focus on the core subjects. Classes are taught by instructors, who can be anyone from parents to retired educators, and students are grouped by age, grade, and capabilities. Tutorials are a fabulous means of homeschooling successfully through high school, especially when you have multiple kids.
Additionally, tutorials can be vibrant communities which provide ample opportunities for field trips, social gatherings, and events such as prom, promotion, and graduation. For many homeschooled high schoolers, including mine, these tutorials are complemented by robust dual enrollment courses at local community colleges, enabling students to accumulate college credit—and maybe even earn an associate’s degree—while a high schooler.
With homeschool tutorials, much of the guesswork and heavy lifting of homeschool planning is eliminated. Each core class utilizes a predetermined curriculum. In our case, we received assignment sheets which indicated what information or lessons were being taught in class, and included homework assignments to be completed during non-tutorial days. We also received quarterly and end-of-year progress reports. The programs we participated in, and the one I eventually founded, ensured my kids were receiving academically rigorous instruction with hands-on and experiential learning in a supportive community environment that was nurturing, flexible, and fun. Moreover, the skills they learned, such as time management, learning how to learn, effective written and spoken communication, problem-solving, community engagement and service, and self-advocacy, set each of them up for success as college students and beyond.
My oldest daughter, Samantha, is an incredible artist, who discovered her gift after an unsuccessful first year at Regent University. Someone told her she couldn’t make money as an artist and steered her into majoring in criminal justice. After that first year at Regent, she asked to come home for a do-over, which I enthusiastically supported. She enrolled in her first-ever art class at Anne Arundel Community College and blossomed, graduating with honors and becoming the sole winner of a departmental scholarship that took her to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Within her first semester at PAFA, her art was selected to be auctioned at their annual fundraising event, and when she graduated with honors two years later, 90% of her artwork was sold during the first night of the senior class art show. Today, she continues to produce art while working at a counseling center, and is considering a return to school to become an art therapist.
Joshua is my “neurospicy” kid who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Undecided what to do after graduation, he accompanied me to an open house event at the Art Institute of Washington for a design program his younger sister was interested in. After the presentation, I leaned over and asked if he’d like to apply. In true Joshua form, he shrugged his shoulders, walked to the room next door and proceeded to fill out an application, complete with his essay. During his intake, the academic advisor shared that his essay was one of the best he’d ever seen, to which Joshua casually responded, “What do you expect with seven years of Shurley Grammar, Excellence in Writing, and Lost Tools?” Joshua was referring to some of the curriculum resources we used in our homeschool tutorials. Joshua earned a number of scholarships and studied Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, graduating with honors. He is now in his “dream job” at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, and produces commissioned digital artwork in his spare time.
Much of my second daughter Jordan’s college experience occurred during the pandemic, and I believe she thrived in large part because of her experience as a homeschooled student. After graduating with her associate’s degree from Howard Community College as a homeschooled high schooler, she attended University of Maryland’s Global Campus with multiple scholarships, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Jordan is now a newlywed, living in Washington State and fulfilling her dream of teaching preschool. She and her husband have already decided that their future children will be homeschooled, and have asked me to build a program. Jordan recently published her first children’s book, Journey Through the Jungle of Feelings, which teaches children how to overcome emotional challenges, and is now working on a second children’s book.
Sarah, my fourth homeschool graduate, enrolled in her first formal music class at Prince George’s Community College during the spring of her junior year of high school, and was immediately recognized by the department chair as a student with significant potential. She is currently in her junior year at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, her dream school, on full academic and performance scholarships studying Classical vocal performance. Sarah also sings with Peabody’s jazz ensemble and newly-formed gospel choir. This summer, she is heading to Vienna, Austria, to sing a lead role with the Vienna Opera Academy as Dorabella in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte. She is already planning to continue at Peabody for her master’s degree.
At the end of this academic year, I will have the joy of graduating Samuel, who is currently dual-enrolled at Prince George’s Community College and applying to seventeen (that’s not a typo—17) colleges, all in pursuit of his goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot. He currently holds a 3.89 GPA, and I have no doubt he will earn multiple scholarships to attend the college of his dreams.
Jessica, my other “neurospicy” child, is a high school sophomore who struggled with executive functioning skills. Homeschooling for her includes assignment sheet checklists, and long phone calls with her older sister Samantha, to help keep her focused as she completes her homework. As I’ve watched their relationship and Jessie’s grades blossom, I am reminded of the beauty and flexibility of homeschooling, and how it truly is a family affair. In the fall, Jessie, who is a budding chef and cosmetologist, will dual enroll at Prince George’s Community College, taking that opportunity to explore both professions.
When I look at my children, I see what is possible for all homeschoolers. I use their stories to encourage those who are building programs with students for whom the traditional model has not worked, not to stop their programs at 8th grade. Building high school programs that create opportunities for all students to succeed—whether in college, in trade schools, as entrepreneurs, or wherever life takes them—is not just possible; it is absolutely necessary.
