Ex-Homeschoolers Club

Where does online school fit into the homeschooling conversation? In this week's episode, I sat down with Mindy to explore that question while unpacking the similarities and differences between public online education and traditional homeschooling. We discuss educational gaps, socialization, student safety, and why the rapid growth of homeschooling is forcing us to rethink how we define home-based education.
We also dive into the broader cultural and political influence of the homeschooling movement, the role of regulation, and why nuanced conversations are essential if we want to improve educational outcomes without losing the flexibility that makes alternative education valuable. Whether you were homeschooled, attended online school, or are simply interested in education policy, this episode offers plenty to think about.

Resources we mentioned

• Lifetime Prevalence of Investigating Child Maltreatment Among US Children: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303545?journalCode=ajph
• How a true believer’s flawed research helped legitimize home schooling: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/12/11/brian-ray-homeschool-student-outcomes/
• The Christian home-schooler who made ‘parental rights’ a GOP rallying cry: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/aug/31/the-christian-home-schooler-who-made-parental-righ/
• Ten Homeschooling Parent Myths Debunked: https://rlstollar.com/2025/06/06/ten-homeschooling-parent-myths-debunked/
• Online schools 'worse than traditional teachers': https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34671952
• Coalition for Responsible Home Education: https://crhe.org
• Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block: https://bookshop.org/p/books/homeschooled-a-new-york-times-bestselling-memoir-and-read-with-jenna-pick-stefan-merrill-block/7e9b1465fdf608ff?ean=9781335000989&next=t

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:14 Mindy’s Early Schooling
01:47 Middle School Pressures
05:23 Bullying and High School Fears
07:57 Homeschool vs Online School
10:28 Online School Day to Day
11:21 Tutoring Center Realities
13:11 Did Online School Work
15:55 Why Study Homeschooling Now
22:15 Guardrails and Learning Gaps
26:22 Homeschooling Political Pipeline
30:45 Shiny Happy People Connections
32:54 Homeschool Political Grooming
33:24 Lobby Days And Fake Scores
35:14 HSlda And Child Safety Gaps
39:20 Online School Under Homeschooling
40:44 Mandated Reporters And CPS Fear
43:32 Bullying And Queer Panic
46:58 Unlearning Homophobia
51:31 Defining Laws And New Models
55:51 Parental Rights And Anti Vax Roots
01:02:06 Research Myths And Data Needs
01:04:29 Former Homeschoolers Speak Up
01:07:37 Wrap Up And Community Invite