Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / Their Future is Shining Bright: A Guide to Homeschooling in High School w/ Rachel Kovac

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Their Future is Shining Bright: A Guide to Homeschooling in High School w/ Rachel Kovac · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices for both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome back to Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Karen, your show host, and today I'll be interviewing Rachel Kovac, author of Their Future is Shining Bright: A Guide to Homeschooling in High School.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Rachel brings a fresh and much-needed voice to the homeschooling community, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities of the often overlooked high school years.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: As a writer, speaker, and educator, Rachel understands the uncertainty many parents feel when deciding whether to homeschool through high school.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: She equips her readers with vision, practical guidance, and encouragement drawn from years of experience, homeschooling her own children through high school and guiding them into college with scholarships.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Rachel helps families approach academics, college admissions, and alternative pathways with confidence while nurturing a home life rooted in connection, purpose, and love.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: Rachel, it's great to have you on the show.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me, Karen.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yo, it's great to have you here.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, your new book is a go-to resource for homeschooling through those critical high school years.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: I've had the pleasure to read much of it.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's very well written, it's comprehensive, and I love how it um combines both practical advice with your personal story and encouragement.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think it's an excellent source for parents who may not be sure they have what it takes to homeschool through the high school years.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad you're here to share about your homeschooling experience and to provide some encouragement for parents.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna jump right in with the first question.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: So, Rachel, why do you think so many families are making the switch to homeschooling?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: And why is it not too late to transition to homeschool and high school?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a great question.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, homeschooling right now has become the fastest growing form of education in the US.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's growing seven times faster than public school enrollment.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there are so many benefits that parents see.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: For example, time together, a customized education according to your child's individual personality and interests.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: And uh 83% of parents report concerns about school environment from peer pressure to school safety to curriculum as being a reason why they are choosing homeschooling.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: But I think a lot of folks feel more comfortable making the switch because they're no longer the odd one out.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: In some states, the number of folks homeschooling rivals the number of students in public, excuse me, in private schools.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: And in a few states, it even exceeds it.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: In my state of Texas, the Houston Chronicle recently reported that fifth, uh, excuse me, 500,000 students are homeschooled compared to 250,000 in private schools.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, that's surprising.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: That's a big difference, yeah.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, oh, excuse me.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, go no, go ahead.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So with this growth has come an explosion of new resources.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: There are co-ops, groups, enrichment programs, sports teams, homecoming prom.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just resting on parents to figure it all out themselves.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that has made parents feel a lot more comfortable about making the change.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, they don't feel like the odd one out anymore.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: And the resources are abundant now.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's so nice.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: They know that they'll be getting some support.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's great.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you describe high school as a season of growth and opportunity instead of something just to survive.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, how can parents reframe those years so they become some of the best years?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think this can really be about curating an education that focuses on your family culture and your family vision.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the things I think the teenage years are a very vulnerable time.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times we look at the early years as being vulnerable.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: But in my opinion, when my children were little and going to preschool, it was pretty harmless in terms of what they were being exposed to.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't face things like peer pressure.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they were in an environment that I felt matched our family values.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: But uh the teenage years are high stakes.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that when we can have our children in an environment that matches our goals, the old testament has a principle that carries into the New Testament of not putting a stumbling block before anyone.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes if our kids are in an environment that isn't aligned with our values, we're unintentionally putting a stumbling block before them.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that when we can choose um co-ops or groups that are church environments that are aligned with what we believe, then we can maybe avoid some of the difficult parts of the teenage years that can be common in our culture where peer influence is so heavy that's not common from human history.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: In human history, children were yes, shaped by peers, but also shaped by mentors, elders, people of all ages.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: And homeschooling more naturally lines up with that kind of philosophy.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: You're not just segregated in one classroom based on one's age, but you interact with people across all ages and stages.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that about homeschooling.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: And isn't that relatively new, I guess you would say?
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when did that really come into play?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: It was the 1800s, right, where they wanted to segregate kids.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it really came out of uh sort of the Prussian education system segregated based on efficiency.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, in the US for a while, there was the idea of the one room schoolhouse.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then as more kids were coming into schools for various reasons, um, then that became something that was commonplace to have children all based in a classroom with only kids of their own age.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: And that has never really been the norm in all of human history to have so much of one's time spent only around one's peers.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: And when that happens, then kids start to form their own culture, uh, where parents can feel on the outside.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: That's a good point.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, some parents may worry that homeschooling through the high school years will isolate their teams, teens.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: What have you learned about that?
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, about community, friendship, and belonging in that season.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that goes back to the multi-generational uh ties that our kids can form during this season of life.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, homeschooling allows them to have the opportunity to be a part of formal classes if they'd like through co-ops, enrichment programs, or dual enroll enrollment and earn college credit or even get a degree or a trade apprenticeship before graduating high school, reducing college debt, which is a huge problem in the US.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: The college debt crisis is a huge problem.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but also outside of those structured learning environments, they can also learn about friendship and belonging across the different ages.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: So when as high school students, my kids have their peers, but also they'll hang out with some of our adult friends who could weigh in on things like dating or decision making about career from that perspective of, well, this is what I feel having these years of experience.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: It really seems to open up the potential for so many opportunities.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yes, because you have so much time.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's more of a college-style learning environment because parents tend to be not always more like the directors of their child's education rather than it's not school at home.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's not you're going from 8 a.m.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: till 3 p.m.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's more of the world is your oyster and you can choose, you have a lot of flexibility.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so I think that that's great.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And if a child is college bound, it's more similar to a college environment where you're learning independently, you're taking ownership of your learning, and then you have time to invest in other things in between classes.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, which really prepares you better for college.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think so.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Well, for those parents considering homeschooling, what is the first step you encourage them to take?
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: I would say uh find a family or a book or maybe something online that allows you to form a vision.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there's a proverb, without a vision, the people perish.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: But also, it doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to be set in stone.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Don't allow fear to hold you back.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: My kids were in private school up until my son was in second grade through second grade.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I was terrified to homeschool.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but all I started homeschooling in the summer so that I could send them back to school if it didn't work out.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm so glad I didn't allow fear to hold me back because God meets us in our moments.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: God gives us exactly what we need.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Anything new can feel overwhelming, but God will equip you.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's a dream of your heart, God will meet you there.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it could be more beautiful and gratifying.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's been one of the greatest joys of my whole life.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad I didn't allow fear to hold me back.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and I would say, you know, your book is that resource that uh parents can can um order and will be a big help to them as they want to jump into that.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: So, well, you know, we have to talk about misconceptions of homeschooling.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: Over the years, there's been many of them.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm that's changed over time.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: But what would you say right now is the largest misconception people have about homeschooling?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would say there's still the old misconception that homeschoolers are socially awkward.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Dr.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Brendan Case, Associate Director for Research at Harvard's Human Flourishing Program, along with Dr.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Ying Chen, did a large study on this topic and wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal about it called What Homeschoolers Are Doing Right.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: A new study suggests their kids are healthier, happier, and more virtuous than public school graduates.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: And what Dr.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Brendan Case says is the picture of the homeschooled student that emerges from the data doesn't resemble the socially awkward or ignorant stereotype to which others appeal.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Rather, homeschooled children generally develop into well-adjusted, responsible, and socially engaged young adults.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that is one misconception that folks can set aside.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: The other is a lot of people would ask when my son was getting ready to apply for college, well, can you go to college if you're homeschooled?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Is that a possibility?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: And the answer is a resounding yes, you can go to college.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: My son is doing great in college, he's applying to med school this spring.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: He is being published uh in a medical journal.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: He's presenting for the American Academy of Cardiology.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: All is well with him.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: We don't, yeah.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we don't have to worry.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: My daughter's in college, both of them are in college.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: So that's not an issue.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's great news.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Rachel, last question: where can parents connect with you online and find your book?
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, the best place to find me online is www.rachelkovakovac.com.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: And there you can find links to order the book from your favorite retailer.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'll also have other uh resources for families too, like downloadable transcripts, information, um, other means of support beyond the book.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you can find me the best places at my website.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: Wonderful.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Well, parents, if you are considering homeschooling or even right in the middle of it, you'll want to connect with Rachel and grab a copy of her book.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: I will have links to that in the show notes.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: Rachel, thank you so much for being here.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: And listeners, thank you for joining.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to like and subscribe to Five Minute Parenting so you never miss an episode.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: And share this podcast with another parent you want to encourage.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, have a blessed week.