Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool

HSLDA
Homeschool Talks: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Homeschool

Homeschool Talks is an informative podcast about all things homeschooling. We feature exciting interviews with homeschoolers from all walks of life as well as leaders and influencers in the homeschool movement. Each episode is packed with practical tips, inspiring stories, and more.

  1. JUN 30

    Victory for Indiana Homeschool Graduates | An Interview with Timothy Wesco

    Representative Timothy Wesco, a homeschool graduate and Indiana state representative, tirelessly introduced his legislative proposal for 5 consecutive sessions. His bill? Explicitly recognize that a parent has the full legal authority to execute any document necessary to demonstrate their child’s education, whether that be a transcript or a diploma. Join Timothy and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) as they discuss Timothy’s homeschool experience, how the bill was passed, and the importance of developing relationships proactively with your state legislators. “Often times it's the most conservative and the most liberal members that come together—maybe for slightly different philosophical reasons, but supportive of freedom. And having constituents that are utilizing that freedom really helps to change that dynamic, right? If [a legislator] recognizes that a vibrant homeschool community in their district, that's going to affect their vote on these issues. It's so imperative for homeschool families to develop relationships with their legislators, no matter what the political party their legislator is. We can't make assumptions about their views based on their party”—Timothy Wesco

    35 min

  2. JUN 9

    He Asked to Be Homeschooled—and Never Looked Back | An Interview with Darren Jones

    For Darren Jones (HSLDA Attorney), a single day of playing hooky from public school began as a spontaneous break but turned into a deep realization: there had to be a better way to learn, grow, and live. Darren shares his experiences from becoming a homeschool student to becoming a passionate home education. He became a legal assistant for HSLDA in 1996, and is now an Attorney and Director of Group Services. Explore historical HSLDA processes, notifying members about legal issues in their states through snail mail and answering 75 member phone calls in one day! Darren and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) reminisce about the past and chat about previous legal cases and the busy 2025 legislative season at HSLDA. “I was in public high school. This was 1989. Our church put on a panel about raising kids to be Christians. [The panels featured] parents who were sending their kids to public school, parents who had their kids in private school, and parents who were homeschooling. My parents actually let me play hooky that day. I got to go and watch the panels and came home and told them, I want to be homeschooled. And they decided, sure!”—Darren Jones

    49 min

  3. MAY 26

    Homeschooling in the Navy: From Navy Brass to Homeschool Class | An Admiral’s Journey

    What do submarines and science fair projects have in common? They both require strategy, patience, and a solid sense of humor. In our latest episode of Homeschool Talks, HSLDA President Jim Mason dives deep (pun fully intended) with Rear Admiral James Waters about being a homeschool father while navigating a high-stakes military career. This episode features: • Why Admiral Waters and his wife chose homeschooling for their kids, even with a life full of relocations and duty stations • What the military taught him about leadership and how those lessons show up at the kitchen table • Real opportunities for homeschool grads in the military (hint: it's more than marching and mess halls) • How military service can open unexpected doors for careers, education, and personal growth Whether you're a homeschool parent, a student weighing post-grad options, or just love a good sea story—this episode delivers insight and inspiration! “I am so grateful that my wife and I chose to homeschool our kids. And I am really excited that there continues to be a flourishing culture of homeschooling. I encourage you to keep the United States Navy in mind. As you're thinking about options—as your children graduate from high school—college is great, but it's not the only choice. The trades, the military—I would keep the military in mind because it can lead to all these other options later in life.”—Rear Admiral James Waters

    41 min

  4. MAY 5

    Homeschool Freedom: Victory in Wyoming, Threat in Illinois | An Interview with Will Estrada

    Will Estrada, Senior Counsel at HSLDA, shares his journey as a homeschool graduate and his ongoing work defending homeschool freedom nationwide. He and HSLDA President Jim Mason discuss recent legislative developments—celebrating a victory in Wyoming, where the annual letter of intent requirement for homeschoolers was repealed, while raising concerns about a proposed bill in Illinois (HB 2827) that would impose burdensome regulations and even criminal penalties for noncompliance. In these unprecedented times, homeschool families and state organizations are uniting to make their voices heard at state capitols across the country. Please note that this interview was recorded on April 16th, 2025. “We were not going to even try and fight HB 2827 in the [Illinois State] House. [We thought], ‘It's going to pass the House, let's focus on the Senate where we've got a better shot.’ I was talking to an Illinois Senate Staffer the other day and he was telling me it's amazing that the bill is struggling so much in the House. I have seen so many people who have risen up to fight this bill. It's a powerful reminder that as we read in Ephesians 6, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. And so, take on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. And I love that here at HSLDA, we get to pray together, to pray for homeschool parents in Illinois, Virginia, Wyoming, and other states, because it really is a reminder that what we do matters in eternity”—Will Estrada

    42 min

  5. APR 21

    Freedom Requires Vigilance | An Interview with Callie Chaplow

    Homeschool freedom came under threat in Virginia earlier this year, and hundreds of families quickly stepped up to defend it—proving that the price of freedom is constant vigilance. In this episode of Homeschool Talks, Callie Chaplow, Director of Government Affairs for the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) joins Jim Mason, President of HSLDA, to discuss how families rallied at the Virginia statehouse to defend homeschool rights during an active legislative season, particularly families new to homeschooling! Join the conversation on how Virginia’s homeschool community made their voices heard—and what we can all learn from their advocacy. “[This bill] was an attack on all homeschoolers. It [attempted to] change the homeschooling process and it added a whole bunch of requirements. [Homeschool families] rallied. In Virginia, about 40% of homeschoolers in Virginia were not homeschooling pre-COVID. That's a gravitational shift in culture of people who have never had to defend their homeschool freedom. This was an opportunity for all these new homeschoolers to really value what we have. And they did. People who had never been involved in the political process, never have come down to the Capitol, never written or called a legislator—they [rose up].”—Callie Chaplow

    43 min

  6. APR 7

    Homeschooling at a Crossroads: Protecting Parental Rights | An Interview with Chris Butler and Abraham Hamilton

    Homeschool fathers and advocates, Chris Butler and Abraham Hamilton, share their perspectives on the role of government in education. Join them in this episode to explore the positive impact homeschooling has had across the United States, and recent threats including a new bill in Illinois that threatens to impose additional restrictions on homeschooling families (including jail penalties for non-compliance). Chris and Abraham highlight how restrictive legislation can harm disadvantaged communities and how parents from all backgrounds are coming together to protect homeschool freedom, transcending party lines at the capitol steps! “No matter who you are and what your political leanings are, if you are really concerned about the cause of justice, you should be acutely concerned about this idea. . .that with such a quick reaction to different communities accessing [homeschool] freedom for themselves, now there is this move to restrict that freedom, and to lock children, especially children from disadvantaged communities, into a public school system that is not working for them. I think that the high aim of this legislation [in Illinois] is to make it too hard to homeschool so that folks who have been choosing to do it will just default to stay in the public system that has failed multiple generations now of children from our communities on multiple levels. And so for me, and I think for a lot of people, wherever they fall on the political spectrum, it is a justice issue.”—Chris Butler

    52 min

  7. MAR 24

    Redefining Success: The Blessings of Children | An Interview with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk

    What does it mean to live a successful life? For the women featured in Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth, it means embracing the beauty and challenge of raising a large family. Economist, author, and mother of eight Dr. Catherine Pakaluk sheds light on college-educated women across diverse backgrounds choosing to raise large families in an era of declining birth rates. Through her research, Pakaluk reveals a worldview where children are embraced as these women’s purpose, their contribution, and their greatest blessing. Join this thought-provoking, faith-filled vision of family and our future with Catherine and HSLDA President, Jim Mason. They highlight the crucial role of the homeschooling movement, which enables families to educate their children affordably while fostering strong values at home. “The three biggest blessings that God wants to send us are children, good health, and prosperity. The Jewish woman I talked to said, ‘the tradition says that the biggest of these three is children. . .that God really wants to bless us.’ If you really believed that children were the greatest blessing that God could send you. . .you would arrange your life to have another child. . .they fit their careers and their professional work around their families rather than fitting their the timing of their children around their careers.”—Dr. Catherine Pakaluk

    51 min

  8. MAR 10

    How Homeschooling Strengthens Family Life | An Interview with Vince Loparo Jr.

    Homeschooling can bring a broader vision for your family and deeper engagement with your community. Join Vince Loparo Jr. (homeschool dad) and Jim Mason (HSLDA President) in an encouraging conversation about Vince’s holistic approach to parenting. You will walk away knowing how to define your family’s core values to create an unshakable foundation, even when faced with challenges. Homeschooling can knit your family together and make your family stronger! “There's something in your life that is your core value, and you're not going to give on that. I think you need to know what that is. Write it down. If you have to, look each other in the eye as a family and say, ‘this is what we stand for.’ In our home, we stand for unconditional love and hospitality, welcoming people, bringing them into an environment of unconditional love. Regardless of what the day's adventures might bring, that's the foundation we stand on.”—Vince Loparo Jr.

    36 min
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4.6
out of 5
55 Ratings

About

Homeschool Talks is an informative podcast about all things homeschooling. We feature exciting interviews with homeschoolers from all walks of life as well as leaders and influencers in the homeschool movement. Each episode is packed with practical tips, inspiring stories, and more.

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