Kevin Boden, Esq.

Educations Savings Account are here, or may be coming to the state you live. The passage and celebration of these ESA’s has left many homeschooling families wondering what exactly they are. What is an ESA? Are these programs good, bad, or just the latest fad of school choice? Should I get involved in them? This session looks specifically at ESA programs that can be found around the county and examines the pros, the cons, and the many issues in-between.

We all have reasons we homeschool our children. There are reasons we started, reasons that keep us going, and perhaps reasons that drive us even somewhat subconsciously. But, what ought to drive the Christian parent is the desire to glorify God in our homes and to teach our children the wisdom that holds eternal value. Too often, in our homes, the central vision gets lost in the shuffle of math, out-loud reading, sports practice, and even AWANA or youth group. This session reminds us of what is central and encourages us along the journey.

Many working dads find it challenging to get involved in the homeschooling of their children. After all, when you’re gone for upwards of 9 hours a day, how much time is really left? And do we really want to “do school” when dad is off work anyways? This session focuses in on how and why the involvement of dads in the homeschool family is so vital. It examines the common reasons dads tend to be less involved, and some tools that may help them to become an integral part in their family’s homeschool journey rather than a mere bystander

Hi, I’m with the Child Protective Services, is this the Johnson home? CPS, DCS, DHR….it goes by various names, but it’s almost always unexpected and uninvited. Most families never expect a social worker to show up and knock on their door requesting to enter their home and speak to their children. But it happens, and perhaps more often than one might think. In this session, we examine some considerations to think through in advance, the state of the federal law surrounding the 4^th amendment, and issues to consider should this unexpected event occur.

We believe that parents are best positioned to make educational decisions for their children; we think school choice is right and good. But with this choice comes the potential muddying of the water as public schools operate full-time virtual programs, as private schools offer distance learning, and as vouchers and scholarship accounts become the norm. Where does homeschooling fit within this ever-changing landscape? Has “homeschool” lost its meaning when so much education is conducted at home? Is school choice the promise or peril of homeschool in the future?

Homeschool has a history and it will have a future. But the landscape of home education is changing. Micro-schools, learning pods, traditional co-ops, online learning, accredited programs…the options for homeschool seem to be endless. This session briefly looks at the trends and movements in homeschooling. We are reminded as homeschooling families that while the face of homeschool may have changed or expanded, the heart and building blocks of homeschooling has not. Moms and dads continue to homeschool for a variety of reasons, and no matter the external shape of the school, there are commonalities that unite homeschooling families. Let’s not lose our history as we move into the future.

Homeschooling in the military brings a unique set of challenges. Kevin's family moved with the Air Force five times in ten years, helping him to understand some of the uniqueness of homeschooling in the military. Short-notice changes of stations, lengthy deployments, mid-year moves to another state, navigating new homeschool groups, understanding state laws—the list abounds with issues that military families face. This session explores some shared experiences of military families and some concrete ways that homeschool military families can thrive in their environment.