Episode 283: Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur of Today's Catholic Homeschooling Website (May 1, 2024)

Here at The Open Door, we are turning our attention to education for the next few episodes. This week (May 1) we will consider the growing trend of homeschooling. Our special guest is Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur. She is a lifelong Catholic who has been homeschooling her three children, two of whom are grown, for 17 years. In a welcome effort to provide both information and inspiration for homeschool families, she has managed, for over a decade, the Today's Catholic Homeschooling Website. From there folks can access her Homeschooling Resource Guide for free, along with a variety of helpful articles and book reviews. She herself has written a number of books, including The Crash Course Guide to Catholic Homeschooling. Patrice is a Member of the Catholic Writers' Guild and Catholic Library Association. She has a Master's Degree in Applied Theology and 20 years of experience working for the New Evangelization. Among the questions we’ll ask are the following. Please don’t hesitate to ask your own!

1. Perhaps we should begin by defining our terms. What is homeschooling? Simply doing school at home? What makes it "official"? 
2. We are pretty sure homeschooling is on the rise, but do you have any stats that might help us understand the reality by the numbers? 
3. What are the reasons people most often choose to homeschool, in your experience? 
4. What are some common misconceptions about homeschooling?
5. No doubt some criticisms of some homeschoolers are on the mark. Do any examples come to mind?
6. Some families feel called to homeschool throughout high school, often with the support of local or online educational services to one degree or another. As more and more kids have become homeschool graduates, are there any notable, established outcomes we are seeing that reflect the positive potential of this educational path?
7. We’ve all heard about teacher burnout. Is there homeschooling burnout? If so, what are the causes...and remedies?
8. Homeschooling parents come from many backgrounds. Are there some conversations across different backgrounds that you think might be productive but perhaps do not yet see?
9. Parents are the first educators of their children, and children are not the mere creatures of the State. Doesn’t it follow that the State’s role in education should be carefully limited?
10. Any other food for thought you'd like to offer for our listeners?