The Homeschool Highschool Podcast - No Second Class Homesch

Feb 17 2025 27 mins 4

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This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: No Second Class Homeschoolers with Anita Gibson.

No Second Class Homeschoolers with Anita Gibson

Vicki loves to connect with our dear friend, Anita Gibson. Anita is a leader in the homeschool community and offers wonderful resources to help parents homeschool- and homeschool high school! She joined Vicki to discuss some ways to homeschool high school and some of her top resources.

About Anita Gibson

Vicki and Anita met at a conference years ago. At the conference, she picked up a copy on Anita’s book Star Finder: Discover Ways to Help Your Struggling Student Win! Vicki always says that if she could have written that book, I would have. The book shares ways to understand yourself as well as help your children and teens fulfill their gifts and callings.

Anita and her husband homeschooled their three children for over twenty years- from kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade.

Today, their oldest daughter is a diplomat working for the State Department. She is fluent in French and Vietnamese. Their middle daughter graduated from Bowie State and is a fantastic physical science, biology, and chemistry teacher. The youngest, their son is an amazing videographer and photographer. He is working lucratively with his own business and for a mega church.

National Homeschool Advocacy

Anita then founded National Homeschool Advocacy which is an organization that brings together homeschool experts in one place. NHA brings together quick ways to start homeschooling. She was noticing that there are so many ideas and resources out there now that many people were becoming overwhelmed. So Anita and her team are trying to bring things back into bite sized pieces to help people be able to just put their dip their foot in and not be overwhelmed as they try this thing called homeschooling.

There are no second-class homeschool families!

One of Anita’s callings is help homeschoolers know that there are no second-class families. Anita recalled how easy it is for those of us who were homeschooling for decades to think we know it all…and that maybe us old timers to feel we are a little better (or maybe “royalty” of homeschooling). She remembered looking at how the homeschool community changed from the time she started homeschooling and she actually thought about quitting as a director of a homeschool program because in my mind, “traditional” homeschool was no more.

Then she was sitting quietly one day doing her devotions. God really said to her, “Listen, Anita, I don’t know where you got that from that perspective, but there are no second class homeschool citizens. They just need something different. And so the question for you is. Are you willing to help?”

Anita asked herself: Are you willing to help? Are you willing to think about things that will work for this new generation of homeschoolers right where they are? Are you going to shut the door so they can’t homeschool in your program because you don’t agree with where they are or what they need?

Anita began to see the opportunity to bless them using the things that they needed. She began to begin to create programs, co-ops, and oversights that would bless them. For instance, instead of working homeschool parents having to come in for co-op class during the day, she created environments where they could do things on their off-hours. These parents took on jobs like planning or set-up teams for events, a prom, helping with extracurricular clubs, chaperone field trips, or do prep the food for co-op cookouts.

These days many parents must work at job and then they feel like they are on the outskirts of the homeschool community… and not good enough. They’re not really part of the community. We want them to know that there’s no second class homeschool family. Families that different circumstances are different, but not less than.

Still homeschooling- even in different circumstances

Anita’s team reminds parents that their program is not a school. They let parents know that homeschool co-op is a partnership between the parent, the program, and the student. They are all working together. Parents are shown the ways that they can actually be a part of the community and how they can stay connected with the classes and the tutors. Not only that, parents actually have to turn report cards in to the program.

How National Homeschool Advocacy helps

National Homeschool Advocacy came about because we have a heart for all kinds of homeschooling families- just like we had a heart for our changing local homeschool families. Anita felt called to take this thought on a more national level. She wanted to be able to bring experts together from all over the country to be able to help parents that much more.

Homeschoolers with learning differences

Anita was seeing more neurodiverse homeschoolers as well as those with special needs. While she has expertise in the field, she wanted to pull together experts specifically geared toward homeschool students. Anita made sure she has experts in the field to help young people of all kinds succeed.

Some of her experts include:

Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith from the University of Georgia (who shared the History of Black Homeschooling on the podcast)

Keisha Berry, homeschool mom and works with young people on the Autism Spectrum.

Brenda Bullard, a leading developer of multicultural history curriculum featuring African American presence and contribution

Cheryl Carter, founder of Collegiate Learning (Cheryl was featured on the Homeschool Highschool Podcast talking about writing skills and resources for struggling learners.)

Karim Morato, founder of Homeschool Spanish Curriculum (Karim talked about resources for learning Spanish on the podcast)

Dr. Brian Ray, leading homeschool researcher and founder of National Home Education Research Institute.

Dr. Rochelle Somerville, President of EFM Educational Consulting, a service to homeschooling families with special needs (Dr. Rochelle was on the podcast talking about resources for special needs).

Cheri Kay Sessions, homeschool advocate and coach

Natalie Mack, advises and encourages homeschooling military spouses and is a leader in the homeschool community in many areas. (Natalie has been on the podcast many times, including emotionally preparing teens for college and tips for homeschooling high school.)

And, of course, Vicki, who brings her experiences in homeschooling high school to the table.

And one day you'll look back and you'll be amazed at what he has created in you and in your child.- Anita Gibson

Simply Homeschool

Then Anita started Simply Homeschool which is a Facebook group where parents can ask questions or just be a part of the community. Families also share ideas for resources and give encouragement.

Anita’s advice to new homeschooling moms

If you know a new homeschooling mom who might be thinking: I’m not good enough, here is some advice from Anita:

Dear Mama, God has called you to something that he will give you the resources for. The things that you do really well and even the things that you think you’re failing at, he will use for your child. See, this is not about anybody else, but you and your child. As long as you’re willing to learn, mom, you’re going to be all right.

And one day you’ll look back and you’ll be amazed at what he has created in you and in your child.

Join Vicki and Anita and know, there are no second-class homeschoolers!

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing this episode!