The Rational Educator

In this panel discussion, we talk about some of the myths behind homeschooling, and how it has emerged in a world of corrupted institutional education to be perhaps the only option left to save your children.

Check out our new website, a repository of education news and resources for parents: www.rationaleducator.com

Contact us at info@rationaleducator.com

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Trying to fight the never ending insanities of modern education, from historical revisionism, to climate alarmism, to social justice math, is like trying to play whack-a-mole. But at the root of it all is the 19th century political philosopher Karl Marx, and that's the subject of our podcast. Who was he, and why does his influence continue to drive education today?

Check out our new website, a repository of education ...

In this episode, we discuss how the modern classroom came to be, why it was such a departure from earlier methods of education, and the figures in American history that drove its early adoption, Horace Mann and John Dewey.
Check out our website: www.rationaleducator.com
Here you'll find the latest news in the world of education, along with helpful resources if you want to explore homeschooling and other education alter...

In this episode, we discuss your alternatives if you have a child in a school you're not happy with. Will making your case in front of the school board work? What about private schools? Are they any better? And what about homeschooling? Is that even possible?

Check out our website: www.rationaleducator.com
Here you'll find the latest news in the world of education, along with helpful resources if you want to ...

We're back!
After a long hiatus, we've decided to relaunch with a new format and new name, but still bring you thoughtful discussion about the world of education.

Our panel features longtime teachers Andrew Bernstein and Deanna Heikkinen, and is  moderated by your host, Joel Marquez.
In this episode, we discuss how education went off the rails over the last century, and perhaps some hope for change in th...

Here's part two of our extended interview with Ana Martin, creator of the Libertarian Homeschooler Facebook page. We talk about what it means to be a libertarian homeschooler, as well as some of the lessons she's learned by homeschooling her two boys.
This is a great episode, filled with the wisdom and observations Ana is known for on her Facebook page.

If you're a parent and you'd like to start ho...

Ana Martin is a long time homeschool mom who has been passionate about education and childhood development since the age of 14. She runs the Libertarian Homeschool Facebook page where she shares her wisdom and experience with an audience of over 60,000 people. We visit with her today to hear about her homeschool journey, about her ups and downs, and what she learned along the way.

If you're a parent who's considering a hom...

Sasha Reed is the Director of Industry Advancement at Procore, a tech company that specializes in construction management software. We talk with her about achieving professional success in the tech industry without a college degree, in a world in which degrees from elite schools are the currency of the land. 

For parents who keep hearing  news of skyrocketing costs, an intellectual monoculture, and a curriculum further and...

One of the consequences of virtual schooling under a lockdown is the near impossibility of personal engagement with the student by the teacher.
Co-founder Deanna is here to talk about how that has affected some of the kids she tutors, and how that has led to a learning environment in which the only thing learned is how to be obedient.

At the Pisan Academy, we create all kinds of ways that parents can engage their kids...

Connor Boyack is the author of The Tuttle Twins, a series of illustrated children's books that takes some of the great works from the canon of free market and classical liberal thought, and turns their basic premises into kid-friendly stories that parents can also read along with them. The stories are not only fun, but also thought-provoking, and a gateway to have some great conversations with your kids.

You can learn...

Co-founder Deanna joins us for a discussion about cursive handwriting. Numerous studies have shown how this one skill, taught at an early age, can result in lasting neurological and cognitive benefits. So, why is it no longer being taught? And what are some of the best practices in which to teach it?

If you're interested in having your student learn cursive, check out the live online classes at the Pisan Academy websi...

Atlanta area homeschool co-op teacher and board president Kelly Elmore is back for part two of our interview with her and this time, we talk about her ideas about education from her perspective as a teacher.

We talk about the importance of welcoming mistakes, a philosophy she calls "Yippee, Mistakes!" We also talk about how the skill of critical thinking can't be taught in a vacuum and teachers can model the...

Kelly Elmore is a teacher, homeschool co-op founder, and longtime homeschool mom.
In the first part of a two part conversation, we talk about her personal experiences as a homeschool mom with a teaching background.
If you're in the Atlanta area, you can find out more information about her co-op here:
https://www.stacofga.org/

Interested in a classic literature curriculum for your middle or high school stu...

Deanna's back to talk about what we're seeing with virtual schooling, one week in. Some problems have been solved, but others will never be fixed.
We also talk about alternatives.

If you're a parent and you're considering homeschooling, but feeling a little overwhelmed, take a look at this free guide that contains actionable steps, lists of issues to consider, as well as planning checklists:
ht...

Leonydus Johnson is a blogger, podcaster, and a cultural commenter arguing to, as he puts it, "help dismantle the ever-threatening push toward socialism, help break our culture's obsession with skin culture, and move into a truly post-racial society."

He and his wife have recently chosen to homeschool their four children. We chat about his thoughts on education, why he chose to take them out of the public school syste...

Co-Founder Deanna joins us for a conversation about the modern classroom from the perspective of the late public school teacher and education activist John Taylor Gatto.

We talk about a speech he gave, republished in his book "Dumbing Us Down," in which he details the real lessons he taught his students by working within the classroom system, lessons like confusion, emotional and intellectual dependency, and indi...

Jason Crawford is the creator of an online program for high school students called the Progress Studies for Aspiring Young Scholars, which teaches a unique approach to the study of history by examining the scientific and technological achievements that made progress and prosperity possible.

In this episode, we discuss the forces that drove civilization to reach the heights of prosperity that we see today, and we ask why i...

Co-founder Deanna, and High School teacher Luc Travers are back to talk about a unique genre in literature and storytelling that he calls "The Optimistic Outsider Wins Over the Hearts of the Cynical."

This discussion was sparked by a new TV show on Apple TV+ called Ted Lasso, which seems like a simple fish out of water situation comedy, but shares certain elements with great works of literature like Jane Eyre, e...

Co-founder Deanna is back for another Founder's Chat in which we talk about online, or "distance" learning. With many states still in shutdown and schools attempting to reopen using video conferencing, what are the challenges that they'll face?

Deanna was an early adopter of distance education, and even trained and coordinated distance learning programs at her campus. As much as we like to dream about t...