Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, co-hosts of the "I've Had It" podcast, went on a rant recently against homeschooling in this country, especially from Christians, reports New York Post. Their criticisms were prompted after a caller on the show berated some people for homeschooling.
Sullivan claimed it was weird for someone to want to be around their children 24/7, rather crawling on hands and feet to get her children to school every day. Welch declared it an attempt to put a script on children’s lives and said it was things such as “trickle-down stupidity” and “MAGA on steroids.”
They also attacked Christians in their rant, with Sullivan saying that she was worried about those who attend Bible study homeschooling. Meanwhile, Welch likened the practice to child abuse and called it a “fundamental crazy Christian problem.”
The DEO was quick to defend homeschooling following their remarks.
"Homeschoolers, like the winner of the Presidential 1776 Award, have demonstrated their ability to succeed at the highest level time and time again. The proven value of homeschooling should never be dismissed as ‘trickle-down stupidity.’ The only thing that is stupid is your ignorance," the DEO responded.
Will Estrada, senior counsel at the Home School Legal Defense Association, says that it is hard to overstate how huge the DEO coming to defend homeschooling really is.
“They've weighed in, defending homeschooling, advocating for homeschooling. It's very welcome, and it's not something we've seen before,” Estrada says.
Estrada, a homeschool graduate himself, says that the podcast comments come from a worldview of "seeing children as a burden and not a blessing."
He cites a study by Dr. Lindsey Burke called Bringing Education Home. It found that homeschoolers perform on par or, in some cases, better academically than their public school counterparts.
He also debunks the theory that the podcasters attempted to make, saying only the far-right, Christians and MAGA supporters are homeschooling their kids.
“Four and a half million kids are being educated by their parents at home, and it really cuts across every race, demographic and socioeconomic status, as parents choose what's best for their children's education,” Estrada says.
