Why Homeschooling Needs Accountability...and What We Can Do About It

About this episode

Tess Ulrey discusses the need for accountability in homeschooling and shares her experiences and insights on the challenges faced by homeschool alumni.

In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club , I'm sitting down with Tess Ulrey, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) . Tess shares her experience growing up homeschooled across multiple countries, transitioning in and out of public, private, and international schools, and how those experiences shaped her work advocating for homeschool children today. Together, they unpack the privilege embedded in homeschooling, the blurry lines between homeschooling and unschooling, the challenges many homeschool alumni face in college and adulthood, and why responsible oversight matters—not to punish families, but to protect kids. This conversation explores the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable realities of homeschooling, including abuse, neglect, and the gaps that exist in state laws across the U.S. Key Topics Covered Tess’s experience being homeschooled in Michigan, Japan, and Germany Homeschooling vs. unschooling—and why the line is blurrier than ever The role of privilege in homeschooling decisions Transitioning from homeschooling to college and adult life Why many homeschool alumni hide their education background How public schools and community…

People in this episode

Host: Jacob Gooden

Guest: Tess Ulrey

Topics covered

• homeschooling accountability
• privilege in education
• transitioning to adulthood
• challenges for homeschool alumni
• oversight in homeschooling laws
• abuse and neglect in homeschooling

Keywords

• homeschooling
• accountability
• education
• privilege
• oversight
• abuse
• neglect
• legislation
• transitioning
• alumni

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Coalition for Responsible Home Education

Places: Michigan, Japan, Germany, U.S.

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• Our Voices Can Make A Difference In Homeschooling Legislation · June 5, 2026 · 57 min
• Did You Forget Something? How to find any moment from the podcast · June 2, 2026 · 4 min
• What Homeschool Parents Can Learn From Alumni Stories · May 29, 2026 · 1h 16m
• She Was Raised to Be the “Perfect” Homeschool Daughter · May 23, 2026 · 55 min
• What Happens When Homeschool Kids Finally Enter the Real World? · May 15, 2026 · 54 min