
The OpenEd Podcast A Public School Administrator Reveals The Truth About Homeschooling with Dave Hoffman | OpenEd
A public school principal turned unschool dad shows parents how to stop chasing perfect transcripts and start raising confident problem-solvers.
Inside This Episode:
- Why a principal walked away from the FBI to build schools families actually choose
- The Hoffman family playbook for raising self-directed kids without rigid plans
- How BYU Independent Study helps parents customize learning without losing structure
Resources Mentioned:
- Dave Hoffman — BYU Independent Study: [https://is.byu.edu](https://is.byu.edu/)
Chapters:
(00:00) - From FBI Dreams to Classroom Mission
(01:45) - Why Teaching Felt Like Getting Paid to Play
(03:40) - Charter School Experiments That Sparked Educational Choice
(05:45) - When Kindergarten Changed Their Daughter Overnight
(08:20) - Running Schools While Unschooling at Home
(10:50) - The Soap Opera of Being a School Administrator
(16:30) - How School Choice Forces Every Campus to Improve
(24:40) - Designing a Patchwork Education Across States
(33:30) - Raising Fearless, Self-Directed Kids Without College
(38:05) - Saying Yes: Bucking Policy to Help Families
(41:10) - Final Advice for Parents Trusting Their Gut
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