About the AUTHOR
Jo Anne Cooper
Educator, Researcher, Advocate
Jo Anne raised four children, taught fourth grade, presided over Brandywine Valley quilter's club, created award-winning quilts, attended graduate school, and defended her dissertation in her sixties. She then conducted a ten-year study of homeschooling and wrote a book about it.
I would love to hear from parents who want to chat about homeschooling! I am happy to stop by co-op meetings or other get-togethers where homeschoolers and curious families are gathering. I can do short readings from my book and share stories and insights from the families I interviewed.
The Journey into
Alternative Education
She stumbled into homeschooling. While an avid fan of traditional schooling for herself, in the 1990s she found herself faced with an untenable schooling situation for one of her children. Settling on homeschooling as a way out, she thought, "Well, even if he only reads books for a year, he'll be fine."
But homeschooling sucked her in. Eventually she read John Holt's Growing without Schooling and was impressed with even the most extreme form of homeschooling. She wandered deeply into different philosophies of learning after reading many books, including Holt's book How Children Fail. She homeschooled some of her children for six years.
Educational Background
1970-1972: Bryn Athyn College
Two years of foundational studies
1972-1974: University of Delaware
BS in Economics
1997: Widener University
Master's in Education with PA teaching certification
I followed the beaten track of traditional schooling, graduating with degrees from Bryn Athyn College and University of Delaware, and I loved the journey. However, I had no clear goals – no sense of a career or mission. Having a family had always been a plan, and it was while raising my kids that I discovered how much I liked watching children learn and helping them along the way. After homeschooling some of my own kids, I pursued an education degree at Widner University. Next, after teaching school for eleven years and then attending graduate school at Temple, I launched a 10-year homeschooling research project that became a true passion.
2015: Temple University
EdD in Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, Education from the College of Teaching and Learning
Dissertation Research
Jody's dissertation at Temple focused on how technology was employed, or not employed, to learn literacy in homeschooling families. She interviewed twenty homeschooling families who held a wide variety of educational philosophies.
Longitudinal Study
At the completion of her dissertation, she launched a longitudinal study of homeschooling which stretched across ten years and finished up in 2023. She has learned so much about how homeschooling can work and has many resources to draw on to offer help and ideas.
HOMESCHOOL EVALUATOR
I love to watch children learn, more specifically how they learn. For that matter, I like to watch anyone learn. I want to do everything I can to foster learning. I have been a fan of alternative forms of education ever since I stuck my neck out and homeschooled my fourth-grade son. During this time when suddenly homeschooling appeared on your plate, let me help you navigate through it.
Homeschool evaluations are in-person and only available in Eastern Pennsylvania at this time.