This is the story that the teachers unions wish had never happened. This is the story that proves all their hysterical demands for more money are nothing but a sham. This is the story that makes the unions and education bureaucrats sick to their stomachs. This is the personal story of my daughter Dakota Root.

In each of the books I’ve written, I’ve taken great care to acknowledge my beautiful and brilliant little girl, Dakota. I often noted that Dakota and her parents were aiming for her acceptance at either Harvard or Stanford and would accept nothing less. The easy part is aiming for gold. The hard part is achieving it. “Homeschool to Harvard” is a story about turning dreams into reality.

Dakota has been home-schooled since birth. While other kids spent their school days being indoctrinated to believe competition and winning are unimportant, and that others are to blame for their shortcomings and failures, Dakota was learning the value of work ethic, discipline, sacrifice and personal responsibility. While other kids were becoming experts at partying, Dakota and her dad debated current events at the dinner table. While other kids shopped and gossiped, Dakota was devouring books on science, math, history, literature, politics and business. I often traveled to business events and political speeches with my home-schooled daughter in tow. While other kids came home to empty homes, Dakota’s mom, dad, or both were there every day to share meals and a bedtime kiss and prayer. Despite a crazy schedule of business and politics, I’m proud to report that I’ve missed very few bedtime kisses with my four home-schooled kids.

While others were out learning to drive so they could attend more parties, or experimenting with alcohol and drugs, Dakota was practicing the sport she loves with dedication, intensity and passion- fencing. The result? She became one of the elite junior fencers in America- winning the Pacific Coast Championship and representing the United States at World Cup events in Germany and Austria.

Was all the discipline and sacrifice worth it? A few days ago, Dakota Root achieved her lifelong dream. She was accepted at both Harvard and Stanford. She was also accepted at Columbia, Penn, Brown, Duke, Chicago, Cal-Berkeley, USC and several more of the elite schools in America, an unheard of record for a home-school kid. She actually had the confidence to turn down an offer from the Yale fencing coach before she had gotten her other acceptances. The kid turned down Yale!

Here is the most amazing part of the story: The first classroom of Dakota’s life will be inside the hallowed halls of Harvard. This fall she will fence for the Harvard team- one of America’s best. Only an elite 1% (30,000) of the best of the best high school seniors dared apply to Harvard. Virtually every one was #1 in their class, or a world-class scholar/athlete, or had perfect S.A.T. scores. Out of 3 million high school seniors headed to college, and those 30,000 applicants, only 1500 or so will attend Harvard. That is the lowest acceptance rate in college history. To be accepted at one or two Ivy League colleges is rare- to all, an almost impossible feat!

At a time of educational free-fall, it is a remarkable story. With America’s public school system ranked at or near the bottom of the industrialized world (and Nevada near the bottom of that), with record dropout rates, grade inflation, violence, gangs, drugs, teen pregnancies, and the scandal of graduating high school seniors requiring remedial math and reading before starting at college, Dakota’s story offers hope. Dakota proves the American Dream is alive, if only we’d stop depending on government to save us.

There is no one answer for education- our choice of homeschooling melded parental education with tutoring by hand-picked retired teachers and college professors, combined with a personally-chosen curriculum. It’s called parental freedom. The power to decide how to best educate children belongs with the parents, not teachers unions. School choice, encouraging competition for our failing public school system, and offering vouchers on the state level to give parents the power (and money) to choose among charter schools, private schools, parochial schools or home-schooling is the way to force public schools to improve. Competition works. If it’s good enough for Coke and Pepsi, why not public schools?

The sad reality is that teachers unions and government aren’t the solution – they are the problem. Our public schools get worse every year, yet teachers unions demand more and more money. They get their money, it gets worse yet, and they demand even MORE. That is the definition of insanity. This is “Groundhog Day.” It isn’t working- and hasn’t since the day that government took over education in this country.

Dakota Root proves it doesn’t take a state certified teacher, or a teachers union, or a village to raise a child- it only takes two loving parents who give a damn. One home-schooled girl has driven a stake through the heart of the public school education sham. “Homeschool to Harvard” is a powerful story that every parent should be allowed to offer their children.

You can read the original article from Wayne Allyn Root here.

Related posts:

1. Should We Homeschool Highschool?

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My now 9th grader is working on figuring out what he wants to do when he “grows up.” Maybe I’ll even figure that out for myself one day…lol. Is there some quick tool that you know of to help narrow down the ginormous jobs list out there, and then correlate it to colleges that can help on that specific path? For example, my son is very talented in art, but thinks he wants to go into engineering, possibly to design cars. I know it’s lofty, and don’t want to discourage him, but maybe there’s some really specialized area in the auto design process that he can get super-proficient at, and get to do what he likes? Am I being clear? Thanks, Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

You’ve just asked the ultimate question that every person I know is searching for the answer to. Unfortunately, I’m still looking for the answer to the question myself, so if you figure it out before I do, please let me know!

Seriously though, there are several resources that can help narrow the field of options for your son. Aptitude and personality tests can be an asset in helping determine your son’s natural gifts, abilities, and personality type, which can make career decisions easier. Two of the most popular are the Johnson O’Connor and Myers Briggs. Another one I recently took and was very impressed with is Personality Test. These are a good starting point, but should not be considered the “end all, be all.” Determination, persistence, tenacity, and even a little luck can all play a role in his future career options.

I wrote a blog post on a similar topic titled “Is Your Kid a Homeschool Millionaire?” a while back. It dealt with the subject of business, creativity, and finding your passion in life. You might want to read that and watch the corresponding videos for some other ideas for your son, and maybe you too!

I’m currently working on a piece that deals with the philosophy of education and the differences between the technical/business school mentality and the liberal arts/lifetime learning philosophy. Although I don’t expect it to answer the question, it may help others to grasp the differences and use both to their advantage.

If anyone has other suggestions for Jennifer, please leave a comment. This is a great topic and the more interaction we have on it, the better.

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He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.

The grades, test scores and extra-curriculars are all important. But what about the intangibles that can’t be measured? How is your student stacking up to these criteria?

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In college I was actively involved with Students In Free Enterprise, and in a former career, I worked with highschoolers promoting Future Business Leaders of America.

Business and creativity are a natural progression for homeschoolers. Whether it’s a lemonade stand on the corner, soap making, or website design, there are an incredible amount of opportunities for homeschooled students to use their gifts and talents to create a profitable business from home.

Today, more than ever, opportunities abound. Just ask Dallas Crilley, a 16 year old homeschooler from Texas, who also happens to be an author and entrepreneur. His blog, “kidpreneur,” chronicles stories of creative kids and teens and how they’ve taken an idea and turned it into a profitable business model.

One of the underlying themes is how students have taken something they’re passionate about and turned it into a money making opportunity. Isn’t that what homeschooling is all about…learning about those things that interest us and pursing them? And, if it so happens that these interests can be monetized, even better, right?

Gary Vaynerchuk is a guy who I’ve become fascinated with of late. He’s the founder of Wine Library TV, an online videocast about the wine industry, and he just authored a book about turning your passions into profits. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of getting paid to do what I enjoy. In the traditional paradigm of education and work, this rarely happens. but today, with the advancement of technology, we see it happening more and more.

Picasso once said that taking action is the key to all success. So what are you waiting for? Get out there, help your students (and yourself) find their passions and begin creating something that you’ll not only enjoy, but might also make a few dollars as well!

Related posts:

1. Homeschool to Harvard-A Success Story
2. Should We Homeschool Highschool?

Related posts:

1. Homeschool to Harvard-A Success Story
2. Rich vs. Poor – Some Food for Thought
3. Is Your Kid a Homeschool Millionaire?

“…the single greatest predictor of whether a student will succeed or fail in college is not what he knows when he graduates from high school but what he wants to know when he graduates from high school. Intellectual curiosity is more determinative than high test scores or good work habits because it precedes them — indeed, it causes them. The desire to know just for the sake of knowing, to pick up random facts and start drawing connections in your mind, is the hallmark of the lifetime learner.”

I would go even further with this assertion to incorporate success in life along with it. Read the entire article here.

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