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Homeschool Pioneers: Zan Tyler, A Homeschool Pioneer Who Fought for Freedom
🪴 Zan Tyler: A Homeschool Pioneer Who Fought for Freedom
When homeschooling wasn’t legal, she didn’t back down. She stood up—for her children and for yours.
When Homeschooling Wasn’t Free
Today, we take it for granted that parents can educate their children at home. But that freedom wasn’t always guaranteed. In the early 1980s, homeschooling was illegal in many states, and parents risked jail time just for keeping their children home.
One of those brave parents was Zan Tyler.
Threatened With Jail for Homeschooling
In 1984, Zan and her husband Joe decided to homeschool their son in South Carolina. What followed was a nightmare.
“The state superintendent of education told me that if I didn’t put my son in school immediately, he would drag me into court and have me put in jail for truancy.”
—Zan Tyler
She was told she could be fined $1,000 per day and sentenced to 30 days in jail for every day she kept her son home. But Zan didn’t give in.
Standing Firm in Faith
Zan believed God had called her to homeschool—and that conviction gave her the courage to stand strong in the face of fear.
“I knew in my heart that homeschooling was what God wanted for our family. That gave me the strength to stand when everything in me wanted to run.”
She spent the next year battling the state in court while continuing to teach her children at home. It wasn’t easy. But she saw that this fight was bigger than just her family.
“This was about freedom. This was about parents’ rights to direct the education of their children.”
Changing the Law, Changing the Future
Zan worked with attorneys and lawmakers to form the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS), which gave homeschoolers structure, support, and legal protection.
Her tireless work helped shift state policies and made homeschooling legal in South Carolina—and her influence rippled across the country.
“We saw miracle after miracle. God opened doors, softened hearts, and brought people together.”
A Voice for Homeschool Families
Zan’s journey didn’t stop in South Carolina. She became a national advocate, writing books, speaking at conferences, and encouraging parents through her podcast and interviews.
“I want moms to know they don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be faithful. God will fill in the gaps.”
Her legacy is one of courage, faith, and unshakable trust in God’s call.
We Stand on Her Shoulders
Because of pioneers like Zan Tyler, homeschooling is now legal in all 50 states. Thousands of families are walking in freedom because one mom refused to be silenced.
Let’s not forget the cost of that freedom—or the faith it took to win it.
📌 Want to Learn More About Zan?
- Listen to The Zan Tyler Podcast
- Read her book: 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child’s Potential
- Visit ZanTyler.com
💬 What About You?
Have you ever had to stand firm in your conviction to homeschool? Leave a comment below—I’d love to hear your story.
With love and hope,
Penney Douglas
Founder, Safe Haven Homeschool
🕊️ Encouraging homeschool moms with faith, freedom, and joy
The Beautiful Freedom of Homeschooling

The Beautiful Freedom of Homeschooling
One of the most beautiful gifts of homeschooling is freedom—and it shows up in so many life-giving ways.
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Freedom to set your own schedule
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Freedom to choose curriculum—or create your own
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Freedom to decide what your children learn and don’t learn
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Freedom to live where you want (no need to stress about “good school districts”)
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Freedom from comparison and competition
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Freedom from worrying about what’s happening to your kids while they’re away from you
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Freedom to choose their friends and influences
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Freedom from bullying
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Freedom to take field trips whenever you want—for as long as you want
In our home, we embraced that freedom. We were a family of night owls, and we were so thankful we didn’t have to rush out the door early every morning. We could stay up late reading, talking, and enjoying one another. If we had a commitment, we got up and went, but we weren’t ruled by a school bell.
One evening, my husband came home late from work, and instead of missing out, he joined us for Poetry Teatime. He sat down holding our guinea pig, picked a poem to read aloud, and munched on snacks with the rest of us. It was 9 o’clock at night, and it was absolutely perfect. Learning wasn’t limited to certain hours. Life and learning happened together, all the time.
My oldest son, Shawn, once told me at age 15 that he wanted to spend his year studying the Bible. I was surprised—but thrilled. I asked him to also keep up with a bit of math and write about what he was learning. He agreed, and he dove deep. He filled notebooks with Bible study notes, read The Divine Comedy, listened to audiobooks like Sherlock Holmes and G. K. Chesterton, and became a true thinker. Today, he teaches a young adult Bible study at his church and has even preached sermons.
My son Morgan once read King Alfred’s English, followed by The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great. He was captivated and read it twice in one week! That lit a spark in him for Medieval history. Since then, he’s read more classics than I have—The Scarlet Letter, A Tale of Two Cities, the entire Miss Marple series, and Hamlet.
Today, he works at a restaurant where his managers constantly praise his intelligence, creativity, and work ethic. He sees problems and solves them. He’s unafraid to jump in and take initiative. And he carries himself with a confidence that’s rare—because he was never boxed in by judgmental peers or discouraged by teachers who didn’t understand him.
That’s another gift of homeschool freedom: the freedom to fail—without shame. My kids knew it was okay to make mistakes. They were never mocked or compared. So they grew brave. They tried new things. And they discovered what they were truly capable of.
We read so many good books together. We pursued their interests, explored new ideas, and went on adventures. We shared the same friends. They learned life skills I never thought to “teach.” And now that they have homes of their own, I see the fruit of those years—confidence, wisdom, creativity, and courage.
They didn’t spend their days stuck inside doing pages of busywork. They experienced the world, discovered who they are, and learned to love freedom.
And I’m so thankful I gave them that.
Safe Haven Newsletter for April
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Safe Haven Newsletter for May
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"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller






