Meet Penny Ross: Homeschool Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Penny Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Penny, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I don’t consider myself to be a risk-taker. I don’t engage in dangerous hobbies or regularly enjoy activities that involve speed or chance of injury. Personally I would much rather curl up with a good book. However, if one defines risk as a willingness to go against the flow, then I can look back and reflect upon several key points in my life where I chose a risky path. Those led to a career I never anticipated. When I was pregnant with my first child, I chose to leave my job for full-time motherhood, even though a major promotion had recently propelled me into a new career trajectory. Though I only planned on being home for a year, it stretched into six –- before I returned to work part-time. Motherhood was satisfying in completely different ways than my previous career, but even more fulfilling. As my eldest approached kindergarten age, my husband and I made the decision to homeschool for a number of different reasons — even though we knew few people using this alternative method of education. I only expected to homeschool for two or three years. It stretched into nineteen years, as all three of our children remained home through high school graduation. Homeschooling was difficult, but satisfying and fulfilling in ways I had not anticipated. And as an added bonus: I myself am so much better educated now! When my children became more independent in their schooling, I began working for my church by administrating their growing homeschool ministry. After 11 years there, I realized I was getting more and more calls from people in our local community who wanted homeschool advice. Homeschooling had become more widespread with options and programs proliferating. New homeschoolers were overwhelmed and at that time, I was not aware of any independent homeschool consultants in the Los Angeles area. So at a time when many of my friends were retiring, I left a full-time job with benefits to start my own small consulting business. While there have been many ups and downs with my business, I never dreamed a day would come when nearly all schools would be closed and parents in droves would be re-evaluating their educational options. These months of the pandemic have been a crazy busy time for my small business. But what an opportunity to help others with knowledge and experience I have gleaned over 30+ years in homeschooling! Three key decisions in my life in which I chose the path less traveled (with much trepidation) have led me to where I am today as the proprietor of Tools for the Home Educator. And I have found that taking risks can culminate in greater joy and fulfillment than if I had simply followed the “usual” path. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My personal homeschooling journey was a bit different than many of those currently sharing their expertise through books, blogs, podcasts, and social media. Many of them have a favorite publisher or methodology. However, I was fascinated from the very beginning with different approaches to teaching content, I became a “curriculum junkie” who devoured curriculum catalogs and constantly changed up how I taught my own children as I tried new materials and refined my approach. Even now, I get so excited when I get to browse through resources that I’ve not yet seen. As a result, I believe my greatest asset to the homeschooling parents who seek my services is to be a matchmaker. for them. I listen carefully to their dreams and vision of education, their unique family circumstances, and their student’s skills and abilities. Then I match them with resources that seem best suited to their individual needs. Since I do not receive compensation from any publisher, program, or method, I am able to provide customized recommendations. For parents new to homeschooling, I can provide expertise with resources that they have not yet had the time or experience to research for themselves. But even veteran homeschool parents often consult with me to obtain a different prospective on issues they are facing or as they enter into new stages of home education (such as planning for high school or preparing for college admissions). One customer even calls me her “homeschool therapist” when she uses me as a vent to her frustrations. I have been homeschooling or working with homeschooling families for over 30 years. Not much surprises me! As we travel this path together, many customers have become friends. I love watching their children grow up and enjoy attending their school graduations. Many people were instrumental in helping me through my own homeschool journey and I love doing the same for this newer generation of parents teaching their own at home.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love gazing out over the ocean, though I don’t like hunting for a parking spot near the beach or dealing with sand, so I’d recommend a road trip along beautiful Pacific Coast Highway, from Santa Monica up the coast to Ventura or Santa Barbara.  Or perhaps a day  in downtown LA at The Last Bookstore and the Central Library, with a detour to Olvera Street for lunch and an evening at the Hollywood Bowl.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A big shoutout to my family! First of all, to my husband who has carried the weight (literally) of moving many boxes of books and furniture for me as well as sharing the burden as I’ve agonized over business decisions, and encouraged me to keep going even when the business was a drain on us financially. And secondly a shoutout to my two sons. The eldest designed my website and handles IT support for me. The youngest has provided research and advice on cell phone plans, software purchases, and filmed my first short marketing promo. Tools for the Home Educator is a family affair — as is homeschooling!

Website: www.toolsforthehomeeducator.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toolsforthehomeeducator
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tools-for-the-home-educator-torrance?osq=tools+for+the+home+educator