‘Schooled, not educated’: Home education advocate Sam Sorbo explains why ‘everything is education’

When Sam Sorbo first joined talk radio, she was interested in two things: politics and religion. But over the years, it’s all boiled down to one thing: education.

“My original show was ‘Politics and religion – the only two things worth talking about,’” Sorbo told Chris and Christine Stigall, co-hosts of the “Making the Leap podcast.” “I used to say, ‘Religion is who you are and where you’re going, and politics is how you get there.’”

But being a parent made her realize education was underpinning everything.

“What I’ve realized is everything is education,” Sorbo said. “I know that to a hammer everything looks like a nail, but seriously, everything is education because what you know about a subject colors what you think about a subject!

“We don’t know how to think about education because we haven’t been taught what education really is. We’ve been schooled, not educated.”  

Sorbo has three children with her husband and fellow actor Kevin Sorbo, of Hercules fame, and her homeschooling journey began after their oldest child briefly attended a public school.  

“That’s what convinced me that if I failed at homeschooling, he would still be better off,” she recalled. “And I say that to parents in all seriousness today. You can literally fail at homeschooling, and your child will still be better off than if you enrolled him in a government school.” 

For many parents, making the leap from a traditional classroom to a better option is daunting – but Sorbo wants to rewrite the narratives undermining parent’s confidence and courage.  

“I’m offended by our cultural acceptance of these ideas that are so wrong, that parenting is hard, that homeschooling is hard, that children are dumb or bothersome or burdens!” 

“It [parenting] is work, but it doesn’t have to be hard,” added Christine Stigall.  

“He [God] didn’t ‘burden’ you with children,” agreed Sorbo. “It’s a gift … which is why I saw everything is education. When somebody feeds into you ‘homeschooling is hard,’ that is educating you.  

“And if you lack discernment, you will accept whatever is sent your way. And we lack discernment in our culture today because we haven’t been taught to discern, which is part of your education. You should be taught to discern right from wrong, evil from good. And we’re not.  

“We’re taught to sit there like little birds being force-fed our education.” 

Sorbo also encouraged church leaders to be Christian educators on weekdays as well as on Sundays. 

“This is an incredible opportunity for church leaders to step up,” she said. “They don’t even have to do that much. They just have to identify people in their community who will take the lead and use the church building to either establish a Christian school or establish a Christian homeschool.” 

And when it comes to parents, Sorbo believes, nothing can replace time spent with their children. 

“You need to keep your children close and pour into them as much as you possibly can,” Sorbo advised. “You are their role model, and they are your avatar, so if you want them to look like you, or be like you, or at least be somebody that you can be proud to know, then your best efforts would be devoted to educating them yourselves.” 

The Making the Leap podcast is produced by The Herzog Foundation, which also publishes The Lion. The Sam Sorbo Show is also made in partnership with The Herzog Foundation.