When I say I'm homeschooling -- or talk about the exceptional education my kids are getting -- I hear the same thing: “You're privileged.” That none of this is possible for “regular” single moms, or families stuck in terrible school districts. I don't buy that. I know a mom who was on food stamps, homeschooled her daughter all the way to West Point. I know another mom of 6 who lives below the poverty line and homeschooled all six of her children to great success. I know another mom whose husband suffered a severe stroke, leaving her on government assistance. She drove a school bus to make ends meet. She homeschooled her kids into college, too. It's not about the money. It's about wanting MORE and going after it. Korea and Poland were devastated by war and poverty and in a few decades became educational superpowers. They didn't have more resources. They had the WILL to prioritize education. And America could, too. Take my daughter's class with a PhD archaeologist. It costs $300, paid with ESA funds. If she attended our local public school, the school would get ~$14,000 to educate her. I'm educating her FAR better for FAR less. And you don't even need an ESA! You can take FREE classes by Harvard professors through edX. ASU's Universal Learner program offers hundreds of college courses to anyone for free, for a nominal fee you can get college credit. Money will not solve the education problem. If it could, it would be solved. What we need is a culture that decides education is one of the central responsibilities of childhood And that children are capable of doing serious intellectual work. And America doesn't want to have that conversation. So until we do, I'll keep writing for the parents who are engaged enough to go find something better for their children. It doesn't take money. It takes WILL. Do you have what it takes?

I taught high school for five years and middle school for another five before joining Alpha School. The Alpha High School bootcamp seems to have piqued a lot of interest, so, as a former high school teacher, I’d like to share my perspective. Disclaimer: I work for Alpha, but I am not involved with the high school. This is not an official statement from Alpha, just my personal view. As a high school teacher, I had students who struggled to follow simple directions. Many needed instructions repeated four or five times before they could begin a task. I had students who had been passed from grade to grade without mastering the content. When they received a failing grade, they knew the drill: make test corrections to earn a passing grade, or better yet, wait until report card time and watch the grade magically curve to a 70. Everyone gets a trophy (a diploma). There was little accountability, and certainly few life skills were being learned. I also tutored many high school private school students who lacked life skills such as receiving feedback, goal setting, and independence. Alpha is very different from traditional schools. Students are held accountable. They are asked to do hard things. They learn how to iterate, accept feedback, and try again after failing. They learn life skills that will matter in an ever changing world. It is intentionally different from traditional education. Alpha begins the year with a “boot camp” which consists of minimal life skills that are expected of students. Throughout the year, the school builds on those foundational skills. The bootcamp is necessary because many new students arrive from traditional schools that have not required them to practice things like public speaking, goal setting, financial literacy, and receiving feedback. For many new students, they are not used to failing or receiving feedback. So Alpha uses the first eight weeks to bring students up to speed. Alpha measures life skills, and there is an assessment for each one. Not everyone passes the first time. But unlike in many traditional school settings, failure at Alpha does not mean, “Oh well, you’re just bad at public speaking.” It means: “What do we need to adjust so you can get there?” Students don’t get to skip the life skill and write it off as a deficit the way they would just move onto the next unit of math. Students work with their guide, make adjustments, and keep going until they demonstrate the skill. I have a hard time believing people are directing so much energy toward attacking these 18 life skills when recent PISA results show such concerning declines in student performance. For reference, here are the 18 life skills: Independence: I can manage a long project with competing demands and deliver on deadline, even when the timeline gets tight. Build an Audience: I can earn people's attention by consistently creating valuable content. Teamwork: I can be trusted to hold a role on a team without letting others down. Giving Feedback: I can deliver feedback that is clear, concise, and valuable. Goal-Setting: I can define and set a genuinely ambitious goal. Uphold Community Standards: I can follow the rules the community sets. Receive Feedback: I can take critical feedback without falling apart. Learning to Learn: I can combine outside resources to master a skill that was totally unfamiliar to me. Build with AI: I can prompt the right AI tools to get a real result, using AI as a tool rather than a replacement for thinking. Critical Thinking: I can recognize common thinking errors and explain how they drive decisions. Uplift Others: I can carry a community-service project from start to finish, doing the actual work and not just the planning. Financial Literacy: I can set financial goals and explain the steps to reach them. Leadership: I can help build a culture where it's cool to work hard. Be an Expert: I can become the person in the room who knows a topic best. Grit & Hard Work: I can do hard things without complaining or feeling like a victim. Creativity: I can study great examples and remix them into my own idea. Storytelling & Public Speaking: I can deliver a presentation using strong public-speaking mechanics. Socialization: I can confidently reach out to experts for guidance.

Want your kids to succeed -- raise your expectations of them don't volunteer for the PTA Came across a fascinating study that showed that parents' volunteer time at school made no difference on student outcomes. What did? Parents reading & doing math homework with their kids

The Muppets have released a statement on the tragic passing of Tim Curry. “Few humans have earned the title of honorary Muppet more than the legendary Tim Curry. As a performer, he was unparalleled – witty, charming, unnerving, and deeply funny. We will always consider it one of our greatest treasures to have been part of Long John Silver’s crew. Thank you for everything, Tim.”

A message from the family of Dolly Parton.

My life changed when I realized discipline was just the highest form of self-respect. It’s choosing what you want most over what you want now. It’s keeping your word. It’s an act of service to your future self.

Simple mindset shifts: – I'm not hurt, I'm healing. – I'm not losing, I'm learning. – I was not rejected, I was redirected. Negative things happen. Negative mindsets make them harder.

Most doctors run the bare minimum and tell you your labs are "fine." Here's the expanded female lab panel to test, and the optimal ranges across every system that affects energy, mood, brain, hormones, and how you age. In collaboration with @DrGottfried MD.

Wearables need a setting called “lie to me”

Full episode on The Longevity Optimization Podcast with Dr. Elizabeth Yurth: youtu.be/fPWfuw4jMbQ