Tracy Kirby left her teaching job to homeschool her children, including a daughter with Marfan syndrome. She started Kirby Homeschool Co-op to provide social learning and therapies, and credits education savings accounts and the Family Empowerment Scholarship with making the transition possible for families like hers.
Chapters
Hi, my name is Tracy Kirby. I'm co founder here at Kirby Family farm. It's a 501c3 nonprofit educational outreach organization. I founded Kirby Homeschool Co op for my daughter two years ago. So my husband first came home and found a train in the woods. So that was a little different story, but he found a train in the woods, and I told him wherever he put it that I would get to use it for kids. And so at that time, also we. We had middle school boys that were struggling, and so I wanted to create something for them. And so home school for me began trying to meet the needs of my own sons that were in like, seventh, eighth grade. And so we left. I left the public school system, we started building the farm, and I started homeschooling. So my daughter has special needs. She has Marfan's, which affects her connective tissues, everything from her eyes to her heart. We have heart cardiologists that we see twice a year. And so with Marfan's and the connective tissue problems that she has and being on heart meds, public school really wasn't an option for her. And so I wanted to create a community for her to where she would have friends. And there's some things that you can only teach in a group setting. And so, you know, sit down, let's listen to the story, you know, how to get along, how to share. There's things that you can only learn in a group setting. And so creating Kirby Homeschool Co Op was my choice for her for that. Becoming a teacher really, for me was really the first time that I had personal insurance. Like, I had insurance through the school board and, you know, I had job security. And so it was really terrifying when I left the classroom to start this, you know, go off on my own. And how are we going to. You know, I didn't even know how we were going to buy groceries, you know, so just taking that first step was an awesome feeling. It was terrifying, but yet the reward made it worth it. And then when you see the difference that you make even with one child, you just keep going. You just need one story, one story to keep you motivated. So education savings accounts are a huge.
Or would be.
I mean, they just are. They are a huge game changer for students who receive them. And so I know that through the Family Empowerment Scholarship that was formerly Gardner, it's life changing for these kids that get on that scholarship because now families have the support, the resources, their kids can get therapies. Teachers are naturally creative, and we like to jump out there and do things. And so I would encourage other educators that there's freedom outside of four walls. The freedom outside is thrilling and it's unimaginable. What happens when you take off the barriers and you peel back those banana peels and you're free to be the teacher that God created you to be?
