Kathleen Duncan is the creator of the popular seminar “Home School for High School”. During the last seven years, more than 2200 families from Georgia, Texas and surrounding states have attended these seminars throughout North Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. The binders of information provided with the seminar have been circulated to many additional families from as far away as Russia and Singapore, provoking questions of “when and where is the next seminar?”
Kathleen and her husband had been raising their seven children aged ten to twenty-two in Gainesville, Georgia. Ron's job moved the family to Wichita Falls, Texas, in August, 2004. Over the last 18 years, they have used various methods to educate their children: public schools, homeschool, private Christian schools, and college joint-enrollment. For the last several years, the Duncan children have been homeschooled, with some supplemental support through a Christian school and joint enrollment at local colleges.
The Duncans found home education increasingly challenging as their children approached high school age. As various teaching methods evolved for each child, Kathleen has drawn from multiple resources, built many great relationships, and learned from both success and failure. This journey ultimately led to no small degree of success, with some wonderful teenagers.
For example, both of their older daughters entered college as joint enrollment students at age 16. Their oldest girl was a National Merit Scholar finalist and attended Furman University on a significant scholarship. She graduated cum laude after attending Furman for only three years and attended graduate school at Clemson University before "retiring" to be a home-maker. Their second daughter entered Piedmont College in fall of 2004 on a Trustees Scholarship. She has earned Dean's List while double majoring in Spanish and Nursing. During high school, she played varsity volleyball for a Christian high school, served on her church worship team, and earned her Blue Belt in karate. Their oldest son (now 20) was an Eagle Scout at 14, and now has an incredible heart to learn, honor his parents, and serve his country as a Marine. He served as a Congressional Page in Washington, DC, in the fall of 2004 before returning home to Texas in February of 2005 to finish high school. He, too, took joint enrollment classes his senior year, and he attended college at the University of Oklahoma on scholarships prior to joining the Marines in fall of 2007. All of their teenagers volunteer in the community more than one hundred and fifty hours each year.
Another result of this journey was a large body of knowledge, which was initially shared informally with friends, and eventually became the Home School for High School Seminar, the first of which was held in January 2001. During each seminar, Kathleen explains how they kept records, developed courses and decided what classes their children needed in high school. She discusses their experiences with homeschooling their high school students as well as the college search process. With humor and honesty, Kathleen shares their trials and victories in raising young men and women.
Kathleen was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She met her husband, Ron, while attending the University of Oklahoma in Norman. They have been married for twenty-three years and have seven children - Meredith, Elizabeth, David, Adam, Andrew, Peter and Margaret.
Kathleen began her career as a Certified Public Accountant. She has served various manufacturing companies in cost accounting, cash management, and general accounting. She briefly maintained a part-time private practice for small business accounting before stepping into the home school arena. She enjoys reading, hiking, scrapbooking, and rubber stamping.
"If God has called you to home school your children, trust Him. He will give you the strength, wisdom and grace to do whatever He has called you to do. You can do it - with His help"
