SCOPE's Scripture
Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Speaker Biographies
Ron Adams
Ron Adams, Certified College Planning Specialist, is the leading college funding expert in the Sacramento, CA region.
Since Ron started his local college funding practice, he has helped hundreds of parents in the greater Sacramento area to send their children to college without spending their life’s savings or jeopardizing other important financial goals, like a secure retirement.
Ron makes his home in Sacramento with his spouse, Toni. He is a firm believer that any parent, regardless of their background or financial circumstances, can send their child to college if they know how to play the financial aid game properly.
Marilee Coots
Marilee and her husband, Calvin, educated their daughters at home for 11 years. While searching for ways to address learning and attention needs in their home school, they were introduced to the neurodevelopmental approach and utilized it to improve the way their children could learn.
Marilee has been certified and in private practice since 1995. She has received advanced training in Neurodevelopment, Samonas Sound Therapy, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson’s Oral Motor Therapy, and Rhythmic Movement Training.
Dana Dickey
Dana Dickey is married to his lovely wife Fayrene and has delighted being so for the last 34 years. A father of four daughters who were homeschooled and have committed to courtship. Three of the daughters are now married. Dana has a passion to share the principles of courtship with others to help protect sons and daughters for their future marriages. Much of that desire grew out of a frustration of wondering what he would do to carry out a courtship. He believes the key to success in courtship is an involved father. Involved fathers can help their children determine what they want in a spouse, guide them to become a compliment to their own desired spouse, and help them weed out those who don't meet that criteria. He manages a non-profit, agricultural group in California.
Liz FitzGerald
Elizabeth FitzGerald, M.S., a Christian wife and mother, has over twenty-two years experience working in education. She and her husband David have been home schooling their three children for eleven years. Liz has taught a number of home school writing classes and serves as an educational consultant to the home school community. She is a credentialed Special Day Class teacher and a former Speech and Language Pathologist. As an Endorsed Seminar Trainer for fourteen years, Liz conducts seminars for home educators in the use of Spell to Write and Read. She provides ongoing support for users of the program through an internet support group, personal consultation, and with her blog and web site. She authored the book Cursive First: An Introduction to Cursive Penmanship. She holds classes for junior high girls in the area of personal purity and serves with her husband in his music ministry at their church.
Jennifer Harris
Jennifer Harris and her husband Don homeschool their three children, ages 15, 13 and 10. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in French from the University of California, Davis. She enjoys involvement with French Club and Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, and serves as S.C.O.P.E. spelling bee coordinator.
Cindi Kinney
Cindi Kinney, a homeschooling mom who has raised two “financially responsible” boys: John, a junior at California Maritime Academy, and Peter, 13. She began her career with New York Life in 1984 and lives in the Greenhaven/Pocket Area of Sacramento with her husband, Paul, and their two Golden Retrievers. She is an active member of Grace Church in Elk Grove and has been a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence.
This workshop is for educational purposes only.
Jennifer Pepito
Jennifer Pepito is a homeschool mom of seven who recently returned from four years working to help the less fortunate in Mexico.
Nathan Pierce
Nathan Pierce was homeschooled kindergarten through high school. As a teenager he doggedly determined he wanted to cut firewood for a living, however God did a work in his life that firmly revealed a calling to a career in politics. Nathan received his B.A. in Political Studies from The Master's College while working as an intern for Family Protection Ministries, and he has been employed full-time since 2004. Nathan assists Jim Davis of FPM as a legislative liaison for private homeschooling and speaks at conferences to both homeschooling parents and teens. He and his wife Betsy were married in 2004 and have three small children. They are involved in their church and are excitedly planning to homeschool their own children.
Andrew Pudewa
Andrew Pudewa is the director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a homeschooling father of seven. Presenting throughout North America, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students' skills.
Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development from The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him "the funny man with the wonderful words.
Diego Rodriguez
Diego Rodriguez is the founder of the 4th Day Alliance Creation Astronomy ministry. The 4th Day Alliance currently has over 2,600 members in all 50 states and in 29 international countries. Members of the 4th Day Alliance share a love for God, their Christian faith, the authority of the Bible, and astronomy. Diego is also an author and minister and him and his wife, Lareina, have 5 homeschooled children.
Carissa Ruiz
Carissa Ruiz is a Christian, a wife, and a mother of three. She has been homeschooling since 2000 and is active in her local homeschool community.
She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is a certified preschool teacher. Her goal for homeschooling parents is to encourage them to cultivate the love of learning in their children, so their children will grow and honor God when they are adults.
She has studied and researched math curriculums and philosophies for over ten years. She wishes to ease the parent’s fears and doubts they may have about teaching math to their children. She also wishes to share how to cultivate, in children, the enjoyment and understanding of mathematics. Her focus is more on elementary math (PreK-7), because improper teaching of the elementary years of math tends to lead to long-term problems in higher mathematics.
Dan Sinclair
Dan Sinclair is a home educator and father to three. He teaches and speaks on numerous topics, including math, finance, reading, learning differences, and raising royalty. An entrepreneur at heart, Dan seeks to educate parents and students regarding the need for understanding stewardship.
Graduating from high school, Dan was a straight “D” student in mathematics. As a home educator, he learned many of the secrets that are not taught with a traditional math approach.
At Home Education Conferences, and at specialized conferences such as National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, International Dyslexia Assoc., and Council for Learning Disabilities, Dan is recognized as an educator who touches the heart.
As President of Teach4Mastery, Inc., and Math-U-See California, Inc. Dan directs his companies to reach their goal of helping parents teach to the unique needs of their children.
Jennifer Steward
Jennifer Steward openly shares from the heart pearls she has gleaned during her 24+ year homeschooling adventure! She is an author, speaker, teacher, wife, mother of 8 and grandmother of 7! Jennifer has encouraged, inspired, and instructed hundreds of parents nationwide with her popular workshops with an emphasis toward interactive learning using living books and notebooks! She is an expert on The Unit Study method and her enthusiasm for joy filled teaching is contagious! www.unitstudies.com Steward Ship (888) 4 R - UNITS
Mary Schofield
Mary and husband Paul began homeschooling in 1986. Their children graduated, married, moved into their own homes, got decent jobs, and are doing fine out in “the real world” despite the fears of homeschool naysayers. Mary wrote The High School Handbook, a guide to home educating junior and senior high school students, based on years of experience, research, and prayer. She speaks at home education conventions throughout the United States, encouraging parents to seek God’s unique plan for their families. Mary has been enjoying her "retirement" from active homeschooling by continuing to serve on the Board of Directors for the Christian Home Educators Association of California and by remaining active in legal and legislative issues surrounding private and home education, family freedoms, and parental rights. She also found time to go back to school, get a law degree, and become an attorney with her own practice in northern California. However, her favorite activity these days is playing with her grandchildren.
Anne Weiland
Anne Weiland is the Speech Director for the Auburn Speech and Debate Club. She and her family have been involved in competitive speech and debate for five years. She has seen this activity prepare home schooled students to learn and exercise analytical and oratorical skills, addressing life issues from a Biblical world view in a manner that glorifies God. Because of her personal experience, she believes that parents are the best coaches for their children and focuses on equipping parents as coaches. Married to Marcel for 22 years, she is a homeschooling mom of seven, graduating her second student this spring.