Co-hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan of the podcast "I've Had It" have voiced strong criticism of homeschooling, labeling it "weird as f---" and a detrimental practice during their Tuesday show. Their remarks came in response to a caller who expressed frustration with parents attempting to homeschool children they felt were ill-equipped to raise.
Sullivan stated she believes homeschooling is a "bad idea, from soup to nuts," expressing concern over the intensive nature of keeping children with parents 24/7 and the potential lack of socialization. She suggested that "a lot of dumb people do it because it's just easier."
Welch characterized homeschooling as "MAGA on steroids" and "trickle-down stupidity," associating it with what she described as America's "fundamental crazy Christian problem." She claimed that parents who homeschool often "project a script onto their kids" and are incapable of critical thinking. Welch further posited that parents who homeschool are acting selfishly, particularly when it involves pushing a religion on a child before they are old enough to form their own beliefs. She concluded that such practices are "all child abuse, honestly."
In response to these comments, education policy advocate Corey DeAngelis criticized the podcast hosts' views. DeAngelis argued that it is "weird" to outsource children to government-run schools for the majority of their childhoods. He pointed to documented issues within the public school system, including abuse, bullying, violence, and what he called "relentless socialist indoctrination," as the "socialization" the hosts seemed to defend. DeAngelis asserted that parents teaching their children at home is a natural practice that predates modern schooling, contrasting it with the "factory-model government schooling system" he believes has failed many students. He suggested the podcast hosts' comments revealed a "contempt for family and parental authority" rather than a valid critique of homeschooling.