About the Educational Support Foundation
... Encouragement and Help for Homeschool Success ...
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
Martin Luther King Jr
“Public education is not about education. In too many instances it is about propagandizing and controlling the minds and hearts (and bodies) of the next generation. Without public schools, liberalism would qualify as an endangered species. With them, liberals hope to train sufficient numbers of left-thinking drones to replace them when they are gone.”
Cal Thomas
AFA Journal, April 1993
“Obviously the schools are not Christian. Just as obviously they are not neutral. The Scriptures say that fear of the Lord is the chief part of knowledge; but the schools, by omitting all reference to God, give the pupils the notion that knowledge can be had apart from God. They teach in effect that God has no control of history, that there is no plan of events that God is working out, that God does not foreordain whatsoever comes to pass… The public schools are not, never were, can never be, neutral. Neutrality is impossible.
The big lie of the public schools is that the God of the Bible is irrelevant. The textbooks never mention Him. Everyone assumes that children do not need to know anything about God, God’s law, and God’s Word in order to become educated people. This is Satan’s own lie.”
Robert Thoburn
Dear Friend,
In 1985, the Lord led my wife Jeannie and I to start the Educational Support Foundation as a 501(c)(3) educational organization. Initially ESF was established to produce books and videos which would help students understand how the subjects they are studying in school are used out in the real world of business. It has become, since 1987, a vehicle for a ministry in the home school community.
Through our efforts to home educate our own four children since 1983, the Lord has given us a sensitivity to the needs of other home schooling families. We have been amazed as the Lord has given us the joy of serving home schoolers in so many areas:
- WORKSHOPS FOR HOME SCHOOLERS: We have had the opportunity to serve through a number of home school service organizations, but we have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to minister through home schooling workshops. It is amazing to realize that we’ve been able to do over 250 workshops since 1987 with an attendance of over 25,000 home schooling parents.
- WORKSHOPS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATORS: In addition, it is remarkable to consider the opportunity we’ve had to give a number of workshops for educational professionals from over 150 school districts in the U.S. and Canada and have had an article about homeschooling published in an international professional educational journal.
- LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS & SUPPORT: We have also been able to provide help, encouragement, or leadership training through various workshops, meetings, and leadership retreats with leaders from over 75 home school support groups.
Praise the Lord for his grace!
I hope that this site helps give you an understanding of our ministry, and perhaps one day we’ll have the opportunity to serve you! Please give us a call if there is any way we can help you or your organization.
In His Service,
Hank Tate
Executive Director
Getting Hank Tate to speak at your homeschool event ...
For more than 20 years the question has often come up, "What would you charge to speak at our homeschool conference or do a leadership retreat?" The answer is simple. We don't charge anything. This ministry is one the Lord put us into and made clear to us many years ago that the focus was to be on serving for His glory alone.
We do pray that all expenses are covered, but beyond that anything that comes in is a gift from the Lord. I have been the key note speaker at some conferences where the only thing they could afford was my airfare and reimbursement for handouts. At one state convention, we stayed at the home of the President of the state organization and they fed me with their family ... pretty well too! *S*
If there is any way that we can serve you and your organization, please let us know. Our goal is to support you in your efforts to encourage and equip homeschoolers in your area!
Homeschool Bio & Services of Hank Tate
PERSONAL HISTORY IN HOMESCHOOLING
- Homeschooled four children starting with oldest was in 1st grade - 1983-2008
HIGHLY ACTIVE IN SERVING HOMESCHOOLERS
- Have served homeschoolers in a variety of capacities - 1984-present
- Workshops and public speaking on home schooling - 1987-present
- Effective trainer of homeschoolers - 250+ workshops with attendance of more than 25,000
- Effective public resource on homeschooling - 40+ radio and TV interviews, resource for innumerable magazine and newspaper articles
- Recognized and respected as a "pioneer" in homeschooling and homeschool leadership
- Referred to by some long-time leaders as the "grandfather of homeschooling in Houston"
- Actively involved in building homeschooling organizations - local, regional, and state
- Awarded the "Builder Award" at Texas State Homeschool Convention in 1992 for outstanding service to Texas homeschoolers
ACTIVELY BUILDS BRIDGES OF UNDERSTAND WITH PUBLIC EDUCATORS
- Recognized by national homeschool organizations for unique effort to develop and present workshops to build bridges of understanding and communication with public educators
- Recognized and respected by public educators as a homeschool leader who respects public educators
- Recognized internationally by public educators for effective communication on homeschooling - numerous workshops on homeschooling for attendance officers, administrators, and counselors
- Honored as keynote speaker at international convention of public educators
- Published article on homeschooling in international professional education journal
ORGANIZATIONS OF SERVICE
- Educational Support Foundation: Founder & Executive Director since 1985
- Southeast Texas Home School Association: Founding Director 1986-1997
One of first regional organizations in Texas
Grew to one of largest regional organizations by time of retirement
Grew from 12 support groups with 12-25 families in 1986
to over 100 support groups in South East Texas
with some support group's membership exceeding 200 families
Over 50,000 families home schooling in Southeast Texas at time of retirement
Co-Founder & Co-director of Gulf Coast Home Education Conference 1987-1998
with attendance of 2,500+
- Texas Home School Coalition: Director 1987-1998
Primary homeschooling state organization supporting home schooling in Texas - Homeschool Christian Youth Association: Director 1990-1998, Graduation Committee 1998-2008
Serving over 2,000 families with multiple sports programs
One of highest rated competitive homeschool sports
programs in the United States - H.O.P.E. for Texas: Director 1992-1998
General communication coordination for leaders and support groups in Texas
HANK TATE'S HOMESCHOOLING WORKSHOPS
Since 1987 there has been an expanding ministry through workshops presented at conferences and through sponsoring support groups.
- Over 250 workshops with attendance of over 25,000
- Keynote Speaker or Workshop Speaker at numerous conferences including:
Gulf Coast Home Education Conference 1997-2008
THE Texas State Convention;
Oklahoma State Home Education Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma;
El Paso Regional Conference, El Paso, Texas;
Arlington Book Fair, Texas;
Kentucky State Home Education Conference;
New Mexico State Home Education Conference;
Washington State Convention; Wyoming State Convention
- How to Home School Successfully Workshop
- one or two day Sponsored by over 15 support groups around Texas
WORKSHOPS WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION OFFICIALS:
- Home Schooling: Is It Valid? workshop presented to attendance officers and administrators from over 150 school districts around the U.S. and Canada
- 12 workshops sponsored by public education organizations
- 1997 Keynote Speaker - International Conference of the International Association of Pupil Personnel Workers in Myrtle Beach, NJ;
- 1990 workshop presenter IAPPW International Conf., San Antonio, TX;
- Home Schooling: Is It Valid? article published in The Journal for Truancy and Dropout Prevention, IAPPW Journal, Fall 1994
LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS & SUPPORT:
- Oklahoma Leadership Retreat - support group leaders from all of Oklahoma
- Gulf Coast Home Education Conference - numerous workshops for homeschool leaders
- Assisted numerous support groups and regional organizations to develop organizational structure and founding documents
MEDIA:
- More than 40 radio and TV talk shows