OUR HISTORY
The Homeschool Association of California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that began in 1988 when a small group of Bay Area homeschooling moms got together to start what was then called the Northern California Homeschool Association. Since then we've grown to a statewide organization. Those original families have moved on to new life stages and passed their vision on to new members, that vision being an inclusive homeschooling organization dedicated to supporting homeschooling families in all their many flavors. We hold to the belief that homeschooling families are the ones best able to make their own educational choices
MEET THE HSC BOARD
Erika Davis-Pitre (She/Her) - HSC President
Erika and her husband Michael have 4 adult children - 1 daughter and 3 sons. They also have two sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law and two grandsons. She and her husband live in San Francisco full-time after living bi-coastally between there and Connecticut for many years. Erika and her family had been un/homeschoolers for many years and with her unschoolers grown, she wants to work to make sure that all Californians have this educational choice now and in the future. Erika became co-president of the HSC Board in 2018, after years of volunteering as a legislative liaison for un/homeschoolers, as a speaker, workshops coordinator and panelist at many un/homeschooling conferences all over the US and Canada, and as a moderator of several online un/homeschooling groups. Erika has stayed on as president for longer than she had originally planned, to guide HSC through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is always keen to increase the participation of young families in the organization.
Emily Tonkin (She/Her) - Secretary, Acting Treasurer
Emily has 20 years experience homeschooling with her always self-directed teen in the Monterey Bay area. For the last 7 years, her family has been on the road as much as possible to take part in homeschooling gatherings around California and other Western states. Before becoming a full-time homeschool parent she worked in a variety of industries including video production, database management and customer support. Home/unschooling has been the key to stress-free learning in her neurodiverse family, and she is committed to helping all families feel included and supported in their homeschooling journeys. Emily has previously volunteered with HSC as well as attending many conferences and campouts and is enthusiastic about supporting and empowering HSC volunteers.
Makeba Garraway (She/Her) - Creative Director
Makeba moved to the Bay Area from London (UK) in early 2019, with her husband and two children, who have always learned outside of school. Makeba is a former medical Doctor and Mental Health Advisor, and is now a full time unschooler. As a Black woman of mixed heritage, an immigrant, and the mother of two neurodivergent children, Makeba has a keen interest in advocating for inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen, welcomed and respected. She served on the Board as Inclusion Director for two years before moving over to Creative Director in 2022. Makeba also enjoys crafting and walking her two dogs Cocoa and Bubble.
Karla Thomas (She/They) - Inclusion Director
Karla grew up on the East Coast running through the forest, foraging wild leeks, dancing through grocery aisles and often singing instead of speaking. Karla spent many years moving around and absorbing information through lived experiences. They lived in Ireland for several years where they completed their Bachelors in Fine Arts with concentrations in Painting and Art History, before settling in New York City where they finally found “home”. These experiences highlighted the vast amount of learning that happens outside of the classroom and set the framework for a life of learning through living. Karla is now a potter and ceramic artist and lives in the San Fransisco Bay Area with her three young always-unschooled children and two dogs. She strives to keep her children curious and create an environment where they know that they are enough just as they are. Karla serves on the board of HSC as Inclusion Director and it is their intention to protect and broaden the ways in which HSC operates as an inclusive organization for homeschooling families throughout the state of California.
Linda Maepa (They/Them) - Special Initiatives Director
Linda is a scientist, inventor, serial entrepreneur, and small-scale farmer. Professionally, they focus on renewable energy and electric transportation, cyber-physical security, and pre-K through Ph.D. education, especially in the sciences. Informally, they work on pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal-child health issues; peer breastfeeding support; and mental health and wellness. They grew up in Kansas and Saudi Arabia and is a dual citizen of the United States & South Africa. Linda is the gifted/2e homeschool mom of three gifted/2e children. They began their homeschool journey as a Navy spouse stationed in Hawaii before relocating to San Diego and eventually the Bay Area where they and their children started a new family. Over their 10+ years of homeschooling, they've mostly been an unschooler but have incorporated Waldorf and Oak Meadow curricula; online schooling in elementary and high school; used a daily schedule and none at all; schooled under a PSA and under a homeschool charter. A life-long learner themself, they practice experiential and project-based learning alongside learners. Their previous board experiences have been with LGBTQI, women's, academic, and youth development organizations.