Homeschooling on the high seas: Texas family gives new meaning to 'real world' education

A homeschooling mother took ‘real world learning,’ to a new level when her family sold their Texas home and bought a sailboat, committing to a life on the high seas.

"My kids meet people from all over the world, different languages, different cultures," said Renee Whitaker, a mom of five. "It's a very global education."

Around 353,000 Texas students withdrew from public school to homeschool between 1998-2018, according to the Texas Education Agency. Following a homeschooling surge post-pandemic, there was a 40 percent increase in students pulled from public schools for homeschooling in spring 2021 compared to the previous year.

Whitaker homeschooled her children from the start, but in 2016 her husband, Keith, sold his Texas oil and gas businesses. The family set sail with the intention of spending two years at sea, but seven years and nearly two tours of the globe later, they are still going.