Instructor Biographies

Susan Bacon is the director of Franklin School's Homeschool Center and Franklin School (now going on its eleventh year). Before children, she was a public school teacher for four years (but don’t hold that against her). She has homeschooled her own children since birth; both are now young adults and graduates from Franklin School. She holds a current Alabama teaching certificate and has worked as a coordinator, advisor and director to homeschoolers for the last twenty years. Susan was the co-founder of HEART, a state homeschooling organization. Working with homeschoolers and teaching is her passion, and she learns something new and innovative from every homeschooler she meets. She has a passion for history, fine arts, and science and you will see her offer classes in these each year. Besides homeschooling she enjoys curling up on the couch with a good movie or book, animals, crafts, Christmas, fairies, dancing, organic gardening, home and yard decorating, stuffed animals, and slightly challenging puzzles.

Rhiannon Bacon has been homeschooled all her life by her mother (and, incidentally, the director of the school). She has worked with the school since it opened 12 years ago and has been teaching classes for almost as long. Rhiannon loves teaching as it affords her an opportunity to learn about things, and because she believes that education is the way to change the world for the better, one person at a time. Her interests are a varied as the colors of the rainbow, and over her years of teaching has taught a variety of subjects from arts all the ways to the sciences. She looks forward to the new possibilities brought by each new family in the school and, after working around public schools for a short while, thanks her mother silently every day that she was homeschooled.

John McIntosh is a former aerospace business owner and sometime technical consultant for both the private sector as well as various agencies including army, navy, airforce, and homeland security. He has spent 25 long years working on various defense systems including a passive sensor system of his own design. He is the author of numerous boring technical publications as well as two patents. He has a Bachelor's and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from UAH, as well as an almost PhD (all coursework and a third of a dissertation - its expensive going to school!) from UAB in biomedical engineering with an emphasis in neuroimaging. He is the father of one homeschooled son (got him in college at 15). He enjoys (but does not excel in) woodworking, metalworking and pottery, as well as watching the science channel.

Sherron Ostrander is a full time mom and homeschooler with an enthusiastic love of learning. She believes that you should never stop learning, and that home is the best place to begin one’s intellectual journey. She attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she studied Architecture and engineering, Shakespearean English, and foreign languages. However, she says she’s learned more homeschooling than in any classroom. She was a preschool teacher for two years before she began homeschooling her own children full time. After 11 years, she is almost finished homeschooling her two sons (Thomas, age 18, and Mat, age 19). Thomas is a senior this fall, and Mat is now studying Biomechanical Engineering at UAB on an honors scholarship. She helped found and run the Madison Math Club, and has worked as a private tutor in math. She is a member of the Diploma Committee for Franklin School.

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Arleen Rodriguez has been homeschooling her chldren, Margaret(14) and Matthew(12), since their births. Before being promoted to motherhood, she worked as a Petroleum Engineer for 7 years doing interesting things such as working off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico and analyzing future cashflows of oil and gas reservoirs. She loves math and has recently found a new passion in investment analysis. She enjoys teaching because she enjoys learning.

Julie Erwin, mother to Jordan (14), Zachary (12) and Grace (5) graduated from Columbia College with a B.S. in Government/History. After several years of working with her husband, Kerry, she began a new career as a homeschooling mom. She considers it a great gift to be one of the primary influence in her children’s education as they become responsible young adults. Julie’s interests include spending time with her family, reading and scrapbooking!

My husband, Blane, and I have a nine year old son, Brandon Burns, who is in his fourth year of homeschooling, and his first year at The Franklin School.I have been teaching various health and public safety courses for 10 years now.I have a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University, and a Masters degree in Justice And Public Safety from Auburn University, Montgomery.

I believe that you're never too old to learn and that there is no one "right way" to learn. The more I learn about homeschooling, the more committed I am to assisting my child in reaching his full potential. I believe we should be curious about our world, tolerant of the various cultures within it, and dedicated to learning how we can positively contribute to it.

Christine Robinson is a homeschool mom to her two very active boys, William (9) and Sam (7) . The family has been homeschooling since October of 2006, and we can already see a positive difference in their education. Mom loves learning right beside them. When we aren't bustling about from the homeschool center or the library, you can find our family dressed in Medieval clothing recreating history with the local shire of the Society For Creative Anachronisms. Some of my favorite hobbies are Archery, reading, sewing, quilting, gardening, cooking, games, puzzles, and crafts of all kinds. I was attending Georgia State University when I met and married Stephen ( a Georgia Tech student). We have been married for nearly 12 years, living all over the country (CA, TX, LA, GA, and AL). Never able to find the time to get back to finishing my degree, and not knowing what I want to be when I grow up leads me to believe that I may decide to enter college when the boys do. Life can feel hectic at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. When my friends ask "How things are REALLY going?", I can still honestly answer "Just fine." For all of the grief there is peace in knowing that I cannot mess up any more than the public education system.

I went to High School and a Tech School( for computers) in my home town of Rochester, NY (Yes I am a Yankee). I was employed 2 places for a total of 16 years, when we moved to Alabama from St. Louis, I had the fortune to become a stay-at-home-Mom. Jesse and I have been married for 18 years. We have been homeschooling since 2004, Talon and Brittany love it and do not want to go back. I feel as long as we are learning, we are getting ahead. I can’t mess up as badly as the school did. My favorite things are teddy bears, books, scrapbooking crochet (anyone need a baby blanket), and any craft at all.

After years of public schooling and a brief stint in a private school Jonathan has opted for and found his place with homeschooling in the Fall of 2007. He jumped into homeschooling with enthusiasm and involvement that continues. His involvement includes teaching at the homeschooling center - History of Holidays for 2009-2010 and disc golf, literature groups, and chess in the past. Jonathan's other interests include theatre, computer gaming - especially Civilization by Sid Meier, Legos (recently joining TVLTC - Tennessee Valley Lego Train Club), Photography and playing the trumpet - just to name a few things.

Elizabeth has always held the belief that if one can provide children with what works for them in education they will grow to find their own form of success in the world. Therefore, our home is a house divided. Our daughter Miranda continues her education in public school so she can gain the opportunity of attending the Huntsville Center of Technology Health Science Class before heading off to college in the Fall of 2009. While her son Jonathan has opted for and found his place with homeschooling which he started in the Fall of 2007. Elizabeth enjoys learning alongside Jonathan, and finds teaching to be another form of learning. She has had various stints in higher education earning certificates in Office Skills and Information Processing in Massachusetts, an A.S. degree in Connecticut and a B.A. majoring in Art History from UAH. Elizabeth is a partner and Administrative Assistant for Streamline Automation. Yes, Elizabeth is another Yankee who came to Huntsville for her husband's Engineering career.

Stacey has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University and worked for 15 years at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant before retiring to run a home based business. She has 3 children, Alicia, 23 (who is currently in Physical Therapy School in Birmingham), Andrew, 17 and Katherine, 11. She has been homeschooling since December 2006. She loves homeschooling Andrew and Katherine and is amazed at how much she learns as they explore new things together.

Celi grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene from Loyola University in New Orleans and her Master's Degree in Educational Technology from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. She has taught in pubic and private schools in Louisiana and in Ontario, Canada. After teaching in many different kinds of classroom settings and experiences with her own three boys, Celi quickly realized that homeschooling is a necessary and much better educational option for many children. She is married to Andre Trepanier from Quebec, Canada and has three sons. Her oldest son is in graduate school, her middle son is in his second year of college and she homeschools her youngest son who is 9 years old.

Nici is from Australia and has always wanted to homeschool her children.This is her 5th year with Franklin and she homeschools her boys,Damon and Dominic.Nici has a Bachelor Degree in Business specialising in Hospitality and Conventions as well as a Bachelors degree in English Literature.She enjoys reading ,cooking and learning new things with her boys.She is currently learning about edible insects and foraging for food in the wild with her son,Damon.She is married to Michael,a computer consultant and an Alabama Native.

Tammy McGuire -
I have been a nurse for 22 years working in different states from Georgia, to Washington and even Hawaii. My specialty is critical care and I am an ambassador for the American Association of Critical Care nurses. Ken and I have been married for 19 years. We moved here from Washington state in 2005. We have been homeschooling Jeremy 14, and Shannon 11, for three years. Homeschooling has been a challenge since my husband and I both work full-time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My children have gone from hating school to being enthusiastic and independent learners. To me its more important that they are understanding what they are learning than meeting a preconceived time schedule. I don't have much free time but when I do-I enjoy movies, travel, and learning along with my children.

Jeremiah McGuire -
After years in public school, Jeremy changed to homeschooling and has not looked back. His interests include; music, astrophysics, medicine and science. He loves to play the piano and the saxophone. He hopes to be a doctor some day.

Shannon McGuire -
Shannon has been homeschooled since the 3rd grade and loves it! She enjoys robotics, animals, Oceanography, the Culinary Arts and writing. When she came to Franklin School she made lots of good friends. She hopes to go to Franklin School till she graduates from high school!