Redefining Home Education: The SmartPath Founder Journey

As personalized learning continues to gain traction, home education has surged in popularity. Yet, for many families, the promise of a tailored learning experience quickly turns into a frustrating puzzle: fragmented resources, countless curriculum options, and no clear direction, leaving parents feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

Co-founders Jonathan Chizick and Robert Gamble view home education as an opportunity to unlock the potential in children often constrained by the traditional school systems. Their solution? Equip families with the tools, guidance, and support needed to navigate a landscape that can feel disjointed and overwhelming.

Jonathan’s Path to Home Education

Jonathan’s passion for education is deeply personal. As a parent, he and his wife transitioned their daughters from public school to homeschooling to create a more individualized and supportive learning environment. But while home education offered immense potential, Jonathan and his wife quickly discovered the challenges, especially when it came to choosing the right educational options. Navigating a maze of Facebook groups, opinion-based blogs, and fragmented websites, they felt uncertainty about whether they were making the best decisions for their children.

It became evident there was no easy way for parents to evaluate and choose the right curriculum based on their children’s learning styles and needs. Coming from a background in technology and having built and led growth teams at successful startups, Jonathan saw a solvable problem. Parents needed a streamlined, personalized solution to guide them through their home education journey, and he knew that technology could provide the answer.

Robert’s Educational Vision

While Jonathan’s journey to SmartPath was rooted in his experiences as a homeschooling parent, Robert Gamble’s passion for education stemmed from his personal struggles within the traditional school system. Growing up with ADHD, Robert often felt misunderstood and constrained by a one-size-fits-all approach. His experiences as a student fueled his belief that education should be tailored to the unique needs of every child, not just those who thrive in a conventional classroom setting.

With a professional background in business operations and scaling startups, Robert saw how home education, with the right tools and support, could empower students to succeed, especially those who don’t fit into the traditional mold.

The Creation of SmartPath

Jonathan and Robert didn’t arrive at home education by chance; they were driven by a personal mission to enable options to an outdated, inflexible education system. Together, they saw how a thoughtful, personalized approach to home education could unleash a child's full potential.

When Jonathan and Robert met at a founder residency program, they immediately clicked, recognizing that their skill sets complemented each other perfectly. With Jonathan’s tech expertise and Robert’s operational experience, they formed the ideal team to tackle the challenges of the home education landscape.

What Makes SmartPath Different?

SmartPath is designed to take the guesswork out of homeschooling. The platform offers personalized curriculum recommendations that align with each child’s unique learning style, ensuring that parents no longer have to sift through a maze of outdated websites and opinion-based forums. In addition to curriculum matching, SmartPath provides access to expert advisors, tutors, and a supportive community of homeschooling families, creating a one-stop hub for all things home education.

Meeting the Needs of a Growing Home Education Community

Since 2019, homeschooling has doubled in size, with over 11% of U.S. households educating their children at home, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. And 59% of Gen Zers have plans to engage in some form of home education in the future. This surge is largely driven by dissatisfaction with traditional schooling and a growing desire for personalized, flexible education. Yet, despite this growth, many parents continue to feel overwhelmed by the logistical challenges of homeschooling. Jonathan and Robert saw this need firsthand and knew SmartPath could offer the solution families were searching for.

By connecting families with a network of home education experts, advisors, and tutors, SmartPath fosters a supportive community that helps parents every step of the way. Their goal? To give families the confidence to offer their children a top-tier education.

Looking Ahead

Since its founding, SmartPath has been on a mission to make home education easier and more accessible to families across the United States. Jonathan and Robert are committed to expanding SmartPath’s reach and impact, continuously evolving the platform to meet the changing needs of today’s homeschooling families. As they look ahead, they envision integrating even more advanced features, like AI-driven progress tracking and enhanced tools for meeting state requirements, ensuring that homeschooling is not only accessible but also future-proof.

Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler or just beginning your journey, SmartPath is here to support you. Join us in reshaping home education and subscribe to our newsletter to hear the latest.