Combining the Heart of Homeschool with the Power of Research
Hi There! I’m so glad you’ve stopped by to check out my site. I’m a Doctor of Education and a homeschooling momma. After 21 years in education and earning a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Carolina, I decided to focus on my own two boys’ education. I believed my twice-exceptional boys deserved to be exactly what they are…exceptional! Homeschooling provided me the opportunity to scaffold and build my boys’ abilities while also shining a light on their strengths. And it has paid off big time for us! Within the first year of homeschooling, my older son grew three grade levels in math, gained confidence, and slowly started to learn organizational skills. Each boy has taken different paths and now excel in their studies while having the opportunity to travel and explore their interests. (Currently, it’s soccer, running an eBay store, and ice hockey for my youngest.) I understand the homeschool lifestyle, the challenges that it presents, and blend that with developmental and learning theory to give parents the best insights from both worlds. Further, I have a strong belief in the benefits of homeschooling and the flexibility it affords children and families. I love to walk alongside families to give them guidance blended with compassion.
Intro to CV & Bio
Dr. Deanna Westedt, Ed.D, earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina (2019, Columbia, SC). The title of her doctoral dissertation is Use of Formative Assessment to Structure Flexible Differentiated Learning Groups: A Pathway to Equity.
Dr. Westedt also holds a Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific University (2003, Azusa, CA) and a Bachelors in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Spanish from Azusa Pacific University (1999, Azusa, CA).
Deanna knows what it’s like “in the educational trenches”, having taught for 21 years in the primary grades, first with Fontana USD and then with Etiwanda School District, both in California. While in education, she also led training events for students, parents, and fellow educators on diverse topics, such as curriculum strategies, skill-based small groups, and providing equitable pathways for students. She holds a valid, clear credential and CLAD certificate.
However, her most impactful experience is working with children, researching ways to differentiate learning to benefit children, and most of all, being a mother to two twice-exceptional boys.
In 2020, Dr. Westedt was interviewed by Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin for Psychology Today online, discussing equity for the twice-exceptional student. Not only was this the subject for her doctoral research, Deanna is also the mother of two twice-exceptional sons. She understands the twice-exceptional dynamics from both an academic and personal viewpoint. Her research has also been featured by AERA ( a peer-reviewed repository), published in CABE (California Association for Bilingual Education). Speaking on the subject of thrice exceptionality, she served as an expert panelist for Future First Education. Additionally, she worked as a faculty supervisor for a university and created family university webinars for a charter homeschool program. Most recently, she conducted academic diagnostics for a learning pod in Los Angeles and has been a featured guest on The Homeschool Mom Collaborative Podcast, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Hope Podcast, and The Homeschool Advantage Podcast with Bex Buzzie.
Deanna Westedt 