From Used Books to a Global Homeschool Movement:
The True Story of How The Old Schoolhouse® Got Its Start
Meet Paul & Gena Suarez
It didn’t begin with glossy pages or digital apps. It didn’t launch from a boardroom or with venture capital. The story of The Old Schoolhouse® began in the foothills of Northern California—in a home filled with books, children, and a God-given vision.
In the late 1990s, Gena Suarez was homeschooling her four children. The oldest was eleven; the youngest, four. The oldest was ten; the youngest, four. Between lessons and daily family life, she began sourcing gently used homeschool curricula to resell online. Her eBay store, The Old Schoolhouse®, quickly became known for high-quality Christian resources. Customers from around the world—all 50 states, China, Australia, Russia, and beyond—found her store and kept coming back.
As sales grew, so did the questions. Homeschooling families began asking Gena for advice about teaching multiple ages, starting reading lessons, or navigating high school. Though not formally trained, she answered with honesty and encouragement. Eventually, she realized the best way to serve everyone was through a newsletter.
In 2001, she emailed the very first issue of The Old Schoolhouse Newsletter. The next few were mailed—simple, 16-page black-and-white editions. Despite their humble format, they resonated deeply. By 2003, issues had grown to over 100 pages. Families subscribed. Support groups shared them. Advertisers took notice. Her website flourished and made The Old Schoolhouse® look larger than life—drawing in families who assumed they were dealing with a major publisher, not a homeschool mom working from a hallway full of books.
Artistry, Entrepreneurship, and a Homeschooling Heart for Discipleship
During this time, Gena’s husband, Paul Suarez, was still working for other companies while pursuing sculpting part-time. Years earlier, he had created the first life-size bronze monument of César E. Chávez in the United States—a piece that still stands today in the Peace Garden at Fresno State University. His work has been featured nationwide in schools, libraries, and attorneys’ offices. One of his bronze busts of Chávez was even selected to sit on the Resolute Desk inside the Oval Office, where it remained throughout the previous presidential administration. Paul’s portfolio can be viewed at StudioSuarez.com.
But Paul’s greatest passion has always been Scripture. A committed student of theology, he was—and remains—devoted to ordering his life, family, and work according to the Word of God. As The Old Schoolhouse® began impacting families with a biblical vision for home education, he saw an opportunity to join in. He stepped away from his job and started working alongside Gena full-time.
As Paul joined the work of The Old Schoolhouse®, his deep love for God’s Word and his steady, behind-the-scenes presence aligned perfectly with the ministry’s mission. With a heart to serve and a conviction that parents are called to disciple their children, he began quietly building relationships with Christian homeschool leaders across the country. Those relationships deepened into trusted partnerships and long-standing friendships that continue to this day.
What Sets The Old Schoolhouse® Apart
For many years, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine was available in both print and digital formats, offering homeschool families the flexibility to choose how they accessed content. In 2007, the first digital edition was published. By 2012, the digital version became monthly. The company developed an app for Apple and Android devices, and to date, it has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. In 2018, the magazine returned to a quarterly format, with seasonal print editions offered in the summer and winter. In January 2026, The Old Schoolhouse® concluded its print run after 25 years. Still, the digital magazine lives on through its apps, with over 100 back issues, continuing to serve homeschoolers worldwide with timely, biblically sound encouragement and resources.
In 2012, the Suarez family launched SchoolhouseTeachers.com, a full PreK–12 curriculum platform built on the same biblical foundation as the magazine. Early membership cost just $5.95/month, and families who joined at that time were able to lock in that rate for life. Remarkably, some of those faithful original members still pay only $5.95 each month, having never canceled. As of July 2025, a yearly membership is $389, a substantial increase that reflects the platform’s tremendous growth, professional content, and expansive support tools.
What began with a handful of courses has grown into a complete homeschooling curriculum solution used worldwide that now includes:
- Hundreds of self-paced, parent-led courses for homeschoolers, preschool through 12th grade—some in iST format (interactive, self-grading, intuitive, independent)
- A streaming library of over 25,000 educational and entertaining videos, covering every major subject and many electives
- Comprehensive lesson plans and planning tools, including teacher editions and writable planners for both parents and high schoolers
- Report card and transcript generators to support academic documentation
- Membership to World Book Online, a $250/year value included free through our partnership—giving families access to award-winning reference tools and age-leveled learning
- Inclusion in any Schoolhouse Co-op through JoinSchoolhouse.com, with no registration or enrollment fees—your curriculum membership is your ticket in (except occasional supply costs for classes such as cooking, art, or field trips)
- Access to the platform’s robust Records Center, which includes a Portfolio Builder, customizable Education Plan Builder, and templates for Letters of Intent or Withdrawal, designed to help families create formal academic documentation tailored to the legal or administrative expectations of their state or country
- Unlimited access for the entire family—no per-student costs, ever
More Than a Magazine: The Schoolhouse Network
In addition, the Suarezes expanded the model to include The Schoolhouse Network—a church-based homeschool co-op program that uses the SchoolhouseTeachers.com curriculum. These co-ops, called Schoolhouses, meet once or twice weekly inside local churches. There are no per-child fees. Membership to the curriculum site is the only requirement. The Network also features Hey Mama® Meetings for moms, Dads & Discipleship breakfasts, science fairs, art galleries, sports days, and graduation ceremonies. The Network model continues to grow with five Schoolhouses already serving families in Tennessee’s Tri-Cities region and other Schoolhouses in multiple states and countries like Chile and South Africa.
The Pastor Plan Initiative
Today, Paul serves as President of The Pastor Plan, Inc. (PPi), the nonprofit arm of The Old Schoolhouse®. In this role, he works closely with Christian homeschool state organizations, pastors, and church leaders across the U.S. and internationally to confront the growing crisis in public education. Through The Pastor Plan, Paul helps churches establish homeschool co-ops within their congregations—fully autonomous, pastor-led ministries that offer Christ-centered discipleship and academic support. The mission also includes connecting pastors with Christian state homeschool organizations (Alliance-based), providing curriculum to families in financial need, offering scholarships to missionaries and pastors, and training senior church members to serve as mentors and teachers. As this ministry grows, Paul and the board remain steadfast in their vision to replace anti-God schooling with biblical discipleship through local church partnerships.
The Suarez family has simply tried to walk alongside others on this journey. All seven children—Paul, Luke, Levi, Julia, Susanna, Chloe, and Zion—have been part of this story, pitching in where needed, whether that meant counting inventory, greeting folks at convention booths, or answering questions from other families.
What started with a $1 thrift store book and an eBay auction has become a global publishing company and a full-service homeschool curriculum provider—still rooted in the Word of God, still committed to encouraging families, and still helping parents answer the most critical question of all:
How do I homeschool?
The Suarez family has an answer: biblical discipleship. For over two decades, they’ve helped families pursue both academic excellence and spiritual formation—replacing confusion with clarity and equipping parents to lead their children with confidence and conviction. By God’s grace, they continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the remarkable, fast-growing homeschool community and its leaders worldwide, grateful to play a small part in its story.
Our Faith, Desire & Vision
Our Faith:
SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the curriculum site of The Old Schoolhouse®. We believe Jesus Christ, the Word is God, God the Father is God. The Holy Spirit is God. There are no gods but one God. As a curriculum site, our lessons will not violate any of our beliefs and principles; however, our teachers may have varying personal beliefs within those outlined below. In addition, the opinions shared by teachers and individuals writing for SchoolhouseTeachers.com that fall outside the scope of this statement of faith are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine or its staff.
Our Desire:
Just like parenting, homeschooling has good days and hard days, successes and setbacks. Our desire at SchoolhouseTeachers.com is to provide excellent homeschooling materials grounded in a Christian worldview that will help you succeed. We want to hold up your hands and help steady you in the battles you face (Exodus 17:10-13). We want to equip you with tools to help you train your children in God’s Word and enable them to succeed academically and in every way, and we want to do this in a way that is affordable for as many families as possible. We have numerous discounts available, as well as occasional scholarships and various ways you can volunteer in exchange for your family’s membership. We have a special desire to empower and equip those working in foreign missions, and if you are serving in missions and would like to talk to us about using our site in your family or in your work, please contact us at CustomerService@theoldschoolhouse.com.
Our Vision:
Our vision is to create a place where homeschoolers can find the tools they need to excel in their homeschool and with their families. Whether you are looking for the academic content found on SchoolhouseTeachers.com or the encouragement and practical advice found in The Old Schoolhouse,© Magazine, we hope you find a community of caring, helpful, supportive individuals who have a heart for God and for serving each other as we all take this journey one step at a time.
