Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may be one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples, but they are also very family oriented. Jolie, who is the daughter of actors Jon Voight and model Marcheline Bertrand, made headlines when she portrayed Gia Carangi in the HBO eponymous television film. Other early film successes include George Wallace and Playing by Heart. She would soon earn an Oscar for the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted. As her professional work continued to draw critic’s praise, her personal life was under a microscope.
Tabloids were ablaze when Jolie, who was then married to actor Billy Bob Thornton, chose to adopt Maddox Chivan in 2002 from a Cambodian orphanage as a single parent. Though Jolie and Thornton’s marriage ended, her quest to build a family continued. She and partner Brad Pitt would later adopt another child, Zahara Marley, from Ethiopia in 2005. Pitt has since adopted Maddox and on May 27, 2006, the couple welcomed the birth of their daughter, Shiloh. Though the couple had two adopted children and one birth child, they were not through adopting. Jolie and Pitt adopted a Vietnamese boy, Pax, in March 2007. For many, it might seem that their family was complete, but the Jolie-Pitt’s would be blessed with further additions. On July 12, 2008, the Hollywood couple welcomed fraternal twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.
The Jolie-Pitt family is not what many consider the traditional, conservative homeschooling family. When you compare homeschoolers such as Jolie-Pitt with that of the Duggars, the differences are vast. Homeschooling is not a one-size-fits all method and homeschooling families are as varied as the children they raise. What works best for one family does not necessarily work for another. However, all homeschooling families agree in one area: public education is failing and not the ideal place for raising children.
Values, beliefs, religious faith, and lifestyles may run the gamut in homeschooling families. Some families are strict, Conservative Christians following a ‘quiverfull’ mentality and leaving their fertility in God’s hands. Others may homeschool from a pagan or atheistic point of view, yet desire the freedom to let their children self-direct their learning. Though homeschooling may seem a novel concept to those who have seen the traces of a 20th century public school education depicted in media, early history shows that homeschooling was the norm and many of the world’s greatest leaders, philosophers, scientists, musicians, poets, speakers, and thinkers enjoyed a homeschooling education. Some homeschooling families were led with the mother as teacher while others used a private tutor. Homeschooling saw resurgence in the late 70s to early 80s and in the 21st century, is no longer viewed as a strange or foreign educational choice.
Angelina Jolie explained in a 2011 interview why homeschooling is the best option for her family.
“I do think we live in a different age and the education system hasn't caught up with our children and our way of life. But we travel and I'm the first person to say, ‘Get the school work done as quickly as possible because let's go out and explore,’” Jolie told The Independent. "Instead of tomfoolery in the class room, I'd rather them go to a museum and learn to play guitar and read and pick a book they love," Jolie stated.
Brad Pitt is also quoted for discussing the couple’s choice of homeschooling curriculum. He said in 2009, “We're in an international programme, so wherever we go it's the same curriculum.”
According to the report, the Jolie-Pitts use the French-based Lycee Programme taught by nannies and professional tutors.
Click the video player for a fan-based montage of photos of the Jolie-Pitt family.
