Thank you!

Dear Paul and Gena,
Just want to let you know we were thinking of you. Thank you for standing up for families who homeschool and for encouraging others to bring them “Home Where They Belong.” You are on the frontlines with your magazine and we pray the Lord continues to prosper you and strengthen you and protect your family.
—Lisa M. from Minnesota

I wish you could see me open the mailbox— I’m like a kid at Christmas when TOS is inside! THANKS for all your hard work!
—Caroline Thompson
Athens, Georgia

I was deciding which homeschooling magazine(s) to subscribe to and although I liked what I read in your sample online, what convinced me to order TOS was that I just saw and purchased your book, Homeschooling Methods, at Books-AMillion and saw that you’re donating your author proceeds to NATHHAN. Although we don’t have any special needs children, I think what you’re doing is so admirable and I hope my meager purchase and subscription will help in your valiant efforts.
—H. Christine Lloyd
Wilmington, North Carolina

Gena, I was at a homeschool meeting the other night and one of the ladies was sharing how she began homeschooling as a result of someone giving her a copy of The Old Schoolhouse. It is exciting to hear how the Lord used the magazine to bring some children home. Love,
—Jennifer Pepito, Mexico

Jen,
Paul just grinned when I read this to him. You have no idea—this is our heart. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless. All glory to Him alone. Love to you back, and keep up the amazing work in Mexico.
—Gena

Greetings to everyone on the “Homeschool Magazine” team!
I wanted to take a minute, at the start of this Thanksgiving holiday week, to say thank you for providing me with some much-needed inspiration. I have wanted to homeschool my oldest daughter, now age 6, since I knew I was pregnant with her, but circumstances have prevented me from being able to do so, mainly being a single working mother for several years. She attended a private, Epsicopal school, where I taught at the time, but it wasn’t what I wanted for her. Then I took another job at a public school (what a HUGE mistake!), and she attended two different public elementaries. The fears that homeschooling families have regarding public schools are justified, and the schools my daughter attended are considered “good” schools. My husband (who is wonderfully supportive) and I made the decision that she will not be going back after Thanksgiving break.
My youngest daughter is two months old, and I have felt convicted for a long time to have my family home with me, not shipped off for someone else to raise for seven hours each day. My family and I have been blessed that I can now work online from home, so God has answered our prayers, and we are looking forward to our lives with our girls home where they belong!
Thank you for your words of encouragement and support. Even though each of you may not realize it, the information you provide is a great service. Keep up the great work and have a blessed Thanksgiving!
—Melinda McGuire Burson
Texas

I just wanted to say thank you for the HSB [HomeschoolBlogger.com] blog! I started the blog as a way to organize my thoughts as I researched this whole homeschool “world.”
As I became more convicted, convinced, and confident that this is the path God chose for us, I opened my blog to let my family see it. This was a big leap of faith since the family members that would view it are not Christian and don’t have a positive (or educated) view on homeschool.
I received no feedback from any of them for a year. Then, just within these past few months, ALL the family members from both sides of the family have come to me separately and have been complimentary and supportive of my homeschool effort. I never had to “plead my case” or debate, something I was certain would happen. The blog spoke for me, and they were able to see our daily work in an objective and non-threatening manner. They have witnessed the “fruits” of our labor in well balanced children who radiate a love for learning, an interest in life, and accomplished social skills for their age set.
Your work is obviously God-ordained and blessed. Keep up this ministry, for you are helping to create better children for our world.
—Leigh Arevalo
North Bend, Washington

I just want to say that I totally love your magazine! This is our first year of homeschooling, and your magazine is so helpful. It is extremely full of information and actually takes quite some time to read, unlike many magazines you can just breeze through in an hour because they’re mostly fluff. Yours has information I can use!
I also love the “Homeschool Minute” newsletter and look forward to the little burst of encouragement. I loved the article about the government trying to force preschool on them. Your thoughts are mine on that one!
Thanks for publishing a magazine for us homeschoolers, keep up the good work, and God Bless!
—Melanie Bailey
East Greenville, Pennsylvania

Dear Jen

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I enjoy your articles in TOS. They are my favorite part of the magazine. I wish you would write a book (better yet, an e-book, so that I could instantly download and not have to wait on the mail!).
One other thing I would like to share is that TOS has changed my life, not just through the magazine itself, but through the books and other products that I have seen advertised and reviewed in the magazine. TOS has led me to the wonderful ministries of No Greater Joy, Titus 2 (Steve and Teri Maxwell), Lorrie Flem’s TEACH magazine, Crystal Paine’s biblicalwomanhood.com, and many others.
My two children are actually too little to “officially” homeschool yet, but I have learned so much from your magazine and from your advertisers that has helped me improve as a Christian wife and mother. I am also saving all of my back issues so that when my children are a little older, we will have a lot of neat stuff to try in our homeschool!
—Valerie Sloan
Jonesboro, Arkansas

I have never written to you before, nor have I checked out your blog before, but today I got my latest TOS magazine and read your article about raising a monster [“How to Make a Monster, Fall 2006]. I love your style of writing. I really appreciated what you said, too. I think you and I probably think a lot alike on many subjects. Just wanted to let you know … from another Jennifer (but boring, plain, old, regular spelling). LOL
—Jennifer
www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/FairLady

I have received my second magazine, and what a blessing the article was How to Make a Monster.” I read it aloud at the breakfast table and the kids grinned at the parts about the spoiled children not being thankful, and listened intently to the birthday girl who turned 9 and just loved and appreciated every gift and card! We too only go to McDonald’s about twice a year, unless they get treated by an uncle! And when they get something, there are a lot of “thank you mom and dad”s! To teach them while young that everything isn’t coming to them is no small thing … but having them become “others-minded” instead of “me-minded” will lay a foundation of peace and contentment.
I enjoyed the article about the homeschool graduate going abroad for a year to Germany. It matured her to deal with language and culture differences. I sent it to my sister who recently got married and will live there for a while. We were able to attend her wedding there, and our daughters were flower girls. What freedom homeschooling brings! Here we are pictured at a castle from the 1300s where we had dinner! Talk about an instant history lesson about medieval times! Our children were able to run up the old keep stairs to the top lookout and just imagine what it would have been like to be a page or lady-in-waiting in those days! We realize more and more how incidental teaching becomes from just living life!
—Ron and Julia Jansen
Hockley, Ontario, Canada

I wanted to tell you thanks for the recent editorial in TOS magazine. I have read your editorial twice now and think I just may read it one more time to make sure the meaning is permanently imprinted on my brain! I am the oldest of six children. Growing up, my parents were in most ways absent from their roles. We were very poor because my parents chose to spend the little money we had on alcohol and drugs. Being the oldest sibling, I often found myself in the caretaker role for the younger ones. In spite of that, my dream of all dreams was to grow up and be a mommy! Today I have four children and a wonderful husband. I feel very blessed. However, I have spent much time and energy on making sure my children have everything I didn’t have and on making sure they don’t have the responsibility I had. What a mistake! Your article helped me to see that it wasn’t the lack of “things” or heavy responsibilities that brought pain to my heart, it was the lack of love and nurturing from my parents. What joy it brought my young heart to love my siblings and to be there to care for them when nobody else could! And I can so clearly remember my first paycheck from my first job going to buy that pair of sandals that my parents never could’ve bought for me. Then there was the paycheck at Christmas that bought gifts for all of my siblings when I knew they would have little else. Those were blessings that God chose to share with me in the midst of a lonely childhood. I am a much richer person for those experiences. And here I am in a position to give my children love and security, as well as a chance to experience a richer life of “less”! Interestingly, we just began reading Where the Red Fern Grows, and one of our discussion questions was “Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would be willing to work and save for two years for it? Or is there something you want that much now?” Both of my sons were stumped to think of anything. Maybe that speaks of hearts that aren’t concerned with things, but I am afraid it speaks of hearts that have received so often that they have yet had a chance to truly “long” for them. Thank you for sharing, as a true friend would. Hearing the truth isn’t always comfortable, but it is always good!
—Tricia Kyzer
South Carolina
www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/dtandfambly

Thank you for another great newsletter! I laughed out loud when I read the Jeneric Jeneralitites about the day at the dentist [in The Homeschool Minute e- Newsletter, issue 2]. I can SO relate! This is our second year homeschooling, and I still dread that question that my six-yearold son seems to get every time we meet someone new. I always feel like I have to justify our decision to homeschool, especially since I also live with a chronic illness, and I feel like people must think I am crazy to even attempt to teach my children at home! Thank you for the reminder that I don’t have to justify our decision to anyone but the Lord!
—Julie Jefferson
Alabama

I have a couple of thoughts (and experiences) on the “dreaded question”—Where do you go to school? We have been homeschooling for about 21 years now (and we aren’t finished yet!). I used to get defensive as well. Once one of my children came home telling me all the questions that the dental hygienist had asked her during her teeth cleaning. I was going the next day for my cleaning. I arrived “ready for her,” only to find out, after more questions addressed to me, that the hygienist was curious about homeschooling for her own children. Her questions were a result of her interest, not her bias against homeschooling. After that experience I realized that not everyone who asks questions is against home education.
Often when I would have my children with me and someone would ask, “Where do you go to school?” I would answer for them by saying “Moore Academy” (our last name is Moore). I would also add that they love their teacher!
One of the last encounters that I had with a hostile lady was at a hospital waiting room. The older lady was a retired schoolteacher. When she found out that I didn’t care to have the television on because I was trying to do some schoolwork, she began to ask questions. Her remark when I shared that we homeschooled was that she would have NEVER taught her daughters. She then went into a ten- minute tirade about a family in her church that homeschooled. She stated that the mother couldn’t possibly be teaching what she needed to. I chose not to argue with her. I told her that just like public and private schools, there are some in homeschooling that don’t do a very good job. Homeschooling wasn’t for everyone. I then proceeded to tell her about our setup. After I finished, there was no way that she could argue with me.
One of the best cures for the defensive feelings one has about home educating is to have two or three of your children go off to college, graduate, and flourish! We have six children. Two have their degrees and are successful in their careers, one will graduate this December, one is a sophomore in college, and two are still at home. Were there holes in their education? You bet! However, we taught them how to read, work hard, ask questions, and research areas were they didn’t have a clue. The same thing I did in college (as well as now), and I went to public school!
—Joanne Moore
Atmore, Alabama

Hi Deborah, I just wanted you to know how blessed I was by your article. I have/had an extremely rebellious, strong-willed child. She was one of the biggest challenges I have ever had. She is now 16 and is dualenrolled at our junior college, only doing math here at home. She is amazing! She is a big witness for the Lord and has the most uncompromising standards I’ve ever seen. She never waffles in her faith and freely witnesses to those she meets. Her head is on straight and she has goals and plans to meet those goals. She is a leader and not a follower and has such a passion for Christ. She is the lead singer for our church’s youth band and also leads chapel at the Christian school on our church property. She can really lead those kids into worship with her passion and devotion for the Lord.
We have such a precious relationship now. Through our struggles, we have learned to respect each other tremendously. She is mostly very obedient now. She understands by now that I have her best interests at heart and that the Lord has placed her father and I over her as her authority. It’s still not easy every day but we’ve come a LONG way!
Thanks for sharing your heart with us.
—Lori

Dear Lori,
I need to let you know how blessed I am to receive your email. To hear the testimony of God’s purposes fulfilled in your daughter gives me encouragement to keep on keeping on with my dear rebel. And realizing that God can use these struggles for His glory is so wonderful to hear. I can’t wait for the day when that happens. I am starting to see glimpses of it now and am in awe of God’s goodness.
Quick question (probably not a quick answer): how did you respond to her when she was so difficult at a younger age? —Deborah Wuehler

You’re right, not a quick answer. I’m sure I made so many mistakes with her that I am grateful that God loves her more than I do. One thing that worked for us was to show her that her disobedience to me was also disobedience to God. That didn’t really click for her until she was around 12 when she received the Lord as Savior for herself. She was one of those kids that was hard to punish. Spankings only work for so long, and if I grounded her she could always find ways to amuse herself. She was an only child for 8 years. I noticed in your article that you refused to reward bad behavior. She not only missed a lot of parties but even missed a birthday party of her own because of her actions. I felt pretty silly calling all of those parents. Also, I found out what made her tick. MONEY! If she was extremely rebellious, mean, or refused to do her chores, I would charge her for it. I told her if I had to do her work, she could hire me.
Also, during “down” times/peaceful times, we would talk, and talk, and talk some more. She is very bright and mature for her age so I was able to discuss how her attitude affected everyone in the house and I had her look up scriptures and copy them that dealt with her attitudes or blatant sins like lying and rebellion. Another thing that worked was something else you mentioned. Spending alone time with her. Up until now as a dual-enrolled student, we did most of her school together, even reading aloud still from novels she wanted to read. She’s an auditory learner and craves human contact so it made all the difference in the world. Even now I make sure we have what we call “Mommy Time.” We go and grab an ice cream, or get our nails done, or have a coffee together somewhere.
My own attitude was the hardest challenge. Trying hard not to get “pulled in” was most difficult. She loves a good argument and probably found that if she could get me aggravated enough to fight with her, the original problem disappeared. She absolutely couldn’t and can’t handle my anger. If I gave in and fought with her, it would be pretty much a lost cause. Remaining calm is key so that takes a lot of prayer!
I actually just asked her what made the biggest difference, what changed for her or what did I do that was wrong or right and she said the only thing that made the difference was God. Her relationship with Him became so important that it changed her relationships with others and her attitude here at home.
So I guess continuing to feed these little rebels the Word, being firm but not harsh, and lots of prayer is the key.
I know this got very long but I tried so many things and none seemed to work miracles, just maturity and a bona fide relationship with Christ did the trick.
—Lori

Your entire response was so helpful! Thank you so much, Lori! —Deborah Wuehler

Thank you for a wonderful magazine time and time again! I was excited to finally see someone put into writing so articulately what Mark Beuligmann did with his article, “Unschooling—Philosophy Matters” [Fall 2006]. This area has concerned me from the very beginning of my learning about unschooling. Unschooling has its place in the homeschooling community, but especially for Christians, we must be careful what our foundation is truly based upon.
—Judith Shaffer
Ridgely, Maryland

More on Rock Stars

I agreed very much with your new position on leaving out the “rock star” articles— thank you!
—Kristen Embry
Morgantown, Kentucky

Thank you for printing the letter “No More Rock Stars” in your Fall 2006 magazine. It attests to your character that you did this. My husband and I had also been bothered by the Barlow girls’ dress in the previous issue. Their attire was not in agreement with their message. We were startled and saddened by the photo. It is a good reminder to us as Christians to make sure our words match our deeds.
We are thankful for you, your publication, and your humility. May the Lord richly bless your efforts to honor Him. We keep you in our prayers!
—Heather Bridenstine
Louisville, Kentucky

Paul,
I am so thankful for your godly response in the Fall issue of TOS to the discerning letter to the editor you received criticizing the interview with the Barlow- Girl sisters in the Summer issue.
In the past couple years I have been studying, for the first time in my 30+ years of being a Christian, the issue of music, especially rock music, in the church today. I personally have become very concerned, especially as I have seen its negative effects in some of our own kids (all homeschooled). Not only is the church under assault by evolution and psychology, but I believe great damage is being done through the widespread influence of rock music in the church.
If you haven’t read much on the subject, I would highly recommend the brand new book Can We Rock the Gospel? (Evangelical Press, 2006) by John Blanchard (a respected Christian author in England) and Dan Lucarini (an American who was once in a rock band and after his conversion got involved in church music ministry, eventually leading three churches into the use of rock music in church). Both authors have written before on this subject, and their joint effort now is one of the best books on the subject I have read. It is written in a very clear and strong but gracious way and is well documented. Dan’s other book (Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement, Evangelical Press, 2002) is also very good as it contains his testimony of how he got into and the Biblical and other reasons why he left the contemporary Christian music movement.
—Terry Mortenson, PhD
Speaker, writer, researcher
Answers in Genesis
These are Dr. Mortenson’s personal views and not an official view of Answers in Genesis.

It has been such a blessing to have issues of TOS to place in a “newbie’s” hand to get them started, along with the “Simple Recipe for Successful Homeschooling.” Many have then ordered their own issues when they see what a valuable resource it is to have coming right to their own door. Door prizes are an excellent way for encouraging people to come to meetings. I’ve even given a TOS magazine away as a door prize! … As a leader, I pray for inspiration to be able to pour into my members. It is great when I feel full and overflowing, and thus able to pour out from my abundance. But when my cup is running dry and I feel like my own children are the last ones that get my attention … I always pray that there will be enough to keep giving. Homeschool- Blogger and the TOS newsletter have been there to meet many of my needs for inspiration and encouragement, and for that I am forever thankful.
—Kristin Contino
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Help, please!

I have recently subscribed to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, as I am ready to begin homeschooling my younger children and felt it would be a great help to me for support and guidance. I have a 17-year old who was in public school her whole life and I was so disappointed, and even a little angry, at what she learned and didn’t learn, and with peer problems that made raising her in a Christian home difficult at times. It was because of my experience with my oldest child that my husband and I made a commitment that we would keep our 5- and 3-year-old children home where we had control over what they were being exposed to. One thing I have been interested to read about is that you refer to homeschooling as a “lifestyle.” I would very much appreciate if you could help me know what this means and also what articles there are for guidance on when and where to start teaching my children. Thank you very much for your help, and thank you for a wonderful magazine that has helped me to feel comfortable with the decision we have made to homeschool. I no longer feel like I’m in a tiny minority. God bless you and your work.
—Susan McCord

Dear Susan,
Thank you so much for writing in. What a blessing to know you will be homeschooling your little ones. Homeschoolers are definitely not a tiny minority any longer. We are growing strong in number and hundreds of thousands are determining to keep their children home every year. We know that it is God working in you both to will and to do His pleasure, so we also know He will provide all that you need for the journey.
The “lifestyle” of homeschooling is the idea that homeschooling is life and that life offers us daily teaching opportunities with our children, even from birth. We are teaching them life lessons on a daily basis. It just flows naturally to add in their academic learning at home. It’s a lifestyle of sheltering, guarding, and training our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, a lifestyle of raising men and women of character, all for the glory of God alone.
As for when and where to start teaching your children, you need to find the laws regulating homeschooling in your state. You can find them here: www.hslda.org.
Here are a few places on our own website that may help you as well:

• Our “How to Homeschool” brochure can be found here: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/How_To_Homeschool/tosbrochure.pdf
• Our How to Homeschool section on the TOS website is here: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/How_To_Homeschool/
• We have several free monthly e-Newsletters you can subscribe to that cover many aspects of homeschooling here: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/Devotional_Door/Newsletters_ Subscribe.php

Susan, let us know if there is anything we can do to help you get started. We’re here for you.
—Deborah Wuehler
E-Newsletters

Dear Deborah,
Your thoughts on Psalm 84 (in the October 2006 TOS Devotional e-Newsletter) really lifted me up this morning. I have had this nagging reminder that our first nine weeks is almost up. I place too much trust in my schedule and my curriculum. I wonder if we’re covering it all. I get stuck into thinking that we don’t have time to pray! I was so blessed by your encouragement to stay near the altar. Thank you for the words I needed to hear.
—A. Andrews

Is Homeschooling the Best Option for Everyone?

We are new subscribers to your magazine and would like to say, “Wow!” We read the first issue that we received cover to cover (it took several days) and were anxiously awaiting the next issue (which we just received this week). We enjoyed the articles and the advice, and it really encouraged us that homeschooling is God’s will for our family.
We also enjoy receiving the weekly Homeschool Minutes. However, Gena Suarez’s column on October 12, 2006, concerned us, and the more we thought about it, the more we felt the Holy Spirit nudging us to write this letter. (We would like to note here that the link to “the latest” referred to in her column was not available to us.)
It’s probably a good idea to fill you in a little bit about our family. My husband and I are both public school teachers—he teaches fifth grade in a rural K-5 building and I teach Reading Recovery at our local rural public school. Because Reading Recovery is a half-day position, I teach in the mornings while my mom watches our girls at our house. I then return home in time for lunch, and we do our homeschooling in the afternoons. Suffice it to say, my husband and I have received mixed reactions to the news that we are a homeschooling family. However, after prayerful consideration of our options, we decided that God was calling us to at least begin our daughters’ educations in this manner. It’s not that we believe they would not receive a good education in the public school; it’s more that we believe they will receive a richer education at home along with the moral and biblical foundations that we desire for them.
Being in both the public school world and the homeschool world, we’ve heard criticisms of both and we feel that a lot of it is due to a generalization of both. Many homeschool parents portray the public schools as dens of iniquity. Not all public schools are filled with atheist teachers who are trying to brainwash our children. In fact, many of the administrators, teachers, bus drivers, assistants and office workers in our public school are Christians— many of them attend our church. Personally, I feel that God has led me to my position and that I am serving Him as I teach struggling children to read and write. My husband feels the same way, in being a role model for boys and girls that often don’t have a positive male influence in their lives.
We’ve also heard how public schools try to take over as the parent—we hear quite the opposite from our colleagues. They would love for parents to become more involved in their child’s education! On the flip side, we’ve heard school officials complain that homeschoolers are far behind their peers in the public school. The reason they say that is because some not-so-serious homeschooling parents have tired of the idea and sent their children back to school, expecting the school system to miraculously make up the years of education their child missed because they (the parents) weren’t doing their job as God intended. In all of these cases, we’ve allowed a few rotten apples to spoil our view of the whole bushel!
We also strongly maintain that homeschooling is not the best option for everyone. You may say that it’s a matter of priorities, but many people need to have both parents working outside the home. My cousin, for instance, is married to a self-employed farmer. If she didn’t work, they wouldn’t have health insurance. Having had a child almost die from e-coli and another child born 4 months prematurely, going without insurance is not an option she’s comfortable with. Many parents don’t feel, and sometimes rightly so, confident enough to be in charge of their child’s education. We believe that most of these parents could do an adequate job of educating their children, but if they don’t believe it or aren’t committed to that, we don’t agree that God’s will is for them to homeschool.
TOS is affiliated with Answers in Genesis. [Editor’s note: While TOS and Answers in Genesis enjoy a strong friendship, they are not affiliated with each other.] Even Ken Ham admits that homeschooling is not for everyone. Because of this, he realizes the importance of equipping our public school teachers and students with the materials they need to be a valuable witness for Christ in the public school arena. Due in part to the resources they provide, we feel that we can prepare ourselves and our children to live in a world that is not what God intended it to be. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to homeschool our own children, and wish that all were able, but we feel that there needs to be acceptance of the fact that not all are able or equipped.
In Mrs. Suarez’s article, noted above, she states, “… anything is better than the public school alternative. Besides, across the board, the ‘worst’ homeschool education is going to produce a better education than what the public schools can give you.” This is just not the case. This statement is not only irresponsible, it is simply untrue. As public educators, we have seen that even Christian parents, no matter how noble their intentions, can do a disservice to their child, and some have ended up not only lacking the skills necessary to succeed, but sometimes lacking the social skills, as well, to be able to cooperate and function in society, as God intended for each of us.
As Christian parents, we understand the commands given and the scriptural necessity of raising our children in a solid, Christian foundation. However, we are having trouble coming up with scriptural references (our ultimate source of authority) that indicate that we should keep our children isolated. Having a conflict with another student, or even a teacher, is a great opportunity to help your child grow and understand the realities they’ll be facing as an adult. We are not condoning keeping a child in an atmosphere where they are not safe or are continually challenged in their faith, but it has been our experience that, with a solid foundation, children can thrive and be a positive influence on their peers and even on their teachers.
We want to reiterate the fact that we feel you are providing a wonderful resource and are committed to providing the best advice to Christian parents, but we felt it necessary to share our concerns that some views expressed are inaccurate, and do not display a positive Christian tone, which could, in turn, just add to the negative opinions some people have about homeschoolers. Thanks for listening!
—Steve and Pam Hamilton
LaGrange, Indiana

Dear Steve and Pam,
Thank you for your kind note today, and I appreciate your willingness to allow us to reprint it here. You are correct in that in some cases, “the worst homeschool education is going to produce a better education than what the public schools can give you” does not apply. It is a general statement based on strong statistics (please see Dr. Brian Ray’s article this issue on page 66). Across the board, homeschoolers score higher; it’s a known fact. Yes, there are always exceptions; that is the world we live in. I wanted to ask Dr. Bruce Shortt, a friend of Paul’s and mine, to provide a response to this letter. His expertise and knowledge far outperform our own, and while we are not the most eloquent in conveying our thoughts on “kids in public schools,” we feel strongly enough to sound the alarm. As Bradley Heath states in his book, Millstones & Stumbling Blocks, we sound that alarm out of sincere concern, not recrimination. Bruce has graciously accepted my request for a written response, and Paul and I strongly agree with him. Thank you for writing in; we really appreciate your thoughts.
—Gena Suarez

How Bad Is It, Really?
The most pressing problem in Christian life today is educational antinomianism among pastors and parents: “Public schools, Christian schools, Christian homeschooling, whatever.” Any serious student of the Bible recognizes, of course, that there are difficult, and perhaps humanly irresolvable, questions of Christian doctrine and practice. Nevertheless, whether we may render our children to an anti-Christian institution for their education is not among them.
Let’s start at the beginning. As Christians, we should ask whether we are being obedient to God in what we do (John 14:15). Because our children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), parents must be particularly concerned about their stewardship of that gift. Indeed, Christ warns all of us about the consequences of leading a Christian child into sin (Matthew 18:6).
Although many portions of the Bible instruct us regarding how our children are to be educated, the essential message is easily stated. First, we are to train up our children in the Word (Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6). Is it sufficient to do this for an hour or two on Sundays, supplemented by an hour or so of youth group and 10 minutes a day of family devotions, while delegating the overwhelming portion of their training to an anti-Christian public education system? The answer is clearly no. (Consider, for example, Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and Psalm 1:1-3.)
At this point, someone normally objects that the public schools are religiously neutral or that a particular school is not anti- Christian because it has some Christian teachers and administrators. This, however, is a fallacy. There is no such thing as religious neutrality in education. As Christ himself put it, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30).
Let there be no confusion: every government school is necessarily against Christ because by law it is prohibited from being for Christ. It doesn’t matter that there may be Christian employees. They are working in an anti-Christian institution in which it is illegal to proclaim the gospel, to teach that God is the creator and Lord of creation, teach children that the homosexual lifestyle is an abomination, or teach any academic subject from a Christian worldview.
Do school employees who are Christians occasionally sneak in a bit of the gospel or witnessing? Yes, but these are furtive acts of civil disobedience. Moreover, the teachers and administrators who do this know that if they are caught they will be disciplined, sued, or fired. Are there differences among government schools? Of course, but from a Christian perspective they aren’t differences that make a difference, any more than it really matters if I die suddenly from a stroke or from a heart attack.
The Bible also explains clearly why giving our children a Christian education is essential. As Christ points out in Luke 6:40, “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” If we give our children to the government schools to be educated, we allow that institution to train up our children in an alien creed—in its anti-Christian worldview, as expressed by its curriculum, activities, policies, and rules.
Not only do government schools have the vast majority of our children for 12,000 to 14,000 hours of “seat time” in their K through 12 careers, but our children are also influenced by government school homework and extracurricular school activities. Moreover, rest assured that the various rewards and punishments meted out by the schools loom far larger in a child’s life than attending Sunday services or anything learned in youth group.
Apart from searching Scripture, Christ also tells us to be empirical—a tree is known by its fruit; good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit (Luke 6:43; Matthew 7:15-20). What, then, is the fruit of our government school habit, and what are we to think of those who defend that habit?
Research by the Barna Group has shown for years that fewer than 10% of teens who claim to be Christian really are. The Southern Baptist Convention’s Council on Family Life reported in 2002 that 88% of Southern Baptist teens are leaving the church within two years after graduating from high school. On the other hand, a 2004 study by Dr. Brian Ray, Home Educated and Now Adults, found that 94% of homeschooled adults had retained the faith of their parents. Research by the Nehemiah Institute also clearly shows that Christian children who attend Christian schools, and especially Christian schools with an explicit worldview orientation, are far more likely to have a Christian worldview than children from evangelical families who attend government schools.
Unfortunately, the evidence consistently shows that our children are not “salt and light” in government schools but, instead, that the government schools have been successfully evangelizing Christian children out of the faith.
Government schools also undermine Christian moral teaching. No one can dispute that government schools implicitly, and often explicitly, tend to teach postmodern, relativistic moral values. What else could they teach? Teaching Christian morality is illegal and is deemed “intolerant” by those who control the content of government school curricula and the vast majority of teacher training. Consequently, government schools teach a Gramscian brew of “tolerance,” “diversity,” and “multiculturalism” as the highest values, often through dilemma ethics and values clarification. The consequences are reflected in many ways by our children, ranging from overwhelming rejection of the idea that there are absolute moral values to strong support for homosexual “marriage” and adoption among American youth.
Academically, our government school habit has taken us from a country in which complex literacy was the norm, because it was essential for understanding the Bible, to a country in which, to protect their power, status, and cash flow, government schools struggle to conceal the mass illiteracy they are producing. Even in states with few or no large cities, little “diversity,” and a reputation for “good schools,”—Iowa and Indiana, for example—the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that two-thirds of fourth graders can’t read or do math at grade level. In other words, two-thirds of the children in those states in which parents and teachers think their schools are “different” are on a trajectory toward complete illiteracy or functional illiteracy.
This would be news to most parents in those states. Why? Because these states, like virtually every other state, have adopted “accountability tests” with such low standards that they are able to report that nearly 80% of students read at grade level. This means, then, that some students found to lack even “basic” reading skills on the NAEP were somehow found to be proficient readers under the Iowa and Indiana accountability tests.
Are the standards for the NAEP unduly high? Here is a hint: in testimony before the board of governors of the NAEP in 2001 it was shown that American students who test “advanced” in eighth-grade math on the NAEP are doing work that is considered average fifth-grade material in Singapore. If you doubt that reading standards were higher in 1840 than in 2006, go to a homeschool store, pull a copy of McGuffey’s Second Reader (1836 edition) off the shelf, and compare “The Diligent Scholar” with what passes for reading material in third and fourth grades today. If you still have doubts, go read the Federalist Papers, which were published for the public as newspaper articles.
Nevertheless, apologists for the government schools often try to distract attention from their abject academic failure by claiming that government schools perform as well or better than Christian schools or by insinuating that many homeschool parents aren’t quite up to snuff. Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on these sorts of claims. Careful research shows that children educated in Christian schools outperform their government school peers.
In addition, Dr. Lawrence Rudner’s 1998 study of homeschool academic performance, which was the largest ever conducted and involved over 20,000 students, primarily from Christian families, and which covered all 50 states, indicates that homeschooling is academically more effective than both government schooling and Christian schooling. In that study, the median reading scores among the homeschooled children (varying by grade level) ranged from the 82nd percentile to the 92nd percentile. In math the homeschool medians ranged from the 75th percentile to the 85th percentile.
Does this mean that every homeschooled child reads well and is good at math? Obviously not, but with such high medians there can be only a very limited number of children who are not doing well. Given the public schools’ appalling academic performance, government school employees who pick at real and imagined academic shortcomings of Christian schools and homeschoolers have a serious “mote and beam” problem.
From a Christian point of view, strong academic performance is a blessing, but it is not what really matters. Martin Luther made the essential point long ago: “… the schools will prove the very gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount.” Christian schools and homeschools can do that labor; government schools can’t.
Public schools are seething cauldrons of moral, intellectual, and spiritual pathologies. While they may be a mission field for fully discipled, courageous Christian adults, government schools are a killing field for our children. There certainly are some good government school teachers and administrators. Measured by Christian standards, however, there are no good government schools.
What is to be done? Parents need to remove their children now; Pastors need to inform themselves and preach on parents’ obligation to provide their children with a Christian education; churches need to help provide a Christian education alternative for those who are truly needy; and government school employees need to quietly explain to parents that they need to get their children out, while also committing regular acts of civil disobedience to minister to the children whose parents have left them behind. Homeschool parents and Christian school parents and employees have a responsibility, too: we need to evangelize on behalf of Christian education. We should not let a year pass without bringing at least one family out of the Egypt of government schools.
We are long past the point where Christian parents, government school employees, and pastors can plausibly claim they do not know what the government schools are and what they are doing to our children. With that knowledge comes responsibility: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
—Dr. Bruce Shortt

Your Voice

This Issue’s Question
I have been homeschooling our children for 14 years. Two have graduated, and the younger three are 17, 14, and 12. They have never schooled outside of home, and I feel with several moves since their schooling began, we have fallen miserably behind. How do I play catch up without insulting them? Our son plans a career with the Navy. He is our 17-year-old, and he has never had high school classes such as algebra, chemistry, and the like. Have I done a disservice to our children by not putting them back in school at the higher grade levels? Our church recently considered starting a church school program for junior and senior high levels. I expressed to the kids that I could go to work full time and we could send them, but the tears poured—they did not want to stop homeschooling. Where do I get started again? Your input would be greatly appreciated.
—Dorothy

Your Answers
Is there a middle ground between fulltime school and homeschool that could help you all and provide accountability? In our community we have options for coops, classes taught in homes or churches, and dual credit classes at the community college. Currently, a friend does biology with my son and another boy once a week. Having to be ready for someone else keeps us on track. This was God’s answer to a specific prayer of mine because I did not think I could handle biology. I hope your children will pray with you for God to provide a way to answer their prayer to stay home and your prayer to cover the necessary courses. (Also, pray about what is “necessary” for each child. Sometimes my idea is different from the Lord’s.) Specifically, I’d check with a Navy recruiter when making plans for the 17-year-old. Blessings and be encouraged! You are NOT alone in struggling with these issues!
—Betsy Saroni
Mesquite, Texas

Check into classes available at a local community college for possible dual credit in some of these courses. For example, a college near us provides online and on-campus classes that can be used for high school and college credit so he can have some credits under his belt when he moves on to the military. The community colleges may also have great tutors who can assist in math and science. It’s worth a look!
—Dionne Cottle
Louisville, Nebraska

Praise God, your children still prefer your company over any other! “Honor your father and your mother” is the first commandment with a promise that things may go well with them. Our family is in a similar situation. Our 18-year-old son studied hard to take his GED as soon as he legally could in our state (age 17), then entered the fulltime workforce. GED has had more acceptance with the military (here) than a homeschool diploma. GED workbooks are inexpensive, thorough, easy to use for independent study, and cover all levels of math through Algebra 1 and basic Geometry. Our eldest used them for math and did very well on his SAT. They can be found new and used at Internet bookstores. Our 18-year-old son is military minded, but we directed him first to the International ALERT Academy. He applied and is accepted. We have watched with wonder at the maturity and discipline that God has wrought in our son as he prepares and saves money for ALERT. Even though he is “done” with school, he still studies and trains. We believe the character he has developed will serve him better than a standard diploma. Mature character promises that he can study higher math and science, and excel, if and when he needs them.
—Karen McDaniel
Montezuma, Indiana

I understand how you are feeling since my son is currently working a grade level behind in two subjects. I would simply evaluate where they are and start at THEIR level. Work from there and don’t worry about where they “should” be, but rather know that you are working towards getting there. In my opinion it would be better for them to finish school at age 20, being well educated, than at 17 or 18 without a good education.
—Charity Peterson
Deltona, Florida

Readers Helping Readers

Next Issue’s Question
We are a Christian family who have our boys in the public schools (third grade and high school). I haven’t felt that God is “urging” us to homeschool. However, the thought/small desire is always there.
I have a fear that I can’t do it—won’t know the proper standards, have enough knowledge as they get older, or even have the money to engage in such a commitment. Two years ago, the Lord brought me home from working, and at times we barely make it. It’s been a wonderful sacrifice, but is homeschooling what God wants for our family even though we can’t afford it, or is it something He might be preparing our hearts for in the future?
—Name Withheld

If any of you experienced homeschoolers have any advice for our next issue, please visit our website’s “Your Voice” section at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine. com or write to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Publisher’s Office, Attn: Readers Helping Readers, PO Box 8426, Gray, TN 37615.