By Guest Author Davis Carman
You Learned that You Really Can Homeschool
In February 2020, you may have believed there was no way you could ever educate your kids at home. Maybe you thought it would be too hard, that you were too impatient or disorganized or simply not smart enough. Or perhaps you had the confidence and the chutzpah to make it work, but the sacrifice of time or income somehow didn’t seem worth it.
Then COVID-19 hit. Suddenly, you and the parents of all 60 million K–12 students in the U.S. found themselves undergoing a mandatory trial run of homeschooling.
Necessity is the mother of invention. So, you figured things out, got the basics in place, and made it work. And you know what? You did a pretty good job. You even enjoyed it more than you thought possible. You also appreciated the freedom to choose what’s best for each of your unique children and the flexibility to pivot on a dime as needed.
Sure, home education came with more responsibility than taking turns in the school carpool, but it also came with much bigger rewards. And your relationships with your kids actually improved. Maybe, just maybe, you were onto something.
Then, sometime during the next several months, many of you had an epiphany: I can do this thing called homeschooling. And it might even be good for my kids.
Yes, it’s true. You really can do it! And it is good—really good—for your kids. Your kids probably loved being in the safe environment of home, nurtured under your loving care. No doubt they were glad to get away from the stressful rat race, the meaningless “teaching to the test,” and the unhealthy jungle-code socialization. Perhaps you found your children were more engaged than ever before and seemed to actually enjoy and, dare you say it, love school.
Many parents stepped out in faith and joined the homeschool movement this past school year. It wasn’t part of their plan, but drastic changes in the world forced them to be more intentional than ever about the education of their kids.
Maybe you seriously considered the possibility of homeschooling last fall but decided to give conventional schools another chance. As this school year unfolded, you became more frustrated with your school’s response to COVID-19. It could also be that some other irritation was on a slow boil, simmering in the background.
My question to you today is this: What will it take? Let’s take a quick look at the issues at stake.
The Issues at Stake
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. COVID-19 restrictions resulted in school-age children being required to wear masks, social distance, or move to improvised online teaching. None of this seemed practical, and it has proved to be disastrous for teachers, parents, and students.
Next, let’s look at safety. In-person bullying and cyber bullying. No kid wants to be subject to that torture. Bathroom privacy is even up for discussion. How about school shootings? Add sexual abuse by teachers and even peers. Shall I go on?
Then there is the overall sexual agenda. Premarital sex is practically an expectation, certainly common. Addiction to pornography is rampant among students. And today your students have to deal with pressure to accept homosexuality as normal. There is the promotion of the transgender agenda. In other words, throw biology and science out the window. As a result, girls sports are in absolute chaos. And sexual deviancy of all manner is on the rise. Just think of drag queen reading days for the elementary age students.
Let’s do our best to remember that schools are supposed to be about education, character formation, and the assimilation of virtue. But socialization and the mass production of obedient citizens is much more important to those in charge. The record is undeniable. Conventional schools have become a dismal failure when it comes to academic achievement.
Some of you may have opted for private education. But tuition costs have skyrocketed. Some schools brag about how their institution is the best place to spend your $12,000 per student per year. Compare this to the $600 per student per year that homeschooling families average. Is home education really that much more efficient? Actually, yes!
Let’s also touch on some priorities of the liberal agenda. You’ve got Critical Race Theory (the idea of oppressor versus the oppressed), Black Lives Matter (the Marxist organization), The 1619 Project (an attempt to say that slavery was the sole or primary reason for the founding of America), the push towards Socialism (versus free-market capitalism), Pro-Abortion (versus Pro-Life), and a full-court press to remove God from all spheres of life.
Finally, we are living in what is undeniably a post-Christian time period. The American public school system is actively promoting and teaching the liberal agenda and pridefully mocking God. Students are being aggressively indoctrinated, and parents are letting it happen—some with a fight, some quietly.
Folks, what will it take? What will it take for you to get your kids out of the pagan schools of Egypt and into the Promised Land of Home Education?
There are a few examples of what is being taught or is on the horizon to be taught in schools, below. But one story stands out from California. Brace yourself. It will sound unbelievable, but I’ll include a link so you can read about it yourself. There is a proposal to return to barbarism by having students chant to Aztec gods. I’m not kidding. You can read about it here.
[Editor’s Note] Carolyn Martin shared some additional examples of what is being put into the standards for schools and what may be taught in future. Some of the links are provided simply so you can familiarize yourself with the issues. (Reprinted from the 5/19/21 Legislative Update on the CHEC Blog):
[This session, in Colorado, the following bills passed into law:
- Media Literacy Education (HB21-1103): Teaches children what is true and what is “fake news.” Follow the resources in this report and check out the leading supplier of this education. The resources clearly push one viewpoint, one set of values, and one truth.
- Civics Education (SB21-067): Teaching the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence all sounds good, but check out this report and this one. The ultimate goal is to make activists for their socialist cause and undermine our founding principles.
- Bullying Prevention Education (HB21-1221): While bullying should not be tolerated, education around preventing it normalizes ungodly behaviors and tends to focus on differences instead of common ground. Check out this report, this website, and this article.
Already being taught in Colorado schools:
- Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): The aim is to sexualize children as young as they can. Learn more about the curriculum here.
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL): This curriculum brings in anti-God tools to teach such things as mindfulness, grit, and resiliency. Check out this article and this one.
- Critical Theory/Critical Race Theory (CRT)/Social Justice: All across the nation parents are rising up against this curriculum in the public schools. It’s well entrenched in colleges and universities, but K-12 is not immune. Check out this article.
More to come:
- Ethnic Studies: California just mandated it. The curriculum tears at the very fabric of Americanism and calls for a “counter genocide.” Check out this article and this one.]
Apologia and CHEC are Here to Help You Succeed
Home education is an adventure full of all kinds of wonderful discoveries, and Apologia Educational Ministries (apologia.com) and Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC.org) are here to help you along the journey.
One way Apologia helps is by publishing award-winning curricula and resources, including creation-based science, math, Bible and worldview studies, and planners. We also provide live, professional online teaching, and self-paced streaming video instruction — all with a proven track record of success for over two decades. We publish our curriculum in various formats to meet the unique learning style of your student, whether they be an independent (textbooks and student notebooks), auditory (audiobook MP3s), visual (videos), kinetic (activities and experiments), or social learner (online classes).
Finally, Apologia will affirm, encourage, challenge, and inspire you via supportive homeschooling podcasts, blog articles, e-books, videos, conversations, and practical information that we freely share with all who are part of our online and social media community.
Likewise, CHEC is here to motivate parents to disciple the next generation of Christians to impact Colorado and beyond for Christ and His Kingdom by providing information, leadership, and resources. You can learn more by attending their annual conference this June 17-19 in Denver. My wife, Rachael, and I will be there and would love to see you in-person at the Apologia booth or in one of our workshops.
I believe that you and other parents are being more intentional than ever about the education of your children. You already proved to yourself that you can homeschool. And it’s really good for your kids and your whole family. If you just finished your first year, I pray you will say “yes” to continuing this fall. If you didn’t take the homeschool step of faith last year, I pray you say enough is enough and begin an amazing journey with your family this next school year. Be strong and courageous. Live with no regrets. If there was ever a time for you to homeschool, it is now!
Walking by faith and enjoying the homeschooling adventure of a lifetime!
Davis Carman
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