Let the Freedom [School] Bell Ring.

You likely haven't heard, but it was National School Choice Week- a week to highlight "effective educational opportunities" and "empower parents to choose the best educational environment for their children".  I'm 100% in favor of allowing parents this freedom, and I encourage all parents to be active in the education of their children... but I can't help but thinking about how difficult it can be to choose.

I was with some good friends today and many of them spoke about how it can be overwhelming to order at a restaurant.  You want to make the right choice, and there are so many options.  So many things look good...or nothing may look good...or there's just too many choices and your brain shuts down.

That's how I can feel  about schooling choices.  There are many options: public school, private school, a "specialized" school, or homeschool.  This list may be longer (or shorter) depending on where you live.  I want to get all the positive aspects of each one.  Unfortunately, I can't have it all; I have to make a choice, and the effects of the decision will last much longer than a full stomach.

[Evelyn on a trip with a homeschooling group at the Butterfly House]

We homeschool...and we don't.  I have one school-aged child in public school, and one at home. I have this paradigm where I feel half of those I know think I'm crazy for homeschooling, and the other half think I'm crazy for not. But, what do I think?!  That's the tricky part.

I love homeschooling. It's difficult to argue with the list of benefits.  I can give my children an individualized education.  We work at their level and their pace.  The student to teacher ratio is unbeatable.  Even if you have a large family, it's not going to be 27:1 like at my son's school (unless you have a very large family!).

I also get to spend more time with my children.  There are days when it can feel like a little too much time, but I wouldn't trade time with my kids for anything.

 [Who doesn't read in a leotard?]

Our education is Christ-centered.  We can talk about how all education points to our awesome God because He made science, He designed math, He established different languages, and He wrote history, etc. 

Our schedule is flexible.  Especially at times of big life-changes this has been a huge blessing.  When my mom passed away, we didn't do school for a week.  I didn't have to worry about how my kids were doing emotionally, because they were with me.  We spent some time loving on each other and spending time at my dad's farm.  It's beneficial in little ways too.  I feel it now as we try to plan trips, we always have to be mindful of the school calendar.

[A song Nathan recently wrote for my mom] 

However, once/if I decide to homeschool, I have to choose (or write) curriculum, and the list of options becomes insurmountable again!  This does get easier every year, but it's more time consuming and expensive than sending my kid to public school.  We have enjoyed Classical Conversations this past year, which helps with curriculum decisions somewhat, but also adds to the expense.

[The girls making ABAB patterns]

Homeschooling also isn't all sunshine and roses.  It involves difficult kids (why are kids so much more well-behaved for other adults than they are for their own mother?!), and a phone call to Matt about once a month declaring my sanity may be lost for good and I don't know if I can do it any longer.  This may just be me though...

[The girls with their "bodies" they constructed at Classical Conversations]



On the flip side, public school (this is our first year) has gone well for us also.  Our son, is at an advanced-placement school and has had many opportunities that he wouldn't have received at home.  We have been very watchful of what he is learning, and have not had many issues at all. We were skeptical of the math program, but have found it to not be that different from what we had done with him at home.  Early in the year he studied Ancient Egypt, which fit in perfectly with the timeline we were learning at home (yes, Nathan still does learn at home) as well as the Bible study he was doing on the life of Moses.  It was an answer to prayer. We've seen God work out many other things as He has empowered Nathan to speak up and ask questions when things he's learned at school didn't quite match up with the Biblical worldview he's taught at home.  Nathan enjoys public school and he likes working with his peers.  He gets to hammer out ideas and fix problems with his classmates in a different way than he would get to at home.  He also has a great teacher who has had very open communication with us the entire year, and has been very easy to talk to when we did have a question or concern.  He loves recess, gym, Spanish, and music...all classes that become more enjoyable when done with other people.

 [Columbus Day, making foil boats and seeing who can float the most pennies]



But there are disadvantages:  the education is secular, there's the schedule as mentioned before, kids can be mean, he's gone from home, the system as a whole can feel broken, and please let's not even mention "Common Core".
I'm also sensitive as to whether Nathan feels left out.  He's the only boy, he's the only kid gone during the day, all the girls share a room, etc.  But, perhaps it's in a mother to feel a little guilt.

[A page from Ella's Bible study.   11. God showed His special kindness to the Israelites and kept them safe.  How has God shown His special kindness to you?  Ella's response, "He gave me a sweet momy."]



Ultimately, as a Christian, sending my child to public school felt like a calling.  We are not to conform to the ways of this world, but we are to be active and living in this world.  Imagine what the public schools would be like if they were abandoned by all Christians.  It's easier for me to build up a large hedge around my family, stay home, and avoid the world.  However, I don't think it's what God would have us do.  I'm challenged as to how I can better represent the Gospel in my community.

 [Nathan reading to his sisters]



In conclusion, as I think about what we'll do for school next year, my answer is "I don't know!"  I'm pretty certain the girls will still be at home, but Matt and I are still pursuing God about what Nathan will do.  We've always made decisions year by year, and God has been faithful to guide us.   You can see how I may be a little jealous of those who "know" they're homeschooling through high school, or who don't even consider it and "know" their kids will go through public or private school though.  Sigh...

The happy ending is that we have freedoms to choose, and there's not a "wrong" answer.  God is sovereign and will lead His people according to His will.  No education system is perfect, but God can take the pieces that are lacking and knit them together for His glory.

To further help me in my pursuit, I'm going to veer from my monthly reading challenge of reading a classic and a non-fiction and read two non-fictions.

The first is, The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education by Leigh Bortins.  The author is the same person who started Classical Conversations.  I'm hoping this will better inform me about classical education before we make our decision.  (We don't have any classical schools here, so to do classical education we would have to homeschool).

Also, I'm going to read Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School.  This is written from a Christian perspective as to how to nurture the power of Christ in your child as you send them to public school to show God's love and even be a light in the darkness.  It explores what the Bible has to say about education and why everyone should also homeschool in addition to public school.

So, am I alone?  Does anyone else struggle with this decision?  I'm looking forward to finding how God will direct us!