I was homeschooled my whole education growing up and so far have homeschooled my own kids for the past 9 years. While I have to admit that some of the reasons I choose to homeschool is to protect my kids, I am struggling to see why that is a negative thing. The amount of school shootings, the prevalence of drugs in schools and the bullying that takes place, besides the lack of one on one education makes homeschooling the absolute answer for us. I don't necessarily shelter my kids from the world....we interact with non-Christans often and are confronted with worldly theology all the time in different ways. And these instances lead to conversations that we get to have talking about why we believe what we believe. But that being said, I know your conversation was mostly about Christian schools, not homeschooling. So I would really love to hear more conversation about why you prefer public school even over homeschool now. Because I know April was a huge homeschool proponent at one point.
I know exactly the school you guys are talking about and I'm shocked it was that stressful. I didn't go there, but went to the church for a bit with my parents when I was in high school. I loved the youth group and my time there. I do agree, that is way too controlling. I went to public school and I do understand the view that it lets too much get exposed to the child, but I think it comes down to parenting and people just need to be involved with their kids. Both my kids go to public school, but we go to church and are involved in the church with my wife & I teaching JR church Sundays. My kids have been exposed to things in public school, but in teaching young kids in JR church it seems its no different in what they're exposed to either so I think it's lazy to say you need to put your kids in Christian education for that reason. If you are there for your kids and treat them like people you can let them be exposed to the world while still teaching them biblical principals in what is wrong or what is right. Just like what was said in this episode, when the kids graduate they become exposed to the world anyway. Delaying that fact and sheltering instead of equipping through the word of God will not help them. We teach our kids about Christ and the bible, both are saved. All we can do as parents is try to raise them right and pray for them. They're their own people and will have to make their own decisions. It's scary, but isolating is not the answer.
Similar to Julie's comment I think that there is a huge variety of Christian and private "Christian" schools that meet similar if not higher academic standards than public schools.
In the area I'm from there were two large private schools that I would call Christian affiated. The elementary one used primarily curriculum that was Christian based and they had chapel weekly but anyone could attend. We were in the state capitol so lots of the state workers would send their kids through 1st/2nd grade with small class sizes so they could get a really strong reading/math foundation (because they were stellar at it) and then they would put their kids in public school. The large one (k-12)was Christian but completely non denomination and pretty much anyone could attend. These schools were both very expensive and while I do think some parents who had the privilege were doing partially out of the Christian world view and some of it was about a better education and smaller class sizes. This also doesn't address the 3 large Catholic schools that were in town. I had a co-worker who had the exact problem Sarah referenced. Her 2nd grade son was being extremely bullied in the local public school. Despite multiple attempts to try and resolve it the school refused to make it stop. Her son was physically ill regularly from the bullying. She ended up putting both her boys at the elementary school I mentioned earlier until Jr high because of the bullying.
I believe all of the problems you addressed are found specifically in IFB christian schools (I taught in one for a couple years). Similar weird meeting and rules. The teachers had uniforms (🙄). I don't think those issues are widespread in Christian schools outside of the IFB.
I currently live in South Carolina and most Christians I have encountered have their kids in public school so all of these examples are from Oregon.
In my area there are several Christian schools that are very different from the baptist culture type of Christian schools you came from. Often times they end up seeing the same issues/problems as we see in many public schools. I often see many of the students coming from wealthier families that are looking for a "smaller school setting" and the "Christian" part of it is seen as a added bonus. Sometimes they want that setting for the academic benefit of smaller class size, sometimes they like that status of "my child goes to a private school", sometimes its because their child has a better chance in sports, and sometimes I've seen it be about scholarship opportunities. Of all the families I know that send their kids to these schools I can't think of one family where I can say "I totally think they are there for the Christian education or environment".
I've heard a few families say it is no different than public school. I say all this to say that I think your experiences with christian schools is within a very small group of the larger picture.
I am familiar with the type of school you speak of however, my own children attended for one year and we quickly realized that was not the environment we were looking for. I love seeing all the new types of "private schools" that are coming out....and not all of them are Christian. Outside of the baptist culture there is a whole world of exciting and different types of schools to explore both Christian and secular based. I think it is an exciting time in the education world!
I was homeschooled my whole education growing up and so far have homeschooled my own kids for the past 9 years. While I have to admit that some of the reasons I choose to homeschool is to protect my kids, I am struggling to see why that is a negative thing. The amount of school shootings, the prevalence of drugs in schools and the bullying that takes place, besides the lack of one on one education makes homeschooling the absolute answer for us. I don't necessarily shelter my kids from the world....we interact with non-Christans often and are confronted with worldly theology all the time in different ways. And these instances lead to conversations that we get to have talking about why we believe what we believe. But that being said, I know your conversation was mostly about Christian schools, not homeschooling. So I would really love to hear more conversation about why you prefer public school even over homeschool now. Because I know April was a huge homeschool proponent at one point.
I know exactly the school you guys are talking about and I'm shocked it was that stressful. I didn't go there, but went to the church for a bit with my parents when I was in high school. I loved the youth group and my time there. I do agree, that is way too controlling. I went to public school and I do understand the view that it lets too much get exposed to the child, but I think it comes down to parenting and people just need to be involved with their kids. Both my kids go to public school, but we go to church and are involved in the church with my wife & I teaching JR church Sundays. My kids have been exposed to things in public school, but in teaching young kids in JR church it seems its no different in what they're exposed to either so I think it's lazy to say you need to put your kids in Christian education for that reason. If you are there for your kids and treat them like people you can let them be exposed to the world while still teaching them biblical principals in what is wrong or what is right. Just like what was said in this episode, when the kids graduate they become exposed to the world anyway. Delaying that fact and sheltering instead of equipping through the word of God will not help them. We teach our kids about Christ and the bible, both are saved. All we can do as parents is try to raise them right and pray for them. They're their own people and will have to make their own decisions. It's scary, but isolating is not the answer.
Similar to Julie's comment I think that there is a huge variety of Christian and private "Christian" schools that meet similar if not higher academic standards than public schools.
In the area I'm from there were two large private schools that I would call Christian affiated. The elementary one used primarily curriculum that was Christian based and they had chapel weekly but anyone could attend. We were in the state capitol so lots of the state workers would send their kids through 1st/2nd grade with small class sizes so they could get a really strong reading/math foundation (because they were stellar at it) and then they would put their kids in public school. The large one (k-12)was Christian but completely non denomination and pretty much anyone could attend. These schools were both very expensive and while I do think some parents who had the privilege were doing partially out of the Christian world view and some of it was about a better education and smaller class sizes. This also doesn't address the 3 large Catholic schools that were in town. I had a co-worker who had the exact problem Sarah referenced. Her 2nd grade son was being extremely bullied in the local public school. Despite multiple attempts to try and resolve it the school refused to make it stop. Her son was physically ill regularly from the bullying. She ended up putting both her boys at the elementary school I mentioned earlier until Jr high because of the bullying.
I believe all of the problems you addressed are found specifically in IFB christian schools (I taught in one for a couple years). Similar weird meeting and rules. The teachers had uniforms (🙄). I don't think those issues are widespread in Christian schools outside of the IFB.
I currently live in South Carolina and most Christians I have encountered have their kids in public school so all of these examples are from Oregon.
In my area there are several Christian schools that are very different from the baptist culture type of Christian schools you came from. Often times they end up seeing the same issues/problems as we see in many public schools. I often see many of the students coming from wealthier families that are looking for a "smaller school setting" and the "Christian" part of it is seen as a added bonus. Sometimes they want that setting for the academic benefit of smaller class size, sometimes they like that status of "my child goes to a private school", sometimes its because their child has a better chance in sports, and sometimes I've seen it be about scholarship opportunities. Of all the families I know that send their kids to these schools I can't think of one family where I can say "I totally think they are there for the Christian education or environment".
I've heard a few families say it is no different than public school. I say all this to say that I think your experiences with christian schools is within a very small group of the larger picture.
I am familiar with the type of school you speak of however, my own children attended for one year and we quickly realized that was not the environment we were looking for. I love seeing all the new types of "private schools" that are coming out....and not all of them are Christian. Outside of the baptist culture there is a whole world of exciting and different types of schools to explore both Christian and secular based. I think it is an exciting time in the education world!