I grew up in small town Indiana. There wasn't much of a choice as to where I would go to school. One school in town - it's where everybody went. It's been a little more difficult discerning the best option for our family when we have numerous public schools, private schools, and charter schools close to us. Not to mention that there is a considerable amount of support for homeschooling options in our area as well.
We've tried to weed through the options. Private school isn't something we batted much of an eyelash at. The high tuition is too much for us when there are so many other educational opportunities. A Christian school sounds nice at continuing to affirm the values we are putting in the boys, but we take that as more of a challenge to make sure they are getting the truth at home and at church.
There are some good charter schools in the area. We applied to one that is very close to us that we have multiple friends at. Unfortunately, they notified us awhile back that with their random lottery system Landon is #93 on the wait list to get into their kindergarten. Closed door.
Homeschooling. I admire those that take it on, but we do not feel the call to take it on at this time. There are many great teachers that have received training on how to educate children - I am not one of them. I take seriously my role at home to teach them as their parent - about Scripture, manners, household duties, finances, the world around them, how to be gentlemen, and lots of other jazz. And I'm sure we'll be very hands-on with homework as it comes, but at this point, we are going to let teachers handle the lesson plans and testing.
Adam and I are both products of public schooling and feel that we weathered through those years and turned out pretty well. I mostly get nervous when it comes to the learning curve of other "non-academic" things that children pick up from others at school (and that kind of learning can obviously happen at a private Christian school and charter schools as well).
Something happened at Easter time that assured me that we can be a light in our local public school. This is the right thing for our family. It's not all about protecting our kids from what's out there. It's also about preparing them to share Jesus with those they encounter. Landon's teacher shared with us that during circle time she was asking the children what Easter was about. She got the typical answers: egg hunts, easter bunny, springtime, baby chicks, easter baskets filled with candy, etc. She said most times she has done this someone pipes up something about church or Jesus. But out of the classroom of 15 kids, no one had any mention of it yet. She knows what Adam does for a living. She directed her question to Landon. And let me tell you, he took the opportunity to lay it out!
My 5-year old shared with the other 14 kids in his public school class about Jesus coming to the earth, dying for our sins on the cross and raising again 3 days later. 14 people that may have never heard about Jesus before.
We'll bathe our children in prayer. Teach them the Truth. Guide them and walk with them. Try our best to model the love of Christ. And we'll send them out with the hope that God can use our family to spread it.
My 5-year old shared with the other 14 kids in his public school class about Jesus coming to the earth, dying for our sins on the cross and raising again 3 days later. 14 people that may have never heard about Jesus before.
We'll bathe our children in prayer. Teach them the Truth. Guide them and walk with them. Try our best to model the love of Christ. And we'll send them out with the hope that God can use our family to spread it.
