Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is...

This is my response to a pro-public school essay.

"Put your money where your mouth is"

I can usually go for that...but not in this case. I am putting "MY" money where my mouth is and where it is not.

I am a property owner and as such, am forced through taxes to pay for the public school. I also home school my children, as do many in my area for the lack of good "quality" public education being available. We do not want our children to do well in a school system that is falling in ranks as compared to the rest of the world. When talking about "fitting" in with the community in terms of education...no thanks! I want my children to excel, not only on the local or national level, but also on the international level. No trying to fit in here...leaders never fit in, they are ahead of the crowd.

Here in Arkansas, nationally we rank very poorly, and if I am not mistaken, I heard mention somewhere of Georgia...I think Georgia is ranked lower than we are. Quality teachers were also mentioned, and I do have to agree, there are many fine teachers, but the sad truth is that they are far outnumbered by teachers who can barely be called literate in their own right.

Someone mentioned “sex-ed,” well it works very well. Not until it became required teaching did our school system quickly rise to national status. Yes, we had the highest teen pregnancy rate per capita in the nation. By removing the stigma of sex and becoming able to openly speak of it, we have also encouraged exploration of it and thus encouraged the very state we said we were hoping to educate ourselves beyond.

Being able to gain access to college? You might want to take a look at which children are top ranked (GPA) at the collegiate level. You might also find it interesting that the "college" level instructors are about as disgusted as anyone else opposing the condition of public schools. The state educated children, for the most part, simply are not ready for college, and this is where teaching college freshmen becomes frustrating at all the backtracking required in order to progress. Colleges are now actively recruiting "home schooled" children in an attempt to raise our position internationally. The welfare schools are failing and to defend the institution seems a little like trying to put a fire out with gasoline...a lose-lose situation.

Concerning the whole issue of evolution. I say teach them everything, along with the holes in all the theories and beliefs. This singular issue needs to be decided at a personal level (familial) by the heads of the families, and not by anyone else. No matter how one looks at it, it requires faith. In fact, I believe in evolution and teach it to my children. A simple look at the differing species, and changes within a species requires a thinking person to acknowledge it. But, it is not the answer for the beginning. There’s only one reasonable original cause for being that make any sense.

Children being sent into the public schools as an ambassador for Christ, I don't believe in it myself. We are to be teaching and equipping our children for adulthood, not sending them out into a battlefield. I tend to think it could be for other reasons.

Financially, it is the most cost effective way to educate our children. Who would pass up such a good welfare program? We have allowed our society to get in such a pitiful state that it requires not only one, but both parents to work in order to “almost” get by…if at all. If you’re a single parent, then you are pretty much without a paddle. Also, many parents of this generation simply have not been taught how to parent. They cannot handle their children and find the state school as an easy way out. If you are remotely involved with the state schools, you cannot deny that many parents rely on them in essence, to be the parent. I know many people who rejoice when the summer break ends. They can’t wait to get “their” time back. Well, they sure had the time to make the kids, and now they are an imposition?

I agree with the “OP”. We should not waste our time trying to point fingers at the school. It should be obvious that they are failing, and we are the ones financing it. What we need to do is take a good hard look at ourselves. Decide what we want for our children, and then decide how to best be a parent. Ask yourself, is the state welfare school really the best we can do for our children? I say, get off welfare if you are able, and if you aren’t, then pray constantly.

Enough ranting…I said my nine cents worth and will settle down. Just my opinion and you are most welcome to holler back! This is a very good discussion indeed.

God bless