12 Days Until School Starts

It's starting to sink in . . . I am going to be officially teaching my kids this year. I've been wanting to home school my kids since they were probably 2 and I know I have to try it in order to quench this desire to be a part of my kids' education. When I moved here I was determined to give the public schools a good chance. I believe in public education, even though I didn't receive a public education myself. I believe that everyone should be able to afford an education and that the community should come forth to make education a reality for ALL kids. But after 2 years in the public school system, I could go no further. You see, the community isn't showing that it cares about education. It can't afford more taxes because they are paying the many healthcare bills that come when Medicare doesn't cover it. And so health care gets priority over education for the majority of the voting public. Add to that parents who could care less that their children even finish school and behavioral problems that make ADHD look very tame, not to mention the large classes and the emphasis on the lowest common denominator, and we're left with a free daycare facility where the occasional kid gets an education. And so, because I DO care about education, we tried private school. And when that stretched the financial limits, we opted for home education. We're finding that we are not alone in this option. And truly, the state makes it very "doable" in terms of time requirements and testing strategies. I am finding a lot of help from other parents who have been doing this for awhile. I am not saying we'll do it forever, but I have to try and see if it makes a difference. I guess that's why I'm nervous about the whole thing -- I don't want to mess it up because it may be my only chance to prove myself (while also maintaining the rest of my life!) I'm also concerned on a theological level, though, because not everyone has access to an alternative to public school. It's a theological dilemma for me because I realize that it is a privilege to get to teach my own children. And so I want to always keep that in my awareness, not wanting to flaunt my way over someone else's way. We are all unique in our approaches to education and yet we are all loved by God in the midst of all of our differences. For some education it a high priority whereas for others survival is of utmost importance. I want to be thankful for this opportunity and take it seriously. What an honor it is to even get to try my hand at this!