First, I wanted to thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment.
As to Ann Coulter, I heard her on the Sean Hannity radio show today and she mentioned this same statement several times to all the conservative parents in the audience. (Not the part about homeschooling, but the part about raising kids to be public school teachers) I think she really believes the system can be fixed by getting a huge influx of good, conservative teachers in there.
I (and I thnk you probably feel this way too) feel the system is based on a faulty foundation and can't be fixed. Homeschooling answers the needs of both the present and the future. Extended natural family and the church community rather than govt should fill any gaps left by truly incapacitated parents.
I just read an article by Marvin Olasky. He talked about a school creation project that he is working with in Texas near Austin, called City School. It's an interesting twist on an old idea.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/.../08/
200308.html
I think home schooling may have to be an emergency remedy for some families, but I think if that's the motivation, the home schooling will be short-lived. The success of home schooling depends on commitment.
Her comment about more Christians being public school teachers is actually well-taken. Not to destroy any bastion of liberalism, but rather to find a way to reach out to the unbeliever.
There was a young man, in his twenties, who was baptized at our church a couple of years ago. He attributed his hearing of the gospel to the presence of one Christian teacher in the public system. While I definitely don't hold to the notion that children need to be "missionaries" in the public schools, I do see some merit in a mature, well-grounded adult working in that environment if only to put the light of Christ in a dark place. Probably like banging one's head against the wall. I have thought about doing this when the kids are all gone.
I agree with Kim - children shouldn't be missionaries to public schools, but teachers, particularly male teachers, can have an impact on their students. I don't think the public school system can be "fixed" as it is fundamentally flawed (giving the gov. the authority to raise our children is dangerous) so to raise our children to become public school teachers for that purpose would be pointless. BUT if God calls someone to a vocation as a teacher, he should certainly be obedient. My dad, a strong advocate of homeschooling (he and my mom homeschooled me and my brothers), has spent a number of years teaching middle school science. It made hiim more of an advocate of homeschooling than ever! But I do think he was able to impact some of his students positively for the kingdom of God.
As far as Ann Coulter, my husband and I watched a clip of her on the Today show from a few days ago. We had to stop the video three different times because we were laughing so hard. She's pretty spunky!
I don't think the public school system can be used to "evangelize" or as a tool to reach the unbeliever. As a PS teacher, you walk a continual fine line between man's law and God's law. My children were religious. I'd ask questions, and Jesus came up frequently as the answer. If I asked for song requests, my kids were likely to break out into "Jesus loves me." And even in my class, they quickly "got it" that this wasn't what you do in school. Why? Yes, student directed religious activity is protected, but the teacher cannot join. So as I stood in silence, the students thought they were doing something wrong, despite my compliments on their song choice and beautiful singing.
As a public school teacher, I was instructed that I could not keep a bible in my desk. If by chance a student might see it, it could be interpreted as a state instituted religion. As a public school teacher, you are not an individual and your rights (whether right or wrong) are not protected. You have none. You are an agent of the state, as my role was defined to me numerous times. And this in the state of TX when President Bush was governor...not in CA or one of our more liberal states.
Perhaps I was wrong to follow the law...it was always a difficult balance for me. Early Christian communicated in secret codes...their evangelism also was not overt when the laws of the land forbade it.
I would love to see everyone homeschool, but it's not gonna happen. Some parents, for financial reasons, or out of laziness or ignorance, will never homeschool their children.
What's wrong with encouraging adults to do what they can to improve the public schools, for the sake of those children who will not be given any other choice but to attend them?
Actually, I do have a solution. But it involves copying a model of a school I fear has closed down as I can find no information on it. Going to do some more research and I'll get back to you on it. Have you heard of the Calvert School in San Antonio? It was started by the largest private donation of any NBA player in history...
OK, those ads on HSB for Calvert were deluding me. No wonder I couldn't find info...it is the Carver Academy.
And here is my proposed solution.
Dana, I read the post but blogger is still being snarky so I'll commnent here.
You asked: What if the church started free public education?
Isn't that sort of why Sunday school was created? And most schools in the beginning were church affiliated of some sort. Eventually the state took over and the church let them.
BTW, thanks for the tag.
For the rest: So are you saying that Ann Coulter wasn't really suggesting the destruction of public education. Just liberal public education. Is that correct?
Yes, in the beginning most schools were church affiliated to some degree. I would like to return to that...more of a privatized system without state involvement or oversight. At least an alternative, if not an complete system. We have Christian schools in nearly every community, but I couldn't afford to send my children. Sunday School is different. We cannot prepare our children one day per week.
No guarantee anything would be any different...England and Australia have similar school systems in that it is largely private. My husband went to a private Christian school that was no different from our public schools, really. Just like our churches, I suppose. But if we want to reach those who probably need the most assistance, the church has nothing to offer. They cannot homeschool and they cannot afford the tuition to a private Christian school. And I have nothing against the idea of public education, but its current trend of socialization is obviously a false foundation.
I really am a glass-half-full kind of person but I do not believe that any government school can be fixed until you take the government out of it.
I saw on FoxNews that Ann is taking a big hit today because she made some off the wall comment about 9/11 widows or something.
FWIW, I like Ann's style and spunk. She's one of those call it like it is type of people----but I'm still not sure where she was going with the 9/11 thing!
I haven't read the book, so I won't comment on what she said. But the 9/11 widows she is referring to are the ones that the media consistently goes to when ever they need a reaction from the families of the victims. The media often represents them as the spokespeople for all the victims.
I think the 9/11 comment was regarding the "Jersey Girls" - a group of 9/11 widowns who blame the US government for 9/11 instead of the terrorists who actually committed the act.
I think when Ann was saying "long-term" she meant over many, many years and "emergency" wasn't just a few months or years. At least I didn't take it that way.
We had a Christian gym/health teacher in my high school that was very open about his faith and that at age 40 or so he was still a virgin and waiting until he was married. He didn't lead but he was allowed to participate in a before school Bible study and directed FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). I'm sure he ran into obstacles all the time but he was a great example of a Christian man and a great support for the Christian students who went there. If even half of the teachers in the school were like him there'd be some interesting changes.
I agree that Ann Coulter doesn't see and inherent problem to public school (like a few uf us do) but the problem is the flawed individuals. I think the length of "time" she thinks homeschooling is a solution for is as long as it takes to train the next generation. By the way, I have know people who view the PS as a mission for the teachers. Not to convert by preaching but so show them we are Christians by our love (I think I heard that somewhere
. These same people have homeschooled their kids.
La Shawn Barber has a transcript where she explains the 9/11 widow comment for those interested
http://lashawnbarber.com/archive...rketing-genius/
Thanks for the link Spunky. I read it...and now I want to buy the book!!! I like that Coulter is edgy. While I totally "get" what she is saying about the 9/11 widows "Jersey Girls" or whatever you call them...I'm not sure I would have said it myself. But, I'm not Ann and I'm not edgy at all. I'm a peacekeeper!!! 
Part of the reason I'm so out of it about the Jersey Girls (I had never heard that term until today) is because I tend to shove ALL 9/11 propaganda out of my way. It was an awful thing and I hate to relive it, and even more hate to see the media turn it into a circus (which it seems is what Ann is saying here too).
I think the you need to cut Ann Coulter a little slack. She is a single woman with no children . Her expertise in politics has not left her with the time, energy and interest to understand homeschooling. We know it is a lifestyle, but she can't possibly know at this time. It is clear that LaShawn Barber 'gets it', but she is the exception, not the rule.
Dana's analysis of what it's like to teach in public schools as a Christian rings true in my experience. And being an English teacher was so hard, because I wanted to present things to them from a Biblical perspective and could not--at least not at all overtly. And I was forced by the curriculum to teach some things I objected to. It was wretched.
When I left that job (in the middle of the year because of extenuating circumstances), I let the kids know unequivocally that I was a Christian. (Some of them had told me in their journals, though, that they KNEW I was without my telling them! That blessed me beyond measure!!)
On one hand, because of those journal entries and some other incidents, I know I was an encouragement to the kids. But it was frustrating, because I couldn't go the whole way. I could love them--and that means a lot, to any kid--but I couldn't say what I wanted and do what I wanted.
I had a high school English teacher who never talked about Christ but left a Bible on her desk. After I became a Christian in college, I met her daughter. We ended up being college roomates. While the teacher never spoke of Christ, her countenance spoke to a belief in something higher. We all knew she meant Christ. She did loan her bible out to students. But I never asked. She was an encouargement to her students. So, she did what she could.
Thanks, Spunky, for sharing the link:
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/.../08/ 200308.html
I was really touched by the comments of the little ones:
Our kindergarten kids, asked for their "favorite thing about City School," offered statements like "learning about God in Bible," "worshipping in chapel," "reading Bible stories." Similar responses could not come from public school students.
This is what much of the church is lacking - the vision to affect their communities through good works. Rarely are they even nurturing their own "less fortunate", much less reaching out to the community.
You have mentioned homechurching a few times, and I think one of the reasons this has become so popular is people are sick of psuedo-church. They are seeking for the real thing. And scripturally, the real thing includes a real heart and love for others. Christ = selflessness. You really can't have it any other way.
Sorry for digressing off of the Ann Coulter discussion, but wanted to thank you for the link you shared and comment on it.
in my little rural TX district, leaving a bible IN my desk (let alone on it) was grounds for termination.
I have a feeling my children knew to some degree. The issue came up frequently. I asked another Christian teacher if her children did and said some of the things mine did and she said in 20 years of teaching she never had children as "overtly religious" as my little bunch. At least they felt safe expressing it, for whatever reason.
That would have been in 1980, my junior year. So that shows you how things have come.
Commenting by HaloScan
