Going Public

OK, I don’t like reading books...especially, any type of how-to book. Having said that, I still thought I should read this book: “Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School”, by David & Kelli Pritchard, big Young Life parents of eight.

The book is a quick read. The basic premise is this: everyone should homeschool….whether you kids are in public school, private school, or at home. I am no writer and am not at good at summing up things, so my apologies for some of the broken thoughts and points….you’ll get the gist of it if you read it.

So, they say there are two ways to keep children from drowning: 1) teach them to swim or 2) stay out of the water. They say, it is better to equip children for life. They believe sending a child to something other than a public school gives the parents a false sense of control. Public school calls the parents to be involved. When adults care and are actively involved in their communities, their children do better in school. Fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is a starting point which means to revere Him. Rather than just deciding, ask God what He wants your child to do. Pray. The Bible teaches spiritual lessons not about education. God is bigger than public school.

The most important thing is to teach your child to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must infuse this through our daily life, otherwise it is meaningless. You must intentionally rub up against others. Teach kids to obey parents unconditionally. This is a heart issue. Don’t exasperate them. Teach self-control for dealing with unfair circumstances. Self control, wholehearted love for God, and submission to obedience are the most important gifts to give out children.

When you get into disagreements with other parents, be civill. How can you invite folks to church when you are rude to them. When people disagree, get to the facts, not attacks. Blessed are the peacemakers. Let your gentleness be evident. The Lord is near to all. Phil 4:5. Submt to school authority and respond maturely. Don’t be an adult behaving badly.

Incidents with your kids will happen. They are not always preventable, no matter how hard you try. You decide: they will either lead to a reaction or a teachable moment. These moments are intended to further growth and mature you child. There is pressure for us to grow, too. Face it head on.

Parents haunted by bad memories often stay out of schools. They also worry about hours lost at public school, but you still control the majority of wake hours! Parents should be at school. Participate, dads, too. Help. Be a friend to the staff. That will make the experience better that way when you do meet with teachers, you can focus on your child’s character, attitude, response to authority, compassion, and leadership, and let go of all your other hang-ups.

Like I said earlier, the authors say everybody should homeschool….public or private school is no excuse for not teaching your kids. Make sure you address these areas at a minimum: biblical worldview, creation, sexuality, American heritage, and spiritual life. You will have to sacrifice your time to make a difference.

To do public school well, there needs to be one stay at home parent. Single parents need the support of the church and neighborhood. This is hard, and a sacrifice.

Men have to stop placing so much emphasis on work, and participate! Be the leader at home on education topics. Men should live in the light and help children guard their hearts. The man should be the biblical authority.

This is the closest mission field you may ever encounter. The child’s role is to be a good student, good citizen, servant leader…to model what Christianity actually is. They are not evangelists. This is the role of the parents and kids. This is a family mission. Teachers, parents, students are your mission field.

So, don’t forget. God is in charge of everything….including public school. He is sovereign. Satan wins when we let fear overcome us. My God is big! In my efforts to protect my family, am I guilty of trying to control and preserve my life and live in a safe world? Do I have a false sense of control? Is it an illusion that my kids have not been exposed to something that I am not aware of? So, is this what God intended for me? Is that what He intended for my children? No! Do I trust Him? That is the question.

The end of the book contains sections written by the kids. They do a great job showing us how they have turned out and what they are becoming. Testimonies say it better than anything else. Plenty of kids from all education backgrounds have gone bad. At the end of the day, I must love my children and I show them that love by equipping them for life.