America is at the crossroads in many different facets of life. Religion, or difference in opinion on religious issues, acts as the catalyst that has propelled America to this new era of hostility between Christians and Atheists.
According to Rachel Zoll of The Washington Post Christopher Hitchens has published another anti-Christian book entitled “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” that has reached the top of the best-seller list. These sort of weightless attacks have become common over the last few years.
The spiritual battle in America is increasingly becoming more and more evident each day, especially in America’s schools. Zoll questions the future of America’s public schools because of the rapid growth of Christian homeschools.
Be sure to check out the debate between Hitchens and Reverend Doug Wilson, author of “Letter from a Christian Citizen,” on Christianity Today.
Other hotly debated topics that normally divide between religious lines include abortion, which the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on partial-birth abortions.
To read more of Zoll’s compelling article click here.
Patricia Kokinos, a teacher and an assistant principal for more than 25 years paints a dark picture of the public school system in America. “Angel Park” is a fictional novel that was inspired by Kokinos career as an educator and her experiences in fighting for school reform. The novel describes the dismal state that public schools are in and the urgent need for public school reform.
Kokinos was rejected from a number of publishing houses because they did not agree with her belief that a novel should be written on the downfall of public schools in America. She finally decided to print the novel herself through the independent publishing house iUniverse. I’m glad she did!
“Angel Park” is now receiving national media attention and is a finalist for the Foreword’s Magazine Book of the Year Award. Read more about Patricia Kokinos book.
My children have benefited from a great alternative to the public school system: homeschooling. Christian homeschooling has provided my children with wonderful and individualized educations. Kokinos boldy tells us how and why public schools fail students. I, and many of you, can tell the world why homeschooling provides our children with world-class educations that give them a head start in their lives.
It’s a short post, but it’s something. Possibly the hottest conservatively-minded politics and culture blogger, Michelle Malkin has linked two news stories that should make your blood boil.
The first, from the Edmonton Sun paints a picture of absolute terror as sixth graders were subjected to a staged gun attack. One of the teachers donned a ski mask and pulled on the locked door of the classroom, frightening the sixty-nine students in the room, who were crying and hiding under tables.
The second, from Fox News details the shocking story of an 8th grade class which was forced to watch Brokeback Mountain, a tale of homosexual lust. The film depicts a drawn-out homosexual sex scene, frontal nudity, among countless depictions of adultery, violence, foul language, and other unsavory images.
“It’s no wonder homeschooling is so popular,” mused Malkin. No wonder indeed. Between this, sex-change lessons, and innumerable other offenses, the public school’s track record is spotty at best.
Ken Robinson provides us with a witty and incisive critique of how the public school squanders the minds of children by squelching their natural creativity. Arguing that creativity is just as important as literacy (which we’re not doing so well on either), Robinson declares that so many children are shuffled from class to class without exploring creative pathways. We are teaching kids that there’s nothing worse than making a mistake, and in doing so, we grow children out of their creativity.
It has been said that tomorrow’s marketplace will be driven by ideas. Adults can no longer get by filling a position or warming a seat. Of course, this is not a new phenomenon. The world’s greatest innovators have always been the ones who are most curious and ambitious. However, technology has provided a way for so many more people to achieve great creative heights. The bored and the boring people will be the worker bees.
Homeschooling allows students to be creative. The only way to beat “academic inflation” is to think differently. The problem with the public school is that it does its best to eliminate this inclination. Homeschooling, on the other hand, fosters it.
Have you ever seen John Stossel’s “Stupid in America” documentary? If not, I highly encourage you to check it out when you have a free forty minutes. It doesn’t tell we homeschoolers anything we don’t already know, but it justifies our cause like no other video, book, or lecture I’ve watched.
We all know naysayers that consistently deny the value of homeschooling or say that it couldn’t work en masse. This is a great way to point out to these folks that it couldn’t be any worse than it already is.
Kudos to these private homeschool programs that are giving children an amazing education for a fraction of the cost. It’s great to see how the free market provides the best quality service with little more than an entrepreneurial spirit.
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