If you’ve browsed around this site for a while you already know how I feel about Christian families signing on with the government schools in order to “help” them educate their children. Seems there are not enough hours in a day to train up and disciple our children as it is, and if we are going to jump through all of the hoops that the charter school program requires, we will have even less time with our children. Discipleship requires a great deal of time doesn’t it?
To tell you the truth I’m getting weary of the whole thing and somewhat tired of even talking about it. I’m ashamed of myself though because the folks at HSLDA have devoted their lives to defending and protecting homeschooling rights. I should not be so weary of talking.
It’s quite obvious to me that Christian families should not be yoked with the government when it comes to our children ….I just don’t understand why we would join hands with the very people who are antagonistic and hostile towards our Lord Jesus. Many of my dear homeschooling friends have chosen this route, and I’m not judging their choice….I just don’t understand how they came to it. I’m dumbfounded.
This post is intended for the young family who is thinking about homeschooling but does not know where to begin. If you are thinking about homeschooling, find a true homeschooler and pepper them with questions. A true biblical homeschooler will be so willing to give you as much information as they can…as well as share their books and supplies. PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND ASK THEM HOW TO HOMESCHOOL. That would be like going to a butcher and asking them if they do computer repair work!!! They will not tell you how to homeschool but are very eager to sign you up for the public school at home program in their school district. They cannot wait to do this as they depend upon the money that they will receive when you do. It’s all about the money……the money they will receive……and the pittance they will pass on to you for books, piano lessons and art supplies. Please consider the following list before you sign up for a government program.
If you choose to homeschool independently you will be able to bring God into every academic subject. You will be able to choose curriculum from a Christian perspective. Your children will know that God is the God of science, history, language arts, arithmetic and all other subjects. You will learn that you are truly equipped to teach, love, train, and disciple your children without any help from the government. You will learn to depend upon God and your husband instead of the government. You will be willing to learn with your children and study yourself in order to fill in the gaps of your own public school education. You will become a family that learns together. Instead of setting up a mini-public school in your home, you will be FREE to plan your child’s education as you wish. You will have 100% of the responsibility, authority and control over your child’s education, just as the Bible requires, and just as our Constitution allows.
Before you sign up for a charter, independent study, virtual, online , cyber computer based, workstudy, distance learning, or public school at home program please consider the following information. Please feel free to email me for more information on biblical independent homeschooling. Blessings, Anne
1. The term “charter school” means a public school. They are under the jurisdiction of the public school system.
2. According to the CA education code (and most states) No public money shall ever be appropriated for the support of any sectarian or denomination school.
3.Charter schools are funded by taxpayer monies, and all publicly funded schools must be under the “exclusive control of the officers of the public schools” (CA Constitution)
4.In order to fulfill the requirements of the California Constitution, religious instruction cannot be given in public schools, even indirectly. During school hours parents may not legally talk about the Lord, read the Bible, pray etc. They must wait until school is over just as parents who have their children in a regular brick & mortar public school must wait until dinner or bedtime to pray with their children. Religious instruction is not legal in any type of public school….period.
5.Parents who are enrolled in a charter who wish to offer religious instruction of any kind must circumvent this law during school hours. If they wish to explain a bible truth or simply pray over a bad attitude, they legally cannot do this during school hours because they are receiving money from the government while enrolled in the charter program.
6.The Philosophy and goals of the charter school are most likely polar opposite of your goals for your children. Ask the charter school for their philosophy or mission statement and see if they match up.
7.Charter school children who participate in school activities, classes etc. will be subject to peer pressures and influences similar to what one would find in any other public school.
8. Charter schools are prohibited from purchasing materials which include any promotion of religion, and they are prohibited from allowing such materials to be used in their programs even if they are purchased by the parents.
9.Although some well meaning charter school teachers have told parents to go ahead and use their own Christian materials….they do not record them on the schools records. These parents us their charter school budgets for other items like computers or lessons. This seems like an ethical compromise in doctoring school records in order to hide Christian teaching.
10.If a parent chooses to supplement their child’s secular school books with Christian materials, the compromise will be in teaching two different world views to their children. I question whether it will even be possible to teach Christian worldview after completing all of the requirements of the public school program. Charter school programs take a lot of time. There are not enough hours in the day to provide parallel education programs…one secular and one Christian.
11. Charter school programs require the same testing as brick and mortar schools do. Just as teachers do….you will be required to spend time learning materials simply to pass the test even if the content has little value to you or your family.
12. In Ca all graduating public schools students must pass a High School Exit Exam in order to get a high school diploma. This includes charter schools.
13.Charter schools are not free. The books, computers, lessons etc. are paid for by the tax payer. Parents pay the same amount of taxes whether their children to the public school, private school, or homeschool; charters add to the tax burden.
