School Choices

In some ways, education has changed a lot in the past 100 years.  Students are learning to utilize technology and are no longer memorizing spelling words and times tables.  In other ways, it is very much the same.  Students are still learning reading, writing, and arithmetic.  However, the year 2020 has required everyone to rethink the way children are educated in the United States.  While there have always been options in education in the U.S., this year all parents are being forced to think about education and carefully consider the choices they have for their children. I would like to give you some thoughts and ideas as a homeschooling mom and former teacher (in both public and private schools).  I hope that these will be helpful to you as you consider all of your options this year.

Education is compulsory in the U.S. (though the ages for that requirement vary by state).  Since it is required, there is always an option of sending your children to the public school paid for by tax dollars.  In 2020, public school changed drastically!  There are now remote and virtual learning options that allow students access to a public school teacher and curriculum at no cost, while learning from home.  Several states had already offered an online public school option or a homebound school option, but now this is a reality in many more schools across the country.  Parents who want their child to remain in public school, but are not comfortable with sending them in person, have the option of keeping their child home and enrolling them in the virtual academy offered by the district or state.  Some schools are opening this school year with a distance learning option.  This allows students and teachers to continue to have school while maintaining physical isolation.  Some schools are opening as usual this fall, and parents can send their children back to an actual building and teachers.  The public school option does not require any additional cost to the parents to enroll their children.  Yes, they request that students buy school supplies, but, as a teacher who worked in a public school, I know no teacher that will let a student go without.  If they need a notebook for my class and don’t have one, I’ll make sure they get one!

Private schools are also an option for parents who are not satisfied with the government sponsored school.  These schools are often, but not always, aligned with certain beliefs or philosophies of education.  Parents can choose this option because they feel that their child will receive a better education and/or because they agree with the beliefs taught there.  I personally begged my parents to be allowed to attend a Christan School that others I knew attended.  I wanted to learn what the Bible had to say about topics and not just a secular point of view.  I loved the idea of Bible Class and Chapel in school!  These schools are also starting to offer online or virtual academies.  Parents can now choose to enroll their child in a private school in a different state if they allow for virtual learning!  This is a viable option for parents that are dissatisfied with the public school systems, but do not have the time, ability or desire to homeschool.  Private schools vary in cost and quality.  I would urge anyone who is considering a private school to attend not only their open house, but also a meeting with administration to question their philosophy of education, teacher education/certification requirements, curriculum, and practices.  More important than the cost is the quality of education available to your child.  

Homeschooling is also an option for parents who are dissatisfied with public or private school options and/or who want more direct oversight in their child’s education.  Homeschooling can be more cost effective than a private school as you are only paying for curriculum and educational trips rather than the whole school structure.  Homeschooling parents can still choose online academies or curriculum that allow students to do most or all of their learning via an online platform.  Other curriculums provide everything the parents need including all of the student books, teacher manuals, and scope and sequence for the year.  These all-inclusive curriculums can be very helpful for people without an education background or training, especially if they are just starting out.  There are also co-ops or schools you can join that provide tutoring and/or a blend of learning some instruction in a school and some at home.  These programs provide a strong support group for parents and opportunities for students.  A lot of these programs have a shared curriculum so students are working on the same or similar lessons at the same time.  Some people, like myself, take a more patchwork approach.  I chose the curriculum in each subject that would be most beneficial for my daughter.  Since she is coming out of a public school setting, there are some areas where she is stronger than others.  While a school setting requires that lessons progress whether or not students have mastered the curriculum, homeschool allows us to go at her pace and ensure mastery.  Unschooling is another approach that has always appealed to me.  I find myself to0 scheduled to be able to fully embrace the idea of student-led learning, but I love the research and exploration aspect of it.  We are starting with little smatterings of it here and there, such as with our research for social studies, but I hope to incorporate more learning that specifically aligns with her interests as we progress.  I also hope that I am more comfortable with unschooling to set a more open track to learning for my son as he gets old enough for official “schooling”.  

So what is the best option?  I have learned that there is no one right answer to that question.  When I was younger and my daughter still a baby I vowed I’d never send her to a public school.  Ten years later we are starting our homeschooling journey after she went to kindergarten in a Christan School and spent the other five years at a public school.  You need to consider your own family’s values, priorities, and finances.  You need to choose the option that works best for your family.  In Deuteronomy 6, Moses is addressing the people of Israel and reminding them of the Law that God has given them.  He tells them that they are to teach these laws and statutes to their children so their children will remain faithful to God and their civilization will continue through successive generations.  Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 also give instructions, specifically to fathers, to bring up their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” and not to “provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”  Parents are the ones responsible before God for their children’s education. While God is specifically speaking about their spiritual education, we know that a life can not be segmented into spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental compartments.  When learning, our whole self is involved.  Teaching our children spiritual truths is not separated from what they are learning about the rest of the world.  Some parents choose to homeschool their children to have a more direct control over what they are learning, but this does not mean that everyone should homeschool their children.  This does mean that whatever choices they make regarding how and what their children are taught are their responsibility.