Karen Campbell sent along this video about a forthcoming homeschool documentary, The Rock From Which We Were Hewn. The documentary seeks to inform the viewer about the history of homeschooling with the purpose of motivating homeschoolers to consider what may be be ahead for the homeschool movement.
The video production is professional but the build-up of suspense using music and courtrooms attempts to provoke a sense of urgency and fear that I’m not sure is warranted. The sentence “This movement has continued, its history undefined.” also seems a bit confusing. History is written as people live their lives and make decisions. We should know the history of homeschooling, but I’m not sure how to “define” it.
My first introduction to homeschooling in 1981 until today, I viewed homeschooling more as a verb than a noun. I would say to my friends and family, “We are homeschooling.” Not, “We have joined the homeschool movement.”
I understand and accept that homeschooling has become a movement, but I never considered myself part of a particular movement toward a particular end, even though I am a Christian that homeschools. In fact, I usually resisted the “bandwagon” mindset that was prominent among many homeschoolers, especially in the early days when a certain curriculum was “God’s choice” for the homeschool family and those that didn’t adopt the curriculum were shunned.
Secular and Christian homeschoolers are both part of homeschooling in America and its history. Each has made significant contributions to the liberties we now enjoy. I certainly hope that those that seek to tell the history allow all the facts to be known. We’ll see.
Karen also sent along a link to a Homeschool Leadership Summit taking place in March, 2009.
“The home education movement has reached a critical juncture . . . With the explosion of school choices and increased government intrusion in homeschooling, the time has come to define a vision, and in the words of George Washington, “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair; the event is in the hand of God.” Otherwise, we will see the heart of what we have worked for fade away.
In March of 2009, Christian Home Educators of Colorado will host homeschool leaders from around the country at a national gathering in Indianapolis. The Purpose? To lay out a vision for home education in the 21st Century.”
I do not want to see the freedom to homeschool fade away, but I’m not certain that a self-appointed group of homeschool leaders raising a standard for the “homeschool movement” is the answer. As Christians homeschoolers, we have one standard: God’s word. Secular homeschoolers have whatever standard they choose to adopt or none at all.
The best way to make sure that homeschool freedoms don’t fade away is to educate parents on what has happened and the possible ramifications of certain choices, especially those involving the state. But I do not see the need for a separate standard or to define a vision for home education for the 21st Century.
What do you think?
(Note: This post was cross-posted at my blog SpunkyHomeschool)
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What do I think?
I think that there are too many who blindly believe that the freedom most homeschoolers operate in today just “appeared” or just “happened”!
Sure, we are each individuals that have made a conscious choice, but it was individuals that banded together to fight prevailing assumptions that have made it possible for us to enjoy the luxury of relaxatiion from outside instrusions.
I do not advocate that anyone should dictate the how’s of homeschooling, for whatever reason, but couldn’t it be possible that homeschoolders could form a loose cohesion so that we could possibly make a stand against such organizaions as the NEA who want nothing more than to silence us, not as individuals, but as a whole? Perhaps new homeschoolers aren’t aware of just how much we are HATED by established education–maybe because the educators are putting on nice faces and, instead of being openly antagonistic, they are pretending to be our friends (said the spider to the fly…).
It is so easy to want to slumber away and say we don’t want to become involved as long as *our* lives aren’t touched–but what about when they come for *us*?
I think the homeschool community (those who homeschool for whatever reason) has become so diverse and so large that any state would have a hard time blatantly taking that freedom away.
I am not sure any certain “group” can define homeschooling, and these Christian organizations fighting for “our” rights seem ostentatious in defining it and defending it for us.
I am a Christian, and believe homeschooling is a wonderful choice for families wishing to raise their children in a biblical context, but the issue with homeschooling itself stems from a basic American and Human right.
We should have the freedom to raise our children without the state’s involvement. Public school was originally optional, it was only through the “great mother state” that education became compulsory. Then it became the state’s school, as parents were gradually overridden by teacher unions and government programs.
So our fight is for our freedom from tyranny, no matter why you homeschool. Our focus should be on reinstating our lost rights and freedoms.
There is a big difference between defending your biblical beliefs, and forcing everyone into a Christian mold which they cannot fit.
Does that make any sense whatsoever?
Meeting and discussing the future is not a bad idea, however the battle for the future of homeschooling will be won with each individual family. Our actions, our attitudes, our words, our reputation as we deal with those around us in every day life who are NOT homeschoolers… this is how the tide of public opinion changes for the better.
I think you said it quite well. It makes complete sense to me.
“couldn’t it be possible that homeschoolers could form a loose cohesion so that we could possibly make a stand”
I think homeschoolers already do this when taking a stand is needed, though it’s usually done at the local or state level–which is as it should be, in my opinion.
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