Tag: Education

Government Education: The Problem, Not the Remedy

  

Education in American began as a mostly private affair; the only thing even halfway resembling what we have today was when a New England town collected local taxes to cover the costs of a “common” school. Yet even during that time, private schooling prevailed, whether at home, with a paid tutor, or at a private academy. The big change occurred in Massachusetts in the 1830s. That state became the first to set up a state-level board of education. One of… Read more »

Let Us Not Lose Heart

  

Today’s commentary is more personal. If you would rather find something about the shutdown or the debt ceiling, you won’t find it here today. Now’s your chance to go elsewhere before you read any further. Okay, too late—you must now continue. Professors are people, too. Sometimes we get discouraged. Even those of us who are doing this as a ministry and sense the call of God on our lives to teach can, at times, wonder what we are accomplishing. Although… Read more »

The Real Critique of Common Core

  

Up until now, I’ve not written anything specific with respect to the Common Core program being promoted from on high and apparently accepted as a guideline/goal by more than forty states. The promise is that it will set standards to prepare students for college and the workplace. Thus far, standards have been set for math and English language, with plans to extend them to other subject areas. One reason why I’ve not waded into this field prior to now is… Read more »

The “Dangers” of Homeschooling–Part Three

  

We now come to the end of our listing of the ten top reasons not to homeschool. The final two are in the same vein as the first eight. Let’s throw in a financial factor first: The price tag for government schooling keeps rising. But of course we are always assured this is “free public education.” Why free? Because you don’t have to pay tuition. Yet if it costs thousands to educate one child, that’s hardly free. It’s a semantics… Read more »

The “Dangers” of Homeschooling–Part Two

  

Last week I relayed to you some of the Mallard Fillmore comic strip’s backhanded swipes at the monolithic government education system. It seeks to be a monopoly, but a hardy group of private schools and homeschoolers are keeping it from achieving its goal. Homeschooling, in particular, has been a burgeoning movement over the past decade, and its success has bred both anger and fear from the “system.” The artist, Bruce Tinsley, offers some of the “benefits” of a government education… Read more »

The “Dangers” of Homeschooling–Part One

  

The Mallard Fillmore comic strip is consistently in tune philosophically with Biblical and conservative values. It’s not often you can find cartoonists with a message that extols the positive traits of a practice such as homeschooling. In the past week, the artist, Bruce Tinsley, has taken aim at the public education system with backhanded swipes at its failures via comparison with homeschooling. He has begun a countdown of the Top Ten Reasons Not to Home-School Your Children. He begins with:… Read more »

“Public” Education: Time to Take Off the Blinders

  

It’s not that Americans don’t have faith; they just trust in the wrong things. While we, as a nation, drift away from our Biblical roots, we provide substitute gods that we hope will save our society. I spend a lot of time and space commenting on our misplaced confidence in the government to give meaning to life and to ensure we are all taken care of. A corollary to our supposed omnipotent government is our vaunted education system. Despite all… Read more »