Homeschooling Update

I wanted to take a moment to update all my readers of what is happening with the homeschooling situation in California. Thanks to all the prayers and active participation of many homeschooling families and organizations, the California Court of Appeals has agreed to re-hear the case regarding homeschooling! Hallelujah!! Thank you all for your prayers. Below is an excerpt from the newsletter that I received from Advocates for Faith and Freedom detailing the status as of now.

California Court of Appeals Agrees to Re-Hear Case Regarding Homeschooling
As a result of the prayers of Christians from all across the Nation, the California court of appeals will re-hear its February 28, 2008, ruling stating that a family enrolled at Sunland Christian School, a private homeschooling program, could be criminally liable under California law for choosing to educate their children at home. The ruling further stated that a teaching credential is required in order for parents to educate their children at home. This ruling has been vacated and the court will re-hear the case. Praise the Lord! Advocates will file a “friend of the court brief” regarding the constitutionality of California’s homeschooling laws with the court of appeals. It is crucial that the court understand that the initial ruling ignores the fundamental right of all parents to make educational choices for their children. Please pray for wisdom for all the attorneys involved in this case!

If you would like more information regarding lawsuits and legislation that impacts your faith, I would encourage you to visit Advocates for Faith and Freedom. For more information about homeschooling, specifically, please visit the Home School Legal Defense Association or your regional homeschooling partner (For California, one of the organizations is Homeschool Association of California.

As many of you know, I have my eldest daughter at home, doing a form of homeshooling. She attends California Virtual Academy, through K12.com. K12 has programs for 20 states, and an international program as well. It is free (the programs available in the United States only), and it's a little bit easier, due to the fact that you don't determine a curriculum yourself, and the parent is not the teacher- only a mentor, and study helper. Because it is actually a virtual public school, the subjects taught do still retain the secular viewpoint, but at least at home, you can KNOW when those issues come up, and be available to discuss them right away. Anyway, that was just a little plug for the school that we use, and I highly recommend any kind of homeschooling program for any family, interested in ensuring a productive education for their children. It is time consuming at times, but oh-so worth it.

There is no "MORE" to this post.

Homeschooling Under Attack! and DOS

Whether you are a proponent of homeschooling or not, you should be aware of something that has happened here in California recently, related to homeschooling. The reason you should be aware of it, and be worried about it, is that it's a fact that California sets the precedent for many other states with regard to laws and such. If a law is passed here, it is often copied in other states. The thing that is most disturbing to me, is not so much the homeschooling issue, as the fact that our rights as parents are being stripped! Here's the breakdown:
Recently, a homeschooling family went to court, and was told that they could not homeschool their child, because it was harmful to the child's welfare for them to do so. That saddens me, for that family, but it gets worse. The three judges who heard this case then decided to apply their decision to all families that homeschool! The decision requires that all families that homeschool must have a parent that is credentialed to do so! That means that at least 90% of homeschooling parents will not be allowed to continue, if this decision stands! Not only does this decision effect traditional homeschoolers, but independent study and charter schoolers as well. What makes this even more disturbing, is that in the late 80s/ early 90s a judge passed a decision that stated that a parent's rights to the instruction of their children was null, as soon as a child passed through the gates of the school. That basically the parent no longer had any say in what their children were taught! And that decision stood! I am more than a little bit concerned by this. Does this bother you at all? California is becoming much like Germany in the way that they view homeschooling, and it is disturbing, to say the least. Dr. James Dobson calls the ruling an “all-out assault on the family.” Also, this ruling is dangerously close to the same treaty titled the UN Convention on The Rights of A Child, that Clinton signed while he was in office, but thankfully never did ratify. Some are saying that although it was not ratified, that it still holds precedence. Very scary indeed.

With this new decision (which is under appeal) parents can be incarcerated and/ or have their children taken away, if they homeschool their children, here in California! There is something you can do though! Whether you are a proponent of homeschooling or not, I'm sure that you are a proponent of parents' rights with regard to their own children, so I urge you to take a moment and go to the Home School Legal Defense Association webpage, and sign the petition. You can also visit ParentalRights.org for more information. I thank you, in advance for your support, as I'm sure other homeschooling families will do the same. Though I don't homeschool in the traditional sense, I support families that do. Won't you take the time to do so as well? The very backbone of parental rights is being broken by this one decision, and it will effect many more, if we don't do something about it! You can also read Chuch Norris' thoughts on this subject. It would be amusing (in a good way) if it weren't such a serious issue.

Another disturbing bit of information I received this past week, was about an organized "get together" called DOS. This stands for "Day of Silence". It is a day designed to promote the homosexual agenda in our schools! The national date given for this is April 25th. DOS is sponsored by an activist homosexual group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). DOS leads the students to believe that every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser is a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and hate. Students are taught that homosexuality is a worthy lifestyle, homosexuality has few or no risks, and individuals are born homosexual and cannot change. Those who oppose such teaching are characterized as ignorant and hateful bigots. Please go to this site, and see if any schools in your area are supporting it. If so, I urge you to not only contact the school to see if they are indeed supporting it, and if so, to keep your kids home that day! It is my opinion, that the homosexual agenda is pushed onto our kids enough, without it being supported by those that are supposed to protect our kids while they are in attendance. Already, here in California, they have outrageous laws that do not allow a teacher to speak out against homosexuality, and they are even trying to make us accept only textbooks that condone such behavior! Outrageous! It just makes my blood boil!

Please, please take the time to go to these sites, and lend your support. Also, don't forget to pray for our lawmakers, this is important! DOS is a national day, so it may very well be in your kids' schools. Please do check it out! Blessings to all of you!

There is no "MORE" to this post.

Confessions of a Cheater

Hello again, Dear Reader! I am so happy to be back here today, to tell you that I am going to be cheating! That's right, I'm going to "cheat" and I'm perfectly happy about it. Ok, I'm not really cheating per se, but I am doing things a little differently.

I wrote to you the other day that I would be homeschooling my children, and that was the reason that I would not be able to post for awhile. Well, the homeschooling will not start until the third week in January. So, I have some time to continue to post, at least some of the time. Unfortunately though, I am sick again. (Perhaps, I just wasn't fully recovered from my last sickness, but I'm doing alright- I have bronchitis.)

So how am I cheating you ask? Well it turns out that the idea of finding a curriculum for my children all by myself that wouldn't cost anything, and still adhered to the standards required by California, was extremely daunting for me, to say the least. So we have decided to enroll our oldest first in a program called CAVA. CAVA stands for California Virtual Academy. It is actually a public school, that the student does entirely from home, by way of the internet. I have to supply any Christian based learning that they get, because it IS a public school, but that's ok. I do that already. The good things about this program are that it's entirely free, and they even supply the computer and programs necessary to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum. They also supply all the textbooks. Also, they reimburse most of the cost of an Internet Service Provider.

Obviously, I don't know yet, how well this will work for our family, but I'm thinking that it's probably the best choice for us. I know it's not the traditional way that one homeschools, but go ahead, call me a cheater if you want. :) Anyway, just wanted to update everyone. If you are interested in finding out more about this program, it is in 18 other states as well. The company that supplies the curriculum is called k12.com and you can find more information about one in your state that way.

Blessings to you, and I will continue to post as I can, until the third week in January. Then I will be giving up blogging until I've learned the ropes, so to speak. We will be adding my son and then my five year old, as we learn more about what is required as far as time and resources go. Please stop back by soon, and perhaps I'll ahve something interesting for you to read.

There is no "MORE" to this post.

Photo courtesy of drdrewhonolulu

Good News and Bad News

Hello My Dear Readers. As you know, I have been sick for a couple days. I am feeling much better now. That is one piece of good news. The second piece of good news is that my husband has grudgingly allowed me to begin home schooling our children. Now for the bad news. Because I will be dedicating most of my home time to teaching my children, for the time being at least, I will not be posting on this blog. This was a concession I made with my husband in order that I could assure my husband that the day would be dedicated to instruction. This is not a completely happy choice for me, but I know that my first responsibility is to minister to my family. I have really enjoyed ministering to others, but my family and my children must take precedence.

I will miss you all, and hope that at some point I will find the time to be able to continue to write for this ministry. I do ask for your prayers in this new and a little bit frightening adventure. I also ask that if there are any of you out there that are experienced with homeschooling (and especially doing so in California) that you share your experiences and suggestions with me. I can use all the help you can give. I love you all, and I will be praying for you all. Blessings to you all!

There is no "MORE" to this post.

photo courtesy of Niallsco

Mary Had A Little Lamb

If you have children, know a child, or were once a child, you've probably heard this nursery rhyme, but in case you haven't, here are the words:

Mary had a little lamb,
little lamb,
little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.

Everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went,
Mary went.
Everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
school one day,
school one day.
It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play,
laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school.

Now that I've given you the words, you may be wondering what would possess me to write about a nursery rhyme. Well, I'll tell you.

I was looking at a Nativity Scene the other day, and I was looking at the Mary figurine and the lambs that always seem to be a part of such scenes, and it came to me that the lambs that are part of the scene should not be, but the baby in the manger, is certainly The Lamb. The Lamb whose fleece was and is "white as snow."

Now I don't know for certain whether or not this nursery rhyme was composed for political or religious or health reasons the way that many are (see Ring o' Ring of Posies and Old Mother Hubbard)However, it came to me that it could have been, especially had it been written in the United States recently.

School age children are not allowed to take their religious beliefs to school in many circumstances, and it just makes me sick! They are told that they cannot pray, and many schools have stopped saying the Pledge of Allegience because it states "One Nation Under God"!

How many children would be that much happier if they didn't have to hide their beliefs, in the place where they are also to be learning values, along with Reading, Writing and Arithmetics? I think it would go well with all public schools if they could remember this other version of the same rhyme. Though the beliefs will be cast out of school, the beliefs should be allowed to linger, if only because we love "our Lamb" and He loves us back!

Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the eager children cry;
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know" the teacher did reply.
written by Sarah Hale, of Boston, in 1830.

Of course, that's just my opinion, but it certainly makes me think that the option of homeschooling looks so much more appealing. What is your opinion? Do you think that atheists should have more of a say in what our children are taught than believers in Our Savior do?

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NKJV

but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:19 NKJV

Photo taken from Lamb Pictures, Smokey Valley Farm
There is no "MORE" to this post.