Caution: You might be offended!

You know how opinions are....everyone has one. Well here is mine. It's blunt and something I am passionate about. Some might not agree and some will. You've been warned! Read ahead if you DARE!

I had a rather interesting conversation with a friend the other day about the pros and cons about home school or private school vs. public school. She home schools her children and obviously I will not be teaching as a home school teacher or private school teacher. From day one, I have always said that I would never take a job in a private/christian school; I would much rather take a job in a Title One school instead. To quickly define a a Title One school, it is a school and that has a certain percentage of its students living at or below poverty.

Anyway, this certain conversation has been weighing on my mind since it took place. She has wonderful children who seem to have a good head on their shoulders and she explained how she feels that God lead her and her family to the decision of homeschooling their children. Now before you read any further I need you to understand something.....

If you feel that you are obeying the Lord by putting your children in Christian school, private school, or homeschooling them then that is between you and Him. I am not trying to tell anyone to be disobedient and He is the one you will have to answer to, so by all means do what you are supposed to do!

On the other hand......what happens to the ones that are left in public school? If we are trying to teach the next generation to live like Jesus did, why are we taking all of the students that have had exposure to Jesus out of public schools? Jesus didn't constantly hang around people that were just like him. The Jesus that I know hung out with the trouble makers, the thieves, the ones that had sex outside of marriage, etc. If you only put children around ones that think the same way as they do, who are they impacting? How are they sparking change? What happens when they get into the real world and discover that not everyone thinks like they do?

Another question I have is....If all you have to have is a high school diploma or GED to be able to homeschool your children, then why in the world do I have to have a 4 year degree to teach in public school? I am not saying that because [on December 16, 2012] I will have completed my Elementary Education Degree that I am better than anyone else, but why do I need it? If I had children, I would be fully equipped to homeschool my children by the time I graduated high school at the ripe old age of 18. No parent who sends their child to school or home schools them would think that anyone right out of high school would be capable of teaching their children....the state thinks otherwise. So have I just wasted my time these last few years? If a high school graduate is capable of homeschooling their children then doesn't that mean that anyone has the ability of teaching them in public school? If so, that means that what I am doing is a complete waste of time and MONEY! So maybe the budget cuts in schools and the cutting of teachers is a good thing, because who really needs us anyway? Just ask your closest 18 yr. old to take over!

-Hanna