I am nearly too apoplectic to type right now. I cannot even describe how much I despise these people. I homeschool my grandson for many, many reasons - the foremost among them being that I despise the public school system in E. Tennessee and he is a gifted child. So I joined all the homeschool associations to give us access to homeschool activities and offers in the area, and tonight I got this from the HEAD of the entire Homeschool Association for the E. Tennessee region. Needless to say, I have withdrawn my membership and written a less than polite letter in response.
Protect Home Education Freedom, Get Out and Vote To a Christian home educator, academic education is a component of the discipleship process where parents are responsible to equip their children in faith, character, running a home, making a living, and participating in a community of faith. In our secular society, education is a revolutionary process intended to mold the minds of citizens and to equip them to work in a global economy.
Our modern education system has become the home for radicals funded by our government and supported by powerful political forces. The National Education Association (NEA) is the focal point of our modern radicalized education movement. Here what the NEA says about home education:
"B-75. Home Schooling. The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being born by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.
The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.
C-15. Extremist Groups. The National Education Association condemns the philosophy and practices of extremist groups and urges active opposition to all such movements that are inimical to the ideals of the Association."
(Read a larger listing, although partial, of NEA resolutions at
http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2008/aug08/resolutions08.html to discover their plans for our children)
Why this intense pressure to control the education (discipleship) of children? The Bible puts it this way “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.” To the NEA, we are the revolutionaries who should be stopped at all cost.
1960’s terrorist bomber, William Ayers, is now a “distinguished” professor of Education at the University of Illinois Chicago campus. He has traded his bombs for a more powerful tool of revolution; public education. He still has revolutionary dreams and education is his means to achieve them. Check out his speech at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Students for a Democratic Society:
Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP15wJl9YPo&NR=1 Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNzYDnlpBDc&feature=related Other clips of William Ayers and his long held views about education and our country can readily be found on YouTube.com. Just type “William Ayers Education” in the search box. You can also check out his books at the public library.
What is at stake on all levels, local, state, and national during this election cycle is home education freedom. At the national level, the president appoints those who head up the Department of Education and control education spending of the federal government. At the state level, the governor appoints the head of the state Department of education and those who control state educational funding. Both men and their parties will control who become the judges in land. In California this past year, it was the State Supreme Court judges who ruled that home education was unconstitutional.
Who do we want determining our education freedom? One party is beholding to the NEA and its supporters. One party has worked with William Ayers and calls him a “distinguished” professor. For us who cherish educational freedom, this election is not about preference, it is about survival.
I struggle when I write this letter to avoid partisan politics. I know good men in both political parties. The reality is that one party has a radical view of the world that does not include freedom to home educate. To control the training of teachers and the content of education is to control how we think. It is tyranny of the worst sort because it seeks to limit freedom of thought and freedom of thought is the foundation of all freedom.
In the next week pray for our country and the election. While you are praying do all you can do to support those who support your home education freedom. There are good candidates that need your help at the local state and national level. If we fail to support them, who will be there to protect our freedom?