Why we are homeschooling.

I have loved seeing all the “first day” pictures on social media. Friends and family are returning to the classroom as teachers, counselors, and administrators. Some are parents sending kids off to school for the first time; others are seasoned veterans. By age calculation, I should be posting similar pictures of Jackson. We’ve chosen a different path for our kids, for now at least.

First, let me start by saying what this decision is NOT about.

This is not a statement move. We aren’t afraid of public school ideology or Common Core or standardized tests. We aren’t afraid of evolution theory, diversity/tolerance training, or government initiatives. We aren’t using the education of our children to make political statements about legislation, teaching trends, or funding choices. We certainly have our opinions about all of these things, but this isn’t a fear-based or response-based decision.

This is not a referendum on the public school model or its teachers. In case you didn’t know, I had a great experience in the public school system both as a student and a teacher. I had some fabulous teachers throughout my K-12 years, and I worked with amazing educators, many of whom I am privileged to call friend. I believe all students should have opportunities and recognize that the public school system is likely the best option for many. We have great respect for those who teach and do not condemn anyone who sends his child to public school a bad parent. Is American Education flawed? Sure. I don’t think anyone is in the dark about its issues. But I make no argument that homeschooling is without its potential pitfalls either.

Quite simply, we feel called to homeschool. And so, we chose it.

We’ve been practicing with at-home preschool, and we’ve done our research. Andrew was homeschooled and now teaches at a university. I went to and worked in a public school system. We intimately know the benefits, concerns, risks, and rewards of each setting. We’ve read about the history of education, about types of education and curricula, and know how/where to find the resources we need to match our own strengths and weaknesses. We’ve reached out to the local school system and evaluated its programming. We’ve considered our 5-year-old’s abilities and interests, our finances and the realistic options. Based on all of that, we’ve made the decision that we feel like honors God’s calling for our family and Jackson’s pretty incredible potential.

Truth be told, we’d be lying if we said there was no anxiety involved. This is certainly not the “easy” (or inexpensive) way to educate. For example, I’m terrified to teach upper level math (and that’ll come sooner rather than later since Jackson is working through 1^st grade math before we even start Kindergarten). I have two other young kids, a work-from-home job, and limited finances. I have no doubt that this will be a challenging venture for our family. But we’re also excited about how God will use this to bless our family, so we walk in Faith that He guides our steps and hearts.