The Dichotomy

Many of you know that my wife and I are homeschooling our 3 oldest children. We finished our first year, and have just this week started into our second year. Cahira (10) is starting grade 5, Trevan (8) is starting 3rd grade, and Eranae (7) is starting 2nd grade. They have enjoyed the change from public school, in varying levels and for various reasons. 
Everyone who we talked to about our decision was very supportive of it, and most of them encouraged us to stick with it for more than a year, saying that the first year is always the hardest. Going into our second year, Priscilla and I are realizing a few things which present a dichotomy. Allow me to explain.

Our decision to homeschool was based on 2 main factors. First, and probably 90% of the pie chart, was the fact that the school that the kids were attending, Ingels Advanced Elementary, held to a horrible standard of education. Some of you will already know that the Kansas City School District lost its accreditation last year. Honestly, we did enjoy the accolades that all 3 of our kids were awarded at the school, but we came to the point of realizing that we could offer a FAR superior learning experience at home. The second factor, much smaller in scope but still important, was the desire for some freedom in schedule. This is usually high up on the list of factors for most parents who homeschool because, face it. A trip to the zoo is a lot better on a Thursday morning than a Saturday. 

Last year was difficult, but we made it through. We had a hard time figuring out a balanced curriculum, we had a hard time organizing and maintaining a consistent schedule, we had a hard time figuring out what needed to be covered by the end of the school year. But there was also a lot of pluses, too. We were able to spend time focused on each child's strengths and weaknesses in their learning. We were able to make the learning experience a LOT more interactive, and we did have control (for better or worse) over the entire day's schedule. 


This year, I have come to a realization which leads (finally!!) to the dichotomy. Priscilla and I are not supposed to be homeschooling the kids. (GASP!) Why not? Well, there are several factors at play there, too. There are many people in the homeschooling community who would feel that doing anything other than homeschooling your kids is a drastic and negative step backwards. Let me be very clear here. I do not want to do anything which would compromise the quality of the kids' education. Having said that, I feel strongly that Priscilla and I are not the only people who should be responsible for our kids' education. That is not to say that we can't do it, or don't want to. 

Looking at the options we realize that, for the moment, our best solution this year will be to still homeschool the kiddos. But we are praying and trusting this year that Lord will open a door for us to give the kids a good solid education experience somewhere other than our home. Perhaps it will be a Christian school, or some other form of privatized schooling. The major block there is financial. Most schools in our area that we would consider pursuing are around $5000 per year PER CHILD. So $15K a year isn't do-able at all. Not to mention our dear 4th and 5th kiddos, who will be headed in that direction in the next few years. 

Perhaps it will be another public school system outside of the greater Kansas City district. This would require moving to another city, a prospect that seems very dim, given the current housing market, the condition of our house, and the condition of our credit. 

Whatever the case, there is one over-arching reason that has imbedded very deeply in my mind for us to not homeschool. That reason is this: I believe that, while God is asking us to be intimately involved in our childrens' lives, that is not the sole reason He has us here. I have to be very careful in saying that, because I do NOT want to devalue any of the other parents who homeschool in any way. But I feel very strongly that God is stirring something in both Priscilla and I which will place our focus on some other specific ministry, and not on homeschooling the kids. 


I have absolutely no idea what that will be, what it will look like, or how the Lord plans to facilitate our kids education. But the really cool thing is that He already has a plan for it. Maybe we'll be moving somewhere else next year, maybe some cool sponsorship opportunity will come open at a local Christian school, who knows. What I do know is that God is has been preparing Priscilla for something specific in the near future which will consume her time, her focus, and her heart to an extent that she will no longer be able to homeschool the kids. Likewise for me, there is something coming down the tracks which will require my focus as well. Maybe it will be playing a support role to Priscilla. Maybe it will be the band's ministry taking off. God knows what is coming, so I don't need to worry about the details. 

For this year, we will continue to homeschool our kiddos. And next year, if we need to, as well. But it is a transition period, and as God moves us towards this next new phase He will transition the kids into a much more ideal scenario for their learning experience. 

I hope I haven't offended any of the die-hard homeschoolers. I don't mean to at all. I truly respect what you do, and I certainly believe in your mandate from God to do it. Just because our mandate is morphing into something different doesn't mean that I, or anyone else, should view it as more important or more impactful somehow. That's nonsense. We will continue to homeschool our children as long as we feel that there are no better options available to us. When those options do arrive, please know that we don't look at our decision as placing us in a better, smarter, or holier place than your decision to continue with the home-based education of your family. I trust the Lord's guidance in your life as much as in ours. 

I will, of course, be keeping everyone up to date as we feel and hear new direction from the Lord. Please be praying for us. We want to make sure we're following God's Will in every step we take. Whatever our future holds, we want to move into God's plans for us in the right manner, and try not to misstep. 

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Cheers!