Ironic

I am a former public school teacher.

I resigned after having my first child to stay home with him. A year and a half later, along came my daughter. 

Fast forward a few years and my then son 3 year old is begging me to teach him to read. So, we start doing preschool at home. By the time he was 4, we were doing a full fledged Kinder program. It came time to enroll him in public school, but he was doing so well and loving home schooling that we decided to continue on with that and my daughter fell right in with us doing her schooling at home too.

As the years went on, my husband and I continued to pray about what to do and we felt God giving us the o.k. to continue homeschooling. My kids are now ages 9 and soon to be 11.

As a former public school teacher turned home school mom/teacher, other public school teachers either like what I am doing or they don't. Very few are middle of the road or don't really care. It's pretty easy to figure out how they feel even if they don't come right out and tell you simply with how they treat you. Of course, others will just come right out and tell you...lol! Often times, they turn it into a -vs- kind of thing pitting homeschool and public school against each other. 

Why do people do that? How to educate your children is a decision all parents make. Public school? Charter school? Home school? Christian school? It's a decision, but it's not a competition! And which category of people get the brunt of it all? The home schoolers. Charter schooler, Christian schoolers, and especially public schoolers...they all get a free pass.

I have actually had a few public school teachers and public school parents tell me (and know many others who think it) that our public schools are in the condition they are in because of the increasing number of home schoolers, Christian teachers resigning to stay home with their kids or to home educate their kids, or any number of other excuses. They say we have dropped the ball.

Ummm, I'm sorry, but people who choose not to take advantage of public school or teacher moms who choose to stay homes with their kids are most certainly NOT causing the issues the public schools are facing. 

I get it. They need someone to blame. We are easy targets. We are the scapegoats.

I have a little brother who attends one of the local public schools. I care about my little brother and I try to stay involved with what is going on in his school. One of the ways I do this is by participating in a club once a month called "Kids for Christ". We sing some fun songs, tell the kids a Bible story, and send them on to class with a smile and a little seed planted that will hopefully be watered by someone else along the way :)

I know it's just a small part, but I am at least trying to do my part. Now - back to these condescending teachers and parents....you'd think these same people would be doing everything they can to reach the public school kids for Christ then, right? 

You'd think they'd be all too willing to participate and help with these clubs, right?

Wrong.

Who participates in these Kids for Christ groups that meet at 3 of the area schools? Retired adults (some of them retired teachers), home school moms, and moms who's kids are in christian school. Who does NOT participate (at least in the school we help in)? Christian moms of the kids who attend that school, the Christian teachers who teach in that school, and even many church-going kids who attend that school.

Does anyone else see the irony here in all of this?!?

Now, I know that these Kids for Christ groups are not the only way to show others the love of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are to live His love out every day in everything we do.

I don't know...I guess I just get irritated sometimes. I can do a million other things to show kids the love of Christ, but because I am not teaching in the public school or don't have my kids in the public school, in their eyes, I have failed.

*I feel I should add in a little update/clarification in here as well. Of course, not all public school teachers and public school parents are against home schooling or think badly of people who home school. I know many who are encouraging, supportive and totally ok with it and I am truly thankful to have them in my life :)