Owner: The Southern Baptist Academy Blog URL:http://www.TheSouthernBaptistAcademy.org/blog Join Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:17:52 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Mimi Rothschild brings us her personal thoughts, beliefs, and ideas about Southern Baptist homeschooling. Find out more about how you can join the Exodus. Site statistics:Click here
Indoctrination Disguised as Diversity 2007-02-15 16:17:15 By Mimi Rothschild
There is a flurry of media attention pointed at a Massachusetts school district that distributed a “diversity book bag” to elementary students promoting the homosexual lifestyle. When David Parker, a concerned parent, prompted a meeting with school administrators, they responded by having him arrested for trespassing.
An ACLU lawyer, however, told the judge that “it is a tremendous bonus” for children to be given information of which their parents wouldn’t approve, and that teaching children homosexuality when their parents’ Biblical beliefs do not support that has nothing to do with a violation of religious freedom, according to the MassResistance.org reports.
This boils down to a fundamental question about the nature of government’s rights. Does the state have the right to interrupt the parent-child relationship for the “good” of society? It’s an interesting concept; one that Germany has been grappling Read more:Disguised
, Diversity
, Indoctrination
Children of the State 2007-02-01 18:26:42 By Mimi Rothschild
Religion and Ethics has a transcript of a PBS special on home education featuring advocates such as Bruce Shortt and Voddie Baucham.
The show highlights opinions from both sides of the playing field. A professor declares that homeschool students are not well socialized. Another claims that the government has an interest in ensuring that homeschool children are exposed to beliefs outside of what their parents believe.
I don’t think that most homeschooled children run the risk of not being exposed enough to ideas that oppose their parents’ worldview. Every single media outlet is constantly sending messages to our children that conflict with a Christian worldview.
What Professor Reich is essentially saying is that its the government’s responsibility to make sure your children believe what’s right and what’s wrong on their terms. There is a “You birth the babies, we’ll take over from here” mentality.
He claims that he Read more:Children
, State
World Magazine on PBS Special about Homeschooling 2007-01-19 16:07:33 By Mimi Rothschild
WorldMagazine
’s Joel Belz takes the public school to task in a recent editorial. He is specifically covering a recent PBS special about homeschooling, which in his eyes, was relatively fair and balanced. Giving the last word to Dr. Bruce Shortt, the documentary allowed him to get this insightful thought in.
“Reich’s attack is fundamentally ideological. He is clearly a collectivist who, like his fellow travelers in the universities, is seeking complete cultural hegemony. What he is really objecting to is not the ineffectiveness of homeschooling, but its effectiveness. A homeschooled child is effectively a child outside the grasp of the state and, therefore, outside the grasp of those who control the state’s educational institutions. He fears that these children will have a worldview of which he disapproves and that he finds threatening. That is what drives Reich. His real concern is not ‘ethical autonomy’ or the welfare of childr Read more:Homeschooling
, Special
Dr. Bruce Shortt Slams Mississippi Public Schools 2007-01-11 22:38:44 Mimi Rothschild
Citing some of the prime failures of Mississippi
schools, and public schools in general, Dr. Shortt compiles a biting critique published in World Net Daily. What seems to burn more is not so much the inadequacy of the public school, but the audacity of its administrators to divert attention to the homeschooling population. What hypocrisy!
Hank Bounds, the man behind all the finger-pointing, had the following to say:
“… [Y]ou must realize we all have this moral and ethical responsibility to deal with those situations where clearly it’s nothing more than a child abuse situation when parents pull their children out of school, say they’re being homeschooled just because parents … don’t want to be involved in the education of their children. …”
What?! What does that even mean? Is he saying that abusive parents homeschool their children because they don’t want to be involved in the education of their children? I guess he& Read more:Bruce
, Public
, Public Schools
, Schools
Cheerleader Tyranny Part Two 2007-01-05 15:57:26 By Mimi Rothschild
It appears as though there is more to the aforementioned cheerleading scandal than initially met the eye. The New York Post enters the fray.
The girls in question not only bullied their fellow students, but were able to intimidate school administrators. Apparently one of the student’s mothers was the principle of the school. Mom had no problem with her girls acting this way, and abused her power to award them preferential treatment.
Now, teachers and parents are coming forward to complain that Theret created a climate of fear bolstered by a culture of retaliation, litigation and Texas employment laws that made firings easy.
Ward said some teachers had changed grades for these girls because they feared for their careers.
“The principal made sure that every teacher knew that their job was on the line. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was going to lose my job,” Ward said. “I was scared to death. It was a nightmare.”
Thi Read more:Cheerleader
, Part Two
, Tyranny
Cheerleaders' Reign of Terror Comes to an End 2006-12-29 21:43:56 By Mimi Rothschild
Sometimes I just have to shake my head at these sorts of things. The Telegraph News reports of a shocking scandal in which a clique of teenage cheerleaders essentially had the run of the school, even in the classroom. They intimidated other students, pulled pranks, intimidated the teachers, skipped school, and committed other various acts of disrespect.
“These girls were at the top of the food chain, they were ‘uber-cool’, they had the looks - some of them had the money,” said Mr Jones. “I talked to a real good-looking football coach and he was obviously scared of them. He had taught inner-city school kids in San Francisco and he said gang members were nothing compared with these girls.”
As much as I hate to say it, this sort of social climate exists within most schools. The public school environment not only allows this sort of behavior, but fosters it. This particular situation got out of control enough that it got medi Read more:Cheerleaders
, Terror
A Presbyterian Exodus? 2006-12-08 15:35:01 By Mimi Rothschild
This month’s issue of the Heartland Institute’s School Reform News included an interesting article by Grove City College professor Michael Coulter regarding Bruce Shortt’s crusade against the public school system.
This particular piece takes note of an encouraging development in the movement.
The Rev. Steven Warhurst, associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee, has taken up a similar cause in his own denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). With more than 1,200 churches and 300,000 members, the PCA is the largest of the seven conservative Presbyterian denominations.
The two largest protestant church organizations now have factions pushing for a move away from government-run schools. At last year’s General Assembly, the Presbyterian equivalent to the Southern Baptist Convention, Warhurst and his supporters introduced the possibility of a church-wide push for homeschooling and Christian private Read more:Exodus
Engage or Withdraw? 2006-11-27 16:22:27 By Mimi Rothschild
That seems to be the question on the minds of Southern Baptist leaders over the course of the last few decades. After all, how pastors answer this question determines very important policy decisions public and personal.
Take a look at a recent article in the Shenandoah Valley News Leader. While citing a family of Muslims who have chosen to deal with the pork-serving ways of their local school, many Christian families are leaning more towards the “withdraw” side of the continuum.
National leaders in the Southern Baptist denomination, citing a climate no longer compatible with the Christian faith, have wrestled internally with the idea of completely abandoning the public school system.
It seems to me that the crux of this issue is not whether we are called to engage the world positively. Christ calls us to go out into the darkest parts of the world, just as he did regularly in the New Testament. This is a moot point. However, are children equipped to Read more:Engage
Florida Convention Rejects Exit Strategy Resolution 2006-11-23 00:31:32 I came across a saddening article today in the BP News. Tucked away amongst articles that some would consider to be more relevant, the homeschooling movement suffered a terrific blow in paragraph three.
“Addressing the decision not to consider the resolution, John Sullivan said while he serves as executive director-treasurer of the Florida
Baptist Convention
, "I would never lead our staff or the state board of missions to develop an exit strategy from the public schools"
With no offense to my brothers and sisters in Christ who are currently employed by the public school system, there will come a time when Southern Baptist leaders will realize that the public school has gone too far.
Hopefully that time will come sooner rather than later. Church leaders need to understand that today’s public school is not the halcyon place they remember in their youth. It cannot be reformed, it is too far gone. Attempting to redeem the public school would not be like redeeming th Read more:Resolution
, Strategy
2006 - A Banner Year for Atheism Pt. 2 2006-11-21 16:21:39 By Mimi Rothschild
Mohler hits the nail on the head. He labels Dawkins as an evangelist for atheism. He is saying what atheists should believe but are too lazy or afraid to say in the public sphere. For instance, he says that evolution must lead to atheism.
I must say I respect folks like Dawkins for their honesty. I’d much prefer to have a discussion with Dawkins than politicians who proclaim their faith and regularly darken the doors of churches around the country on the campaign trail and then support agendas that oppose Christian values. At least we can have a meaningful, real discussion.
I’ve often thought that if I were an atheist, I would take full advantage of the hedonism and godlessness that comes with the territory. Why wouldn’t you? If you don’t believe in heaven or hell, what’s the point in even trying to have moral standards? At least guys like Dawkins aren’t toying around. You have to respect that, at least more than the false Read more:Atheism
, Banner
The Southern Baptist Academy Stands for Homeschooling 2007-02-22 18:10:17 By Mimi Rothschild
I would like to do my part to spread the word about the We Stand for Homeschooling
petition. The petition was designed to help spread awareness about the deceptive use of the word “homeschooling” by public cyber schools.
These public cyberschools are using the word homeschooling as a way to lure those wishing for a public school alternative back into the fold. The problem the signers of this petition are trying to avoid can be summarized by a simple guilt by association. Public virtual charter schools are proving to be colossal wastes of money, especially when their students are not performing even as well as their public school counterparts. Their use of homeschooling terminology needs to stop now.
We might not be able to define what homeschooling is, given its variety of forms, but we can confidently define what homeschooling is not, and that is a publicly-funded program.
I can’t be any more emphatic about this: Enrolling in public virtual Read more:Academy
, Baptist
, Southern
Service Learning Pt. 1 2007-03-01 21:55:17 By Mimi Rothschild
I would like to take an opportunity to discuss an interesting supplement to a homeschool education: ServiceLearning
. Wikipedia defines service learning as follows:
Service learning is a successful method of teaching, learning and reflecting that combines academic classroom curriculum with meaningful service, frequently youth service, throughout the community. As a teaching methodology, it falls under the category of experiential education. More specifically, it integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, encourage lifelong civic engagement, and strengthen communities.
Service learning has several benefits.
It helps the community
It gives students an invaluable learning experience
It is great for resumes and college applications
It fosters personal enrichment
It gives Christian homeschoolers a servant’s heart.
When Christian homeschoolers go out into the community to l
Service Learning Pt. 2 2007-03-15 14:59:13 By Mimi Rothschild
On today’s post about service learning, we’ll discuss ways to engage your homeschooler in service to the community while simultaneously beefing up those college applications.
Personalize the volunteering experience. If your child is interested in construction, tools, and working with his or her hands, you can get the child involved in a Habitat for Humanity project. There are countless volunteer organizations that are dedicated to building or rebuilding houses for the poor. Many college-level engineering programs encourage service learning for students to obtain hands-on work experience.
If your child is comfortable working in the kitchen, perhaps he or she would enjoy working in a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or community cafeteria.
Older children interested in teaching or social work can find many outlets for volunteer work. Volunteer at a community daycare program or after-school counseling center.
Homeschoolers interested in preserving the envi Read more:Learning
, Service
Daycare linked to Misbehavior 2007-03-29 15:30:32 By Mimi Rothschild
In other news, new study shows water found to be wet. In all seriousness, it gets my goat that the results of this study would be considered surprising. This eCanadaNOW report explains:
A much-anticipated report from the largest and longest-running study of American child care has found that keeping a preschooler in a day care center for a year or more increased the likelihood that the child would become disruptive in class — and that the effect persisted through the sixth grade.
Parents, your children’s formative years are not worth it. Even if you can’t make those mortgage payments without a second income, consider finding work that would allow you to be at home taking care of the children.
The New York Times hits on an even more pressing issue, and one that should raise eyebrows among homeschoolers:
That the troublesome behaviors lasted through at least sixth grade, he said, should raise a broader question: “So what happens in classrooms, schools Read more:Daycare
, linked
European Public Schools Deny Holocaust 2007-04-06 00:01:16 By Mimi Rothschild
The lengths that people will go to avoid offending people. That we are willing to wipe away the systematic annihilation of millions of Jews (and other minority groups) in order to avoid offending Muslims is hard for me to stomach.
Schools
are dropping the Holocaust
from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Government backed study has revealed.
It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial.
What about Christians who don’t believe in evolution? That hasn’t stopped teachers. Perhaps this situation speaks to the difference between fundamental Islam and Christianity. Of course, this is quite selective.
“But the same department deliberately avoided teaching the Crusades at Key Stage 3 (11- to 14-year-olds) because their balanced treatment of the topic would have challenged what was taught in some local mosques.”
The more we whitewash history, t Read more:European
, Public
Explaining the Virginia Tech Massacre to Your Homeschoolers 2007-04-19 15:44:23 By Mimi Rothschild
Your homeschoolers may ask, “Why would God let a tragedy like this happen?” This is a tough question to answer, and one that even the greatest theologians disagree about.
I believe the best way to approach this issue is to explain to your children the ramifications of sin. Ever since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, humanity has suffered the consequences of their sin. We toil under the sun for our sustenance, we suffer diseases and death, and we experience grief and anguish.
God gives us free will. As a result, we must deal with the consequences of other people’s sin. Tragedies like the Virginia
Tech Massacre are an extreme result of sin.
Remember to explain to your homeschoolers that God has a perfect plan for this world. Even though it may be hard to see it, it’s imperative that we trust him. If we truly believe that “He’s got the whole world in His hands”, then we must recognize that God knows wha Read more:Homeschoolers
, Virginia Tech
Announcing the Jr. Picasso Contest 2007-04-27 23:22:16 Attention all starving artists!
The Southern Baptist Academy is now accepting submissions for our Jr. Picasso
Art Contest
. Submit your artwork now for a chance to win a gift certificate from Utrecht Art Supply! All children under the age of 18 are welcome to enter.
Please visit the following web page for more information.
Christian Home Education Art – The Grace Academy’s Junior Picasso Contest!
Public School Coaches Exclude Homeschoolers 2007-04-26 15:44:06 By Mimi Rothschild
The Clanton Advisor reported on a story this week about coaches trying to keep homeschoolers from participating in public school sports.
“I don’t see how I could put a home schooled player ahead of one of the guys who is here all day long. It just doesn’t seem fair to me for the kids here at the school.”
WHY NOT?!
Do homeschoolers not pay the same taxes as public school parents? Are they not American citizens? This kind of exclusionary attitude is what makes sports so intolerable for most kids. I’m sure there are some great high school coaches out there, but I’d like to remind those who wish to exclude that it’s JUST A GAME. We’re talking about football here!
I once knew a homeschooler who was allowed to play football for a public school team. He was actually one of the better players, but the rest of the team made his life so miserable that he quit before the season was even over. Coaches
should spend their t Read more:Homeschoolers
, Public
, Public School
, School
Stupid in America 2007-05-05 00:31:32 John Stossel’s “Stupid
in America
” documentary is available on YouTube. It’s not a new video by any means, but I have never seen a more compelling argument against the public school system. If you know any naysayers who have yet to realize the benefits of homeschooling, simply send them a quick link to this YouTube page.
It’s a clear, understandable, well-presented documentary that illustrates the consistent failure of the public school system to meet the needs of the public. When will we ever learn that public programs can’t beat good old competition? It’s almost comical to watch the teacher’s unions seriously declare that “Anything is possible with money.” Homeschoolers, spread the word about this message.
Man Created Schools, God Created Families 2007-05-10 23:14:32 By Mimi Rothschild
I came across this video on YouTube from The Old Schoolhouse that does a pretty good job of reminding us why we homeschool. Seeing the smiling faces on those kids reminded me of all the good memories I have from homeschooling my children.
This video does a great job of illustrating the failures of the public school and lining them up with the benefits of homeschooling.
These several slides represent many years of time and effort taken towards training up children in the way that they should go. Homeschooling families everywhere deserve a round of applause for dedicating their lives to the spiritual and intellectual growth of their children.
Read more:Families
, Schools
Jerry Falwell Dead at 73 2007-05-15 22:57:23 By Mimi Rothschild
So says CNN. One of the most recognizeable, controversial, and influential evangelical Christians of our time, JerryFalwell
played a large role in the mobilization of modern Christianity towards political efforts. In other words, he made religion a political platform.
We at The Southern Baptist Academy would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Falwell family as well as to the larger family of Christians in Lynchburg, VA. He was surely a well-loved and highly admired man.
He was not admired by all, largely due to his steadfast devotion to traditional family values and outspoken criticism of the moral relativism of the Left. Rev. Falwell has surely made his mark on modern American Christianity. As such, it has been said that he was a lightening rod for his beliefs. May we all express the same moral steadfastness that this great church leader showed throughout life. Read more:Jerry Falwell
Christians Organizing for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China 2007-05-24 10:21:03 By Mimi Rothschild
As Olympic organizers in China
are preparing for hosting the world at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Christian groups all across the world are planning to spread the good news of The Gospel to Olympic attendees.
Among the growing list of Christian groups are The Southern Baptists who are planning on sending thousands of volunteers to spread the word of God "through humanitarian work, sports clinics, first aid sites, and other projects"
Despite China's ban on foreign missionaries, Christians
from all over the world are planning to attend in groups of hundreds and thousands. Millions of Chinese men and women risk imprisonment by attending the illegal underground Christian church network in China, but God has blessed China despite the government's efforts to keep Christianity out of the country! It is not clear how many Christians currently live in China, but some experts say that the number is over 100 million.
Read more about Christians going to the 2008 Summer Read more:Beijing
Homeschooler Helps Animals in Need 2007-05-31 12:12:48 By Mimi Rothschild
Andy Jones could have asked for anything for his 13th birthday. Most 13 year old boys I know would’ve asked for a bike, a video game, a gadget of some kind–but not Andy Jones. Instead, the homeschool student from North Carolina gave up receiving birthday gifts to help animals in need.
Andy Jones asked his friends and family to give him pet food to help homeless pets at the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Jones felt bad that those animals don’t have a home so he decided to help them out. Jones also works with goats at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site.
Homeschoolers all across the nation should be proud of Jones and his commendable actions towards helping animals in need. What sort of projects are you and your homeschooling family taking on to help others in need? We’d love to hear about it. The summer is a great time to plan a project with your homeschooling family to help your neighbors, church, or even total strangers!
To rea Read more:Animals
Six Foot Spoons 2008-03-06 14:27:04 By: Mimi Rothschild
After reading the academy blog posted last Friday, my son asked me if I ever heard the six foot spoons story of heaven. I hadn’t. So he informed me of it…
A person dies. His name is Mike. Mike is greeted by an angel that tells him that God has decided that the decision [...]
Staying True to Who You Are 2008-02-29 16:09:24 By: Karlie Margaret Houser
As a young girl of only ten years old, my grandfather sat beside me on the backyard swing-set and told me a story that I still hold close to my heart today. The story was about a young man, a Pastor, who moved from his parent’s home to the streets of the [...]
History & Cooking 2008-02-20 14:35:26 By: Mimi Rothschild
The civil war, also known as the War Between the States, is captured in our history books and our stories. Now your homeschoolers can get a little taste of it firsthand! Here’s a recipe that has been shared from generation to generation. It’s also a perfect early cooking lesson for your homeschooler!
Civil War [...] Read more:History
A Million Conversations I Have Never Really Had 2008-02-15 16:02:30 By: Mimi Rothschild
Oftentimes, I am asked if homeschooled children fare the same as their Public School counterparts.
“Honestly, the answer is no,” I’ll say, as I wait for the smile of conviction to spread from the person’s face to my eyes.
Then, almost mirroring their glee, I politely explain a few of the facts I’ll encountered [...]
Questions Before, During, and After Reading: Part 2 of 2 2007-11-15 08:18:30
By Mimi Rothschild
Here’s part two of “Questions Before, During, and After Reading
.” I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
How Can You Stretch Students’ Thinking?
The best way to stretch students’ thinking about a text is to help them ask increasingly challenging questions. Some of the most challenging questions are “Why?” questions about the author’s intentions [...]
Questions Before, During, and After Reading: Part 1 of 2 2007-11-14 10:09:23
By Mimi Rothschild
There’s the old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” The same sort of philosophy can be applied to asking questions while reading. Homeschool students who ask questions before, during, and after reading will have a much higher level of comprehension than those students who don’t ask any questions at all. Learn about [...] Read more:Reading
Journaling Strategies For Homeschooling Students 2007-11-02 08:14:32 By Mimi Rothschild
Homeschooling
parents know that learning comes in a variety of ways. One way students can increase their knowledge of a subject is through journaling. Journaling
is a learning tool that can be used in any class; it allows students to improve their writing skills, process information, and better understand a subject. Read more [...] Read more:Strategies
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