Excellent response, Mark. I have 3 children who have “graduated” from homeschool, and all are in university now.  We still have 4 at home, and each has a different program, depending on their interests. My 2 boys are active in community sports teams, one daughter is in a competitive choir, and we participate with other home schoolers in lots of activities. The most important point is that all my children are living an active and engaged faith life, and have had time to mature in their faith before having to deal with attacks on it. I thank God for leading me to homeschooling where not only my children have learned their faith, but so have I.

First off, let’s not let this become an ‘us against them’ discussion.  Homeschooling is one of several options parents have in educating their children and each one can result in holy, amazing families.  None of them, including homeschooling, guarantees you problem-free parenting or perfect children (no such thing).  But, as Mark makes clear, home schooling does not limit your child’s experiences in any way.  It can give your child to many of the best things traditional schools do including sports and theater. 

With almost 17 years under my belt, I have 4 out the door and 7 still at home with me as their primary educator.  So far, so good.  I’ll take no credit but am humbled that three of my children are pursuing religious vocations.  This is another ‘benefit’ of homeschooling I’ve witnessed.  A good number of orders will attest that their increase in vocations have come from home schooled families.  I will not presume to know why but am very happy to be a part of those rising numbers.

COMMERCIAL - In addition to American Heritage Girls there is Little Flowers Girl’s Clubs and Blue Knights for Boys - www.eccehomopress.com.  They are often more easily done at home and not as costly.  Created by homeschooling parents they’ve found there way into schools, churches and homes around the world.

For some good reading on education and schooling read John Taylor Gatto, The Underground History of American Education. You can find it at http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/
or on amazon. there is a shorter version called Weapons of Mass Instruction. Once you understand what and who the schooling program is what ever fault you find with home education should be of no consequence.

Mark, great responses using your own experience!  To the poster of the comment you addresses (and anyone wondering similar things…): 

Homeschooling is not for everyone, it is an option available for the education of your children.  You have to decide why you are doing it, what is your motivation.  The educational aspect was the reason we began to homeschool our children (and we are now in our fifth year).  Then I read Dorothy Sayers and John Taylor Gatto…  Now, the religious/moral aspects are the reasons we decided to continue, even after moving to a good school district.  And, I am very glad that they have settled into the new neighborhood quite well in that they have made friends of all the kids they have met (and not just the ones their ages, either.)  We do utilize some co-op functions that Mark mentioned, but our financial resources are extremely limited, so mostly I pool resources with two other moms in similar situations and we come out pretty well….

Regarding teaching some of the advanced high school subjects, again, co-ops are great for that.  Also, there are lots of choices for having an outside teacher.  One thing I really am looking forward to is learning WITH my oldest….  Right now, we are going more of a classical education route.  My husband and I have already taken a Teaching The Classics course to be able to discuss, in a more Socratic manner, great works of literature, religion and science.  All this would have been Greek to me had I not chosen to homeschool.  We will also be taking Logic, traditional and material, and Rhetoric, in order to teach it to the kids, I feel a need to know it myself .  I suppose what I am trying to say here is that in addition to al the benefits the children may receive from being home educated, I am becoming a better, more learned person, as well.

All that being said.  Homeschooling is not all sitting around in calm and peace and singing Hosanna…  There are times when I REALLY need to take it one day at a time - sometimes one subject at a time.  Sometimes that big yellow bus looks like a golden trolley I can just send my kids on.  We stick.  There may be a time when we decide that is not the best for our family.  Right now I cannot envision that, but I am open to it if it comes.

Mark. Thank you. Your last 3 words bring a whole new perspective on things.

One thing to consider- Catholic high school have become less and less Catholic- not that the administration and teachers aren’t catholic- the student population. In my area, the public schools are so under poor (the drop out rate is 60%), my families opt for Catholic schools. So, it is not correct that a Catholic high school equals catholic culture.

I feel like the world is non-Catholic enough, why would I pay to put my kids in a (at best) a semi-Catholic culture 6-8 hours a day as well?

remnantofremnant.blogspot.com

One fundamental principle not to be forgotten is that of parents as primary educators. To claim that one school options shines above all others without “cons” deviates from truth and from the fact that just as individuals have personal calls so do families. The various dynamics of a family’s life and goals as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each child must be considered in discerning which school option is best. God didn’t send families or children through an assembly line. My children attend a Catholic school that is continually improving its Catholic identity.

How is it that homeschooled students outperform public and private school kids academically and then when they get to college there is no difference academically? Doesn’t it follow that there should be a difference? Just asking. I’ve been a homeschooling mom for 16 years so, I’m not against it, obviously.

The more I read on homeschooling, the more I want to do it.  Just need to get into a financial situation good enough for one of us to stay at home.

Your average Catholic school is very different from our pre-Vatican 2 parish grade school.  I had to start from scratch teaching the Catholic Faith to my children, even though they went to two separate Catholic grade schools and a Catholic Hig School.  I also teach in that same Catholic High School.  When I started here 10 years ago, I asked the youth minister why The Real Presence was not in the tabernacle in the school chapel.  His response?  “Oh, we don’t emphasize that anymore.” !!!!  I tried my best, through teaching and example to raise my children Catholic.  Of the 3 girls that graduated from this Catholic High School, only 1 still considers herself Catholic, and she admits she was swimming upstream in her theology classes. 
I say HOMESCHOOL!!

As long as the teaching of moral topics is off limits in State-approved schools, I suppose home schooling is the best place. Problem is, though, you don’t have a way to test how well morality has been learned unless you have other people’s kids in there.
    Personally I think there is something immoral about not having school vouchers. I pay taxes to fund public schools, but the Catholic schools can’t have any of this.

“How is it that homeschooled students outperform public and private school kids academically and then when they get to college there is no difference academically? Doesn’t it follow that there should be a difference? Just asking.”

I don’t know the answer, but one possibility may be that among those public school youngsters in the studies, there may be a sizable number who are not motivated to perform academically, or whose parents are not motivated to demand or emphasize academic achievement, or both. These are public school students who really don’t cut it in their studies, and very few of them apply to or are accepted into a post-secondary program. Once they manage to graduate high school at all - if they manage - they’re out of academia.

There are many public school students who are excellent performers, and many excellent public school programs. But, nationwide, there are also a lot of underserved public school students languishing in a lot of underperforming. Think of schools located in tough neighborhoods in Detroit, DC, New York, Los Angeles. Think “Up The Down Staircase”.

And some home-schooled youngsters are under performers, are special needs, have behavioral issues . . . but these are really a small minority of home-schooled children. The majority are average to excellent students, as the studies suggest.

Unlike a sizable minority of public school parents, nearly all parents who persevere at home schooling are going to emphasize and demand academic achievement. And the majority of their children will perform accordingly.

When the swath of public school youngsters who aren’t up to snuff academically are taken out of the picture, that is, when their home-schooled peers go on to college, and the “D” public school students do not, then you are comparing two very different populations than what you were comparing previously. Now you are comparing public and private school youngsters who succeeded in middle and secondary schools and have been accepted into post-secondary programs, exclusively, with home- schooled youngsters who have been accepted into post-secondary programs.

In a nutshell, when you compare all high school students with all home-schooled students, you are comparing public school apples + lemons . . .  with home schooled-apples.

Among the college students you study, you are now comparing public school graduate apples with home-schooled apples.

Theresse,

If a child grows in a Catholic family, and we as parents, in our humanity, try to fulfill our catholic vows of raising them in the faith. If they do not convert from their own will as free adults? Is it the fault of our choice of schooling or for that matter our parenting? (I assume parents always have the best intention for their children).

From the discussion here, I see that our choice of schooling is a loving decision which one should do with prayful discernment and not a this one is better than the other. But the outcome, the conversion we can only pray for is really up to God and our child’s free will.

As a public-school teacher (oh, stop booing; I was voting Republican before the fat boys on mid-day radio ingested their first drugs) and a part-time adjunct college faculty I have had occasion to work with a number of young folks who were taught at home (“homeschool” is not a word).  Most of them (this is anecdotal) are industrious and very outgoing, and some are brilliant and accomplished.  Their parents and their extended families worked with them very effectively, and this is a great way to grow up.

A few are withdrawn from public schools as a camouflage for neglect or abuse, but that is where extended families and neighbors need to step in and report.

Remember that any public school is what the voters have made it.  The same electorate that gave themselves the Clintons and the Chicago Mob are the same folks who make their public schools.  Gotta vote, folks.

Marion has a good comment about homeschoolers vs public schoolers and college, but not all homeschoolers are academic stars.  I have one (maybe two, it is a little early to tell) who have trouble with their studies.  They are special needs, I suppose, although I don’t think that is a good phrase for them.  One does have a diagnosed mild dyslexia.  The other we have not had tested.  Both are behind many of their public school peers.  In fact, I can think of several families in the area who homeschool because the public schools are not offering the support their LD children need.  I believe “special needs” homeschoolers are the fastest growing group in homeschooling.

“‘homeschool’” is not a word:

The same was said during the 1920s of the recently coined “wireless,” and during the 1960s of “software.” Like these, “homeschool” is a recently coined amalgam, and is listed in at least one prominent dictionary of the English language.

I love discussion about homeschooling. I’m an elementary teacher who can see benefits to homeschooling even with the young second graders I have. Heterogeneous grouping stifles academic growth in so many kids. Homeschooling allows a mindful and sedulous educator to always challenge their child and indeed try to tackle that “zone of proximal development” consistently.

Elementary children are also exposed to so much bilge at that age they just don’t know how to understand but still imitate. As a public educator I’m put in a position to explain a moral and character choice without being allowed to bring up God. WHAT?!?! (By the way, I still do if my students bring it up first ... still ...)

I commend all homeschooling parents. However, I can’t help but think of the cost? Is it a feasible choice for someone who is not well off? While you don’t have to be rich you certainly have to be well off in order to have that comprehensive home schooling experience (the academic benefits along with the extra curricular stuff). How does one manage if you make a modest living? (Like a teacher’s salary…HAHA!)

Great discussion.  I would add one other point about the cultural issues.  Because we home schooled our 4 children ( now 2 in undergrad, 1 doing a double masters and the oldest working after getting a graduate degree) we were able to give them many first hand cultural experiences especially in India, American, the Carribean and Singapore.  They are all capable world travelers and they learnt about the places they have visited on the web and in books before the trips.  It is a blessing as they are raised Catholic but understand their South Indian Brahmin Hindu roots and culture. They went to family celebrations. This would not had been the case had we chosen another route of education. Their education was in living color and along with the black and white words and lectures.  They have gone to Church in all these countries and they can tell you what the word universal means and that we should focus on what we have in common and not what divides us. They are not afraid to talk to people where ever they are.

We are a homeschooling family, mostly because we enjoy our kids (most of the time) and wanted to be involved in their lives.  Then there are the curricula and socialization reason for which we homeschool.  Even at a parochial school (Catholic school can be in the parish, at home, etc) the curriculum is rarely completely Catholic.  Usually only religion / theology is Catholic and many other subjects are not taught form a Catholic perspective.  We would like our children to grow up with a complete Catholic world view.  That being said, a word of cation to homeschooling families - a study released a few years ago, I think from HLI, documented that of the children from families that prayed with their children, went to Mass regularly, homeschooled, etc., and did not serve their parish and community, especially in the poor, only 20% maintained their practice of faith in the college years.  For those families that did those thing and served their community the number went up to 80%.  That is pretty striking!  We do homeschoool to give our kids a better education, but our primary reason is to help them grow into saints.  They cannot do that if they are not taught the ways of charity.  We should do more, so we are not the ultimate example.  However, I think there is a tendency to withdraw from parish life and service in the community at large, thinking homeschooling and family devotions are enough.  Evidently, they are not.  Yes it is difficult, but grace in bountiful.

Really the cost of homeschooling does not have to be an issue if you are willing to make a few sacrifices.  For instance, we only have one vehicle and I stay-at-home.  (Of course, with three of my four kids not yet school-aged daycare costs alone would completely drain a second income.)

I usually spend less than $400 a calendar year on materials.  This includes buying extra supplies for when my 2nd child asks to do schoolwork and extra math workbooks (for the other kids to grow into) that match the math textbook that I use.  I also try to pick reusable curricula whenever possible.  We use the library and the internet a lot (there are so many free resources on the internet). 

I ask for paper and art supplies from family friends who want to send Christmas presents.  My parents usually give gift cards for activities through our excellent parks district, but each child is restricted to one activity each at a time.  (This helps keep us from being over-run by toys as well.)

It would actually probably cost us more to send the kids to school when you figure that they need special wardrobes, lunch money/packed lunches, supplies for the classroom, field trips, fundraisers, holiday gifts, etc.

Mark,

If you haven’t posted one yet, it would be interesting to see a short description of what your home schooling entails.

Thanks for the article Mark, very encouraging.  We are going to start homeschooling our oldest for Kindergarten this coming year and just take it one year at a time after that.  After having a few altercations with extended family members already,  I started to question my intentions.  Many of the arguments are similar to those expressed in your readers letter.  We also have a relative that is a public school teacher and she is convinced (and never forgets to remind us) that our children will be socially inept.

Fact: Home schooled kids are socially awkward. Fact: 99% of home schooled kids I have ever met were naive, arrogant, and ignorant. Fact: You should not home school your children unless the Catholic school in your area is teaching heresy or out of your price range. Fact: Seriously. Don’t do it.

Steve, You haven’t met my son…he is so ignorant he was a National Merit Finalist and received a full scholarship to college. He just graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. He is so naive…growing up in New York City and having no street smarts about how to deal with the outside world he just cowers in fear of people, and so arrogant that he will never ever tell you about his accomplishments.  Oh did I forget to mention, he is getting married in our parish church to a beautiful Catholic girl and he just recently refused to fill a Plan B prescription even though he was new at his place of employment? Wish you could meet him…

Has anyone consulted the Church on the matter of Catholic Schools?  What is destroying the Catholic schools is Catholics who choose to give up on them.  The Church is clearly teaches the vital importance of Catholic schools…now.  Only Catholics are capable of saving Catholic schools.

Greg,

I am also a true believer in Catholic Schools, and even if Jesus was home schooled, as Mark claims :-) , they are a great blessings.

However, the financial demands of such an endeavour can be draining. In high school in the Atlanta area one can be looking at a yearly bill (tuition, books, uniforms, sports, etc) of 15K to 20K!! Yet I will attest to the quality of the institutions.

@Steve - all the criticisms you have of homeschoolers can be made of public/private school kids as well for a lack of manners can be seen in every educational setting.  Many homeschool parents will say, accurately, you haven’t met my kids or the kids who belong to the TORCH group in our area.  Not all of them (mine included) are perfect all the time, however, I’d match them up against any public school kid in things that truly matter such as knowledge (and living) of their faith, a desire to find God’s will for their lives and a willingness to speak their minds when confronted with the lies our society is masking as truths.  And the three I have in college - doing very well, both socially and academically - would reveal your ‘facts’ as merely prejudiced opinions.

However, most parents begin homeschooling for just those reasons you mention - heresy and/or price.  With 11 kids I could never afford our local Catholic school (gratefully, no heresy there).  Quality homeschooling does not require a large income thanks in part to the internet and, yes, our local library.  Sure, if you are lucky and are blessed with wealth than your children will have a different experience but remember different does not always equal better.

Dues et Patria, My husband went through an 18 month layoff where we had no income and were struggling on unemployment, but we managed to stick through it.  The libraries are incredible resources.  We also have only one car (which was totaled the day he got the call with a job offer when someone rear-ended our family and sent us into the truck in front of us)....  I stay at home - although, recently I have been thinking I might need to get a part time something or other in the evenings….. Anyway, it is really do-able if you can find the support you need, and if you have decent libraries.  Most states have support groups, or you can check out http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

@Steve - my awkward socially inept daughter has given talks in front of crowds as large as 500 addressing the genocide in Darfur to raise funds and awareness to combat genocide in the world.  She has met holocaust survivors, and survivors of the Rawandan, Cambodian and Bosnian genocides.  She has been able to hold her own in conversations with them.  She also plays - every chance she gets - with the kids on our street who are all public schooled, and like most public school kids, if she could skip the schoolwork to go out and play, she would…...  I grew up in Pennsylvania, and all of the homeschoolers I met were, well, weird to say the least…..  I NEVER would have considered homeschooling, but ended up here out of necessity.  Now, I have had occasion to meet several wonderful, NORMAL and Catholic (as well as many wonderful non-Catholic) families who are raising well adjusted children who choose to educate at home….

If you really consider it, kids are kids.  It is not right to classify any one group as weird or immoral or less intelligent, whatever.  MOST home educators are simply following the path they feel they were led to in trying to do the best for their children.

And yes, Catholic schools are GREAT - when they are loyal to the Magesterium.  I have a friend who yanked her kids out of a Catholic primary school after she was told, by her children, that they received `sensitivity training` by a male teacher who `was married to another man`In our situation, there IS a Catholic school about 30 minutes away that I would love to afford to send my children to.  The fact is, however, that I can home educate at a fraction of the cost…. 

This is a great conversation!  Thank you to Mark for getting it started, and everyone for responding….

Another commenter noted: “What is destroying the Catholic schools is Catholics who choose to give up on them.  The Church [. . .] clearly teaches the vital importance of Catholic schools.”

My brother went to a Catholic high school in which one of the teachers, a religious brother, informed his class that Hell doesn’t exist, that the devil is “a myth”, that sin is whatever we think it is. When our mother complained to the headmaster, she was told patronizingly that “the Church doesn’t believe those sorts of things anymore.”

Not true! The Church does hold and teach the same truths she has always held and taught. But in the case of certain Catholic schools, heretics have managed to take over and turn what once *was* a Catholic school into a school for heretics. With a supportive principal or headmaster/headmistress, and a supportive pastor, faithful Catholic families can turn the situation around effectively. But where there are complicit or ineffectual pastors and heads of school in the picture, even dedicated and well-intentioned Catholic families must fight long and hard to make even a dent in the situation, all the while exposing their innocent and impressionable youngsters to heresy, to scandal, and moral disorders of all kinds. That is too high a price to pay, in my opinion, to risk sacrificing my child’s spiritual, educational, and moral welfare and happiness on behalf of a school that has long since ceased to be “Catholic” except in name only.

We have to be careful to realize that many so-called Catholic parishes, schools, and organizations are “rogue” entities - no longer truly Catholic at all, but in fact, consciously attempting to subvert and to undermine what the authentic Church believes and teaches. This is a fight for adults, and let us fight unswervingly against this sort of thing. . . but young, impressionable children should never be subjected to the power and authority of rogue “Catholic” teachers or priests. It’s too dangerous.

@Anne, thank you for proving my point.  You made your son come across as perfect.  You came across as arrogant.  I bet neither are true. 
@everyone else, I think the main reason most people home school their kids is fear.  Fear of who their kids might become friends with, fear of what might be taught, and fear of what they will experience.
How many times does Jesus say “Do not be afraid”?? Fear is not the language God uses, and it’s a mistake to make such a huge decision based on it. 
By the time I was in 7th grade I had learned and experienced many things that home schoolers couldn’t or wouldn’t learn for another ten years.  This puts me at an advantage.  Things like learning how to become friends and interact with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and families, not just other home schooled kids or neighborhood kids.  Neighborhood friendships rarely last right? Things like independence and self assuredness that kids only learn when they are away from their parents each day.  Things like conflict resolution in the real world, not fighting with your brother or sister. 
I wouldn’t trade my schooling for any amount of “online bragworthy” success (thats another shot at Anne) even though I am successful.  Being schooled in the real world is priceless.

@Mark Shea, I hope your last three words were a joke.  Jesus was taught by THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  You are not her.  That changes things a little.  He may have been “home schooled” but the Church he founded invented both the modern school and Universities.

Suggestion.  If your Catholic School isn’t living up to it’s name, get involved!! 

I have nothing against home-schoolers.  Some do an excellent job.  What bothers me is that every mistake made at the Catholic school I teach at becomes headline news around here…usually fueled by the home-school parents that somehow have become convinced that it is us or them.  I don’t get it.  I can tell horror stories about home-schoolers…but what does it prove?  Certainly NOT that all home-schooling is bad.

Imagine a great Catholic school.  Imagine the lives it could effect. Imagine the impact on the local community.  Now…let’s go turn our local Catholic schools into exactly that - Great Catholic Schools.

From the Vatican II Document:  Declaration on Christian Education:

Since, therefore, the Catholic school can be such an aid to the fulfillment of the mission of the People of God and to the fostering of the dialogue between the Church and mankind, to the benefit of both, it retains even in our present circumstances the utmost importance. Consequently this sacred synod proclaims anew what has already been taught in several documents of the magisterium,(26) namely: the right of the Church freely to establish and to conduct schools of every type and level. And the council calls to mind that the exercise of a right of this kind contributes in the highest degree to the protection of freedom of conscience, the rights of parents, as well as to the betterment of culture itself.

Another commenter made a “Suggestion.  If your Catholic School isn’t living up to it’s name, get involved!!”

Good suggestion. If. If the problem is with one or two of the teachers, or with some of the parents, or with a wayward textbook or two, or with a course curriculum which is a little off-base, but that the school is fundamentally sound, then, yes, by all means, parents should consider keeping their children in the school, and talking, meeting, participating, lobbying, objecting, complaining, badgering, correcting, etc. to get the problems fixed.

In certain cases, you can do that, and it will work.

In other cases, problems become endemic. You have a pastor or a bishop or an entire school / parish that has embraced the Culture of Death and become CINO (Catholic-in-name-only). Now you have a toxic situation. The nagging, lobbying, letter-writing tactics that might have worked in a moderately bad situation, won’t turn around a Gone Over to the Dark Side situation. Just won’t. Spiritual gangrene has set in. Get those kids out of there and run like “Hail Columbia,” and don’t look back.

It’s like the family who lived in Hawaii, and experienced kitchen fires from time to time at their home. They decided to keep a fire extinguisher handy by the stove. Specially designed for fat fires. Used it a few times to good effect. Put out a few flaming fry pans with no lasting damage or injuries. One day the Hawaii National Guard came through the neighborhood warning people to leave their homes. Seems a nearby volcano was erupting, and rivers of red-hot lava were making their way toward the area. As soon as the molten rock came into contact with trees and houses in its path, they went up in flames. One wag suggested that this family use their kitchen fire exinguisher if the lava approached their home.

Again, some problems within Catholic schools, if they’re not too widespread, or don’t run too deeply, or don’t involve top layers of oversight, can be fixed by parental involvement. But some formerly Catholic institutions have truly gone over to the Dark Side.

Suggesting that parents “get involved” in a parish school or high school that has actually gone over to the Dark Side is like suggesting a family about to lose its home to a volcano unleash the power of their kitchen fire extinguisher to deal with the problem.

It takes a lot more than a kitchen fire extinguisher to deal with lava. And it takes a lot more than parental involvement to deal with a corrupt, formerly Catholic institution.

Another commenter wrote: “I think the main reason most people home school their kids is fear. . . .How many times does Jesus say ‘Do not be afraid’?? Fear is not the language God uses, and it’s a mistake to make such a huge decision based on it.”

You know, you’re right. From now on, no more decisions based on fear in my family. Car seats and safety belts are out! I’m not afraid of accidents anymore. If my kid is sick with a high fever for several days, or receives a serious cut, I won’t be afraid of complications . . .  just treat it myself with over-the-remedies, and he’s good to go, because I have no fear or pneumonia, infections, and we’ll save a fortune on doctor’s bills. Health insurance? Vaccines? Forget them! And when I find out my kid isn’t doing his homework or paying much attention in class, I won’t be afraid, upset or concerned. Nope. Just carry on, business as usual.

I’m so glad I read this “be not afraid.” I’m cancelling my health insurance plan today, my homeowners’, auto, and life policies tomorrow. Oh, and the Retirement Pension plan, that’s gone, too!

Thanks! I’m lovin’ it!.

Marion:  Wow…Most people involved with Catholic Education that I have met are genuinely trying to do a good job.  The “dark side”?  There are some misguided folks in our Catholic schools, no doubt.  They are not evil…just misguided.  Do not fear these people - help them!  There is no “conspiracy” here - we don’t need to get paranoid.  Take action!!!

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.” Romans 8

Thanks for your observations, Greg.

If the head of your child’s (allegedly) Catholic high school informed you that “the Church no longer believes in Hell or the Devil” . . . would you conclude that you were speaking with a “misguided” individual who could be “helped” by a well-meaning amateur such as a student’s parent?

Not a custodian. Not a teacher’s aid.

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL.

A “Catholic” high school.

I’ll await your reply with interest.

Wow….  This is a great discussion, but there are some who are steering away from charitable comments….  Please remember that most of us are all trying to do what we think is best for our children.  And most of us do not do it out of some misconceived notion of fear, but truly because we think we are doing more good than harm….  That is the most important thing - to take these children that belong to God and that He has entrusted us with for whio knows how long and to do the best with them through the grace of God that we can…..

Homeschooling, private schooling, public education…  Whatever the choice is, there are pros and cons.  There are brillliant successes (most of our founding fathers were educated at home until the University years) and there are glaring failures (cases of neglect/abuse)....  There are socially inept “weirdos” and there are brilliant orators and social networkers….  Just like any other thing, there is a bell curve.  The vast majority falls in the middle…. 

Anyone can take a few examples to make their point either way.  Those examples are, in most cases, not the norm….  The average home educated kid is about the same as the average otherwise educated kid *who has parents that are involved and interested and really present and caring in their life*.....  The average Catholic home educated kid has one more, in my opinion, very important aspect added to their education - just like the average Catholic school educated kid in a truly Catholic school….

Regarding the V2 document, “And the council calls to mind that the exercise of a right of this kind contributes in the highest degree to the protection of freedom of conscience, the rights of parents, as well as to the betterment of culture itself” does not this protection extend to the freedom of conscience and right of the parents to homeschool when there is no viable option of sending your children to a GOOD Catholic school.  For many parents who are open to life in its fullest, having more than 3 or 4 children almost precludes the parochial school option…. We have a homeschool support group that works very closely and is advised by the pastor of a VERY GOOD Catholic school that is loyal to the Magesterium and faithful in all things to the teachings of the Church.  I would love nothing more than to let my children attend school there and not have to plan or spend every waking second with them (I love them, and I love spending time with them, but I am human, afterall…) but our finances and having 4 children (so far) make that option an impossibility…

I have rambled enough…  Hopefully I have made the point that there is no real us vs them, and we should not use a Catholic blog as a forum to start one….  We should all work together to provide for our children the best education and the best formation we can to establish a strong foundation on which they will need to either stand or fall when it comes to be their time….. After all, that is really the basic duty of us as parents, right?

Marybeth wrote: “Hopefully I have made the point that there is no real us vs them, and . . . we should all work together to provide for our children the best education and the best formation we can.”

Right you are.

For many families living on one income and with more than one school-aged youngster, Catholic elementary school tuitions are out of reach. Makes sense.

The important thing is that families choose what they believe is best for *their* childrens’ education, based on what are realistic options for *them*.

Catholic schools around here start at $5,000/year for elementary school, and the one Catholic high school costs $10,000 per year.  Even though God has only blessed us with a relatively small family there’s no way we could afford these tuitions.

And I attended Catholic schools myself, before being homeschooled for the last 2.5 years of high school. In “regular school” I learned that it was okay for me to be bullied and that my parents would have to put me in a different school to stop it; that contraception was a good idea and that abstinence-based methods were laughable; that my parents were weird for having a large family; that the poor Sandinistas were being abused by the evil contras and that anybody who voted Republican was evil; that nuclear weapons were a terrible threat to every person but that abortion was a matter for each person’s conscience; that my religion teacher was in touch with her “inner child” and that she believed she was psychic; that the handful of nuns who were still at my high school thought women should be priests; and a whole host of other crazy non-Catholic things that everybody simply took for granted.  Oh, and all of those ideas came from teachers; my “health” teacher was a Catholic herself, but sneered at anybody who mentioned Humanae Vitae when she was teaching us all about our contraceptive options.

So even if Steve were right and homeschooling inevitably produced backward, socially awkward people, I’d have to consider it a decent prospect compared to an education that is designed to produce generations of heretics who think of the Catholic Church as a social club.  Of course, Steve is wrong about the backward, socially awkward thing—any lingering social awkwardness I have is the direct result of the girl who made my shins bleed at recess every day in the fifth grade, for the crime of being from an intact family while hers was going through divorce.

If the “Head of a Catholic School” stated that the Church teaches there is no hell or devil, I would contact Priests, Bishops etc. and make sure that said person was removed before he/she does more damage.  I would not stop until the school either removed it’s “Catholic” name, or the administrator was removed.  I would consider it my duty to do so.

Most of the “Catholic school horror stories” I have heard are from the 80’s and 90’s.  As the Church in the U.S. is changing for the better (check out the great Bishops being appointed), so to are the Catholic schools changing for the better. 

Maybe on some other blog string, we can talk about the “home-schooling horror stories”.

“If the ‘Head of a Catholic School’ stated that the Church teaches there is no hell or devil, I would contact Priests, Bishops etc. and make sure that said person was removed before he/she does more damage.  I would not stop until the school either removed it’s ‘Catholic’ name, or the administrator was removed.”

And if the office of the Archdiocese’s response was, “Well, gee, sorry, that’s really too bad, but, er, um. . .” ? you would then do what?

Notify _The New York Times_ or _The Washington Post_?

See, nobody was going to be removed from anything.

There are good dioceses. And there are dioceses that aren’t so hot.

I’m glad you live in a solid diocese. I really am. That’s just great.

Not everybody does.

And, yeah, in CINO (Catholic-in-Name-Only) dioceses, there really are schools that have pretty much gone over to the Dark Side. Might as well say it like it is.

I probably need to put a very important proviso on my last comment.  FIRST, I’d make sure that the the “head of school” actually really said this.  I can’t tell you how many “rumors” are spread about our school that are flat out false.

Your assumption about our diocese is unfortunately inaccurate.  Trust me, I’ve fought some battles…and have the scars to prove it.

Greg, if you live in a diocese in which you can expect to get action on a solid complaint that a Catholic Head of School said, “etc., etc.”, then your diocese is a relatively solid one. Compared to ours.

I guess these things are relative.

“And where are all of the wealthy ‘Catholics’ who can afford to front tuition for families who need a little help..? They are trying to ‘sneak through the narrow gate,’ That’s where they are..!”

In our area, many of the wealthier parishes provide a great deal of tuition assistance for youngsters attending Catholic schools located in crack neighborhoods and/or for disadvantaged youngsters to be driven in and be educated at the local parish school.

Also, many less well-to-do young families receive a fair amount of assistance from their own better-off parents, aunts, uncles, siblings. I know my brother and his children received Catholic school tution assistance from my Mom and from his brothers and sister.

Some affluent couples may in fact be assisting sons’, daughters’, nieces’, nephews’, brothers, sisters’ families with (a) down payment on a home (b) mortgage payments, or (c) tuition assistance, or (d) all of the above.

You wouldn’t necessarily have any way to know this, because this family finance stuff is usually kept pretty private. But in my area, it seems to take place quite a bit. Family helping family, and also parishes helping really badly-off youngsters in poor neighborhoods.

There are diocese with healthy Catholic schools and no tuition.  Catholic schools are stilled considered a ministry of the Parishes there.  Very impressive!

“And where are all of the wealthy ‘Catholics’ who can afford to front tuition for families who need a little help..? They are trying to ‘sneak through the narrow gate,’ That’s where they are..!”

I would caution on the judgement here….  This comment sounds VERY judgy, and just because someone appears to have extra money does not mean they do.  Without asking, you can have no way of knowing what medical bills are, whether or not the have less fortunate family members they are helping, etc.  AND just because they are not giving their money to Catholic families wanting to provide their children with a solid Catholic education does not mean they do not give to Catholic Social Services or some other worthy charity….  Yes, there may be many trying to sneak in by the narrow gate, but we must exercise great caution on judging others and their motives and ability….. Lest we be judges as harshly ourselves….

A few questions: 

1) Are “independant Catholic Schools” “Catholic Schools”—at least as far as the Vatican documents are concerned? Do they deserve “our support” (whatever that is). (I am referring to such schoolas belong to the Nat’l Assoc. of Private Catholic and Independent Schools—soon to be Cardinal Burke is listed as an advisor on their website)

2) If a home school program, such as Seton Homeschool, is acredited and “under the Bishop of Arlington” is that at “Catholic School” (per Vatican documents, etc)

3) Why do I get the feeling that when people talk about the need to support Catholic Schools, they mean Diocesan Catholic Schools…and all the other varieties are somehow…not as worthy.

The fundamental problem with home-schooling is that it emits the air of anti-institutionalism which, in this instance, is anti-Church.  If a Catholic school exists, parents have an obligation to use that school, so says Gravissimum Educationis, the Code of Canon Law, etc.  We should be careful about perpetuating myths left over from the seventies about the Catholic schools of today, with heresy rife, etc.  The Church does not and cannot ever view this approach to education as normative.  Hence, we read in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church of the collaborative and communal nature of Catholic education:
Parents are the first educators, not the only educators, of their children. It belongs to them, therefore, to exercise with responsibility their educational activity in close and vigilant cooperation with civil and ecclesial agencies. “Man’s community aspect itself – both civil and ecclesial – demands and leads to a broader and more articulated activity resulting from well-ordered collaboration between the various agents of education.  All these agents are necessary, even though each can and should play its part in accordance with the special competence and contribution proper to itself” (n. 240, emphasis in original).

Sorry to rain on so many parades.  And if, IF, a Catholic school is not living up to its proper identity, it is the serious responsibility of every and any Catholic to do everything possible to make it do so.  Abandoning ship is not a proper response.

Thanks Fr. Peter…

Arrogance and anti-clericalism, I see, are not foreign to your approach to life, eh Mia?  Are you teaching that to your children?

Kathryn.  The independant schools have always bothered me especially when they set up shop next to a diocesan Catholic school.  If they do not have my Bishop’s blessing, I would have a hard time supporting them.  And yet…I know several people involved with them that are truly trying to do the right thing.

Great point Father. You win. I especially like your last point.

Mia, Omaha is so lucky to have such a classy anti cleric like yourself.

Father, I recently had dinner with a friend who is now the Bishop of a diocese in the midwest (I won’t name him since I don’t think he’d appreciate me repeating his comments without permission).  I told him my husband and I were most likely going to homeschool our daughter next year and I asked him to tell me honestly if he had anything against it.  He was very encouraging toward homeschooling and saw it as a wonderful choice.  He said in his experience most of the homeschoolers are better catechised than those that attend private or public.  The only frustration he expressed was that many of the homeschooling parents tend to be very pushy and demanding of the diocese in terms of desiring their children to have earlier reception of the sacraments, etc.  I guess it’s a good reminder for homeschooling parents to back off a little in certain areas.  But, I assume if there was something “fundamentally” wrong with homeschooling he would have told me so as a good shepherd should. 

Mia:  You sound like a very angry, envious person, unless I am not interpreting your comments correctly.  I hope you can get some spiritual guidance in that area.  St. Josemaria Escriva said in Furrow—“This is how a right-minded man summarized jealousy or envy: ‘They must be very ill-intentioned to want to stir up such clean waters”.  #784.

Dear Michelle,

There’s more to Catholic education than catechesis.  There’s a whole worldview and a web of relationships.

Obviously, I don’t know the bishop in question, but I can say this much:  The average priest or bishop would be delighted if every Catholic school closed tomorrow because most clerics see the schools as too much work.  Sad but true.

Thanks, though, for your friendly and kindly corrective to a not-so-friendly or kindly interlocutor.

Mark-good post. Your kids are obviously doing well, and that’s really great. But I feel many parents avoid the problems of school and to shelter the kids completely. And that leads to the kids having issues later in life, when Mom and Dad can’t help them. That’s a benefit of public or private school, learning how to deal with complex problems in a group environment with limited parental support.
And many parents don’t do a good job with the actual teaching. Also, many homeschoolers I’ve met are nice, but they act like no one else is there and have poor manners because they don’t have regular interaction with non-family members for the majority of the day.
I think the reason the homeschoolers do better on tests than their peers is because of low standards-a 3 on the AP exam means less now because the tests are getting easier, like every other test. But professors at college have higher standards. So at college, the homeschooled kid performs at the same level as the kids who went to public or private school.
I saw someone talking about a wholly Catholic world view. That’s great to have, but if faith formation is done correctly (at home when you’re little and at CCD programs) the interaction with other world views reaffirms your faith because you realize the absolute stupidity to the pro-gay rights, pro-abortion etc. views. Then you get to defend your world view, and “my sword is my tongue.” Public school esp. gives you an opportunity to live and defend your beliefs in front of others. And limited interaction you would get being homeschooled could potentially hurt you when it comes time to defend your beliefs in a college or work environment

I fail to understand why the Church requries me to send my child to another adult—whom I have to pay—to have him educated in math and English…True, Calc isn’t my thing, but I do seem to have managed to teach them reading, penmanship, and basic arithmetic skills.

The one independent Catholic school in are area has since folded for various reasons, but at one point, the Bishop was supportive of them, and apparently hoped the Diocesan schools would adopt some of their curricula (the Dio. schools were not interested in changing from the State approved one, however.  If they had, I couldn’t have sent my kids to them fast enough!)

It is rather odd that a Cardinal (Burke) would be on the advisory board of the NAPCIS when the Church frowns on this kind of thing.  And why would the Bishop of Arlington support Seton if what Seton is doing is wrong.  I don’t think an answer has been given to my questions above.

Fact: Education is many things, including an industry and a business.  Industries and businesses change over time.

“Are” should be “our.”

I have family members who do both. I haven’t decided how we will educate our (very young) children yet, but I do know that no matter what route you go, parents need to take responsibility for their children’s education. If you send them to a public or private school, it is our responsibility to help them with homework, provide context to what they are learning, and steer the ship morally. That is something we should all agree upon.

Mark- Great article! I do want to say though, Jesus may have been home schooled, but it wasn’t just his Mama teaching him. He was likely lucky enough to have both parents with him for much of the day as he learned his father’s trade. The unfortunate reality in modern society is that employment is often very separated from home (although perhaps not in your case as a writer) and extended family often lives far away. So homeschooling for many families means mom at home teaching kids while isolated from others. THis probably looks VERY different from how many households operated until the last century or two. Many moms do great in this environment, but many, myself included, would feel quite isolated at times. Just a small thought on how modern life effects our family, not that home school is a better or worse option.

While it is a pious pensee to imagine that Jesus was home-schooled, there is absolutely no evidence—biblical or otherwise—to support such a theory.  On the contrary, we know that young boys were sent to rabbis for their education.  And, if the Holy Family was in Egypt until he was “about twelve,” as Luke tells us they were back in Jerusalem by that point, He probably went to a rabbinical school, where He learned Hebrew and Greek (and interestingly, would have used the Septuagint text, rather than the Hebrew, but that’s a topic for another time).

Father Peter,

The parish schools where I live charge several thousands in tuition each year per student, and a single-income family with two or three or four school-aged children may not have that kind of cash. That family doing home-schooling may be the only realistic option . . . other than public school.

Also, where the Catholic schools are offering an authentically Catholic education, parents who have the cash to send their children, surely ought to seriously consider doing so. Unfortunately, there are some dioceses that are not terribly solid, and do tolerate heretical (yes. . . heretical) material to be taught to the children in those schools. Should the parents question this, they may be told to get with the 21st century. To reluctantly remove one’s children from such an CINO (Catholic-in Name-Only) environment reflects anti-institutionalisim only insofar as it is anti-HERETICAL-institutionalism.

Again, where there are sound, solid dioceses and parishes and schools and parents affluent enough to be able to afford the tuition, definitely, children should attend the Catholic schools.

But those are a lot of ifs.

Not everyone is so lucky.

Marion,

I thoroughly empathize with your concerns.

First, it is my experience (from racking up thousands of air miles) that where parish schools are problematic, so is the parish.  Therefore, I ask:  What are you doing about Sunday Mass?  Invariably, that leads to parish-hunting/hopping or finding a Tridentine Mass somewhere.  In any event, it means allowing a bad situation to go unchecked.

Second, I am in total sympathy with your financial concern.  I do not believe any tuition should be charged for a K-12 Catholic education.  Actually, church law forbids denying access to a Catholic education for want of funds—a point underscored by Pope Benedict on April 17, 2008, to Catholic educators in Washington.  If the little Diocese of Wichita can provide tuition-free schools, why can’t everyone else?

That said, I have seen all too often that parents cry poor-mouth for tuition but have ample funds for multiple cars and fine vacations.  Sadly, these people are not challenged by pastors to get their priorities straight.  Lastly, the education of Catholic children is NOT the financial responsibility of parents alone, NOR of a parish that just happens to have a school on its property.  It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community, as Vatican II and the Code of Canon Law teach.

Mia, I think you had better get a grip, and I think whoever moderates this site ought to delete her absurd and anti-clerical posts.

Check the Official Catholic Directory of the United States.

I renew my earlier prompting to the monitors of the site:  Get rid of loose cannons on deck.  They reduce everything to nuttiness.

Good night, Mia.

I trust everyone sees who made personal attacks, rather than keeping to the topic at hand.  “Just follow the thread,” as they say.

The Archdiocese of Omaha? We lived there for several years and while very orthodox the home school and Catholic school parents were the most unkind and uncharitable people I have ever met. Those parents convinced me that my children were just fine where they were-in a small town public school.

“Not all of them (mine included) are perfect all the time, however, I’d match them up against any public school kid in things that truly matter such as knowledge (and living) of their faith, a desire to find God’s will for their lives and a willingness to speak their minds when confronted with the lies our society is masking as truths.” What a terrible example of charity. what a great example of self righeous arrogance. Is this what homeschool kids learn? I would say the same thing except that I don’t judge all homeschool kids by the awkward, ill mannered ones that I have met because I have met some delightful ones as well. Have you ever met a child that wasn’t homeschooled and gave them half a chance?

  “And if, IF, a Catholic school is not living up to its proper identity, it is the serious responsibility of every and any Catholic to do everything possible to make it do so.  Abandoning ship is not a proper response” this is true of schools and parishes. It is an uphill battle and we often lose but if you never take the field then shame on you. The homeschool families that I know have so much to offer but don’t.

“If a Catholic school exists, parents have an obligation to use that school, so says Gravissimum Educationis, the Code of Canon Law, etc” I didn’t know this. Doesn’t this take away from my right to make the decision that is best for my children?

And BTW, my children do go to school and I DO LIKE THEM. I LOVE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM. COULD YOU PLEASE EXTEND THE SAME CHARITY TO OTHERS THAT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO YOU, namely that you are a good parent doing what you believe is best foy your child.

“How is it that homeschooled students outperform public and private school kids academically and then when they get to college there is no difference academically? Doesn’t it follow that there should be a difference? Just asking.”

Marion, your answet to this question was exactly right. The family the child comes from makes the biggest difference. Do they value education? Is Mom and Dad living together? One poster mentioned that she would spend more money sending her kids to school. Maybe. I do believe that lack of resources is one reason kids underperform in public school. There are supplies and fees rewuired, it is assumed that the child has computer access and things like flashdrives, etc. It is also assumed that they have parents that will take them to the store for supplies at the deop of a hat or run around town getting supplies. I can and will do it but I have a feeling that not all kids have that support. This is a little off topic but have a heart when judging kids. Some come fron really rotten situations and underperform in school. How many of those who have left the system are doing ANYTHING to make the community they live in a better place.

I am happy if homeschooling works for families. I do know that it doesn’t work for everyone. I have a friend who has homeschooled for years, successfully by most measures, but has decided that 3 of the 5 children that she has at home will go to public school. It is the right decision for them at this time. I know she feels guilty that she “can’t do it all”. But she shouldn’t. She has prayed long and hard, and there are factors in their life that just do not support homeschooling all of them right now. I am sad that some here would judge her poorly for that decision. You don’t know her or anyone else’s full story as to why they do what they do.

Remember, charity in all things.

Father Stravinskas:

Hmm, looks like I need to go back and do a better job of proofing my work.  You are correct: the “are” should have been an “our.”

Pointing out my grammar/word mistakes, however, does not answer any of my questions.

Fr. Peter,

I respectfully challenge you to prove that the Church through Gravissimum Educationis, the Code of Canon Law, etc. teaches that parents have an obligation to use a parish school.  There is no obligation and making such outlandish claims diminishes trust in your scholarly ability.  Homeschooling is not anti-institutionalism, and even if it is, that does not translate into being anti-Church.  The Church is not an institution, she is the means by which Christ Jesus perpetuates His work on earth.  While some homeschooling families inadvertently teach their children to be anti-Church because of their battles with those in authority and communicating negatively about those people at home, many homeschooled children have a profound love for the Church and all those who administer her sacraments, as St. Therese (who was homeschooled for a time) did.  Families that chose to homeschool are not abandoning the parish school, some even find some extra money to help support them.  It is a very worthwhile mission.  However, Jesus did not start parochial schools.  He did create families.  Imagine if the resources used by most Catholic schools were used instead for adult formation and evangelization; the parish families would have better catechesis, a better Catholic world view and would be much more pious.  The Church does teach that parent’s are the primary educators of their children.  It is true, she does not limit them to being the only educators.  However, the primary task is theirs and it is they who are responsible for what their children learn and how they are formed.  They cannot give pass this obligation off to others to do the work for them but may be assisted by others in their endeavor.
“The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the education role of others…it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others.”  - John Paull II.

Leave the computer for a few hours and miss some interesting points….

Well put, Blake.  I am certainly not an expert of Canon Law, but I live in a VERY Catholic diocese in the midwest (aka loyal to Magesterium and ALL of the teachings of the Church) where vocations are booming.  There are a great number of parents that choose home educate here.  Our Bishop has not advised against the choice, and has, in fact, commented that he sees a great number of vocations that are flowing from these homeschooling families…

I tend to want to follow a shepherd that I know is knowledgeable in matters of Church doctrine.  Since he has no problem addressing some of the more `touchy` points of Catholicism, as it were, I know that if homeschooling were against the Faith, he would let me know….

There is no anti-institutionalism here, at least not in regards to local schools, the Church or the government even.  I am trying to raise thinkers and Saints (not necessarily in that order..) so that when they go out into the world, they will have the tools they need to learn, to be productive members of the society which they belong, and to have the wisdom and fortitude to know what the right thing is and to always do the right thing….

Again, bottom line…...  We all try to do the best we can with what we have.

I was unfamiliar with this Confirmation “sacrament of maturity” that Mark Shea has referenced.  What about the Bishops who have the restored order of Confirmation in their Dioceses?  I believe there are over 30 of them now.  As a homeschooling mother whose children all received Confirmation at age 12 or under, one of them now a seminarian, I think it is shameful to send children into puberty without the strengthening of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.

The Church does not subscribe to the theory of Confirmation as the “sacrament of maturity.”  That was a bizarre innovation of left-wing catechists in the 70s, attempting to put off Confirmation as long as possible.  Indeed, the Catechism takes specific aim at such a statement.

Prior to St. Pius X, Confirmation was administered BEFORE First Holy Communion, as is correct, so as to keep the proper order for the sacraments of initiation.  With the younger age for Communion, many bishops neglected to move Confirmation down—although my father did receive the sacraments in their proper order.

The (bad) psychology of Confirmation as a sacrament of “maturity” is that the candidate “chooses” God, Christ, Church, etc.  In the Christian scheme of things, as in Judaism, no one chooses God; rather, he is chosen—the grace of election.

“There’s more to Catholic education than catechesis.”  Thank you for that wise reminder, Fr.  My concern with homeschooling is that there isn’t enough of the serious academics going on and that model continues for college.  Sure, many hs’ing families manage to hs high school, but that’s because so many of them go off to colleges that have lower academic standards, i.e. those “very Catholic” colleges. 

And these very same Catholic graduates often go and have large families and attempt to perpetual the cycle with a degree in philosophy or theology from one of these same schools.  I believe a case can be made for a liberal arts degree at the undergraduate level, but serious thought and encouragement needs to go into grad school, both re: the school’s tier and the type of degree.

There’s something wrong with a model that does not result in the best and brightest in the upper echelons of society.  We need many more Catholic doctors, Catholic research scientists, Catholic law and political geniuses, Catholic financiers, Catholic engineers, etc. and we simply aren’t getting them.  We need serious Catholics who can afford to live in the heart of the greatest cities in the country.  Cultural and societal measures of success do matter, even if they aren’t the primary reasons to get an education.  That’s the part that is missing completely in this model.  If I had a nickel for everytime a homeschooler told me, “Oh, but it’s more important to get them to heaven!...”  Yes. It is.  But it’s not the only thing.  We need to have sway in this world, enough to make changes in our culture, and it isn’t going to happen if we can’t not only provide for our families, but sometimes be powerful and influential in society.  And it’s the same parents who say, “but we can’t afford Catholic tuition…”  Could that be because you didn’t plan well enough for yourself?

I agree with you completely, Sam.  If we are not providing the leaven for society, who will?  And the Catholic tradition in education has always been a wholesome union of faith and reason—no dichotomy between them, so that one asks, “Do you want to be a saint or a scholar?”  I want to be both—and we have plenty of saintly scholars to prove the viability of that goal.

A professor at New York’s seminary almost a hundred years ago reminded his lethargic students, who tried to pit scholarship against spirituality:  “Piety is ephemeral; dumb is forever.”

Fr. Peter,

You have been very involved in this conversation since yesterday and you have taken an unapologetic position since yesterday against home schooling. I assume there is some experience and/or knowledge that is driving your position.

Could you please share this with us? I am honestly interested.

(for the record, my posts through this conversation have clearly stated my very favorable experience in Catholic High Schools and I am the reader who prompted the initial post by Mark to this blog).

The Church does not subscribe to the theory of Confirmation as the “sacrament of maturity.”

This is real news to me.  My apologies if I have been mistaken on this point.  I was simply repeating what I was taught by generally reliable teachers.  I’ll have to take a closer look at this matter.

It’s no surprise you have thought that, Mark, because that was “coin of the realm” catechetical jargon for almost two decades.  I’m embarrassed to admit that for a short time, I also mouthed that line!

Rene, I will attempt to provide you with a thoughtful reflection later this evening.  I am in the midst of conducting an eight-day retreat for Carmelite nuns—and they have me quite occupied most of the day.

We have several home-schoolers in this area.  A couple families do a great job, several do not.  The homeschoolers utilize the Adventist high school for music, the small school fifteen miles out of town for sports (local high school too big), the community college and other public entities for courses…anything BUT the Catholic school system.

I approached one of these families (very good friends) once again about two years ago, to consider sending their kids to our Catholic schools (they would be such a great addition to our schools).  Answer:  “over my dead body”.  Why?  What generates such vitriol?  Opportunities lost…opportunities lost.  How much better would our Catholic schools be if our Catholics embraced them - we may never know.

Here’s Celine Dion singing Ave Maria.  Beautiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiQqPy6qPA0&feature=related

Sam, you make a series of general arguments without providing any fact to back it up.  Where are your numbers, what research are you quoting that shows there is “not enough of the serious academics going on and that model continues for college.”?

I would challenge you to refrain from using general arguments that sound credible in theory but fall flat for lack of data.

“Sure, many hs’ing families manage to hs high school, but that’s because so many of them go off to colleges that have lower academic standards, i.e. those “very Catholic” colleges.”

Again, where is your data, what source do you quote your statistics from? What colleges specifically are you refering to?

“And these very same Catholic graduates often go and have large families and attempt to perpetual the cycle with a degree in philosophy or theology from one of these same schools.  I believe a case can be made for a liberal arts degree at the undergraduate level, but serious thought and encouragement needs to go into grad school, both re: the school’s tier and the type of degree.”

It now seems like there is more going on than a problem with homeschooling.  This seems like a veiled problem with large families as well.  There are plenty of children who go though a traditional school system without being able to get into schools of a particular “tier”.

“There’s something wrong with a model that does not result in the best and brightest in the upper echelons of society.  We need many more Catholic doctors, Catholic research scientists, Catholic law and political geniuses, Catholic financiers, Catholic engineers, etc. and we simply aren’t getting them.  We need serious Catholics who can afford to live in the heart of the greatest cities in the country.  Cultural and societal measures of success do matter, even if they aren’t the primary reasons to get an education.  That’s the part that is missing completely in this model”

Where is your proof that there are no Catholic lawyers, doctors, or engineers that were homeschooled?  Our primary care physican was homeschooled and is homeschooling her children.  It is an effort to get children the best education possible that drives many Catholic (and non-Catholic) parents to turn to homeschooling.  Especially those that can’t afford pricey private schools that the rich upper echelon of society can afford to send their children to.  Because they don’t want their children going to a regular school either… for all of the desire for success you mention.

“We need to have sway in this world, enough to make changes in our culture, and it isn’t going to happen if we can’t not only provide for our families, but sometimes be powerful and influential in society.  And it’s the same parents who say, “but we can’t afford Catholic tuition…”  Could that be because you didn’t plan well enough for yourself? “

So, is your point here that in order to have sway in the world we should all have a Catholic education (that doesn’t include a low tier Catholic College of course) and those that are Catholic and poor should be brushed aside as not having planned well enough?  Is that the type of compassion that Christ has instilled in you through your education?  If we want to make a difference in the world, it is going to come through hard work and a desire to learn all we can… and the grace of God.  It is not going to come from how much we spend from our pocket book.  There are plenty of CEO’s that have come from places like Harvard.  There are also plenty that have come from colleges you’ve probably never heard of (look it up).  A good school gives a leg up (usually for the wrong reason) but it’s the individual that makes the difference.

“How much better would our Catholic schools be if our Catholics embraced them”

Perhaps that attitude is part of the problem.  Instead of looking at what the children can do for the school, perhaps the question ought to be what the school can do for the children.  That would be my concern as a parent.

Just want to throw out there too that as a protestant at a Catholic high school, the seed for my journey to the Catholic Church was planted in HS.  :)

I don’t know which way we will go but I certainly believe in supporting Catholic schools to make them great…I will always feel indebted to my Catholic High School.

Sam—Perhaps if dioceses and parishes cared more to invest in youth and catechesis, then people who go to “very Catholic” colleges and receive philosophy and theology degrees would actually be able find jobs to make a living to support a family while sharing their amazing knowledge and training. So many protestant churches I know support several full time staff members serving the youth and providing religious education. Unfortunately in so many parishes these are volunteer or part time positions. (full disclosure, husband has a theology degree).

It may be of interest of those who are concerned about serious academics that an original member of the Journal of Fire Science’s editorial board was very supportive homeschooling. I should know, I’m homeschooling his grandkids.  He was also a research scientist for a Fortune 500 company. 

You might think that a scientist would be very big on science education K-12.  He was to a point, but when I was gushing over all the very expensive and very cool oil emersion scopes in one homeschooling catalogue, I couldn’t even get him to look at it: it was “junk.”  As far as he was concerned, the kids should be learning math and descriptive chemistry.  Lab equipment for for college.  Not children, and not even high schoolers.

Interestingly enough, another homeschool mom in our area was worried about science education as well.  The advice from the scientist-husband of a third mom was: learn math.

Greg, Notre Dame was a Catholic School as well.  Do you recommend taking up the fight for the Catholic identity of that educational institution?  People have.  Unfortunately, that has fallen on seemingly deaf ears.  They have had “The Vagina Monologues” as an on campus theatrical production.  Given its highest honor to a man who has done more to advance the culture of death than any other in our nation in a VERY long time..  I am sure you have heard the list of complaints….  Again, they are considered a Catholic school. 

I cannot explain/defend the “vitriol”.  If I were able afford to send my children without concerns for the college tuition we are saving, and the school was legitimately Catholic, AND we had two vehicles in our family so I could drive my children to that school and pick them up, then I would LOVE to send them to that reputable, solid school…

You also seem to ascribing feelings you have towards your neighbors to all homeschoolers.  Isn’t that like having a neighbor who does things you don’t like and assuming that every one of the same ethnicity is the same?  Besides, isn’t it possible that since the Catholic school is private that the homeschool family might not be allowed to use the facilites or participate in sports like they would elsewhere?  Maybe the choice not to use any part of the school isn’t even theirs?

You mention how much better our schools would be (while making veiled references to them not being good enough athletically for the “big” high school) as if it’s the homeschoolers problem.  Rather than asking yourself, how could the Catholic schools change in order to stop losing these families.

That should read “of interest to those”.

Typos, typos, grammar, grammar…

Rene,

Here’s a thumbnail sketch of why I am opposed to home-schooling as a general practice (not absolutely so, e.g., I would not send a child to a government school).  I offer these thoughts in no priority order.

1.  Having children home 24/7 with Mom is unhealthy.  While some would point to Little House on the Prairie for a model for home-schooling, the truth of the matter is that the kids and Mom were not on top of each other around the clock.  They were out on the farm for hours on end by themselves; contact with Mom (and that is the one responsible for home-schooling in 99.9% of the cases)was generally limited to the evening.  A pressure-cooker environment doesn’t work; everyone—children and parents—need space to grow and become, without a hovering omnipresence.

2.  While some parents may be academically qualified to teach their children some subjects, who would consider himself qualified to cover the gamut of subjects in contemporary education.  Even in terms of basics, just look at all the spelling and grammar errors on this thread from those claiming competence to teach (of course, that is also the situation with so-called “public” school teachers in all too many instances).

3.  Absenting one’s children from an existing Catholic school sets up in one’s children a hermeneutic of suspicion against the “institutional” Church.  That is, “the Church” cannot be trusted.  Which helps explain why the long-promised surge in priestly and religious vocations has not come about from the home-schooling “community.”  Most seminaries have fewer than two or three; given the hoopla about strong catechesis and devotion, one would have expected a glut.  Although fewer than 25% of Catholic boys attend a Catholic high school (regrettably, 80+% of the ordinations each year continue to come from that quarter.

4.  Hearing hundreds of confessions of home-schooled youngsters, I find a distressing predominance of rigidity and scrupulosity, as well as resentment toward parents for being home-schooled—a resentment they fear to voice to their parents.

5.  Forcing children to attend daily Mass is counter-productive and likewise breeds resentment.  One mother told me the overriding rationale for not sending her children to Catholic school was that the school had Mass only once a week.  She was shocked to learn that in my pre-conciliar Catholic schools, we only had Mass on the First Friday of the month.

6.  Many priests, originally enamored of home-schooling families, eventually get turned off by the excessive demands of these families, who rarely do anything in return for the parish.

7.  Constant defensiveness alternates with arrogant elitism to mask tremendous insecurity about the choices made.  “We” are the real Catholics, who take the education of our children seriously, while the rest of you slobs who spend 60% of your combined incomes on Catholic schools really have no interest in your children and have little concern for the Faith.

8.  Several exemplary Catholic schools have had to close their doors in recent years, precisely because home-schoolers would not patronize them.

9.  I have been the butt of more viciousness and anti-clericalism from this segment of the Catholic population than I have ever experienced from the far-left quadrant of the Church.  When you disagree with the chosen path, God help you.  Just review the comments on this thread for clear confirmation of this point.

10.  A priest confronted the home-schooling parents in his parish (to whom he had extended every courtesy for one full year) as to why they still refused to use the parish school.  One mother rose, speaking on behalf of all present, and readily acknowledged that the parish school was superb in every way, including exemplary Catholic teachers.  Her objection?  I/we don’t want our children “contaminated” (yes, that’s the word)by the other children who come from families where birth control is practiced (how does she know this?) or where divorce is involved!  How outrageously obnoxious and self-righteous.  Indeed, she went on to say that if the Pope himself were the principal of the parish school, she would never use it.

11.  No one has offered a single ecclesiastical document to support home-schooling—with good reason, because none exists, although many have repeatedly sought such a document from the Holy See. Interestingly, no one here has attempted to engage the official document I cited, which explicitly challenges home-schooling.

So, yes, Rene, I have had more than ample experience (and could actually offer many more points) of the phenomenon.  Is every child who has been home-schooled a disaster?  Of course not, but my experience (which is quite broad and nationwide) does not give me a positive assessment.  I hope that people will read this with an open mind and not result to defensive and offensive rebuttals.

Father recounts: “One mother rose, speaking on behalf of all present, and readily acknowledged that the parish school was superb in every way, including exemplary Catholic teachers.  Her objection?  I/we don’t want our children ‘contaminated’ . . . by the other children who come from families where birth control is practiced (how does she know this?) or where divorce is involved!”

Gobsmacked.

Speechless.

Father Stravinskas, that lady - and her supporters - were what we around here call “two fries short of a happy meal.”

Lord!

You know what? I don’t want to say anything as crude as “you all’re better off without those loons anywhere near your school! Once they get in, the principal, the teachers, and the pastor will all need to be put on a valium drip 24/7,” but, may I propose instead that it is foreseeable that the parish school might - just might - encounter more than the usual taxing of its resources in coping, er, with the task of . . . assisting such families to complete a satisfactory adjustment to the life of the parish school . . . resources, perhaps that might be with more prudence allocated to needy families who truly want to be there?

An extremely smart octagenarian I know, after a successful career in national politics concluded: “one out of every ten people is a little nuts. And of them, one out of ten is off-the-charts nuts.” I’ve found his numbers to be about right. And the folks you’ve described are yet more proof.

Honestly, sometimes I’ve wondered how our poor dear parish priests manage to keep their sanity, being forced to be patient and amiable with these whack-jobs. I’d want to throttle ‘em. I guess it’s just grace, pure and simple, helping you all. God love you.

P.S.

Nevertheless, in a diocese in which all Catholic schools charge tuition rates that put them beyond the financial reach of a single-income earner family with multiple school-aged children OR in which the nearby Catholic schools are not faithful, home school may be the only answer.

A friend of mine at a nearby Catholic prep school taught theology, and was ordered by the head of school not to say anything further about the sinfulness of contraception or living together outside of marriage. The students were talking about it at home, and the parents were complaining, didn’t like it. She was “gagged”, and ultimately dismissed.

(No, no names or regions will be given. I don’t have my friend’s permission to give away her identity, and many of my friends know me on the internet, and would know her. She’s still looking for work, and I don’t want to hurt her chances.)

So, the problem goes both ways. It just depends on the diocese, I guess.

Father Peter,

Thank you. I think you experience and insight on this matter is very valuable, you can probably collect all your responses and write an article :-)

Mark,

Getting back to your retort to my ‘salt of the earth’ argument. Maybe it is not the fragility of our children outside the home that we should worry about, but the grace of our Catholic Families that is being called out into our communities (parish, school, universities…).

Dear Father,

I am so sorry for what you have seen and whatever hurt you have felt from or because of homeschoolers.

I do hope you will not hold it against those who have been homeschooled, as there are now some who are seminarians.

With many prayers for you,
Sincerely.

@Father Peter Stravinskas - With respect, father, I’m not finding Church teaching explicitly in support of your contention Catholic parents must send their children to the local parish school. In fact, Canon 793 states: “Parents and those who take their place are bound by the obligation and possess the right of educating their offspring. Catholic parents also have the duty and right of choosing those means and institutions through which they can provide more suitably for the Catholic education of their children,according to local circumstances.” - which would seem to contradict you in that parents have the right to choose the means and institutions through which their children would receive a Catholic education. As I understand it this right comes from God and is a principal duty fulfilled by the ministers of the Sacrament of Marriage.

Familiaris Consortio quotes St. Thomas Aquinas as to the status of this sacred ministry, saying: The sacrament of marriage gives to the educational role the dignity and vocation of being really and truly a “ministry” of the Church at the service of the building up of her members. So great and splendid is the educational ministry of Christian parents that Saint Thomas has no hesitation in comparing it with the ministry of priests: “Some only propagate and guard spiritual life by a spiritual ministry: this is the role of the sacrament of Orders; others do this for both corporal and spiritual life, and this is brought about by the sacrament of marriage, by which a man and a woman join in order to beget offspring and bring them up to worship God.”

Also in the Canon, at 797, the Church states quite plainly: “Parents must possess a true freedom in choosing schools; therefore, the Christian faithful must be concerned that civil society recognizes this freedom for parents and even supports it with subsidies; distributive justice is to be observed.”

I don’t see how one reads “Parents must possess a true freedom in choosing schools” and that parents “possess the right of educating their offspring… (and) of choosing those means and institutions through which they can provide more suitably for the Catholic education” to mean parents must send their children to the local parish school.

Pax et bonum

Father Peter, this is not a defensive (or offensive, I hope) response, but there are a few points I would like to ask for clarification on or just offer my own experiences:

1.  Having children home 24/7 with Mom is unhealthy.  While some would point to Little House on the Prairie for a model for home-schooling, the truth of the matter is that the kids and Mom were not on top of each other around the clock.  They were out on the farm for hours on end by themselves; contact with Mom (and that is the one responsible for home-schooling in 99.9% of the cases)was generally limited to the evening.  A pressure-cooker environment doesn’t work; everyone—children and parents—need space to grow and become, without a hovering omnipresence.

I think we can agree here.  Thankfully, in the situation I am in, as well as several families I know, there is co-op and sharing of education with other families,  Science labs, literature discussion groups, foreign languages, nature study and history, to name a few.  I love my children dearly, but if we were all in a pressure cooker environment, I think we would all go `off the chart nuts` (Please forgive any misspellings or grammar mistakes.  On the computer I am using now the keyboard does not have a working delete or apostrophe or quotation marks…)  I cannot speak as well as you seem to be able to about the `majority` of homeschooling families.  I only hope to respectfully open your eyes to a different perspective.

2.  While some parents may be academically qualified to teach their children some subjects, who would consider himself qualified to cover the gamut of subjects in contemporary education.  Even in terms of basics, just look at all the spelling and grammar errors on this thread from those claiming competence to teach (of course, that is also the situation with so-called “public” school teachers in all too many instances).

Again, you have a general point here.  A counter: If you look at the classical model of education, the way most scholars were, and continue to be, taught, then the idea is depth and not so much on breadth, not until the college years.  Good exposure in every subject, but a student well learned in the Trivium and Quadrivium who can read, annotate and have a learning discussion on classic works is well suited for whatever academics any college will challenge him with.  The best institutions frequently use Socratic method in learning… Granted, many homeschoolers use a packaged `out of the box` curriculum, but if all the materials are there, and there are `live` people you can call or chat with for answers to questions on the content or material, again, the now how is there…  And given most of the replies on this thread, I would tend to think most of us could handle the majority of high school subjects with a little help, and the help is there for those who need it and are willing to ask…

3.  Absenting one’s children from an existing Catholic school sets up in one’s children a hermeneutic of suspicion against the “institutional” Church.  That is, “the Church” cannot be trusted.  Which helps explain why the long-promised surge in priestly and religious vocations has not come about from the home-schooling “community.”  Most seminaries have fewer than two or three; given the hoopla about strong catechesis and devotion, one would have expected a glut.  Although fewer than 25% of Catholic boys attend a Catholic high school (regrettably, 80+% of the ordinations each year continue to come from that quarter.

We teach a deep love for the Church.  We have the priests from our Parish over for dinner to visit with our family as often as their hectic schedules allow.  `most seminaries have fewer than two or three`, what percentage is that?  If you are talking about classes of 10, 2 or 3 does not seem so bad.  What are the numbers here and what are your sources?  Again, this is not defensive, and I really hope this does not sound `cheeky`  I am truly curious.

4.  Hearing hundreds of confessions of home-schooled youngsters, I find a distressing predominance of rigidity and scrupulosity, as well as resentment toward parents for being home-schooled—a resentment they fear to voice to their parents.

OUCH.  I can see this.  I battle through this in my own children, as well as in myself.  However, I see it in my children, and I caution them against it.  We talk.  A lot.  Also, our homeschool advisor (the Father I mentioned before) talks about this in the Sacramental prep through the parish with the First Reconciliation group.  It is something to be aware of.  Sadly, it seems some people need to be aware….  Also, my daughters may resent me for not allowing them to date until their high school education has been completed.  My sons may resent that fact that they cannot have cell phones and tvs in their bedrooms, or even that they have to share a bedroom.  I think that ALL children growing up resent the things their parents do that inconvenience them or make them seem uncool.  But you know what, eventually they will understand the reason, and I can deal with some resentment if I think I am doing what is in the best interest of my child.

5.  Forcing children to attend daily Mass is counter-productive and likewise breeds resentment.  One mother told me the overriding rationale for not sending her children to Catholic school was that the school had Mass only once a week.  She was shocked to learn that in my pre-conciliar Catholic schools, we only had Mass on the First Friday of the month.

I am in complete agreement here.  We try to go once weekly as a family (outside of Sunday, of course).  We talk about it if someone says they `do not want to go`, but do not guilt them into it.  Our main objective is to go AT LEAST once a month to a weekday Mass and at least once a month to Confession.  I do not want to breed resentment, but I want my children to understand and appreciate the beauty of the Truth we have.  It is a very fine line…..

6.  Many priests, originally enamored of home-schooling families, eventually get turned off by the excessive demands of these families, who rarely do anything in return for the parish.
Our homeschooling group supports our parish - and the parish school in so many ways.  We have a weekend Hospitality service, we clean the school, we host a clothing swap for the parish and an annual Mothers Day of Renewal (not just for homeschoolers, but for anyone who is a mother), we donate financially.  All we ask for is the ability to use the Parish hall and school if it does not conflict with parish functions - (and we have been graciously bumped several times without a stink) and for guidance from the Pastor.  It seems to be a very workable agreement, and has been for at least the 5 years I have been involved.  (The group was pretty well established by the time I moved here, but I cannot speak to when they formed).  It sounds like it is very possible that some of the homeschoolers you have had occasion to meet may be a little out of touch and could use a good shepherd.  If someone is driving their children to the point of scrupulosity and then not presenting themselves in a charitable manner, then they need to charitably be made aware of this fact…. 

7.  Constant defensiveness alternates with arrogant elitism to mask tremendous insecurity about the choices made.  “We” are the real Catholics, who take the education of our children seriously, while the rest of you slobs who spend 60% of your combined incomes on Catholic schools really have no interest in your children and have little concern for the Faith.

This is so almost well said.  To say homeschoolers truly feel as though people who do not homeschool `really have no interest in (their) children and have little concern for the Faith.`  is a pretty harsh generalization.  I know a few fringe families who seem to think this way.  I have never asked them, but I do get that impression.  And I know many families who I think are average, normal everyday people like myself.  There is really not much spectacular about most of us, we are just all trying to do our best.  Unfortunately we homeschoolers are just as human as everyone else…  I think sometimes there can be a defensiveness and that is most unfortunate.  It makes us all look bad.  I have many Catholic friends who utilize the parochial schools and some who use public schools.  I know a few families who do some combination of the three….  We are all friends.  Our children are all friends.  None of us judge.  We all ask the others for advice on may things, school and non-school related….  I suppose what I am trying to say here is that I think we are pretty typical.  I have certainly never considered myself or my family as someone to be admired for our Faith or our educational choices….  Sometimes I think about it all and my head hurts….  I do this because it is what my husband and I feel is best for our family at this point in time.  I will never rule out sending my children to a brick and mortar school.  That is just not an option right now.

8.  Several exemplary Catholic schools have had to close their doors in recent years, precisely because home-schoolers would not patronize them.

Really?  You know there were homeschoolers in these parishes?  Now you are going to make an ad hominem argument against homeschoolers by stating they are solely responsible for the closing of Catholic schools?  I find that troubling and unfair.  Show me a diocesan report that states that these schools would have been kept open if only homeschoolers utilized them.  Then we should try and find out why the schools failed the families AND the families seemingly failed the schools….  The relationship needs to be symbiotic.

9.  I have been the butt of more viciousness and anti-clericalism from this segment of the Catholic population than I have ever experienced from the far-left quadrant of the Church.  When you disagree with the chosen path, God help you.  Just review the comments on this thread for clear confirmation of this point.

I am so sorry you have had such a negative backlash.  I really hope you are not taking offense at any of my comments.  I obviously disagree with you, and I am trying to give you a few things to think about, as you have given me things to think about….  I am hoping that even though we disagree on this point, this is a good `conversation` we can both take something away from.  On behalf of the homeschoolers whom you have encountered that are vicious and anti-clerical, I am deeply sorry…..   

10.  A priest confronted the home-schooling parents in his parish (to whom he had extended every courtesy for one full year) as to why they still refused to use the parish school.  One mother rose, speaking on behalf of all present, and readily acknowledged that the parish school was superb in every way, including exemplary Catholic teachers.  Her objection?  I/we don’t want our children “contaminated” (yes, that’s the word)by the other children who come from families where birth control is practiced (how does she know this?) or where divorce is involved!  How outrageously obnoxious and self-righteous.  Indeed, she went on to say that if the Pope himself were the principal of the parish school, she would never use it.
OK ,so this is another example of the fringe.  Likely it is that mother who keeps her kids inside and away from the neighbor kids, controls every aspect of the children`s lives, judges non-homeschoolers (OK, so now I judge her….  mea culpa)  Anyway, I really do not feel as though you are getting an even view of the homeschooling community - Catholic or otherwise)  It seems as though you are mostly encountering the extremists.  They exist - in every religion, in every field, and homeschooling is no different in that regard….  Non-Catholic homeschooling extremists tend to think there is too much Christianity in the schools or that everyone else is some sort of mindless automaton and their child is the next Einstein….  No one denies the fact that there are nuts out there.  I grew up thinking ALL homeschoolers were the nuttiest whack-jobs on the planet….  until I had to become one, and met very, very many….

11.  No one has offered a single ecclesiastical document to support home-schooling—with good reason, because none exists, although many have repeatedly sought such a document from the Holy See. Interestingly, no one here has attempted to engage the official document I cited, which explicitly challenges home-schooling.

Fantastic point.  It is almost 11pm my time and I am too tired to do the research this evening.  The only thing I can say right now in response to this is to ask you to read this blog post (not my own, but a great post entitled `A Just War Theory of Homeschooling` and at this point I am going to stand on the shoulders of the `giant`1 who took the time to write that blog.  It sums up exactly how I feel about homeschooling….)  Anyway, here is the link:http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=34419&page=2   (you may have to cut and paste)

So, yes, Rene, I have had more than ample experience (and could actually offer many more points) of the phenomenon.  Is every child who has been home-schooled a disaster?  Of course not, but my experience (which is quite broad and nationwide) does not give me a positive assessment.

Ca you please elaborate on your experience?  How is it broad and nationwide in relation to your encountering homeschooling families?  How many homeschooling families have you encountered?  In what capacity?  I have lived in California, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin since 2003 and met many wonderful (and a handful of not so wonderful) homeschoolers.  I accede that there are plenty of nutjobs.  I wish there were not, but….

I hope that people will read this with an open mind and not result to defensive and offensive rebuttals.

Again, I really hope that I have not.  Typing thins on posts is so darn informal, and it is hard to glean tone and intent from typed responses, but please believe that I respect your arguments.  I disagree, but I can see where you do have some good points.  Unfortunately, as in most things, the few bad (and loud) seeds give the rest of us a poor image…. For a slightly better image, maybe, you could check out http://www.setonhome.org/news.shtml   and http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000038.asp
Admittedly, these sites are biased towards homeschoolers.  But, the achievements listed are real achievements by real homeschoolers….  I am NOT putting this up as an `all homeschoolers are great`, only as an attempt to show that not all homeschoolers are the fringe ones you have mentioned in your examples…..

Fr. Peter,
I am still waiting for a response to the respectful challenge I gave you.  I still wonder what the outcome would be if a parish directed the resources and finances currently being used for their parochial school towards the formation and education of their adult parishoners.

Fr. and all,
I find it alarming that a priest would spend his time attacking individuals who are trying to raise holy men and women instead of using that time to educate those Catholics and others who see fit to give their children little to no formation in the faith.

Father Stravinskas:

Your comments are interesting.  If that had been my experience with homeschoolers, I’d be concerned as well.  I think Marybeth as some good coments as well.

Do you not see, however, that your criticisms of homeschooling can also be seen as an attack on a “parenting choice”?  Not too many people I know are happy when the way they choose to raise their children are called into question.  Just look at any “Mommy” magazine to see the Mommy Wars in action on the editorial and letter to the editor pages.

Then too, women who are insecure in their decision to stay home may well see homeschooling as a source of cultural legitimacy.  No homeschool mother ever hears “Oh, you stay home with the kids? What do you do all day? Scrub toilets? What a waste of an education.”  She is likely to hear “Wow! That’s so hard.  I’d love to do that, but I can’t…”

An insecure woman, backed into a corner, is going to lash out in anger. At least, that is what I used to see when I challanged certain pro-choice women in our local newspapers editorial section and website blogs.  I suspect that is one reason for the viscious attacks you’ve received.

I do not see the current Diocesan model of schooling to be very partnership oriented.  It’s all or nothing.  A local Protestant school offers the homeschooling community some a la carte options.  Why cannot the Diocesan schools do the same?

Some thoughts regarding Father Stravinskas’ comments:  Home schooling provides many opportunties for different approaches to curricula, cooperative groups and unique experience for learning.  When the approach is to help the child learn about the gifts God has given them and then to guide them towards choosing how they want to use them, the child blossoms.  To be a home schooling parent demands the parent faces the issue of pride versus what is for the good of the child every day.  It is not an easy endeavor.
As one who served on the parish stewardship committee, I have seen the flip side of the issue, that being the attitude of the parents who send their kids to the Catholic school in order to set them on the path for the right high school to get into the right college.  They want Catholic-lite for themselves and their children.  After the kids graduate from the 8th grade, they are not heard from again.
The curricula in the local Catholic schools teach the junk science, and aside from the religion classes they mirror the public schools.  They lack the innovation that public schools lack, as there is no competition in either system.  Many public school teachers send their kids to Catholic school. 
Perhaps you, Father, can see that not every Catholic home schooler belongs to the type of Catholic home schooling family you have had personal experience with.  My four kids went to different colleges (great books, junior college, polytechnical), universities (Jesuit, UC and European) and performed very well.  We taught them that they would have to distinguish themselves with their experiences and talents when they applied for colleges, in addition to achieving the test scores. We emphasized that they needed to learn how to live in the world and be effective.  When they were accepted in their colleges, the reps. wanted to meet them as their entrance essays and portfolios were unique.
Education is about nourishing the mind and intellect, the integral formation of the person.  Just as you point out the farm kids spent a lot of time in the fields, it can be said that maybe kids are spending too much time in a classroom that is restricting them in their ability to learn what is best facilitated in a more conducive setting. 
Parents need to decide where is the best place to educate their child, not where to school the child.  If they are not thriving in a particular setting, or if the setting is not appropriate for moral, financial or educational reasons, they have an obligation to seek the best possible solution. The parish needs to support that decision by encouraging the parent and not condemning them.  Parenting is a very tough job.

We used to have a wonderful Catholic grade school in our town. In the last year, the school became the personal fiefdom of a very young principal and a cadre of new teachers. The pastor would not do anything to address problems in the school.
The summation of their attitude toward the faith was seen during weekly (not daily!, they did away with daily) mass during lent when one of the teachers announced “I’ll be so glad when lent is over, I’m so sick of all this Catholic s—t!” to a group of parents, in front of her students.
This year we are homeschooling. I would love to try to stick it out and work on ‘positive change’ within our church school. But I cannot balance the current situation on the backs of my kids. Its that simple. I am unwilling to watch my kids suffer academically. I dont want them in the middle of this political and social minefield at such a critical point in their faith formation.

Fr. Peter,
A few more thoughts.  It seems you maybe you have gotten close to some homeschooling families and did not like the fallen humanity you saw there.  The question I have is why do these faults irritate you so much and the other faults that those who live a more worldly life (disregard for Church teaching, contraception, 1 or 2 children, materialism, promiscuity, little to no religious formation or education for their children, etc.) do not?  No one ever claimed (ok, I am sure someone actually has) that homeschoolers are perfect.  What we need from our priests is for them to spend time with us getting into the much of our lives and showing us the way to holiness.  Don’t discard us because we are mud splashed with the yuck of fallen humanity.  Rather, love us, share the grace of Christ with us in the sacraments and teach us so that we can rise higher than we could on our own.  If we are demanding too much and offering too little, sit down with us and tell us.  Don’t just mutter under your breath or complain to your staff.  We need to hear how you feel and think.  Accept us fro who we are, but then, please, do not leave us that way.  St St. Catherine says, ‘the only way to heaven is through the cross.’  It sounds as though you may be fleeing your cross.  Please do not.  We need you, not to condemn us to hell, but to pull us out of the ditch, clean us off, anoint our wounds and send us towards heaven!

I would love to send my kids to an *AUTHENTICALLY* Catholic school. However, the ones in my area are highly secularized. I was talking it over one time with a retired principal of the local boys’ high school. He expressed regret that it was so, but he told me that over 50% of the students were non-Catholic and most of the rest came from families who are only nominally Catholic.

The biggest thing the diocese schools could do to attract orthodox/traditional Catholics is to formally adopt a policy of half-off tuition for the 3rd child and free tuition for the 4th & above for active Church members. The local Protestant Christian schools nearly all do this. But I suspect that most of the school administrators do not actually want to attract orthodox/traditional families because that would make it harder to recruit non-Catholics and nominal Catholics.

Permit me to respond to a few of the responses to my more extended comments of last evening.  I cannot engage them all, for the simple reason I do not have the time (and I have to be a good steward of my time).

Brian:  When canon law speaks of freedom of choice in education, it is referring to parental rights vis-a-vis the State, not within the family of the Church.  Membership in the Church occurs by free association, which means I freely accept any restrictions the Church places on me.  An example:  The State cannot mandate celibacy for me, but the Church can (and does).

Marybeth:  I take no offense at any of the very thoughtful replies you have made.

Jenni:  I have not attacked anyone personally.  I was asked to reflect on my experience of home-schooling parents, and I have done just that.  My experience, it should be noted, is broad (not parochial, in either sense).  I have worked for the Church in a national capacity since 1980 and have had countless opportunities to observe many phenomena (liturgical, catechetical, educational) over a prolonged period of time and in extremely diverse circumstances.

Kathryn:  Your point on the stake of mothers in the home-schooling project is very perceptive.

Blake:  I have no problem with “fallen humanity,” being a part of it myself and needing to go to confession as well as hearing confessions.  What I have a problem with is intransigence.  When people will not open themselves up to the insights of another, especially when that comes from the teaching and wisdom of the Church, that I have a problem with—and that I have encountered with depressing regularity from the home-schooling “community.”  By the way, having “one or two children” is not a sin:  I am a only child; six of the eleven current U.S. cardinals are only children; Pope John Paul was one of two; Pope Benedict was one of three.  Church teaching, which I completely accept and pass on, merely says that every conjugal act must be open to life.  Finally, I “don’t mutter under my breath” about anything, as anyone who is familiar with my writing and speaking knows.  It is precisely my very clear position on this topic that has caused me to be written off by a very large segment of committed home-schoolers.

After my rather detailed response, I have noticed a much more rational, open and charitable approach in responses today—for which I am most grateful.

Fr. Stravinskas, did you know that a very highly rated Catholic school in San Antonio has daily Mass for the school? You might know about it already but that pastor is very proud (in a good way) of the fact that they have daily Mass and he strongly encourages his parishioners who homeschool to use his parish school and when I say “strongly encourages”,  I cannot overstate that. I don’t think that pastor thinks that having daily Mass will breed resentment in the students for Holy Mass. In my opinion, however, once a week is reasonable, given a rigorous academic schedule that a lot of Catholic schools have.

By the way, I am sorry for the anti-clericalism showing up here. Jesus is not pleased when His priests are attacked. Let us all show mercy, compassion and goodwill towards each other. We aren’t the real enemies against each other are we?

Father Peter, you mentioned the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church as one of your bases for an official Church position challenging homeschooling.  I offer the following exerpts for you consideration (after the exerpt are a few comments of my own):

238. In the work of education, the family forms man in the fullness of his personal dignity according to all his dimensions, including the social dimension. The family, in fact, constitutes “a community of love and solidarity, which is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values, essential for the development and well-being of its own members and of society”[539]. By exercising its mission to educate, the family contributes to the common good and constitutes the first school of social virtue, which all societies need[540]. In the family, persons are helped to grow in freedom and responsibility, indispensable prerequisites for any function in society. With education, certain fundamental values are communicated and assimilated[541].

239. The family has a completely original and irreplaceable role in raising children[542]. The parents’ love, placing itself at the service of children to draw forth from them (“e-ducere”) the best that is in them, finds its fullest expression precisely in the task of educating. “As well as being a source, the parents’ love is also the animating principle and therefore the norm inspiring and guiding all concrete educational activity, enriching it with the values of kindness, constancy, goodness, service, disinterestedness and self-sacrifice that are the most precious fruit of love”[543].

The right and duty of parents to educate their children is “essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others”[544]. Parents have the duty and right to impart a religious education and moral formation to their children[545], a right the State cannot annul but which it must respect and promote. This is a primary right that the family may not neglect or delegate.

240. Parents are the first educators, not the only educators, of their children. It belongs to them, therefore, to exercise with responsibility their educational activity in close and vigilant cooperation with civil and ecclesial agencies. “Man’s community aspect itself — both civil and ecclesial — demands and leads to a broader and more articulated activity resulting from well-ordered collaboration between the various agents of education. All these agents are necessary, even though each can and should play its part in accordance with the special competence and contribution proper to itself”[546]. Parents have the right to choose the formative tools that respond to their convictions and to seek those means that will help them best to fulfil their duty as educators, in the spiritual and religious sphere also. Public authorities have the duty to guarantee this right and to ensure the concrete conditions necessary for it to be exercised[547]. In this context, cooperation between the family and scholastic institutions takes on primary importance.

241. Parents have the right to found and support educational institutions. Public authorities must see to it that “public subsidies are so allocated that parents are truly free to exercise this right without incurring unjust burdens. Parents should not have to sustain, directly or indirectly, extra charges which would deny or unjustly limit the exercise of this freedom”[548]. The refusal to provide public economic support to non-public schools that need assistance and that render a service to civil society is to be considered an injustice. “Whenever the State lays claim to an educational monopoly, it oversteps its rights and offends justice ... The State cannot without injustice merely tolerate so-called private schools. Such schools render a public service and therefore have a right to financial assistance”[549].

242. The family has the responsibility to provide an integral education. Indeed, all true education “is directed towards the formation of the human person in view of his final end and the good of that society to which he belongs and in the duties of which he will, as an adult, have a share”[550]. This integrality is ensured when children — with the witness of life and in words — are educated in dialogue, encounter, sociality, legality, solidarity and peace, through the cultivation of the fundamental virtues of justice and charity[551].

======================================================

Regarding the necessity of community in education, in Paragraph 238, this document specificall refers to the family as a community.

Regarding paragraph 240, I think there are many homeschoolers who understand this, and therefore utilize co-ops, shared teaching of certain subjects, socialization activities, etc.  Also, the ONLY caveat this paragraph seems to put on parents not being the only educators is that they “exercise with responsibility their educational activity in close and vigilant cooperation with civil and ecclesial agencies”.  If parents are fulfilling those obligations, then are they not following the doctrine on this matter?

Paragraph 240 goes on to state “Parents have the right to choose the formative tools that respond to their convictions and to seek those means that will help them best to fulfil their duty as educators, in the spiritual and religious sphere also.”  In the religious and spiritual sphere also, indicating that it is not only those areas this document gives parents these rights on, but in addition to some other type of education.

Paragraph 241 almost blew my mind as an affirmative for homeschooling.  “Parents have the right to found and support educational institutions”  Wow.  Since the definition (one of them, anyway) is “an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, esp. one of a public, educational, or charitable character”  it could be argued that a homeschool community IS an institution.  If you really wanted to get picky, you could even call the family an institution, but I think takes it too nuclear…. A homeschool community working with ‘civil and ecclesial agencies’ seems to be in accordance with this Doctrine.

Paragraph 242 states that “The family has the responsibility to provide an integral education.”  This seems to be the main area of concern for opponents to homeschooling.  The quality of the education.  First, in this paragraph, the use of ‘integral’ is used, meaning complete or whole.  It does not say we need to educate National Merit Scholars.  It says we are “responsible” for providing them with a whole and complete education.  I believe that many of us are trying to do just that very thing…..

I do not know that I will get to the other documents you mentioned, as you said, we must be good stweards of our time, and I have planning to do for our upcoming session…. 

To everyone :  If this is my last post, May God Bless you all.  It has been a pleasure debating this issue :)

Of course having 1 or 2 children is not inherently sinful. In my extended family, I have several aunts who experienced infertility and wound up bearing or adopting only 1 or 2 kids even though they had hoped for larger families. It simply was God’s plan for them to have small families. Other families face personal circumstances which make it prudent to use NFP to avoid pregnancy (such as unemployment or serious health concerns).

However, the majority of small families view babies as burdens rather than blessings and limit family size through immoral means such as artificial contraception, sterilization, abortion, or misuse of NFP. The Church is clear that NFP should be used to avoid only when there is a sufficiently serious reason for it, and that artificial contraception, sterilization, and abortion are all sinful.

There is a difference between “parenting” and “homeschooling”.  Families who choose to not home-school do not abdicate their parenting!!!  All the above mentioned quotes from Catholic documents are about parenting.

Maybe I can make my point this way:  I home-school also - but I supplement my children’s education full time at the local Catholic school.  Others choose to supplement their children’s education elsewhere.

“Homeschooling” is simply another facet of parenting.

I taught my kids to take their dishes to the sink after dinner.  Now I’m trying to teach them to put their dishes directly in the dishwasher.  They brush their teeth, wash their faces.  They fold and put away their laundry, sort of anyway. 

Why does my teaching them fractions threaten you?  And why cannot DH and I supplement my kids’ education part-time at a Catholic school? 

Frankly, I think it boils down to money.  Public schools and unions are definately not friends of the homeschool community because a loss of students means a loss of jobs that pay upwards of $100,000 (sometimes more) in salaries plus benefits.  With the loss of jobs, comes the loss of union members who pay dues to keep the union bosses making even more.  Less jobs, less money.

Parochial school employees do not make anywhere near that amount, but I think the same thing may be happening on a smaller scale.  Less parochial students means less jobs—jobs that may not pay all that well or have much power attached to them, but jobs that people enjoy doing and from which people derive emotional satisfaction and purpose.

As it so happens, many homeschooling parents happen to get a measure of self-satisfaction from homeschooling.  If I didn’t homeschool, I’d have to go go back and join the workforce.  As a former “working mom” classmate of mine noted a couple of months back, that isn’t much incentive to quit homeschooling.

“Catholic Education” may be “God’s business,” but it is still business.  If you want people to come to return to the parochial system, you will have to offer a product parents want to purchase at a cost they are willing to pay.  That may mean making substantial changes to your business procedures, plans, and expectations.

Father Stravinskas, an honest question: since you think it is unhealthy for children to be at home with their mothers 24/7, do you also believe that it is wrong for Catholic women to stay at home with all of their preschool-aged children—or must Catholic women place their children in institutional day-care and go to work at some personally fulfilling job for everyone’s optimum health?

I ask because it seems odd to me that a woman can be doing well by her children to stay at home with each of them for five or six years until the youngest is school-aged (requiring, on her part, a sacrifice that may total a couple of decades) but doing poorly by her same children if she educates them at home beyond their fifth birthdays.  Perhaps I misunderstand Catholic teaching, and the Church really prefers women to pursue careers outside the home and outsource their childcare.  Certainly more of us could afford Catholic school tuition if that were the case.

@Mary on Saturday, Oct 30, 2010 - Thank you for the reference to our school, The Atonement Academy, which is a Pre-K through High School institution in San Antonio, Texas.  When you said “...he strongly encourages his parishioners who homeschool to use his parish school and when I say ‘strongly encourages’, I cannot overstate that,” I hope people understand that I tell homeschoolers, in no uncertain terms, to put their children in the school, and not just to bring them to the daily school Mass.  I take away their excuses about the cost by having a generous family cap (no tuition is charged for more than two children, although we have many families with five, six or more children in the school), and we provide financial aid for anyone in the parish who truly cannot afford tuition payments. Last year, between family caps and tuition aid, we provided more than a quarter of a million dollars so that children could attend school here.

Kathryn, if you read my posts above, I am not necessarily against home-schooling.  I am perpelexed at the hatred the home-schooling crowd has for Catholic schools. 

Furthermore, whether you home school or not, I hope you continue to participate in helping Catholic schools become everything Christ intends for them to be - as the Church prompts us to do.  IF, your Catholic school is not what it should be, for the sake of the youth in your community - get involved (constructively) to help it become authentic.  This will invovled more than simply finding mistakes and making them as public as possible. 

Money should never be a barrier to a child attending Catholic schools.  If it is, this needs to be fixed!  This is a difficult situation in most systems including our local system.

“I am perpelexed at the hatred the home-schooling crowd has for Catholic schools.”

I don’t think it’s right for home schoolers, or anyone, to “hate” Catholic schools.

I think it’s reasonable and understandable, that in dodgy dioceses, where dodgy Catholic schools in which heresy and dissent has become entrenched in the faculty, administration, and curricula, where faithful Catholic teachers are disciplined for being faithful, where the concerns of faithful Catholic parents are mocked or ignored, that, yes, level-headed and loyal parents will find themselves *reluctant* to enter their children into those conditions.

Even adamantly opposed to doing so.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

On the other hand, where the diocese and the school are not dodgy, but instead solid and faithful, but have the typical, average, run-of-the-mill problems and tensions that mature but amateur, untrained lay people should be able to sort out together in charity and humility, then parents living in those parishes should have not be opposed to sending their children to those schools.

Makes perfect sense to me.

I haven’t been following all of the comments since my last visit, but just on a practical level…from a mom’s point of view… it seems like common sense to me that for SOME families, homeschooling will be the best option, and for others parish schools will better.  I just have a hard time believing there is something fundamentally wrong with it and, despite what Father S. believes, I can’t at all believe that the Bishops would lead so many faithful Catholics astray by supporting it. 

Also, common sense tells me that for my oldest daughter a FULL, eight hour day of Kindergarten next year is just overkill!  When did they start doing a full day for five year olds, it’s absurd.  With my daughters temperament, the teachers would probably try to tell me she has ADD or something.  Also, if the Church supports families having lots of children, which she does, it seems to me that she would also be supportive of families making choices that will make it more appealing to continue to be open to life.  I have three children now, ages 4.5, 2.5 and 8 mos. For my family, it would be unreasonable for me to have to force the younger children out of bed every morning in order to drive my daughter to school and the thought of possibly having more babies and trying to do that every morning means I have to get toddlers and a newborn ready just to take my daughter to school every morning…God Bless any and all mothers that do this with large families, they are saints, it just isn’t for my family.  I will not have my family’s entire life schedule revolve around one child’s education.

Also, it’s just kindergarten next year, I think I’m capable of handling it…I mean how bad can I mess up?  I’ve already taught her to read and she’s doing quite well with addition and subtraction up to ten.  We will hold firm to the philosophy of taking it one year at a time and determining what is the best option for each child.  So unless I hear my Shepherd state that homeschooling is no longer a supported option for faithful Catholics, I think I’m going to stick to my guns on this one.

Michelle, I think you’d find a fairly warm and friendly community of like-minded parents within most Catholic schools, and you wouldn’t be left to fend for yourself.  For instance, in our school we have parents who carpool, taking turns getting one another’s children to school.  For years, there has been a very active “sharing and caring committee,” developed by parents, which gives extra support when a new baby is born, or if a family is having some particular rough patch—they’re always ready to provide meals, babysit kids, help with the driving, etc.  The school makes before and after school care available, so if Dad needs to drop the children off early on his way to work, there is a safe and friendly place for them to be cared for before classes begin.  The point is this: most Catholic schools are an extension of the parish community.  You’re not in Catholic education by yourself.

Fr. Phillips- would you go so far as to claim that the majority of families enrolled in parochial schools are orthodox/traditional Catholics? I have found that most “like-minded parents” homeschool their children while most of my acquaintances who utilize the local parochial schools are highly secular and at most pay lip service to the teachings of the Church. Many of them, in fact, openly acknowledge that they reject certain teachings (typically related to s*xuality).

I haven’t observed the parochial schools in my area to be a “safe and friendly place” for orthodox Catholics.

” . . .most of my acquaintances who utilize the local parochial schools are highly secular and at most pay lip service to the teachings of the Church. Many of them, in fact, openly acknowledge that they reject certain teachings (typically related to s*xuality). . . “

That’s very sad. The question, though, is, are these secular/dissident parents *militant* - evangelical, even - about their opposition to authentic Church teaching, or are there indications that they might be open to the truth?

If they *aren’t* militantly dissident, then there’s hope for them, and maybe your family would be among those who provide the example they need.

If they *are* militantly dissident, then I think they represent a real spiritual danger to others, and should be prayed for, but avoided to the extent possible.

In our diocese, in some so-called Catholic schools we have not only actual militantly dissident parents, but also actively “evangelical” dissident faculty and administration.

Not all the schools. But some. Enough so that you have to be careful.

But if your parish school has faithful and loyal faculty and staff, and most of the parents are fairly solid, it’s not fair to demand 100% lockstep perfection from every single family. Even God is patient and forgiving toward His children as long as they continue to at least try.

(Sometimes my “trying” may look to God and to others like sulking, rebelling, or giving up, but He knows the difference, and is so patient and generous toward us. Can’t we be that way toward others?)

Mr. Fazzari:

I suspect the “hatred” (and in some cases I am sure it is) comes from

1) A mixture of scandal and fear for their children (it is understandable that parents who obey the Church teachings on “family life”—including divorce—don’t want their young children exposed to dissent and whatnot), bullying (yes, it can happen in any setting where more than one person is on the scene), and secular “state approved” curricula to which they may object.
2) Guilt trips and a feeling of coercsion (You are obligated to send your kids to Catholic schools, pay $5,000 in tuition, and by the way Sister Lucy is openly campaigning for Senator Pro-abort so we need you to try to convince her that that isn’t a good thing.)

Some year back my husband and I did try to make our parish a better place—we decided to teach NFP.  It went over like a lead brick, most espcially with Church leadership.  I remember our pastor rolling his eyes when I mentioned the potential abortafacient nature of the IUD.  These things wear on you after a while and can be very, very depressing.

3) Money
4) Identity and a feeling of self-worth. I think this factor here may be much bigger than most women want to admit.  Ok, so I can’t spell and my proof-reading and editing abilities on the blog site are less than exemplary (just ask Father Stravinskas), I can do more—and I want to do more—than change diapers, scrub toilets, and vaccuum the living room.

My children need to be taught, and I have to hire someone to do it.  Why not hire myself?  My senior year of college I finally figured out what I wanted to do, and I was accepted into both a local teacher college as well as the French/Latin graduate teacher program at one of the bigger universities.  (God had other plans for me though; I met my future husband and got married instead.)

My children’s standardized scores are very acceptable, so I must be doing something right.  I’m quite happy with our school (we use a Catholic homeschool academy.  No, it isn’t Seton).  To me, these are every bit as legitimate as the Diocesan school system.

Our current parish does not have a school attached to it.  If the other parish schools offered a hard core Orton-Guillingham phonics program, I’d put my children there immediately, and Sister Lucy could campaign for Senator Pro-Abort to her heart’s content while I campaigned for the other guy.  Unfortunately, they don’t offer it.  Pity too, because of they did, they’d have new students coming out of the workwooks like mad.  Dyslexia and other learning disabilities seem to be rampant in the area.  Many homeschoolers pull their kids out of school because they are not getting what they needed in the inflexible, overwhelmed public school setting.  I understand that “special learning needs” children is a big growth area for the homeschool community all over the country.  The Diocesans schools should capitalize on that.

This is my last post.  The new quarter starts tomorrow. I’ve got a pumpkin to help carve, laundry to do, paperwork and school portfolios to update.

Happy Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls everyone.

Today was family weekend at the very small, very orthodox seminary our son is attending, as one of only 44 seminarians, he is 1 of 4 K-12 homeschool graduates and there are 3 other seminarians with some homeschool experience.

I would not have used a Catholic school, but I am very supportive of having them available and I think that children who are attending a brick and mortar school who are Catholic should be in Catholic schools.  I have enjoyed homeschooling so much.  We have wonderful relationships with our children who are in college, both the seminary and a liberal arts school, as well as the one still at home.  We are very blessed and the graces have been and are abundant.  Each family must pray over the choices they make for their children’s education and the Church has a responsibility to help them get to heaven.

“The question, though, is, are these secular/dissident parents *militant* - evangelical, even - about their opposition to authentic Church teaching, or are there indications that they might be open to the truth?”

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. While I do get the sense that Bishop Cordileone is at least making an effort to try & guide the wayward flock back towards a more orthodox Catholicism, I haven’t seen much evidence that he’s been particularly successful.

Here is an excellent article on the topic throughout these comments.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0224.html

In Christ

Dave

David,  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!

That was amazing, and I love the specific details and logic behind it all.  This is a truly FANTASTIC article…..

Thank you, David, for posting the link for the article.  It is an outstanding piece!

Father Peter, I hope you’ll find time in the near future to look at the staggering costs of Catholic education.  My diocese operates some really wonderful schools, but with tuition at $6K for grade school (per child) and $11K for high school, plus uniforms, books ($500 and up per year), fees, gasoline/carpool costs, etc., not to mention summer camps to cover my daughter’s time off from school - since Catholic school tuition would drive me back into the full-time work force - it’s impossible.  We have cut everywhere we can (we drive old falling-apart cars, we live in a modest home, etc.) and the only way to afford Catholic school tuition is for me to go back to work full time.  (I work from home part time now.)  I am honestly wondering how we will afford to care for our aging parents, who will need not only financial support but logistical (e.g. driving, shopping) support from us if both of us are working.  It’s impossible to hold down a good job if you have to keep taking time off for dependents’ medical appointments, etc.  (Perhaps someone in your extended family has had experience with elder care and can tell you how time consuming it is.)

When my diocese began setting teacher salaries at parity with public school teachers’ pay, the schools were forced to raise tuition.  The effect was immediate - whole families left the schools, families who volunteered countless hours and really believed in Catholic education.  Nearly a decade later, many of these schools still have openings in every grade - because they are too expensive to attend.  Whose fault is this?  The parents’?  I don’t think so - the schools were full and had waiting lists prior to the 45% tuition hike.

As a product of excellent Catholic schools myself, I know good schools are out there.  Those of us who can’t afford them feel hurt and shamed when priests such as yourself chastise us for not doing something we really and truly can’t do, through no fault of our own.

Perhaps you could direct some of your energy toward chastising Congress for setting military salaries at low rates (many enlisted families are on WIC and food stamp programs) and moving military families like mine around (at enormous expense to taxpayers and ourselves) every two years. There are plenty of Catholic military families who would love to send their children to Catholic schools, but the money just isn’t there…and they’re always “new” parishioners, with few connections to help them tap into available resources, or enough time in the diocese to qualify for a scholarship (ours only offers scholarships during the 4th and 8th grade years, so if you aren’t here during those years, you are out of luck!).

Wow, lots of comments.  I haven’t read them all.  Mark - thanks for writing this.  We’re planning to home educate our children, God willing.  I went to very good public schools in the US, but I confess that I was often bored because I was ahead of the class in a lot of areas (I’m not trying to be arrogant).  I did have a teacher who tried giving me more challenging material, but she couldn’t keep up with that and planning for the rest of the class, and I understand that, having taught in a public school myself. It’s difficult when you have 20-30 students plus all the professional development and administrative things you have to do. 

Anyway, the reasons we’re planning to home educate:
-being able to tailor the education to the child.  I have no delusions about this being dead simple, but I also have a teaching background, an advanced degree, and lots of people I can speak to for ideas as well as a lot of resources available (such as libraries and museums, as well as internet resources).
-having the opportunity to attend daily Mass. We don’t make it daily, but we try.  I don’t force my children to go - my son begs to go (my daughter is too young to ask).
- not having to worry about the national curriculum. I live in England, and the majority of Catholic schools here receive government funding, meaning that they must use the national curriculum. This can present problems.  There is a private Catholic school in my city (just one, as far as I know), but we cannot afford it.

While my children are still quite young, I really don’t think we’ll be in the house together 24/7 as they get older.  We aren’t now.  We belong to a home education group (not a specifically Catholic group, as there isn’t one in my city).  There are other home educated children not far from us, so we can get together and go to museums or whatnot as well.  Or just let the kids run and play for a bit.  After the local schools are out, the street is full of all the kids playing, too.

It is great that so many mothers have degrees in teaching, but really it is not absolutely necessary.  I have a high school diploma.  I figured if I learned enough to get one, I should be capable of teaching at least that much, right?  :-)  Well, I was, I did and I am very happy with the outcome.  Education has been VERY important to my husband and I and we both love learning, still.  I, personally, cannot deal with regurgitating someone else’s decisions of what is important to learn, but was able to each my children how to do so and not get so frustrated that they quit.  They love learning and they love the gifts that they receive at Mass.  As far as I’m concerned, that is success.  Will they always do the right thing?  NO, and anyone who tries to hold up homeschoolers to a higher standard are out of line.  They are human beings and will make mistakes, fail and have problems, like every other human being.  To believe otherwise is ignorant at best.  God bless those who are starting the journey.  It has been so wonderful.  I am a little sad to be at the other end, but happy to see the fruits of the labor, for it was and is all in love.

To clarify, my degrees aren’t in education, they’re in archaeology and Egyptology.  I was doing an alternative certification programme in FL when I was teaching.  I can easily teach elementary subjects, and can teach literature, history, and some sciences at a higher level without a problem. My husband is bilingual, so can cover the foreign language aspect. Both of us can teach religion (as a convert, I’m adamant that our children know what we believe and why). What we can’t easily teach we’ll find tutors or work within the home ed group, as there are other parents there who excel at maths and such.

There is a lot to say… and many have said it, and then some!

A few points I’d like to emphasize: 
- My children are in a very, very small minority of homeschoolers in my town.  We are a witness for a different way of life, where the “hurried child” slows down and smells the roses.
- My parish school is reasonably good, but expensive.  LIkewise, the local Catholic high schools.  That said, we chose to continue homeschooling when we moved to this area because we enjoy what we see in our children’s education.
- “More science than they’d get in school” - a quote from a school department official.  Even though I’m no scientist, I have the opportunity to experiment with them.  That’s just plain fun in the elementary years. 
- Even more important, more reading than they’d get in school.  I compare notes with my friends whose kids are in public schools and parish schools.  They’re not reading as much, and they’re not reading classics.  One parent told me that “Treasure Island” was once assigned to seventh graders at our parish school, but quickly dropped because it was “too hard,” according to too many parents.
- We can let the children develop at their own pace, whatever that is.  I have one child who is truly gifted in math, but in earlier grades was a most reluctant reader and downright obstinate about writing.  Now he is still advanced in math, but his reading and writing have advanced significantly.
- We can allow older children to follow their talents.  I have one child who loves music.  She spends four hours a day practicing piano and organ.  She went to an excellent Catholic high school for two years, but chose to complete her education at home so that she could spend the time she needs with her music.
- There are so many academic resources available to us!  We can choose among community college classes, distance learning classes, correspondence school classes, taught-by-me classes, independent study (which prepares them for college the best because they have to learn how to learn), public school classes (we are lucky, I know), tutoring, conservatory classes (guess who does that…), museum-based classes, and more.  One friend described being a homeschool mom as being a general contractor for education.
- There is no need for our kids to be isolated.  They participate in scouts, church choir, church music ministry (substitute organist and volunteer pianist for parish youth Masses), swim team, soccer leagues (well, not any more - but they did), orchestra, band, marching band, computer club, homeschool coop.  The boys are altar servers.
- I do “give back”.  I have twice co-chaired the parish bazaar that raises funds for the parish and school.  I am on the women’s spiritual development group steering committee.  I teach Confirmation class and the seventh grade chastity unit.  I helped start a parish-based women’s book club.  I taught TOB seminars and would do so again if asked.  I hope I’m setting a good example for my kids so they’ll know what is expected of them.
- There is no substitute for the sibling relationships which develop within a good-sized family that homeschools.  My ninth-grade son came home from his first day of marching band and dragooned his seventh-grade sister into joining because he saw a match between the band’s need for a xylophone player and his sister’s keyboard abilities.  That’s just one example; there are many.  I won’t disclose how many of my sons have used younger brothers as an excuse to keep enjoying Legos rather than giving them up as too undignified.  Let’s just say that there was an immediate argument between younger ones when an older one ceded title, concerning whether one of them would subsequently have to cede title at the same age.

One remark by a commenter above did bother me - about college choices.  I have had one daughter graduate from a Very Prestigious University, and my husband and I were unimpressed by the education she received and horrified by the socialization/pressure to conform to immorality that we saw.  This child was in Catholic school K-8 and public high school 9-11 (she graduated early), so her mindset and our reaction cannot be attributed to homeschooling.  We are now convinced that any university which is associated with any religion will have lower prestige than if it were unaffiliated, and that prestige may not be associated with quality education.  Between us we have three graduate degrees and a lot of educational debt.  We see no point in pressing this sort of education on our children.  If they want a real education, we are encouraging them to look at Very Catholic Colleges; otherwise we will encourage them to consider what training they need for the job they want to do.

I know this is a long and late comment but hope it strikes some chords in others.

Karin, VERY well said…...  Thank you for sharing your experience, and your story….  It DID, indeed, strike a chord, and has given me some motivation on a VERY difficult day….

We have done both.

I do not claim to be a home-schooling whiz.  For many reasons, our home-schooled child of longest standing did not graduate (although she’s working on it).  However she was one person people did not believed was home-schooled because of her maturity and social ability.  I might add that she has had lead roles in local amateur theatre productions, as well as smaller parts.  She has already had her share of difficulties dealing with people (bosses, directors,friends), and she usually handles herself at least as well as people much older than she is.

Our two eldest home-schooled kids have done extensive world travel on their own.  Our eldest, at 24, has been working overseas for three years already, and he’s not military.

Our two Catholic High School graduates have no classmates I can think of who practice their faiths.  None. And this is two years worth of students. We live in an area with a fairly small population.  It’s not hard to notice these things.

My youngest daughter, who is at school and will graduate next year, had her Hummer- driving World Religions teacher start the year by telling the class that plastic water-bottles would not be permitted in class for environmental reasons. The class’s next lesson was on making family totems. 

I do what I can to support Catholic schooling, mostly by trying to remind people that it is CATHOLIC schooling.  This often involves ‘de-programming’ sessions with whomever is currently attending a Catholic school.

  You can’t tell the schools are Catholic by the majority of teachers who are in ‘irregular’ relationships.  You can’t tell by the higher-ups who push sex-ed to little people, completely ignoring the latency period of children.  You can’t tell by the guest speakers at teachers’ conferences who are vocally opposed to Catholic teaching.

The latest Board newsletter was all about how green the Catholic schools are becoming.  Stewardship, stewardship.  Not a word about stewardship of souls.  God got only a couple of passing mentions.

Even silly things like having the ‘Authorized Edition’ of the Bible displayed in the school showcase…

Father Stravinskas, I respectfully disagree with what you say about the requirement to use Catholic Schools.  So many of these schools simply let down the guards of parents and students and make them fertile ground for all manner of false teaching, because these families think they’re getting Catholic education when they’re not. 

Home-schooling can hardly do worse.

Schooling at home, in private religious education or public education, will not determine the character and intellect of a child as much as their parents are involved. You could have a child who is schooled at home, but if his parents are not loving and multi-faceted individuals, he too shall have such limits imposed upon him. A child is the product of his environment at home, and it is his upbringing which will determine his place in the world, in how he will approach his life. So whether a person received education at home or outside the home, nothing will impact him as much as his relationship with his parents and family interactions. The outside world may be menacing, it may be full of threats and sin, but it is the love or lack thereof, of our parents, that often times determines if we become a slave to it or a victim of the secular world, or if we are to be warriors, to endure, and to overcome. Education has nothing to do with this, it is about our parents guidance and love, which will always win, no matter where we receive our lessons on reading, writing, or arithmetic.

I went to public schools but my family was very devout, the church was alive in our home, not just in the sanctuary, and were it not for my faith and my family, surely I wouldn’t have been able to survive the inevitable perils of life in such an unstable world. It was not my education which determined the outcome of my life or shaped my heart, it was God and the church which always stepped in, through the love of my family, to overcome whatever battle crossed my path.

This is not so much an issue since the Internet, but one of the ways I benefited most from going to a Catholic school was the access to Catholic literature. I think for my daughter and myself, homeschooling would not have been a good option because we are both shy and have difficulty speaking up for ourselves.  Being in school forced us to interact with people outside our family, particularly adults, almost every day. However, I believe that sometimes cost or too much heresy in the Catholic school or a particular child’s need make homeschooling the best option.

Mark, your article is the only time I have found in print what I have said for years regarding the “salt and light” argument.  Many families, especially Protestant families, feel this calling.  I have taught for twenty years in public schools and know that some Christian children can indeed be salt and light among their peers, but on the whole, this is not a role they should be pushed into.  Just how successful are most adults at being salt and light in the workplace?  It is unreasonable to see public schools as a huge evangelistic opportunity for teens and children.  For adult teachers and faculty, yes.  For children who are still walking around on socially, intellectually, and spiritually wobbly legs, no.

@ Magister

Good Point about ‘salt and light’.  I was once given this argument when I discussed with the local Catholic HS “chaplain” why I wanted to home-school.  Mark’s point about children not being suitable for that call didn’t enter my head at that point!

And so, in summary, it really is all about the “us vs. them” mentality on the subject.

No winners here. Catholic schools lose and the homeschoolers lose. There are enough arguments here to turn anyone off to either.

@ Charlotte

I don’t think it should be an ‘us vs them’ mentality at all.  I think that ultimately the parents should do what they think best for their children’s faith and education.  That will vary among families, schools and circumstances.

I do not think that either the homeschooling parent or the Catholic school parent should be guilted into accepting one side or the other.  I am fairly certain that parents do what they think best for their kids.  I just hope the parents (and the schools) are also thinking about matters that are eternal as they’re making educational decisions.

I am curious how/why you read us vs them in any of the discussion here.  OK, there are some, on either side, that turn it into an us vs them, but I think, on the whole, most of us are all just parents trying to do the best we can with these little people that God has given us and entrusted us, for a brief time, with the responsibility of raising the best way we can.  For some, that means an education at home, for others, brick and mortar schooling….  Hopefully, no matter where your child is schooled, they are receiving a truly Catholic education at home… 

I get frustrated by the whole us vs them mentality that people seem have about everything.  Stay at home moms vs working moms.  Nursing mothers vs. bottle feeding mothers.  Home school vs. brick and mortar school.  We are ALL part of the divine family, and should all do our best not to let things get to the us vs them point.  And if it does get to that point, detracting ourselves from an argument where there is no clear `right` choice is likely the most prudent option.  You can explain and defend your position and your experiences, but when people are just argumentative nothing constructive or useful comes of that and it is best to walk away ...

In the words of St Francis: `Preach the gospel always.  If necessary, use words.`  We are failing to do that when we engage in deconstructive arguments with people who are just closed to our views….  Acknowledge that they are doing the best they know how to for their situation.  Sometimes, we will come across people who are interested in the choice we have made because it differs from their own.  Then we can discuss - openly and non-judgementally -  and move on….   

Hoping this makes sense.  I typed this while checking math, and now I need to go shower before my babies wake up, and have no time for proofreading….  Please excuse any type-os or grammatical errors :)

God Bless!

May I respectfully suggest that asking people to discuss contentious, hot-button issues such as this one - in which people believe souls, salvation, and the viability of parishes are on the line - in a quote “non-judgemental manner” is a bit pie-in-the-sky?

The point of my first comment was to observe that no one here has made any super-compelling argument for either parish Catholic schools or homeschooling. I see most of the comments here as an attempt to convert people to their “side,” which is most definitely an “us vs. them” sort of thing.

Of course people try to make the best decisions for their kids and families. That’s kind of a given. It’s also kind of a given that never will the two sides meet (at least in my opinion.) There are certain topics that come up for discussion in Catholic media that will always get people up in arms. Homeschooling is near the top of the list. Wishing and hoping for some peaceful resolution to it all is hoping for a lot.

Wow!  Reading these comments just reinforced my suspicion that many Catholics cannot see past what they’ve always done or been used to in practices that have been proven not to matter that much.  I am a homeschooler and have successfully homeschooled my eldest past her ACTs.  By the grace of God, she did well…and also thanks to God, she’s very well socialized, thank you.  In fact, she can socialize with young and old and everywhere in between.  I’m still homeschooling my younger three.  There are good days and bad days…it’s much like…life and work.  :)  It’s a tough job and very rewarding.  Not everyone is cut out for this lifestyle, but it’s a good one for our family and many others. 

I have noticed that many people will sit by and say nothing to parents who choose to send their children to the public schools and never ask them why or dare criticize their decision, and then almost in the same breath, turn on the nearest family who have decided to homeschool and dare to criticize them to their face although they know almost nothing about what they do day-to-day.  Why is this?  It is an interesting situation to think about.  Is it equivilent to the union vs. non-union or the professional vs. do-it-yourselfer conflict?  Are we jealously defending our terf?  Is it a case of “we’ve always done it this way, so it must be the best method around”? 

The argument that we “good Catholics” need to support our parochial schools is kind of sad given the cost of those schools, the state of some of them, and that the public schools and government often says the exact same thing about their schools.  We may even be saving our parish money by homeschooling as a priest once told me…we couldn’t afford full tuition either, so someone has to pay the difference. 

Regardless of our choice of education, I think it’s best to tend to our own plank-eyes and leave the specks in our neighbors’ eyes alone.  If it works, why not be happy for that family?  If it doesn’t then support for our efforts, charity, and an objective attitude toward differing educational methods will go a long way in helping that family decide it’s not working for them.  We Catholics are called to love one another…not called to force everyone into the same educational mold simply because there happens to be a Catholic school in our neighborhood.

Charlotte, I think you are a very peaceful resolution.  :-)  It is unlikely that there will be a meeting of the two sides, but I am very supportive of those who send their children to Catholic Schools.  I know part of my tithe goes to help our Catholic schools.  I think that is very important.  I have done the best thing my husband and I decided on.  God knows we have and will continue to try to be the most loving and dedicated parents we can be to our children.  I think the above comment about the parents involvement, regardless of the “school” is right on target.  Homeschoolers are less than 3% of the population, or around that, and they know their freedom to continue legally are routinely in jeapordy.  I believe that drives much of the “us v. them” feelings.

The two sides meet frequently.  I know of families, including my own, where children have been both home-schooled and parish-schooled and even public-schooled, and not in any given order.

I have met few families who are intransigent on the issue, one way or the other.  I have one child who was never home-schooled.  I have another who would have been home-schooled, but we were presented with a school/home situation combo which made sending him to school the better choice.  My other three have had both home-schooling and ‘school’ schooling.

I think the reason no compelling argument has been made for either home-schooling or brick and mortar schooling is that there is no one argument.  Each family must create their own ‘argument’ or set of reasons why they choose what they do.

I just completed reading all of the comments which took a LONG time!  I found the comment here:  sahmtotwo on Monday, Nov 8, 2010 9:29 AM (EDT) to be the most in tune with what I have observed in life.  I know families who home-schooled, sent to diocesan Catholic schools, private Catholic schools, and as my husband and I chose, public-schooled.

I have seen good and not-so-good results from all of the education options but the primary indicator was the health of the family life.  This trumps the method of education in the majority of instances. 

I have noticed that among home-schoolers in particular, when the teaching parent is not quite well-balanced psychologically, those “quirks” tend to be magnified in the children.  I believe this goes back to what Fr. Stravinskas was speaking about when he commented that children should not be limited to their mother’s influence for the vast majority of their day. I am not speaking here of children who are under six. 

The amount of control that parents exercise over their children today, I believe, is unprecedented in history.  Children need the freedom to play with other children (yes, even those who come from not-perfect homes), interact with other adults and spend time alone as well.  They need to be allowed to make a mistake once in a while—even if it involves public embarrassment!  Children also need the freedom to be able to discern their vocations.  Having a parent pushing one vocation (usually to religious life) or demanding a certain type of spouse for their child is an injustice to the child.  I have seen this happen in all families but with home-schoolers, the children often have less opportunity to learn about other options and hear other people’s viewpoints.

I don’t think we have yet developed the best method for education.  I know the frustration of being held to the pace of the slowest student in the classroom even though I graduated high school when I was sixteen.  I know the pain of not being popular in school and have seen the torment of those who were bullied.  I have seen the effect of children being confined to only their age group and the social ramifications of that.  Public-schooled and often private-schooled children are quite socially inept in many cases because they do not learn how to relate to anyone who is not the same age as they are.  We are seeing the disintegration of education using the present methods.  They are not working.  I think we need to all ponder these things deeply and work together to come up with better answers.

Father Peter Stravinskas,

I must say that I do not agree with a single one of your 11 points nailed onto the home schooling door.  In fact, in my opinion many of the points you make are ridiculous and merit no response.

The idea that the church would somehow be against home schooling is also ridiculous.  This is plainly shown by the article link from www.catholiceducation.org posted by David on this same thread.

One must wonder what is truly driving your ‘opinion.’

God bless you,

Byron Leonard

Father Peter Stravinskas,

I must say that I do not agree with a single one of your 11 points nailed onto the home schooling door.  In fact, in my opinion many of the points you make are ridiculous and merit no response.

The idea that the church would somehow be against home schooling is also ridiculous.  This is plainly shown by the article link from catholiceducation dot org web site posted by David on this same thread.

One must wonder what is truly driving your ‘opinion.’

God bless you,

Byron Leonard

I would disagree with Steve, too, but we have to remember that any statement, no matter how false, becomes true if you put “Fact:” in front of it.

I am a convert to the Catholic faith.  One of the things I love most about my new family is the fact that God calls us all to be sanctified in different ways. I would lose all hope if I thought the only way to be a saint was to be a religious. I am a homeschooling mother. That is my path to sanctification.  I believe it is what I was called to do by Christ himself. Do I have proof? No. Do I doubt myself? Almost daily.  But since I’m working under the assumption this is what I’m supposed to do, I do my best everyday. I also trust that God will guide my family to do whatever he has planned for us and if my children are supposed to be Catholic doctors or senators or scientist they will hear that call and do what is necessary. Let us not forget that the world also needs Catholic garbage men and computer programmers and grocery clerks and homemakers and seminarians and on and on. Where we do school is immaterial. How we come to the decision is what is important. Do we pray about our decision? Do we allow the Lord to lead us? Do we put aside our pride and do the thing he asks of us? Do we not give up when the going gets tough? Homeschooling is not for everyone and it isn’t the only way to educate a child, just as being a cloistered nun is not the only way to serve God.

God bless!

My five children received a total of 65 years of Catholic schooling in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, from the 1980s until a few years ago. Many people in Catholic education are very nice people doing their best. I appreciate what many of the teachers and administrators did for my children and had no trouble thanking them for it.  I didn’t, however, assume that the fact that they were hired by the Catholic education bureaucracy was all I needed to know.  Some were good people, some weren’t.  Some were good teachers, some weren’t.  Some were Catholics, some weren’t.

Father Stravinska’s statement that “We should be careful about perpetuating myths left over from the seventies about the Catholic schools of today, with heresy rife, etc.” is just bizarre. It is true that strict heresy printed in textbooks probably doesn’t happen anymore. Catholicism is probably more tolerated in the Catholic schools of today than it was in my day, but that’s it. Liberal teachers, that is both politically and religiously liberal, are treated much better than orthodox Catholic ones.  On the day after Pope Benedict was elected a teacher began class at my daughter’s high school by saying “I hope you know that your new pope was a member of Hitler Youth.” That teacher has a career in Catholic education for as long as she wants it. Less memorable attacks on the truths the Catholic Church teaches were frequent, if not every day events. I’d like to know Father’s sincere answer to this question: In your opinion what percentage of Catholic school teachers always, in every election, without fail, vote for the pro-abortion candidates and against the pro-life ones?  I’d say it’s probably a majority.  In some places and in some schools I’d say it gets to about 90%. Very blatant and complete religious indifferentism may be stronger in the schools today than classic Modernism, but the situation is not good.

Father seems to say that Church authorities are somehow against attacks on Catholic truth in Catholic schools. They are against them the way Mario Cuomo was against abortion. Somewhere in the back of their minds they wish it wasn’t like this, but they will never lift a finger to change it.

Father’s advice on how to deal with the problem is even stranger.  Give your children into the care of these people, and make your children their particular target by complaining about them to school and Church authorities. Unless your child has particular and rare character traits, being singled out in school because of their weird and obnoxious parents in not good for them.

There are three groups of people teaching in and running the Catholic schools:  1) some proselytize against the Catholic faith; 2) some have no, or very little, interest in Catholicism, but are willing to jump through whatever hoops the school authorities hold up, as long as it doesn’t take too much effort; and 3) some are sincere Catholics.  The fact that people in Group 1 have to be a little more careful today than their predecessors were in the 1970’s does not cut into their effectiveness that much.  Which of these three groups does Father think have to be more guarded about what they say?

Where their children should be educated in a personal decision for a family to make in light of their own circumstances and the resources available to them. But I will say that unless you hear frequent and public complaints that a school is too “strict and rigid” you should know that it is dominated by people opposed to, or indifferent to, the teachings of Pope Benedict. Father seems to think he can use Canon Law against home schoolers.  I think that the Martin family made the right decision for St. Therese.

My husband is a police sergeant in a mid-sized city in the midwest.  His hours and days off are quite unusual and vary from day to day as he is also one of the sergeants in charge of the crime scene unit.  My homeschooling allows our children to have a relationship with their father.  If I had them enrolled in a conventional school, they would rarely ever see him.  Just as most people rarely think of those families that selflessly give up the father in order to protect and serve on the holidays, many don’t understand what homeschooling means to the family in these cases and others.  They can’t see the forrest for the trees.  The usual methods of education don’t work for everyone for many different reasons. 

This isn’t even the main reason our family homeschools, but it’s one of the top five…and one that almost everyone can understand.  Sometimes in different circumstances, we must think outside the box, and God gave parents the intellect, the responsibility, and the free will to make these decisions for the good of our children and our family. 

I think it would help to ask this question:  What is the purpose of Catholic Education?  As our Holy Father has recently pointed out,  “As you know, the task of a teacher is not simply to impart information or to provide training in skills intended to deliver some economic benefit to society; education is not and must never be considered as purely utilitarian. It is about forming the human person, equipping him or her to live life to the full – in short it is about imparting wisdom. And true wisdom is inseparable from knowledge of the Creator, for “both we and our words are in his hand, as are all understanding and skill in crafts” (Wis 7:16).
If homeschooling parents are faithfully doing this within the Church and are staying connected to their parish, what is the problem?  As someone humorously put it earlier, Jesus was homeschooled by Mary who was perfect, and we homeschoolers are definitetly not perfect…but neither is Ms. So-and-So from the 7th grade or Mr. Whatnot from the 4th.

As a current student (Catholic all male High School senior) I can attest to the fact that in most Catholic schools there is not a strong Catholic culture, with maybe only 30% of the students practicing Catholics.  Most people send there children to Catholic schools for the educational quality, with the fact that they are Catholic as an added bonus.  That being said, the atmosphere is not one of anti-catholicism, but mainly of apathy, and greater participation in faith is encouraged and welcomed. 

Addressing homeschoolers, I find myself agreeing with Steve in a sense, although I think that the way he expresses himself and the perspective that he takes is wrong.  I know many homeschoolers and some of my best friends are homeschoolers, but that being said, I think that most come off as very naive and sheltered, and this can lead to people to form the impression that Steve does. 

If I were to do school over again, I probably would have preferred Home school to the grade school that I went to, but I would definitely stick with my High School.  That is merely my reflection and observations based on my own experience.

As regards the supposed lack of any magisterial indications for homeschooling…..

“I have been encouraging homeschooling under the strong advice of the Holy See. There is a passage in Pope John Paul II’s historic document Catechesis in our Time: ‘In places where widespread unbelief or invasive secularism makes real religious growth practically impossible, then the Church of the home remains the one place where children and young people can receive authentic religious instruction.’”

Fr. Hardon continues: “Homeschool Catholic education is defended and encouraged by the Vicar of Christ. He is saying that in secularized countries like our own, homeschooling may be necessary. Why should Catholic parents home-educate their children? Why not send them to Catholic schools? First, most of our once-flourishing Catholic schools in America have closed because thousands of consecrated women religious have abandoned these institutions. Second, because the religious instruction—even in catechetical programs in Catholic parishes—is sadly deficient. This is confirmed by the frightening report given by the chairman of the bishops’ commission on catechetics. He recites a litany of doctrinal errors and defects in the religion textbooks used to teach children in parishes in our country.”