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When my wife and I made the choice to place our kids in the public school system it came with an understanding that their are great benefits as well as some hazards we want to be careful of. We talked through some things that would help us to stay on course when the time came to navigate some those hazards. Below is a short list that has been of great help to us. Continue reading →

Photo Couturesy of epnb

While we wanted to make the right decision for us and we looked at all the options in our area we considered the public schools, private schools and even homeschooling. In the last post I walked through some of the benefits and hazards of each of those options and wanted to share with you which one we actually decided on.

Our Decision
My wife and I have been talking about this for a good amount of time. As we began  looking at the options that were available to us we looked in our immediate area and the area we had been looking to purchase a new home.

What we Found. We found that the public school in our area is in the top districts in the state and would be a viable option for our kids. As we looked at the christian school in our area, they are doing well and while it would hold a significant financial sacrifice we could not make it work. The whole idea of homeschool is not a far reach for us as my wife has a degree in elementary education and is, simply put, an excellent teacher.

So which option did we choose?

Continue reading →

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The whole process of deciding what to do with our kids as they begin school has been an ongoing conversation for me for a few months. It pretty much starts with the fact that I am convinced that as the head of my home it is ultimately my responsibility to figure this out and to not be passive in doing so. My wife and I had the opportunity to sit down with a few couples who had walked this path before us and did so by making a deliberate choice. Their wisdom and insight was very helpful and while I am still fresh in the process I hope that what I am learning may prove to be helpful for some others as well.

Framing the Decision
I believe that the responsibility is mine to education and train my children. At some part of their education I believe that the structure of school is very helpful in their development as a person and their education in learning. Where we live currently I am presented with multiple options for where to send my kids to school and then the question of when enters the picture. First let me address the issue of “Where?” and proceed to the “When?” in the next post.

The three legitimate options that are in front of me are as follows:

1. Home School (cyber school would go here, at least at the time of writing this but it is growing in our area rapidly)
2. Private Christian School
3. Public School

Each of these schools can have significant advantages that could positively impact each of my kids. As illustrated below you will see some of the areas that understandably draw parents to each option. I am not immune to each of these and each has crossed my mind at least once. Continue reading →