Pensees: Bixby Christian School

As a former homeschooler (just graduated from the Abeka Academy this year), I can honestly say that I agree with what is said here. The homeschool sterotype, no-women’s-pants-KJV-only, breaks my heart. I am far from that mind set; however, I do believe homeschooling has been good for me. The Abeka curriculum, though I disagree with the KJV only mindset, is a top-notch program. It has prepared me to be able to handle college-level work with ease.

I will be praying for you, Pastor Bixby.

Great post, Bob! Patience is beautiful!

Ouch Bob. Great article and I’m glad to hear you talking out loud about this. The ouch is for the nerve you’ve probably touched with some homeschoolers.
I love how transparent you are. I think your brutal but carefully worded truth is a strength as a Christian and Pastor.

Congratulations, Bob and Jenny! We salute you and the opening of Bixby Christian School and give a hearty cheer in response to your astute remarks. Our homeschool, Faith Christian School, re-opened yesterday as well for the 6th year. We began homeschooling as a result of the many difficulties we experienced with the public school system in South Carolina upon our return from Belgium and found it to be the best decision we ever made. Our eyes were opened to the ministry we had available to us to educate our children. Two of our five children are recent graduates of FCS and have moved on to college, while three still remain in the ranks. This year among other things we’re delving into a unit study on John Bunyan and The Pilgrim’s Progress, we had a great time with the introduction yesterday.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that you and Jenny visited us in Columbia, after your brother’s wedding, sharing the great news about the potential adoption. Now you are announcing Bixby Christian School and we pray that you Jenny and Patience have an outstanding school year and look forward to other homeschool posts.

Bob,

I agree with your main point in regards to home schooling and measuring our children by some standard developed by a community larger than one’s own family.

May I, with an irenic (not ironic) spirit and tone, raise one question? Don’t you agree that the nature of the external standard is important — we aren’t just looking for any old external standard are we?

I thought I read sometime in the past that you were very supportive of classical education. Has that changed? If not, why on earth would you choose ABeka? ABeka doesn’t teach students to think. It tells them what to think.

Now, I have no desire to add to the emotions and anxieties that are probably already present as you begin the education of your daughter. So, don’t let my question cause worry. I’m sure that using ABeka for kindergarten will not cause any harm — it will almost certainly do much good.

I’m just suggesting you find some better external standard before fourth grade. You can check out my school’s curriculum at www.schaefferacademy.org. I’m not selling it, so this is not a commercial.

I just think that the quality of thinking which results in the KJV only craziness of Pensacola must somehow be present in a “turn key” K-12 academic package produced by Pensacola. Bits and pieces may be useful, but the “whole shabang” is surely intended to produce a pensacola worldview. And, it doesn’t seem like that’s what you want — as catholic as you may be.

If this discussion is unhelpful right now, delete and ignore.

Enjoy the school year.

Sincerely,

Keith E. Phillips

Keith,

Very irenic. And I appreciate the questions.

First, I do agree that the nature of the standard should be considered and that the “norm” is too often pathetically unacceptable. (Which is one reason why I don’t like the public system.) But I had in mind those homeschoolers who have deluded themselves into thinking that they are actually giving an education when in fact they are not even meeting the LOW standards of society.

As to your next question, I have been asked that a lot. My response is one word: Kindergarten. I am sold on the classical approach, but — frankly — we haven’t quite figured out how we are going to do that in the homeschool setting. If we could get a school started (something we have talked about often) or at the very least a co-op that is firmly committed to that model, we will change in a heartbeat. And, you are absolutely right: that must be done at the very latest before she is in third or fourth grade.

Our ABeka choice is pragmatic.

Great post Bob! I really appreciated your balance and biblical approach to the matter. We homeschool as well and we absolutely love it. But I do realize as a pastor the fine line that I walk when dealing with this in our congregation. You took an approach that very few homeschoolers take and for that I am grateful.

Keep up the good work.

Mike

Wow. You articulated well what I’ve been trying pin down for a while. I homeschooled K-12 and am thankful that I did, but also see the terrible damage of a wrong mindset.

While I agree that “unschooling” is not the best(to put it mildly), I see no need to submitting to outside discipline like the Abeka or BJU programs.

Our sons learned at home from 3rd and 5th grade through highschool graduation. Their most important education was in character development which I don’t believe that they would have developed as fully anywhere else.

In my opinion, the primary academic resources required are books (we used Abeka for science, Saxon for math, and BJU Press for almost everything else). At the high school level, we used Moody Bible correspondence college courses for Greek and Hebrew, and the University of Texas for German. Also, we used some college level used books for second year US History. For Abeka, BJU Press and Saxon, we always purchased one copy of the teachers book which our sons used. For music theory, we found a series of self-study books. From junior high on, they mostly taught themselves.

Testing for us was minimal (they usually graded their own homework AND tests by the time they were in 7th or 8th grade) and the first standardized tests they took was the ACT required for admission to BJU and then CLEP tests to earn college credit for English and US History.

Our sons both have been academically successful at BJU (both working on second Masters degrees). Most importantly, they both love the Lord and their desire is to glorify Him.

In the main I agree with your balancing statement. My plea is not necessarily for correspondence (although I said that is what is useful for accountability), but for a recognition of standards. If parents are educated (particularly those with advanced education as I believe is the case for you) they tend to be very aware of the minimal expectations for each age. Excelling that minimal expectation is great and then the standard is hardly relevant.

But that is not the case in many situations. In many cases parents only press their kids in those areas where they themselves are strong and pay lip service to other subjects. In my case, I would naturally and enthusiastically make my daughter excel in literature and theology, history as well. But mathematics???? I’m vaguely aware of the fact that 2 plus 2 equals 4, but beyond that I don’t think I have enough knowledge or interest to know how to push my daughter in that area.

Let me put it this way: a person in the know knows how to apply pressure. A physical trainer knows how to push me further than I would naturally go all by myself. Some one else in as bad a shape as I am would sympathize with my groanings and moanings way too soon and let me relax before I had achieved anything. The same is true in other disciplines. I simply do not think that most parents have the knowledge or the discipline to apply the right kind of pressure on their children in enough areas to give them a well-rounded education. That is where outside accountability (i.e correspondence, tutors, standardized testing, etc.) comes in handy.

Your sons went to college. That in itself is a standard. I suspect that throughout their entire education from first grade up you were planning on them getting advanced degrees - at least a college degree. That would be in itself an outside standard that governed or influenced how you prepared them. I think many parents need some kind of standard, a good one, outside of their self-congratulatory delusions by which they measure their child’s progress. That’s basically the core of my argument.

I’m glad that your sons have gone beyond the standard. (Especially since one of them is to be marrying my sister!)

(BTW, tell your available son and all other sons who excel the norms that our small church has an unusually large percentage of very attractive and godly young women from age 30 on down. All of them excel the norm. Most, if not all, have been/are being homeshooled.)

Here’s the link to the school where Keith Phillips teaches. This is why we will have to have our daughter out of ABeka before she’s in the third grade.

Good stuff, Bob. Welcome to the club. We have 3 at Anderson Academy this year.

I especially appreciate your statement that you don’t want to be a “home-schoolers’ church.” We’ve appreciated a great Christian School in the area. Our oldest daughter spent 3 years there, and many in our congregation continue to attend. Wonderful. We also have a large number of homeschoolers. We also have a large number of public schoolers.

We’re not a ____ school church. We’re a Bible-preaching church.

So, does that mean you’re moving to Minnesota to enroll her?

You wouldn’t be the first — check out the April 2005 edition of our Solidus newsletter to read about others who have.

Ok, Ok, that is a commercial. So, I’ll sign off.

As a now-retired (kids now off to college—both enrolled as juniors at 19 and 17) home school dad, let me add my voice to the critique of sloppy, lazy, undisciplined homeschooling parents. Over the years we met many families who made us cringe and hope they never admitted to anyone that they were also homeschoolers. Such parents are cheating their children.

For a classical education for young ones, I would highly recommend E. D. Hirsch’s Core Knowledge series. It’s not an “out of the box” curriculum, but if you’re willing to do some of the work (I wrote lessons and tests for our kids and added Bible—which they don’t have), it’s a wonderful guideline to use. The Core Knowledge Foundation website has a wealth of information on the program.

Finally, on the church issue, we didn’t insist on having a “homeschool” church, but I got awfully tired of being told we were disloyal members because our kids weren’t “in God’s will” by being in the Christian school. Yes, the desire for a friendly church can be overstated, but after your kids have been asked by their peers in Sunday school a few times why they aren’t in “real school” too, you at least want a non-negative church environment.

We have followed this blog (months before our son started dating your sister) and the Bixby family blog for some time. We were blessed by the story of how Patience joined your family and we are so glad that you and Jennie are educating her at home. We look forward to meeting you in December at the wedding.

Hi,
I agree with a lot of the things you all say but there is something I strongly disagree and please be patient as you read on.
I would like to share my thoughts on what I read and hope not to be misunderstood or having myself misunderstood the meanings of some of you. Sometimes I don’t express myself very well.
Sorry I am not good at this stuff.

This is a glimps into my heart.
I have been homeschooling for 5 years and I have always, even before my kids were school aged, atteded HS meetings and I am going to join a HS group again this month. I always loved it. As many different stars are in the sky so are HS families with different learning styles , family styles, life styles and so on.
Some of you say that those families who do not put their children under “high quality schooling” as Abeka for example are depriving their children of an education.
Why then are HS children whose parents follow the
Charlotte Mason, Unit study, mixed curriculum approaches and (so many other material and systems and ways are there) and yes even unschoolers have children in College and so many of them do well or better than well. Are we to judge what is the best of education?

Some of my History Heros were mostly self taught one of my most favorite is George Washington Carver, he was not fortunate to go to a good school in his primary years, but he loved to learn (well read about him), which is not a reason to not educate your child, my point is that yes even if some things are missed out on, it can be made up for. And by the way by whose standard are we teaching which knowledge is important to know at what age. Of course, by what the State regulates and how come they are so smart to know what needs to be known at what age?

I have an highly intelligent boy who saved me by his smartness when I failed to educate well since I had so many little onse. He has no problem retaining anything he learns. He watches his math video and does well and learns more from library books than from text books (Charlotte Mason Approach), I wish I had his memory.
My second in line does not have her brothers abilities. And I understand her, I am like her. I would do her horrible injustice by placing her in front of an video to learn. She is the hands on, right brained child who learns so different. And I just started her on a road that I believe God placed on my heart and she will do great. As for my eager 5 almost 6yrs, 4 and 3 yrs. old students they learn along with us and I want them to love learning and if they miss out on some things because their mother is not a intelligent college graduate who got it all perfect I know as long as they love to learn they can and will find the informations they need to succeed whatever God will call them for. And what I can not teach, I get a video for. I can not teach math we have videos for that.
I love to hear the stories of mom’s sharing their hearts at those HS meetings about curriculum that failed and how others are just perfect for them. HS are not perfect,most of them know that,they stuggle in many ways. I am a bit tired too of us beeing chastised so sevierly (can’t spell it). Yes HS families have problems just the same as any other sinner. HS (at least the once I met so far) love to get together to learn about different curriculum and different approaches and yes even for encouragment, plus it’s fun for the kids to get to know other kids. Not to basch non-HS. I am using a math program for my not math smart kid who loves it, yep after 3yrs of searching I found one that will help her to understand and maybe even love math. I learned about it from the mom’s at my HS meeting. At anoter meeting just before school at the home of a friend from Church I received great new ideas and encorugement.
Yes there are lousy HS families and so there are lousy non HS families. Some of us thrive on A-beka and Bob Johns and some thrive on Unit Study approch.

But in order to know that, you’ll have to know them (like those wirdos that use unit studies, I’m trying it this year again , it’s lying around since 4 yrs) and if you’re not interested to know them , than you will never understand the heart and soul of these HS families. And you never learn to love them for who they are. By God’s design I have only had good experiences with HS so I can not share Horror stories about HS families.
Yep,some homeschoolers and groups and organisations go overboard and are treading it as a 11th commandment.
(I myself use to be very radical or judgemental.
Thinking all believers should HS, I got educated on that subject.)

Do I than shun everything about the HS movement (there is discernment of course), you all can shun it ,I won’t, it is our freedom in Christ or not?

Yes, I know I am not the shining example of a christian, mom, educator, home maker even as wife I have failed. But I am not a quitter I fight the fights and the Lord will help me somehow,somewhere I know He will. My children may never meet other peoples High standard but the Lord was the one who picked uneducated (by whose standard) fishermen (Peter) and highly educated people (Paul) for His followers.
This country is blessed with the fact that you can homeschool here without getting jailed etc. and look at the vast curriculum out there. The joy of HS is you can find all these great curriculums,school helps,videos, tapes, correspondence courses, books, how toos ach, name it ,it is out there. If one does not work try something that works. There are books written from the hearts of HE to help us who are clueless. There is matarial on Character development and so on. Why so critical about those of us (I include myself )wo enjoy a different way of HS.
Just a comment to Mr. or Mrs. Watchmen, do you not agree that we ought to sometimes cringe over lazy, sloppy , undisceplined christians that are not HS. Maybe I am one of the parents whom you think would be cheating their children of an good education, however ,Please except my oppinion that what works for you may not work for me and that is again our freedom in our Lord Jesus. I fail my children if I steel them of the joy and love of learning. We all have oppinions. I wonder how much you truly got to know these bad HS exsamples.
I have come under much scruteny (hope it’s spelled right) myself, but I also just learned that I have a medical condition that is the cause of many of my troubles and hope my condition will get better whith the medication I am getting. Maybe unknown to you these HS had a hard time.

We as Home Educators have to take so much misunderstandings from the world and it does make me sad to have so called fellow HS cretique us and not truly ever get into our hearts.

Don’t worry I wont teach English for to long I will find some correspondence way. I have to appease all you out there who panic about my letter (grammer,spelling and so on)written in lousy English. It’s 6:30 and I am up for over 3 hours, could not sleep (one of my condions I hope will improve) and my editor is sound asleep.

Boy, I hope I won’t get excommunicated but I felt strongly that I should speak of how I feel about this subject that is dear to my heart.
I am the worst person to HS, truely it is not in my own strenth that I keep on going but it is all credit to the Lord, I can not do it alone.
I could have sent them to school but as we learnd at church, My concience would be violated, and if I don’t do it by faith it would be a sin to me.
Like the person who can not eat meat from the idole worship so can I not not HS. Gee, I hope My theolegy is ok here.
And sending them to school would not have helped me to rid my sin just ease the symtoms.
If our church will one day have a christian school and my kids wants to go to it, go for it I would say. If we can pay for it.

I hope you all enjoy another Year of HS, it is fun to learn along with them. I found some new exciting stuff. I enjoyed the Pictures of Patience she will love school. It is so exciting to see them learn and love it.
Yes we had tears too, but there is also fun.
I truely hope that I have not offended anyone.
Humbled by my own unqualifications (is there a word like that?) and sinfulness I hope my letter is seen as I mentioned above a glimps into my heart. Gotte run and spend time with the Lord before the kids get up or I go to sleep.
Pray for me that my medication will work, thanks.
Martina

For the benefit of readers who don’t know, the above commenter (Martina) is German. English is her second language.

I just want to preemptively protect her against snide remarks (or private criticisms) about her spelling and grammar. The blogging world can be pretty harsh!

Thank you for your post, Martina.

Martina, I absolutely agree with you that lazy, undisciplined Christians in any arena are cringe-worthy. And I did not mean to imply that parents who don’t do things “our” way are automatically in that category. Most specifically I was referring to one family (with nine kids) that we knew quite well who thought six hours of four-wheeling in the woods equalled a full day of school, not once in a great while but nearly every day…and whose middle school kids could barely read at a functional first grade level.

One of the beauties of home schooling is the ability to train each individual child “in the way he should go.” One of the primary reasons we homeschooled was my son’s dsylexia. We accomodated to that (I say we, but I rise up to call my wife blessed) and at 17 he’s a junior in college. Not for a second would I suggest that all children need the same program, not even all the ones in the same house. Nor am I hung up on using a certain curriculum, or even one complete curriculum. Every year we used bits and pieces from different sources to put together what we thought would best train our two. It’s easier to just pick one complete set, but it wasn’t best for us.

I don’t care nearly as much about how or where children learn, just that they do. In no way would I judge what works for your kids—what I object to is parents who take on the incredible responsibility of home schooling and then don’t take it seriously.

Hang in there Martina! Absolute standardization is a modernist idol — and one I don’t think Bob is arguing for.

However, according to Scripture, measuring one’s self by one’s self is foolish. So, set some goals and measure the extent to which you’ve reached them using some outside standard.

College entrance could be one such external measure — problem is, that measure isn’t taken until a kid is 16 to 18 years old. It might be good to take a few measures before then.

Study on.

Bob, I appreciate your pastor’s (and papa’s) heart on this matter. :) I understand your struggle with the practical outworking of classical education. After being introduced to it, I came to admire the many strengths of that approach. But we put our children in a Christian school for kindergarten—we knew that would be the best setting for them to begin their schooling. Interestingly, the structure, discipline, and accountability were the most important factors we desired for their kindergarten experience. :)

Beginning in first grade with our oldest, we did our best to pursue classical education. Interestingly (again), what finally caused us to consider other options was our family’s need for greater structure, accountability, and discipline. This year (with two in school—4th grade and 2nd grade, and 2 more moving up the ranks), we were thankful to have the option of using the BJ HomeSat curriculum for some subjects, while still pursuing the classical approach in other subjects (basically history, Bible, and literature). For this season, we are thankful that God has provided in this way for our children’s education. I’m glad He has a plan for the future, as well.

And I rejoice (and tremble with you) at the beginning of school (not just this year, but many years to come). :D

Pastor Bixby, the pictures of Patience are adorable! You’re a blessed daddy, but then you know that already. :)

You have already answered most of my questions elsewhere, but I do have one left. How did you get from wanting to be accountable to an outside standard to choosing Abeka? (I hope you don’t mind my asking.)

Martina, my heart goes out to you. I am also a homeschooling mom, and it’s hard work . . . and I am not trying to teach in a second language! (And, I might add, although we are working on learning your language, we would not have been able to express ourselves in German nearly as well as you expressed yourself in English.) I agree with you on the importance of us remembering that every child is different and that each child may learn in a different way. My oldest son sounds a lot like your oldest boy; my daughter’s learning style is different. One of the advantages that we have as homeschooling moms and dads is that we already know our children and thus have a better opportunity to choose teaching materials that will work effectively with their learning style.

I appreciate this post.

I was homeschooled for nine years. My wife and I are currently homeschooling our two sons. This is primarily because there are no decent Christian schools within driving distance of us.

As a former administrator of a Christian school who supplied homeschoolers with curriculum and materials, I can attest to the problems of the “unschooling” approach. We had many families in our program who only wanted to use our name as an umbrella and an excuse for keeping their kids out of school. We also had problems procuring payment from these families as well.

Homeschooling is a challenge and a discipline. I admire and respect your decision to educate your daughter in this manner.

God bless.

Patience is a doll, and I thoroughly enjoyed (and fully agreed with) your post! Praying that you all have a wonderful school year!

Fabulous pictures!

And while I think you make some very sound points, I don’t agree with you completely. (Though, I will say, I’ve seen plenty of “we’re the exception to the rule” thinking among homeschoolers in the past 16+ years we’ve been involved with h/sing. . .)

I read an article about homeschoolers in the church several years ago that I think you’d find interesting. Hmmmm. . . Let me see whether I can find it.

The student of Christian schools has much profit first of all they get good education, atmosphere and a way of hope with the help of staff teachers the boys find power to struggle in the world.

www.privateboardingschools.info