Homeschool writers' circle

Homeschool writers' circle brought to you by Classical Conversations.

Classical Education and Wealth

The advantage of a classical education is that it enables you to despise the wealth that it prevents you from achieving - Russell Green.

This quote has been spread around the internet with some popularity. Have you stopped to consider what is means and is it true? The premise of the quote is a utilitarian education will enable you to get wealth, while a classical liberal education will keep you from gaining that wealth.

Does a classical education teach you to despise thing? This would be his first major flaw, or lack of understanding. A classical education does not teach you to despise anything. That may be a personal quality flaw of a person, but one that is rejected by classical education. A classical education, when done properly, teaches you a love for learning and gives you a mind to explore the world around you, even a world you may not participate in. That is the beauty of it, a classically educated person is not tied down to one industry. Consider that today’s college graduates will average 3 jobs in the first 5 years out of school, and a very high percentage of those will no longer be working in the field they specialize in.

This fact shows that a utilitarian education does not work for the majority of students, and they will likely have to teach themselves a new trade, after preparing for a certain trade for 18-22 years. A classically educated person knows how to learn and will be able to adapt to the changing job market.

The Utilitarian idea of work hard in school, go to college and get a good job that may have worked for a temporary time in history, is no longer the case. Look at unemployment, job turn over numbers and the masses clamoring for someone else to help them. The plea of those who cannot due for themselves is have the government or some big company due for them.

If you are indebted to someone than you are their slave. That credit card bill, house payment and car payment make it so you have to be a good citizen and comply to whatever hoops they want you to jump through. I’m not advocating being a bad citizen or not being a great worker, but if you have bigger concerns such as gaining wealth, paying your next bill that you won’t really have the time or energy to be a good citizen. The benefit of a utilitarian education is not wealth, but slavery to your government and those who you want to think for you.

The benefits of a classical education is that you do not make Gold you god. Wealth is not something you despise; it is something that you do not have to strive for, because you know real wealth isn’t measured in dollars and sense, but friendships and freedom. This drives people whose only goal in life is to beat the Jones nuts. The only logical conclusion you can come to is that this quote does not ring true.

Football and the American Education System

Forbes had a controversial article on "get football out of our university". Controversial because it is highly unlikely to ever happen. University Presidents believe it brings in too much money. I wouldn't know but while my beloved Clemson University cuts programs and funding it is busy building a $50 million dollar addition to our football stadium to court the talent of tomorrow, so the next 5 star stud will pick Clemson over our rivals. If you know any person that went to Clemson you know our blood runs orange and we could not ever think about our University without the most exciting 25 seconds in college sports.

Many student pick a college because they grew up rooting for their sports team. Kind of a silly reason to pick a school, where you are allegedly going to get an education.

I know a lot of parents who homeschool there children will then send them to the government system so they can "play sports", again don't you go to school for like school?

I have a neighbor who is a South Carolina fan, we were talking one day and he told me he didn't want his child going to SCar or Clemson, but to an Ivy league school. Needless to say I was impressed. This guy has money and is going to do what is necessary to make sure his child is well prepared for adult hood. I assumed he was going to send him to Hammond, my adopted highschool (I have about 12 friends that went there). Which is, all thing considered, an excellent private school. Boy was I wrong.

A few weeks later he explains that he wants to keep his boy in public school as long as possible because that is where the "best athletes are". Not sure, but short white kids don't end of being good at sports very often. Plus back to the whole reason you go to school thing, for school.

Listen to Home Centered education grads on the radio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/1smartmama/2011/02/16/cc-graduates

Join Leigh and some of her past students as they discuss their thoughts and feelings on their education. Where are these students today? In college? Married? Are they carrying on the tradition with their families and homeschooling through a Classical Christian curriculum? How well did they accept and do in college? Join in at 12:00 noon EST and CALL IN and ask questions of Leigh's past students. This should be a very lively show!!

I've added a Twitter Widget

Just thought it was cool and thought I'd add one to see how it works. I'm putting together some social media training in the month of March, I'll post the details to my site after the 1st. If you are interested in joining please let me know. Make sure and follow me @rbortins for blog updates and interesting information from around the web on education

As a Christian can you send your child to Public School?

Many Christians have never considered this thought, now if you are not a Christian this blog will not directly apply to you, but you can think of your own worldview and apply this question to the talk: As a person who believes this world view can I send my child to an organization that will not promote those and think about that.
As a Christian I am going to assume you believe the Bible is 100% True. I will also assume you will agree with me that Public Education is devoid of Christian thought and is improperly taught if mentioned.
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."-Proverbs 24:3-4

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
I am going to assume that you would be happy if at the end of the 12th grade your child was wise, had understanding and had knowledge. Currently about 1/5 of students by Government standards would meet the “knowledge and understanding” in the latest PISA scores. That doesn’t even touch wisdom aspect of learning.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge….” – Proverbs 1:7
How do you get somewhere? The first step is to begin you journey. You cannot finish if you do not start, so to even think that you can gain knowledge without the fear of the Lord is unbiblical. Thankfully God’s mercies are new every morning and he has not abandoned us and it is possible to know things without, but that knowledge cannot be put to proper work.
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
Now if Jesus is the Truth and the Bible is true, how can a person with knowledge apply it without knowing what is True? If an “education” does not point back to God, then it does not point to Truth. Therefore cannot be truly educated.
Well certainly there are people who know true things and a really smart, in fact they are wise in the world. Absolutely, I myself am not wise in the world’s eyes or really my own. I make do.
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their own craftiness'; and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'" 1 Corinthians 3:19-20
The Wisdom of this world is foolishness.
Definition of Foolish From: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Foolishness
1. Lacking or exhibiting a lack of good sense or judgment; silly: foolish remarks.
2. Resulting from stupidity or misinformation; unwise: a foolish decision.
6. Insignificant; trivial: spent all their money on foolish little knickknacks.

So do you want your child to be wise in the world’s eyes or your Lord’s in Savior?
Well we go to Church, they get the fear of the Lord there. Sadly this is not true. Around 90% of children raised in the Church and sent to public school will no longer be in the Church just two years after graduation. If you don’t think that will happen to your child then look at their 9 best friends in Church next Sunday and understand that statistically they won’t be in the Church anymore. Do you think your child will stand up to their 9 best friends no longer going to church and continue to do so? No not my child.
How many hours a week does your child spend at public school and events surrounding it, probably at least 40. These 40 hours they are constantly being reinforced that God in not in education. Say you go to Church Sunday - that is an hour, Sunday school another hour, Wednesday night church another hour, maybe a bible study that meets once a week another hour. That is A LOT of church for most people and it is only 4 hours. Not that God cannot use that 4 hours to defeat the 40, but let us be honest if you hear something 10x more than something else human nature will dictate that you believe what you hear most.
What do you think? Look in the Bible there are a lot more verses that walk about education and truth. Can a system that does not point to Truth and rejects the maker of Truth teach your child.

Learn more at the Exodus Mandate

Job Report

In case you haven't heard the unemployment rate fell to 9% in January. This was mainly due to 1 million people dropping out of the workforce. Not sure where these people drop to, but I'm confident it will cost the American tax payer. This number won't last long as they will likely jump in again this month and I predict it will rise to 9.3% in February. I hope I'm wrong. Perhaps if we focused on American oil, for America we could turn this thing around.