Attention All Home School Students & Parents!!!
Our father, Gregg Harris, is a bestseller author, conference speaker, and homeschool pioneer. Here on The Rebelution you are reaping the benefits of his role as Alex and my wisest mentor, coach, and manager. Today we have the privilege of posting a comment he made in response to our announcement of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. I would challenge every home school student and home school parent to carefully read this priceless bit of advice from a wise and seasoned home school father and visionary.
This film festival is a great way to bring delight-directed study home to your home schoolers. Think about this. You are saving a lot of money by teaching your children at home instead of sending them to a private Christian school. (Yes, public school is “free,” but it is also worth every penny of it.) This film festival is one way to reinvest some of what you are saving in a life-changing educational experience for your young adults.
To be brutally honest, if you do not do something like this once in a while, you are cheating your children out of the best that home schooling has to offer them. Film making is just one area of involvement to consider. Home school speech and debate is another rather expensive activity. But it is worth it. So, if its not this event, it should be something else just as exciting and expensive. Don’t try to save money on home schooling! Simply invest what you would have spent in a better, more effective way.
As an experienced home-schooling father, pastor of many home schooling families and, yes, as a home school pioneer “guru,” let me tell you, this kind of decision is what separates the mediocre home schoolers from the truly excellent home schoolers. Save your money up each year to do something extraordinary for your children’s education. It is not just a matter of what you learn in the sessions, but of who you meet and the vision that will be birthed in each student’s heart.
So, here is my challenge to my young readers. Print this out and take it to your parents and ask them, “If not this, then what?” Ask them to choose something exciting to invest their hard earned time, energy and money in so that you can get the best possible home school education. Tell them that Gregg Harris says that home schooling parents also need to “Do Hard Things.”
October 6th, 2005 at 5:22 am
I found the comment about public schooling being “free,” and worth every penny quite offensive. I attend public school and I attribute many positive aspects of my faith to public schooling.
Through attending public school, I positioned myself with a group a friends of which I was the only Christian. Five years later, I am one out of eight Christians in that group.
Through attending public school, my faith has been ridiculed and challenged and I have had the opportunity to testify to the glory of God because of it. I have learned to have responses for the tougher questions of faith.
Through attending public school, I have been a part of the start of a Bible Club, in which more than twenty kids participate. God is working in that club, and He has seen it through so much.
Through attending public school, I have met several Christian teachers who make a HUGE, positive difference in the lives of their students.
I will not stand for someone to scoff at public school because public schooling has many advantages. I am stronger in my faith because it, and I am able to be a light to a very dark world through opportunities found at public school. Please take my testimony to heart and do not stereotype public schooling as a bad or worthless experience.
October 6th, 2005 at 5:52 am
Nicole: I am sorry that my father’s comment offended. He is very happy that public school was a good experience for you. His comment was meant to be humorous and was not intended to stereotype public schools, the teachers, or the students as valueless.
However, he is still of the opinion that much of the darkness you’ve been able to shine in is a result of the public school system itself and the agendas they perpetuate.
You see, your positive experience can no more prove the goodness of the public school system than my father’s jest can disprove it.
I readily agree that there are many good teachers, students, and experiences within the public school system. I know that many young people have graduate from public high school much the better for it. Yet that does not justify the system.
I would encourage you to read “The Harsh Truth About Public Schools” by Bruce N. Shortt. In it he exposes many of the inherent dangers of public schools that you and I can’t see because of our limited view of the overall system.
Please understand that The Rebelution holds no negative views towards public schoolers, public school teachers, etc. But rather towards the system itself. These views are the result of a more thorough knowledge of the inherent evils of the system and the agendas being perpetuated regardless of the convictions of teachers, students, etc.
I hope this explanation has dampened the offense. I am overjoyed that you were able to shine as such a light in the darkness and I appreciate your concern. God bless you!
October 6th, 2005 at 6:40 am
Nicole: Sorry to offend you. You sound like a great Christian and I want to affirm what Brett wrote. Please understand that there is no biblical warrant for parents to send their children into the hostile environment you had to endure. The fact that you have been made stronger for it does not make public school attendance a good strategy in child training and education. The sad fact is, we have lost our community consensus as to what schooling itself is intended to accomplish. Therefore our children are caught in a tug-of-war between opposing social activists. I was personally beaten up on a regular basis as a young teen in Miamisburg High School. Home schoolers have opted out of this system and are succeeding very well in the process. Thanks for your comment. I will try to be more sensitive in the future, but I still would never advise anyone to send their children to the public schools if there is any other option available. For every child that turns out like you hundreds of others are turned to the dark side. In home schooling, these numbers are reversed. Call me a coward if you want, but I take no unneccessary risks with my children.
October 27th, 2005 at 1:20 am
Thanks so much for this exhortation!
We are long-time homeschoolers as well and one of my continuing frustrations with homeschoolers has been the “do it cheap” attitude. You are correct in that investing in something of tremendous value for your children will pay off in the long run. Most recently, one of our sons has attended the Summit Worldview Conference twice and it is awesome how God has used this in his life.
I remember hearing you say at a conference, at least two decades ago, that homeschoolers ought to consider what it would cost to enroll their children in private school and then consider boosting your homeschooling budget.
Thanks for that admonition. We followed your counseled and have never been sorry.
October 29th, 2005 at 5:41 am
Gregg,
I checked out this blog today because our son is attending the film festival and was telling me about these 2 brothers named Harris who were blogging about it and that their father was “some kind of homeschooling maven”. LOL!
We attended your conferences 10-12 years ago, and I’d say that what we learned there is a big part of why our son is making films today. You were right. Through letting him pursue this delight, he has not just learned to point a camera. He has publicized auditions and held them, thought through a budget, networked with other filmmakers and called upon their expertise, had numerous setbacks and learned to pray and look to God for wisdom, and is in the process of teaching himself to use complicated editing software. He reads books like “Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters” because he needs to know about screenwriting. Isn’t that what you said would happen? Yes, I believe it is.
Thank you for investing in our lives!
November 14th, 2005 at 10:16 pm
Greg,
I found your letter incredibly offensive. I am a longtime(21 years) homeschool mom of 9 children with 2 graduates.
I thought you profoundly overstated your point. I am finding more and more self-proclaimed homeschool leaders completely blinded by the wealthier view of homeschooling and missing the point that many homeschool patriarchs are working their tales off to provide the very best for their families. Perhaps you attend too many conferences yourself and haven’t noticed that many families successfully produce graduates without being able to attend.
I think conferences are great and the Film Festival was a wonderful idea. Debate clubs, and all sorts of extra activities can be fun and profitable but hardly neccessary to produce and quality Christ-loving child.
I think your letter is hurtful to many families that are struggling to live on one income.
If you would like to encourage these sorts of things perhaps you could find a more understanding way to do it.
February 17th, 2007 at 6:34 am
advertising sign…
Relevant information about advertising sign….