I Pay More to Educate My Neighbor's Children Than My Own!

I've been doing just a few minutes worth of
research. I read the headline and some highlights
of an article talking about the additional millions
of dollars being directed into a neighboring school
district. This got me to thinking....

How much per student does the average PA district
spend?

I found out that it is between
EIGHT and TEN THOUSAND...PER STUDENT...PER YEAR!!!

Oh..my..goodness!!! I wouldn't know what to do with
that much money in our homeschool. If I calculate the
books, electricity, prorated mortgage for "school time",
prorated maintenance, field trips, co-op fees, craft items,
music lessons and everthing else I still don't think I
spend more than $500 per year per child.

Even if I spend that much I run out of time to get everything
done that I think we will. There are just too many great
ideas each year.

So many good books, so little time.
Free Art shows, museums, senior citizens to teach living
history. A kitchen full of math and homemaking lessons.
A community full of people who are delighted to allow our
children to serve and learn in real time.

Teaching our children does not have to
cost a fortune.

So...it occurs to me that by the time I pay my school
taxes, I have spent more to educate the neighbor children
than my own.

How does that strike You??

Grrr.....

Bowling Leads to Thinking...sometimes.

Chelsea, Jonathan and I have just returned from bowling with other homeschoolers. At one point it was only families from our group that came to Tuesday Bowling but over time our group has really slacked off and others are coming in. This makes me sad but, at the same time, allows us to meet other local families.
That is really fun!

Today a new mom and son joined us. It was as we were chatting that she told me that she had plans to put her son into public school in a year or so. She stated that she is very nervous about her abilities to get him through the high school years.
I don't know what came over me but I just had to say...
kindly, I hope,

"If it truly is about your fear of teaching him,
please reconsider,
because you didn't get this far
in your own strength".

Oh, my...did I just say that to a near stranger?
She was very gracious.

But, I have to say that it got me thinking.

We have not homeschooled our three children because we have all of that much to offer them when it comes to the academics. I am confident in my ability to teach reading...very weak when it comes to math....History is good, Science is o.k.

We have a son who is very motivated for his future,
we have one who is unsure of his plans.

One who would have gotten into all kinds of trouble
in public school,
and one who really doesn't care what others think and would
have been "fine"... when it came to peer pressure.

We have a daughter who might be more outgoing had she
gone to public school, but at what cost?
Does it matter as long as she is respectful, polite, energetic
and complimented this morning by her physician for her
involvement in many things.

None of this even takes into account the Christian heritage
that we are able to teach our young charges. What a major
change for the future if more and more of our young people
understood this heritage and the gift that it is for all
of us.

If God has called us to homeschool our children He WILL
give us the means to accomplish it. Praying that you will
feel His pleasure in the work and love you are pouring into
your children.

You are not in this alone.
It is not in your strength that your children
are set to succeed or not....and we could go
on for days about the definition of success.....

Love to all who read this post,
whether you homeschool or are just
curious about those of us who do.

Becky K.