Discover Christian Schools on Crosstalk
(http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/shows/2008/07/discover_christian_schools.php)
A LIVE radio interview on July 29, 2008
Host: Jim Schneider
Guest: Harold Naylor
Listen: RealAudio Windows Media MP3 Order Tape or CD
Harold Naylor, Jr., is Director of Institutional Advancement for The Christian Academy, and co-founder of Discover Christian Schools.
Discover Christian Schools is the public communications arm of the Mid-Atlantic Christian Schools Association, and was formed to create a dialog with parents about their children's training, with the aim of instilling biblical thinking, to explain the differences and advantages of Christian schools over public school education, and then to help parents connect with a Christian school that is right for them and their children.
Mr. Naylor explained that educating children is the responsibility of parents. The purpose of the school is to come alongside them to assist in the education of their children.
There are a number of stark contrasts between public education and Christian education, stating with the understanding that God is the ultimate source and authority for creation, not a humanistic or naturalistic view that says everything came by chance. It is that difference that affects all areas of the curriculum, from history to science to mathematics to social studies, for examples.
Click here to read the rest of the post on the Crosstalk website!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
A Parent's Perspective - The Right Priorities
Elizabeth W.
Wilmington, DE
We are recent converts to Christian schooling who began as proponents of public schooling, mainly in order to be salt and light. While kindergarten was fine, first grade started off with a lack of peace, which never abated. As the year progressed, God gradually opened our eyes, changing our hearts and minds in the process.
No matter what administrators might tell you, children are NOT their priority. The public schools have all the problems inherent in a government bureaucracy: lack of accountability, political motivations, inefficiencies, unresponsiveness, etc. Moreover, the environment is often not nurturing, not to mention disorderly, which is clearly not conducive to learning. I imagine there are some exceptions somewhere, but why gamble?
Both the reading and math curricula were not rigorous, entailing a lot of busy work, little actual teaching and a lot of extraneous material and projects, versus a focus on critical fundamentals. There are a lot of new, experimental teaching methods being used for the sake of novelty. Who wants their child to be used as a guinea pig and be academically handicapped as a result?
Let me emphasize that I spent extraordinary amounts of time in the classroom and talking with parents, administrators and teachers. If you have not done this, trust me, you do not have an accurate idea of your child’s experience. Even at the first grade level, I was alarmed by the negative peer influences, which included age-inappropriate boy/girl interactions.
I should note that our child was in the only gifted program offered in the entire state. This is a highly regarded program by many, even some Christian parents, but as I spent more time in the classroom, I concluded that the “best” in public education is decidedly inadequate. The visit to WCS shed light on the deficiencies in public school; I should note that this was based solely on my observations, as school personnel did not even discuss public schools. Even if you feel public school is fine, I urge you to visit your local Christian school. God wants the best for our children, and so do parents. Wisdom demands we make decisions based on knowledge. Consequently, don’t we have an obligation to investigate all options, especially regarding the training of our children?
Wilmington, DE
We are recent converts to Christian schooling who began as proponents of public schooling, mainly in order to be salt and light. While kindergarten was fine, first grade started off with a lack of peace, which never abated. As the year progressed, God gradually opened our eyes, changing our hearts and minds in the process.
No matter what administrators might tell you, children are NOT their priority. The public schools have all the problems inherent in a government bureaucracy: lack of accountability, political motivations, inefficiencies, unresponsiveness, etc. Moreover, the environment is often not nurturing, not to mention disorderly, which is clearly not conducive to learning. I imagine there are some exceptions somewhere, but why gamble?
Both the reading and math curricula were not rigorous, entailing a lot of busy work, little actual teaching and a lot of extraneous material and projects, versus a focus on critical fundamentals. There are a lot of new, experimental teaching methods being used for the sake of novelty. Who wants their child to be used as a guinea pig and be academically handicapped as a result?
Let me emphasize that I spent extraordinary amounts of time in the classroom and talking with parents, administrators and teachers. If you have not done this, trust me, you do not have an accurate idea of your child’s experience. Even at the first grade level, I was alarmed by the negative peer influences, which included age-inappropriate boy/girl interactions.
I should note that our child was in the only gifted program offered in the entire state. This is a highly regarded program by many, even some Christian parents, but as I spent more time in the classroom, I concluded that the “best” in public education is decidedly inadequate. The visit to WCS shed light on the deficiencies in public school; I should note that this was based solely on my observations, as school personnel did not even discuss public schools. Even if you feel public school is fine, I urge you to visit your local Christian school. God wants the best for our children, and so do parents. Wisdom demands we make decisions based on knowledge. Consequently, don’t we have an obligation to investigate all options, especially regarding the training of our children?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Good Children's Literature is Essential
"In a day and age when reading good books has never been of greater need for our children, parents and teachers owe Elizabeth McCallum and Jane Scott a deep debt of gratitude for the wonderful service they have provided by compiling this updated second edition of their book. It is a mandatory companion for any home or school."— Patch Blakey, Executive Director, The Association of Classical & Christian Schools
Good Children’s Literature Is Essential
A Word from the Authors
We wrote our book because a book of this sort is greatly needed.
The Book Tree is a recommended reading list for all ages, from
preschool through high school, and it includes several unique
features. It contains a selective array of excellent books for
each age group. We believe with Walter de la Mare that “only
the rarest kind of best of anything can be good enough for the
young,” so we have spent many years researching and reading
old books and new, classics as well as recent releases. In this
book, we provide a recommended list of classic books, as well
as books by Christian authors, some little-known books by
great writers and poets, and a sizable collection of inspiring
biographies. Of course, we do not think that these are the only
books worth reading. In fact, we are discovering new favorites
all the time. We are simply sharing with you some of the books
that we have especially enjoyed.
Table of Contents:
1. Preschool Literature
2. Elementary School Fiction
3. Middle School Fiction
4. Elementary & Middle School Biography
5. High School Fiction
6. High School Biography
Also Includes:
Title Index
Author Index
Illustrator Index
Subject Index
Publishers Description:
Once upon a time, a carpenter entered a forest and happened upon a wolf wearing a feathered cap. Quick, whose side are you on? If you don't know, then keep reading. Stories provide a roadmap for life. This is because stories are life. But oftentimes it's easiest to understand where we are when we can look through other eyes—from the perspective of someone else, living somewhere else, somewhen else.
If you thought you knew The Book Tree, think again. Jane and Elizabeth have updated this charming book with over 100 new book reviews, and whimsical illustrations from recommended titles are scattered throughout. New formatting and four indexes (title, author, illustrator, and subject) make it easier than ever to browse for that next well-worn favorite.For those beginning to read for the first time or those beginning to read again, The Book Tree will drop golden apples in your lap, until you can climb high enough to pick for yourself.
About the Authors:
Elizabeth McCallum (M.A. English, University of Houston) has taught high school and college English for thirty years. She currently teaches English at Covenant Christian Academy (Cumming, GA) and conducts seminars on literature and English for both parents and teachers.
Jane Scott (B.A. English, Covenant College) spends much of her time managing her home and teaching. Her husband, Martin, serves in the Georgia legislature, and they live in northwest Georgia with their four girls.
Click here to see a sample of the book and to watch The Book Tree advertising trailer.
Good Children’s Literature Is Essential
A Word from the Authors
We wrote our book because a book of this sort is greatly needed.
The Book Tree is a recommended reading list for all ages, from
preschool through high school, and it includes several unique
features. It contains a selective array of excellent books for
each age group. We believe with Walter de la Mare that “only
the rarest kind of best of anything can be good enough for the
young,” so we have spent many years researching and reading
old books and new, classics as well as recent releases. In this
book, we provide a recommended list of classic books, as well
as books by Christian authors, some little-known books by
great writers and poets, and a sizable collection of inspiring
biographies. Of course, we do not think that these are the only
books worth reading. In fact, we are discovering new favorites
all the time. We are simply sharing with you some of the books
that we have especially enjoyed.
Table of Contents:
1. Preschool Literature
2. Elementary School Fiction
3. Middle School Fiction
4. Elementary & Middle School Biography
5. High School Fiction
6. High School Biography
Also Includes:
Title Index
Author Index
Illustrator Index
Subject Index
Publishers Description:
Once upon a time, a carpenter entered a forest and happened upon a wolf wearing a feathered cap. Quick, whose side are you on? If you don't know, then keep reading. Stories provide a roadmap for life. This is because stories are life. But oftentimes it's easiest to understand where we are when we can look through other eyes—from the perspective of someone else, living somewhere else, somewhen else.
If you thought you knew The Book Tree, think again. Jane and Elizabeth have updated this charming book with over 100 new book reviews, and whimsical illustrations from recommended titles are scattered throughout. New formatting and four indexes (title, author, illustrator, and subject) make it easier than ever to browse for that next well-worn favorite.For those beginning to read for the first time or those beginning to read again, The Book Tree will drop golden apples in your lap, until you can climb high enough to pick for yourself.
About the Authors:
Elizabeth McCallum (M.A. English, University of Houston) has taught high school and college English for thirty years. She currently teaches English at Covenant Christian Academy (Cumming, GA) and conducts seminars on literature and English for both parents and teachers.
Jane Scott (B.A. English, Covenant College) spends much of her time managing her home and teaching. Her husband, Martin, serves in the Georgia legislature, and they live in northwest Georgia with their four girls.
Click here to see a sample of the book and to watch The Book Tree advertising trailer.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Can You Spare a Dime? "For a Double Mocha Frappicino Latte"
By Mark Kennedy, ACSI, Eastern Canada
To me one of the profound mysteries about the North American Christian community is, “How can so many people in two of the wealthiest nations the world has ever known say they can’t afford Christian schooling for their children?”
Now I know that there are low income families here who can barely afford the necessities of life let along Christian school tuition. But what about everyone else? Well thanks to the research of the Vanier Institute of the Family’s ninth annual report, I am beginning ‘to get it’.
To me one of the profound mysteries about the North American Christian community is, “How can so many people in two of the wealthiest nations the world has ever known say they can’t afford Christian schooling for their children?”
Now I know that there are low income families here who can barely afford the necessities of life let along Christian school tuition. But what about everyone else? Well thanks to the research of the Vanier Institute of the Family’s ninth annual report, I am beginning ‘to get it’.
The report entitled, “The Current State of Canadian Family Finance” points out that:
- Since 1990, family debt has been rising seven times faster than household income—to the point that it is now equal to a record 131% of household incomes.
- More families than ever are living well beyond their means, despite low levels of unemployment, modest wage gains and an 18% increase in real net worth since the year 2000.
- Among Canadians earning a net mid-range income of about $60,000 annually, credit card debt has almost doubled from $12,000 in 1990 to over $22,500 today.
- There has been a steep decline in the amount of money families are able to save annually from $7,000 in 1990 to about $1000 today.
It seems our income level is less of an issue than our level of spending. An increasing percentage of Canadian families are spending more than they earn annually and, for these families adding payments for Christian school tuition on top of everything else is an extremely unattractive prospect. So even if a family’s annual income is $1,000,000 they cannot afford Christian schooling if their yearly expenses are $1,300,000.
Click here to read the rest of the post on The Christian School Journal
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