Thinking about Private (Home) School....

My little one is just about to turn three.  As a family we have always discussed this with the growing problems in this system of things. Growing up Tommy and I both came from school backgrounds that were not always positive. I remember drugs, gang violence, weopons, bullying and sexual activity among my peers being the everyday happenings of my "education".  My mom viewed it as "my personal territory" and a place to become "social" and learn about "society". I appreciate her attempt in giving me this growth. I cannot disagree with her. I believe that my experiences in the public school system had a lot to do with shaping my view of the world and realizing I want to be "no part of the world". What I saw was more then I ever wish my child(ren) to ever see.  The kicker is that things are worse.  My mom calling it my territory...well I consider it now more then ever a battle ground. You wouldn't delibertely place your child in front of a bullet would you? Well that is where deep thought comes to this issue. Is public school a danger to my child's well being?

The other point we have discussed is the declining quality of education. Seems like everyday there is reports of schools not meeting standards or teachers/staff cheating on students test. I appreciate our "good" teachers. What they do and deal with is amazing with little finacial reward.  Also growing up my husband and I both found things in our curriculm that was presented as fact when we knew well that this was not fact, but theory.

Another thing that my husband and I faced as children and teens was the overwhelming amount of homework. Often, I remember doing homework from the time I left school until early hours of the morning and then rising early to complete it and feeling tired at school all day. Why isn't school work and personal research enough? We were often under extreme pressure to succeed by our instructors.

We have been considering a school that is listed as a "private religious school" and are doing our research and praying over this matter. We are wanting to make sure anything we choose will be the best benefit of our child(ren). We want to make sure it's accrediated and there is a curriculm that will challenge our child to learn, yet provide him with the flexibility to grow. We don't want to take our decision lightly and refer to Proverbs 22:3: "Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself,” states a wise proverb.