A New Carrot
I received an email alert yesterday from my friends at the Home School Legal Defense Association. It seems that Nelson County, right here in my home state of Virginia, has come up with a plan to discourage families from homeschooling. No, they haven’t written a new curfew law that is so broad as to swoop our children out of our front yards should they play there in unapproved hours. No, they haven’t passed a more draconian mandatory attendance law. They have not created a new mountain of paperwork that must be filled in to the approval of some bureaucrat. They haven’t added twenty-seven more diseases that all children must be immunized against. In fact, Nelson County has required nothing new of homeschoolers at all. Instead they have learned what more and more school districts and states across the nation have learned, that the carrot is a far greater motivator than the stick.
There are any number of important practical reasons why we should reject the carrot of charter schools. Were we to bite into it we would find not the sweet flavor of carrot, but the bitter taste of all the strings attached. The most important reason, to any father’s heart, however, is this: God made us stewards of the children He has given us.
Nelson County has created a new “Charter school” program. In this program “homeschooling” families can create their own charter schools, schools that are financed by the state, but that come with less government oversight than an ordinary government school. “Homeschooling” families, under this program, would be eligible for state funds to purchase textbooks, computers, and sundry other tools that are used in the education process. All they must do in exchange is cease from homeschooling. Families who chose this option (and Nelson county is making this offer not just to homeschoolers in their own county), but to all families across the state, will be considered by the state to have their children enrolled in the Nelson county schools. And this time they would be correct. Families who choose this option may believe themselves to be home educating, but they are deluding themselves. When you receive the Queen’s coin, you submit to the Queen’s law.
I have a suspicion I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I have forgotten the nature of my column in this magazine. The column is called A Father’s Heart. My job here isn’t to tackle the prickly questions of government, but to touch on the matters of the heart. I’m supposed to be more pastoral, less political. Rest assured, this is a matter for a father’s heart.
When I am invited to speak at homeschooling conventions, I practice any number of my own conventions. That is, I have habits of speaking, little three minute sermonettes that in combination make up far longer talks. One of my favorites is this: I will ask the audience for two things. I ask first for someone to give me a quarter. Every time, at least so far, some gullible soul has trusted me. Then I ask a young child to come forward to the podium. I then ask the child whose image is on the quarter. So far everyone has successfully recognized the father of our country. I remind the assembly, in case they don’t remember, that Jesus, having asked those gathered around Him whose image was on the coin, told them all that they must render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. Then I ask the audience this simple, but profound question. Whose image, I ask them, is on this child? Then I remind them of the rest of Jesus’ command: we are to render unto God the things that are God’s.
There are any number of important practical reasons why we should reject the carrot of charter schools. Were we to bite into it we would find not the sweet flavor of carrot, but the bitter taste of all the strings attached. The most important reason, to any father’s heart, however, is this: God made us stewards of the children He has given us. A wise steward will never hand over that over which he has been given charge… to anyone. Do not sell your children for the carrot stew of a “free” computer and a stack of “free” textbooks. Instead, raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, lest you provoke them to wrath.