We have homeschooled, and for the last few years sent 2 to a Classical Christian school. We get incredible social pressure to stop doing this. It is “weird” and a “waste” of money. The government schools in Northern Virginia are “not as bad” as say California. In fact, the secular education you get is actually excellent and the “Family Life Education” tones down the radicalism whenever parents get restless. This is too bad, because turning down government schooling for academic reasons is socially acceptable. No one understands my objection to the more subtle world view indoctrination (which in my day was called “Values Clarification”).
Our church thinks the money would be better spent on their programs, naturally. One daughter was actually damaged by a church program. She wanted to visit a Buddhist temple to find out what they really believe (having learned at home that 2nd hand descriptions are often misinformed and/or unclear on the concept). The church people were aghast and afraid that she might get spiritual cooties. (“There are, like, demons there!!”) Yet they have no problem sending their very young kids off to government school with a teacher’s union whose mission statement is to create “good world citizens”, not provide an education. The Buddhist temple was interesting. She never went back to church. Ironically, our new rector has instituted a rigorous confirmation program that includes visits to not only a Buddhist temple, but Islamic temple and Jewish temple as well as Catholic and Greek Orthodox. (You can much better understand what you believe in contrast to what other really believe.)
So yes, there is progress of the good kind (as opposed to the “progress” of an egg going bad) in case you were wondering why we are still there.
The “sacrifices” required to attend the Classical school include me commuting by bicycle (15 mi/day), all our furniture is from yard sales and trash pick up (my wife can mend and re-stuff cushions), selling her grandmothers antique silver (which we never used because it was so nice – hopefully the new owner can actually enjoy it), our daughters having to work to pay for their own college, no money for junk food, etc. All these “sacrifices” are actually benefits in disguise.
