Back to School

Today was Matthew's first day of preschool! What a big milestone. He did so well, too. I walked him into his classroom, and he hugged me and ran off to play. I was the first parent out of the classroom, and I was so proud of my little man. I don't know where the past three and a half years have gone, but they sure have gone quickly!

For our family, this is just the first year of many of Matthew leaving the house to attend school at a school. We may be devout Catholics, but we have chosen not to homeschool our children. (Okay, so after Obama was elected again and DOMA was overturned, I may have seriously considered it in a moment of complete panic, but then I came to my senses.) I want to preface this post by saying that the families we know in Pittsburgh who are homeschooling are doing a beautiful job. (My freshman year roommate from college even spent some time as a homeschooler, and she's one of the coolest and smartest people I know. Guess that's why she's Noah's Godmother!) They are examples of homeschooling done well. And I fault no one for choosing to homeschool. It's your right as a parent. (Just please use a curriculum. :)) Homeschooling has many benefits and can be great when done well. I don't argue that at all. But there's something to be said for sending  your child off into a school building, too. That, too, can have great benefits and blessings.

Here's the thing. I'm a teacher. So lots of times people look at our family and are a little surprised that we are not homeschooling our children. Let's forget the fact that I never, ever want to teach my own children beyond helping them with homework and helping them learn study skills. (Does that make me a bad mother? Probably. Oh, well. Judge away.) But here's the other thing. I am a teacher, and thus, I have a special place in my heart for the tradition of children in America going off to school on a daily basis. I think there's something to be said for sending your child off to school and you serving in a supporting role as the parent. I think someone else teaching our children is a good thing.

I get that schools (Catholic and public) are not perfect. They are not perfect little examples of living the faith on a daily basis. They are fallen. I can completely understand why for some families, dealing with those school failings involves the decision to homeschool. Sometimes it's the only way to make sure your child is getting a good, Christian upbringing. It makes sense to want to protect your children from the things in the world that aren't always the best example of Catholicism. But then the educator part of me kicks in.

I love the idea of public education. Yet, I see schools failing in America. I see students being failed by the school systems. And I just can't stand by and pull out of the system completely as a way to fix it. I feel to fix it, I need to be involved. And I so badly want to fix it. I need my opinions and voice to be heard. By pulling out of the school system, my voice will not be heard, and things will only get worse. Education can be fixed. Catholic schools can be fixed. But we as parents need to pull together with educators who care and fix them. We can't just keep pulling out and away. The whole system at that point is only doomed further. If all the good people pull out, what's left? I refuse to abandon a system that I believe can work and at one point, did work for this country. I refuse to believe that the way to fix it is by pulling out of it. I mean, parts of the Catholic Church are broken, and I didn't just decide to stop going and become a different religion. I chose to stay a part of it, and to try and fix it from within. That's just what makes sense to me.

At some point, it may prove impossible to fix anything by ourselves, and it may show us that it's better to keep our kids home and use a cyber school curriculum. But I'm not sure that will be the case. Only time will tell. I can't really see the above scenario happening, but I know getting involved with a school and having your voice heard is not always easy or even possible. You can speak up all you want and still be shut down. That can get frustrating, and I'm not sure I'll have much patience for that. Having our kids learn at home, however, would not be ideal for us.

As Brian and I continue on our journey as parents, I only pray that we can continue to make good educational decisions for our children. We are both products of public education and consider ourselves to be pretty faithful and educated Catholics. As we forge ahead, we hope and pray that our presence wherever our children attend school will have a positive influence and lead to changes in the education system.

Whether you homeschool or send your kids off, happy back to school! Prayers for everyone for a blessed and successful year!