Comments on: Why Public School is The Bomb

By: www

www — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:35:21 +0000

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By: Jordan K.

Jordan K. — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:16:06 +0000

I am a Secondary Education major (emphasis in history), and I find this article to be inspiring to no end.

Thank you for writing it Todd!

By: Alecia

Alecia — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:35:46 +0000

I love this beautiful piece Todd. Thank you for sharing your heart. We have six kids–the four oldest are kickin it in all three levels of public education here in Burien. Two high school girls, a savvy junior high boy and a kindergarten queen. Our area is the United Nations of education. I think it’s amazing that after abandoning my dreams of living abroad as a missionary–God put me right in the thick of it.

Our experience started off with bold faith and a desire to impact our community for Jesus. The reality is that it has been really, really hard. We have been humbled, broken and discouraged along the way. We have loved on a lot of people, and had our hearts broken many times. But all of it has multiplied our need for Jesus and our desire for people to know Him and have True Life.

Again, thank you for your approach and humilty. Blessings.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:02:10 +0000

Thank you. I am a Christian high school special ed geometry teacher who has had a very long start of the school year. I love my kids, but somehow nothing wears me out and frustrates me more than my darlings. I struggle to find active instructional techniques for my students, but that makes a lot of extra work for me. So often, I feel I’m not making any difference and life would be much easier to instruct right from the book without any individuality. But I see how God is changing me to see all (almost all) my students through his eyes- the eyes of love. Sometimes, I am the only one to speak positive words to this high schooler, the only one to listen and care. There is so much hurt experienced through these years and all these students need to know what is the only thing to satisfy and bring true joy. This is one of the easiest mission fields to get to know many many students on a very personal basis.
I needed an atta-girl today, so thanks for all these comments.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:00:46 +0000

The author greatly exaggerates the idea that if you are not in public school, you are not involved in society. I want my children spending time with me each day watching how I am involved in society. If I am not with my children for the majority of the day, how are they going to learn from me, by example, about what God wants us to do in society? The alternative to public school is not a bubble.

The author probably doesn’t understand that “spiritual” truths are not the only reason a child would be home-schooled. Children are learning worldviews for life. It’s about character, self-worth, security, a sense of love, a sense of individuality, a healthy understanding of who to fear and who not to fear, discipline, sharing, hard work, patience, the proper use of words, listening, etc. These life lessons are not taught in class and are poorly modeled on the playground. But if my child is not on the playground, it doesn’t mean they are in a bubble. I will walk my young child through life and explain to them all the complexity and diversity. I want the life training in my hands.

By: Otha Graham

Otha Graham — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:43:13 +0000

Thank you for verbalizing what I’ve been trying to relate to Christian parents for years… I don’t have any kids, but when and if I do, and when and if my Christian brothers and sisters begin brow-beating me for sending my kids to public school, I hope to remember to forward them your article to gain their understanding.

By: Hope Ink Magazine |

Hope Ink Magazine | — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:09:22 +0000

[...] Todd Johnson tackles the ever-toxic topic of homeschooling vs. public school, and how classroom can be a mission [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:46:47 +0000

I think what is missing in so many of the conversations on both sides of this concerns the explicit vs. implicit curriculum that we use to teach our children coupled with the amazing capacity that children have for learning that we as adults underappreciate and under-utilize.

The explicit curriculum in a home-school, public school, other private school, etc., includes the text-books, lesson plans and objectives, and assignments, and is very important in guiding the teaching and learning process, but at the end of the day accounts for a minority of what our children learn.

The implicit curriculum is the rest of it- the grand experiment we call life. The investigations that we all conduct every day through our experiences, what we see modeled for us, and our own analysis of the world around us teach us and shape us more than anything.

That’s why it doesn’t matter if you are home-schooled, christian-schooled, or public schooled when it comes to religious beliefs, views on social justice, political views, what kind of music you like, what sports you like to play, if you like to play sports, the vernacular you use in veryday conversation, etc.

Be intentional when you choose the explicit curriculum for your children knowing that your impliciti curriculum will do more to shape them than anything. If you send your children to public school, be very intentional about the culture of worship that you create in the rest of their lives. If you home-school be intentional about the opportunities you give your children to be part of a bigger world.

There’s nothing worse than to be a parent lets the school teach his/her children who, what and how to worship or the parent that isolates the children with the hope that the child will not be tarnished by the world. Both parents ultimately fail. Both parents put too big a stock in the model and type of explicit instruction the child receives. Parents need to shepherd their children and that includes much more than choosing a watering hole.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:14:16 +0000

I agree with this… I am homeschooling my children and don’t believe it is the ONLY way. I get angry with other HS parents who treat others with disrespect for choosing public school…

By: BrianK

BrianK — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:58:03 +0000

Great article!!!

My four boy’s grades 5-12 are homeschooled because this is what we’ve prayed about and what God wants US to do. It’s not what everyone should do. Our job as Christian parents is to follow God, which means some will homeschool and some will be in public schools and others private.