what's really wrong with public schools?`

my apologies if correct protocols were not taken in gaining permissions to reprint this. i was unable to verify the origin. i will however, post the article in full as i viewed it and at the end is included a link back to where i found it.

WHAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH
PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

By David H. Chilton

The usual argument against public education is very convincing. And very wrong. It runs something like this: Public schools have become breeding grounds for violence and sexual promiscuity; they often are outlets for socialist propaganda; they now constitute a formidable enemy of Christianity (by teaching evolution and prohibiting prayer and Bible reading) and of the family (by teaching sex education and deriding traditional authority structures). And so on — which is not an unmitigated tragedy, since it is being used, under the providence of God, to lead more and more Christians to abandon the system of public education. No matter what the reason, that is certainly a good result.

Unfortunately, the argument above is not as principled as it looks. It is' not an argument against state education, but only against certain perceived ills of public schools as they now exist. Thus, even among Christians who agree with the argument, you will find the following attitudes: (1) "The real problems exist in the inner-city schools, but there's nothing wrong with public schools in a rural, Christian community with traditional values"; (2) "We should work to make public schools more moral, by pressuring our legislators to reinstitute prayer and abolish sex-education"; (3) "We should try to force the public schools to give Creation 'equal time' with Evolution." These and similar positions all attest to the fact that much of the opposition to public schools is merely pragmatic: we are very willing for the state to control education, as long as we can be reasonably sure our children won't be beaten, drugged or raped in the library. To put it bluntly, we want our socialism, but we want it clean. If only the public schools would teach what we want them to teach, we would be happy to have our children's education funded by legalized theft. Quite an interesting position, philosophically: we'll give our children a "moral" upbringing by robbing our neighbors to pay for it.

As Christians, we do not argue against abortion simply by citing the dangers of malpractice; nor should we consider it sufficient to oppose state education simply because of its evil consequences. We do not work for safer methods of abortion; nor should we work to improve public schools. The basic biblical argument, you see, is that the very existence of state schools is immoral — regardless of the level of "morality" contained in them.

According to the Bible (see, e.g., Romans 13:4), the state has an extremely limited function, which may be summed up in two points: punishing criminals (as defined by God's law) and protecting the law-abiding. That's it. God has appointed civil rulers as His ministers, and their responsibility is to administer His laws. The Bible severely limits the powers of the state — and just in case rulers might misunderstand the extent of their commission, God built a "strict constructionist" interpretation right into the law: the ruler "may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:20). The Bible does not give rulers the power to educate children; that responsibility belongs to the family. State schools are therefore immoral in principle. They exist only because God's laws have been violated — by greedy rulers who covet the powers of deity, and by greedy citizens who covet "free" education at their neighbors' expense. Viewed in this light, it is no wonder that the public school system has spawned a generation of illiterate criminals who assume the world owes them a living. Why not? According to their parents, the world owed them an education; they're just extending the logic.

The rise in public-school crime and violence is nothing but the humanistic superstructure built on a rotten foundation. It is quite predictable; in fact, it was predicted in Deuteronomy 28, the list of the curses which necessarily fall upon a culture that departs from God's law. If our educational principles are not founded on God's word, we have shut God out of our system of knowledge — and committed cultural suicide. Romans 1:28-32 tells us what happens to people who will not have God in their knowledge: it reads like a modern report card on "citizenship."

"But," it may be objected, "if the state doesn't provide education and force citizens to submit to it, some parents won't bother to do it themselves." This is true. It is also true that some people don't brush their teeth. We should therefore provide free dental care and send bureaucrats to each home every morning and evening, armed with dental floss, to enforce oral hygiene on the population. Right? Where do you draw the line? You draw the line where God draws it: in His law. God has defined the responsibilities and limits of the state, and whenever it falls short of those responsibilities, or transgresses those limits, it is playing god. The inevitable result is national damnation.

No matter what objection you have to all this, it falls the ultimate test: conformity to God's law. When you say the rural, "moral," community-oriented public schools are still OK, all you're saying is that the full harvest of apostasy hasn't caught up with them yet. But the fact that none of your bad checks have returned is no justification of forgery. Those wonderful schools are possible only by the illegitimate beneficence of a deified state which plunders your neighbors to give your kids a free lunch. There's just no way around it. Public schools are immoral, and always have been — even in the bygone, halcyon days of old, when students got regular doses of birch rods and McGuffey readers.

Look at yourself for a prime example. You went to a "nice" public school, and you didn't turn out so badly. You didn't take LSD in 5th grade, you didn't carry a switchblade in Jr. High, and you were a virgin on Graduation Day. State education didn't pervert you. Or did it? Consider your reaction to this essay. (Never mind that I'm begging the question for a minute.) Regardless of the biblical evidence, you still find it hard to swallow that the state shouldn't do something beyond God's requirements. You think the argument that public education involves theft is somewhat "abstract." Face it: you're a socialist. Many of your ideas about the proper role of government were fed to you from K through 12, and it's like pulling teeth to get rid of them. I'm constantly running into sincere Christians who are absolutely aghast at the thought of abolishing unbiblical government regulation. ("How will the mail get delivered?") I even heard one theologian boldly assert that the value of gold and silver comes from the paper money behind it!

The real problem with public schools is that they exist in the first place. They are an ungodly, unlawful, collectivist institution. The many evils now spewing out of them derive from the curse of God inflicted on all institutions that defy Him. He has commanded parents to educate their children in terms of His law; that cannot be done in a public school. If we want our children to fear Him, to grow into diligent workers for His kingdom, we cannot afford to train them in an institution which has as its fundamental presupposition that I am entitled to as much money as I can vote out of my neighbor's pocket.

Prayer doesn't belong in a public school (Proverbs 28:9). Your money doesn't belong in a public school. Most of all, your children don't belong in a public school. Institutions premised on sin must not be redeemed, but abandoned. We cannot send young maidens into brothels in the interests of "equal time for chastity." As the light of the world, we must set the standard. Our Lord never called His people to help build the tower of Babel in the hope of getting a Bible study in the basement. He commanded us to build our own city on a hill.

http://reformed-theology.org/html/issue08/whats_wrong_with_schools.htm

gizmo the panda's thumb

the kids found another caterpillar out by the walnut tree. he's really quite beautiful with his "lashes". called halysidota tessellaris, banded tussock moth [caterpillar], and the panda's thumb, this little guy feeds on several of the local trees including walnut. we think maybe he fell or was knocked from our walnut tree, because the kids found him stuck to this blade of grass. we've decided to raise him like we did the monarch tiger. the kids are very excited and i was just thrilled with my new camera as this pic is so much clearer and more detailed than the pics i took last time.

if you're interested, you can read more about gizmo at this website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halysidota_tessellaris

the great butterfly rescue

well..Tiger escaped her tent the night of the 30th. Since many of the doors and windows were open, after an exhausting search of the house, we concluded that she got away and into the great outdoors. the kids were a bit disappointed and hubby and i were just a bit worried that she had died trapped in an obscure corner in the house somewhere.

yesterday, much to my dismay, thinking that Tiger was forgotten, my daughter spotted her between the screen and storm window in our dining room. i went to investigate and to my disappointment (but not surprise) she was unmoving and I declared her "dead". the kids were very disappointed and maybe even a little bit sad.

today, my daughter, obviously not over the ordeal, went to investigate her resting place (she was trapped waaaaaaay up in there,, so we left her). she was moving. i didn't hold out much hope at this point but i decided to attempt to rescue the now animated Tiger.

this window is enormous and no longer holds itself open. the storm also must be braced and is ver heavy. i couldn't get between the screen and the storm in any way that wouldn't damage the butterfly's wings, so i finally opted to push the screen out of the hole into the yard. this was her only hope of not getting squished during the rescue. this proved to be more difficult that in sounds but eventually, I got it out. Tiger was clinging to this screen for dear life and was reluctant to let go or even attempt to fly. i surmised her wings must have been damaged from the ordeal and this was a fruitless rescue. i went outside and pried her loosed from the screen with a butterknife (it was handy from the screen extraction). as i lifted her from the screen she took off in flight.

talk about relief. she might not be in the best of health, but i was able to believe (and tell the kids with confidence) that she can now travel, find food and have a chance in the beautiful open that she was intended for.

on the way back into the house they spotted a wooly bear catterpillar and now want to raise it to "mothhood". i'm a bit leary of the whole ordeal and i think i talked them out of it. LOL

it's a girl

Tiger emerged from HER chrysalis this morning. she sits on her perch upside down waiting for her wings to dry and strengthen. we are all very excited and amazed at this little creation. she was in a jar but appeared to be cramped. we had placed a paper bag over the jar temporarily after she emerged to keep her in the jar. she climbed up and attached to it for more wing room so we moved her into some new roomier digs. isn't she lovely?

taking time out to pay attention to the details can really be an inspiration and a reminder of the fact that God really does care about even the smallest of details.

tiger goes green

5 days into our caterpillar adventure, Tiger has decided to go green...he/she is in chrysalis stage and we await his/her arrival as an adult monarch. my camera is not the greatest for closeup shots, but here's a pic to give you a glimpse.

new pet

we found a monarch caterpillar today. we decided to keep him and see what comes. my kids went out to fetch some milkweed to feed it and he was not happy. i wasn't really using my common sense because i didn't initially give him the leaf we found him on. i really should have known, cuz it was climbing milkweed, which is actually the variety i grew up with. funny how things get all clustered and covered with dust in your brain and then when you try to pull them out, all the stuff on the shelf falls on your head. anyway, he appears to be a happy bug, but very inactive. i'm thinking maybe he's preparing to shed. he's about 1 inch long and about as big around as a pencil so we're pretty sure he's got some more growing to do.

birdwatching

We are trying to identify a bird from our yard that I'm sure is a variety of chickadee but we can't narrow down which one. Our little visitor very closely resembles the guy in picture, but our specimin has more pronounced sideburns (black hooks near ears) and has a white liner just in front over or over the eyes. Ours has an almost spade shaped bib attached to a beard, so he has a charcoal and black pattern than runs from the breast all the way up to his cap. help...we've tried whatbird.com and I'm sure by the varieties they've posted, we definately have a chickadee but we can't decide which one.

homeschool myth

Received this in an email from a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

mom & dad banned in the classrooms?

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58185

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

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BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS
California 'Mom,' 'Dad' ban garners international scorn
World Congress of Families condemns promotion of 'polymorphous perversion'

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Posted: October 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh

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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

An international organization promoting families says California families have no choice but to abandon the public school system after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new "anti-discrimination" bill into law, effectively making terms like "mom" and dad" obsolete.

As WND has reported, some family advocates in California already had come to the same conclusion as that reached now by the World Congress of Families.

World Congress of Families Global Coordinator Allan Carlson said the measure, SB 777, is "a blatant attack on the natural family orchestrated by the alternative-lifestyles lobby."

The exodus call had been issued just one day earlier by Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. "We're calling upon every California parent to pull their child out of California's public school system," he told WND.

"The so-called 'public schools' are no longer a safe emotional environment for children. Under the new law, schoolchildren as young as kindergarten will be sexually indoctrinated and introduced to homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality, over the protests of parents, teachers and even school districts," he said.

The law at issue went through the California legislature as SB 777, and now bans in school texts and activities any discriminatory bias against those who have chosen alternative sexual lifestyles, Meredith Turney, legislative liaison for Capitol Resource Institute, said.

The World Congress noted the law prohibits "instruction" or "activity" that is perceived to "promote a discriminatory bias" against "gender," including cross-dressing and sex-change operations as well as "so-called sexual orientation."

(Story continues below)

"It will prohibit anything that suggests that the natural family – a man and a woman, married, with children – is normal or typical," said Carlson. "Thus, under this latest advance toward a Brave New World of polymorphous perversion, California textbooks will no longer be able to use words like 'mother and father' and 'husband and wife,' because they suggest that heterosexuality is the norm – even though that is manifestly the case, even in California."

The organization's statement called it "unbelievable" that teachers and students who oppose same-sex marriage and suggest homosexuality isn't innate, or disapprove of cross-dressing and sex-change operations, could be disciplined as "harassers," and students may use the restrooms designated for the gender with which they identify.

"California parents who don't want to see their children subjected to gender indoctrination will now have no alternative but to withdraw from the public education system – which they will be required to fund, nonetheless," Carlson said.

Carlson co-authored with Paul Mero "The Natural Family: A Manifesto," and the World Congress is in the forefront of the international pro-family movement today. Its most recent congress was in Warsaw in May, and drew delegates from 62 nations.

While SB 777 provides protections for those promoting alternative lifestyle choices, there are no similar protections for students with traditional or conservative lifestyles and beliefs. Offenders will face the wrath of the state Department of Education, up to and including lawsuits.

"SB 777 will result in reverse discrimination against students with religious and traditional family values. These students have lost their voice as the direct result of Gov. Schwarzenegger's unbelievable decision. The terms 'mom and dad' or 'husband and wife' could promote discrimination against homosexuals if a same-sex couple is not also featured," said Turney.

"Parents want the assurance that when their children go to school they will learn the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic – not social indoctrination regarding alternative sexual lifestyles. Now that SB 777 is law, schools will in fact become indoctrination centers for sexual experimentation," she said.

Karen England, chief of CRI, told WND that the law is not a list of banned words, including "mom" and "dad." But she said the requirement is that the law bans discriminatory bias and the effect will be to ban such terminology.

"Having 'mom' and 'dad' promotes a discriminatory bias. You have to either get rid of 'mom' and 'dad' or include everything when talking about [parental issues]," she said. "They [promoters of sexual alternative lifestyles] do consider that discriminatory."

Her organization immediately filed with the state a plan to take the issue to the state's voters in a referendum as early as 2008. Yesterday, the institute issued a list of advisories because officials have been "overwhelmed" by those who are outraged by the state's actions.

"By filing the SB 777 referendum with the attorney general, CRFI seeks to bring SB 777 before the people of California for vote," the advisory said. "The vast majority of Californians are shocked when they learn of SB 777's purpose. We believe that if it is brought before the people, it will be overturned."

England's organization said SB 777, by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, "is the most blatant and egregious assault on traditional family values that CRI has witnessed in our 20 years of serving families in the capitol … SB 777 actually advances a radical sexual agenda on children as young as five years old."

"The vague language of this bill could be interpreted to mean that instruction that only features a mom and dad or traditional family would be 'promoting a discriminatory bias' against homosexual couples. It would promote 'heterosexism' to only show male and female couples, without equal time for homosexual, transsexual and transgender 'families,'" she said.

She said while supporters of the activist plan argue those conclusions are absurd, the organization actually "is merely publicizing policies that have already been implemented in Los Angeles Unified School District regarding transgender students."

England noted that the district website confirms if a male perceives himself as a female, "he must be granted access to female locker rooms and restrooms. He must be allowed to participate in female sports activities.

"If the student wishes to keep his sexual status from his parents, the teachers and administration must refer to the masculine pronoun (him/he) when talking to his parents and use the feminine pronoun (she/her) at school," the Capitol Resource analysis concluded.

"This shocking policy treats parents as the enemy of the transgender student…" the analysis said.

Thomasson had posted on his website examples of situations he said he expects to see develop:

• "Please turn to Chapter 10, entitled Famous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. History tells us that great Americans such as Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln were gay and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was lesbian. It's likely that even prominent biblical personas were gay, such as King David of Israel and the Apostle Paul. Until this year, the sexual identities of these and other historical figures have been denied by discriminatory textbooks that reflected adversely on LGBT people by ignoring their existence."
• "Children, our new picture book has arrived. This is a fantastic story called Daddy's Wedding. It teaches us that no relationship is bad. See the two men dressed in tuxedos, like they're at a wedding? Daddy's Wedding tells us that two men can love each other and even get married…"

Ray Moore, a spokesman for Exodus Mandate, which advocates Christians give up on public schools and either school their children at home or send them to Christian schools, agreed with Thomasson, and went further.

"This really is a call to conservative and Christian pro-family groups to give up this absurd idea of public school reform," he told WND. "It can't be done. The longer they talk about saving public schools, the longer they prolong this agony, when they could be setting up new schools."

He said such plans to indoctrinate children in sexual alternatives is not a surprise at all. "The pagans are simply obeying their god," he said.

He also warned that the rest of the nation could feel the impact of the decision, because California is known as a trend-setter in educational practice and policy.

"California always has been on the cutting edge of trends, sometimes good and sometimes bad," Moore said. "What happens in California sometimes can spread nationwide.

"I do know textbook publishers blow with the wind," Thomasson added, "whether they blow from Texas or California, because those are the biggest states. That's how they sell books."

He said textbook editors now have a new agenda to satisfy if they want to sell their products in California. "We could see those [new] books within a year or two."

As WND reported, a board member for the homosexual advocacy group Equality California verbally attacked and threatened CRI for its opposition to the bill earlier.

The board member sent an e-mail and video to CRI threatening the group would be buried if it continued efforts opposing the homosexual advocacy.

"The shocking hate mail we received shows that those behind this legislation do not promote true tolerance," said England. "Only politically correct speech will be tolerated. Those with religious or traditional moral beliefs will not be allowed to express their opinions in public schools."

She also cited an informational document published by the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the Transgender Law Center that already has outlined what it believes to be nondiscriminatory treatment in the school system.

"If you want to use a restroom that matches your gender identity … you should be allowed to do so," it advises. "Whenever students are divided up into boys and girls, you should be allowed to join the group or participate in the program that matches your gender identity as much as possible."

Further, the groups advise, "If you change your name to one that better matches your gender identity, a school needs to use that name to refer to you." The advocacy group also warns schools against bringing parents into any such discussion with students.

WND has documented a number of earlier cases in which educators, including leaders in California, have taken it upon themselves to promote a homosexual lifestyle to children under their charge.

WND reported California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, under whose supervision hundreds of thousands of children are being educated, has used his state position and taxpayer-funded stationery to praise a "gay" pride event used in the past to expose children to sexually explicit activities.

That drew vehement objections from several educators, including Priscilla Schreiber, the president of the Grossmont Unified High School District governing board.

"I am outraged that a person in this high-ranking elected position would advocate an event where diversity is not just being celebrated but where pornography and indecent exposure is being perpetrated on the young and innocent children of our communities," she said.

Xanga Archives 12/16/2006

Disgusted

I went to a Christmas program last night. My friend's children were performing at their school. They all did delightfully well, singing and playing trombone ;)...but I was so thouroughly disgusted with the whole program. It sure made me glad, that I decided to homeschool. There wasn't one hint, or even a little mention of the custom we call "Christianity" or the celebration of the birth of a king. They sang and danced about Kwanzaa and Hannuka and they did some stuff with father time and Chinese New Year with a big scary looking dragon and not even one sidenote about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This was a very small town - the sign at their city limits boasts "Good Schools and Good Churches". HA! They don't have either one. A town of only a few hundred people and they can't even sing "Away In A Manger" at a Christmas Program.

I intend to make sure this doesn't happen to my kids. I'm going to make sure they know why we celebrate Christmas. I know that Jesus was born in September (or there abouts), but Dec 25th is the day that the nation set aside to recognize it and now they are trying to renig on the deal. Get your children an Xbox for Christmas but don't teach them the gospels of Christ. Christ - Christmas - Hmmmmm....You think there might be a connection here?

Okay, I'm off my soapbox.

Happy Holidays!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

~Isaiah 9:6

homeschooling is not a crime

WARNING: The following entry may contain material that may be taken personal and may be offensive to those who "fit the shoe".

This is for all the homeschool moms. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for trying to teach your children the Truth.

I just read another blog and the author felt persecuted because she homeschools her children. The worst part is, she's not the only one, because so many people can't stand the idea of anyone "showing them up" as bad parents. Homeschoolers are fighting for their children by taking them back from the world that's trying to gobble them up and spit them back out as selfish, unrestrained, irresponsible, narcissistic, foolish, arrogant, self-serving adults.

Our schools are beginning to institute things into the curriculum that would make a Christian mother cringe with fear. I have one child in the public school system for reasons that I'd rather save for another day. She is a teen and almost graduated and the things and ideas that she comes home with from her teachers just makes me gasp. I have two small ones that I intend to homeschool, if I can ever get myself prepared. Fortunately for us, my oldest has been taught enough values at home to prevent too much of the garbage from soaking in at school. I would rather she not be there at all though, because even the best taught kids put in those surroundings will come out with some negative results. You can't just throw an apple in a blender and expect nothing to happen.

So many parents are currently ranting today about putting "prayer" back in schools. Personally, I think this is a diversion. This is not for Christian parents and children at all. I think the loudest noise is coming from those who want their kids in public school, so they don't have to raise their own children. If they raise their voices high enough about putting the prayer back, maybe no one will notice that they are not doing their job as parents.

We don't need prayer in schools. Our schools don't need to teach children to pray. They should learn that from parents and they can pray at home. God never wanted us to pray for show anyway. Prayer is to commune with Him and to make requests of Him, not to show others how spiritual we can be. If we really want or need public schools to teach our children, then we need to start forcing schools to eliminate curriculum not add to it.

When the public schools were first instituted, they were designed to teach children of uneducated families the 3 R's (reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic) in order to further their opportunities to provide for their own families when they became adults. So, where does humanism fit into the three R's? Why does a child need to understand homosexuality to be able to get a job? When did birth control, STD prevention or sex education become necessary for a career path? - unless your career choice is that of a homemaker or a sex therapist -- it's not. Dealing with sexual behavior, emotions, fears and ethnic or cultural differences, belief in creation or evolution or whatever religion you prefer is the responsibility of the parents NOT the schools.

And what about evolution? Evolution can no more be proven than creation can. In fact scientists have found more physical proof of the flood in Noah's day than they can to support evolution, so why do they teach Darwin's theory in school. What about witchcraft? Ever seen "Harry Potter"? They show it for amusement in the public schools in Kansas City where my father works. One of my daughter's teachers took it upon herself to teach her students that the ancient Egyptians were descendents of aliens. Maybe this is true. I can't prove that it's not, but she can't prove that it is, so that means she has faith in her belief (no matter how ridiculous this may sound). All of these ideologies require faith in the unproven and unseen. Faith constitutes religion. So why can the schools teach these religions when they are not permitted to teach creation and/or prayer? What happened to separation of church and state?

Most people aren't really interested in the separation of church and state. They are interested in themselves. In order to perfectly serve one's self, they must remove all sources of moral obligation and/or guilt that would otherwise make them feel differently about being completely amoral (psychologists term this behavior as "perfect psychopathy"). A person cannot completely serve themselves if they believe that there is a God deserving of their service or if they believe that they may be morally obligated to serve another as to nurture a spouse or love a child.

These people are offended by your ambition to homeschool because they either don't see anything wrong with the public school system or more likely they don't want to face the truth about themselves. This would require them to take a look at their own morality and/or mortality and face the hopelessness and emptiness of their own lives before considering that what their kids are learning at school might be wrong. Some just don't care because they are so deep in self-serving behavior that they don't have time to raise their children and they want the schools to raise their children for them. They blame the schools when their children get out of control and they refuse to take any responsibility for these "monsters" they've created. They scorn homeschoolers because they feel GUILTY. They FEEL guilty because they ARE guilty. They scorn you because they want you to feel guilty in their stead. Don't you dare!

I was raised in the public school system and it was pretty bad then, but it's continually getting worse and if you've decided to take your children and jump ship, then God bless you for it. Teach your kids at home and by the time your children are old enough to need specialized training for an occupation which requires it, they should be well protected with what you've taught them at home. They can get in, get the knowledge they need and get out without a scratch.

If you have in any way become offended by reading this material, maybe you should take a step back and figure out "why?". Parents, it's time to wake up. Fight this world and take your kids back by any means you can before it's too late. By all means, change the public school system, but do it right. Don't waste your time on trivial matters which distract you from the real root of the problem. Your child's immortal soul may depend on it.