Graduating in a Panera - Home Schooling in the USA

I signed off on a home school student yesterday. We were inside a Panera. I promoted him over a Napa Chicken Salad Sandwich. His mom had one of those huge Panera salads. It was his graduation day.

See, I am a certified public school teacher who agreed to review and mentor a local homeschool mom. Several times a year, we review her son's student portfolio of academic work. I am a trained homebound teacher/mentor and so often I review portfolios. Today, however, was a very special day.

At a final sit down after many years of hard work by him and his mother, and after a review of his very meticulously kept portfolio of benchmark assessments, I signed my name on his promotion paper, effectively graduating him from 12th grade. It was a huge day in his life. His mother homeschooled he and his brother for 12 years each. In fact, I also graduated his brother just last year. That son just completed his first year of college with a perfect GPA. We all expected as much.

Today was his brother's turn. Once I signed his graduation documents, we all high fived and congratulated each other. I turned and hugged his mother, both of us holding back tears. This was a big day for her, as well. She raised two strong, intelligent, God fearing men, teaching them every step of the way, a homeschooling mom superhero.

To me, she is an angel, by all definitions.

Homeschooling is an option many parents choose. It is a huge commitment for parents, to say the least. After all, while most might picture a homeschool mom coloring and counting with their young children, the harsh reality is that today's homeschool parents follow their children into high school, facing subjects like Algebra, Economics, and Literature. Most, like this amazing mom from yesterday, network with other parents, co-ops, organizations, virtual schools, teacher curriculum groups, and colleges to offer their children a strong, competitive curriculum. Many, like both her sons, socialize via community programs such as the local drama repertoire. I recently attended a glorious play written, directed, and produced by her sons. She and other parents truly hold the term cross curricular learning to its true value. They are also often strongly involved with their church organizations, as were her two sons. As a homeschooling mother, she offered her sons many learning opportunities over the course of their lives. I was honored to be able to watch them grow into amazing citizens of our country, as well as future leaders of the Kingdom of God.

Before we left, he asked if he could pray over us. We joined hands as he invoked blessings from the Lord. Sitting in a crowded Panera, with our hands gripping his mothers, tears streaming down our faces, we prayed in thanksgiving.

Halleuyah.

One final note ... I know there is much debate about public schools in America. There is also much division between public, private, charter and homeschooling parents. Politics often rears its ugly head. But, I must state, for the record ... it is all about the children. A parent who wants the best for their children is a good parent and good parents raise good children. Good children make good citizens ... and we could use more of them.

This public school teacher is a strong advocate of parent choice and local control. Period.

Blessings all.

Gator out.