It doesn't matter if your children are home schooled, private schooled or public schooled. Chances are, you've heard of the public school crisis.
It's been an especially hot topic in my family because (as I've told you before) we come from teachers and preachers. Every single person in our family is either a teacher or in ministry. (Ok, that's a slight exaggeration, but not much of one.) Our entire immediate family is in ministry or the teaching profession (or retired from them).
So, the public school crisis hits close to home for us. Granted, I've been predicting this (a public school meltdown/crash) for about 5 years now - but I had no idea it would hit so soon or so hard. I predicted 10 years out. Maybe it was more wishful thinking than anything else.
We are currently waiting to hear if Rick has a contract for next year. His district is "laying off" more than 100 staff members. It's been touch and go for weeks now. (I'm speaking of the job situation ... but it's been touch and go in the house as well just in case you were wondering!) One day he comes home and tells me that they held a meeting and they're going to need to get rid of another science person. We hold our breath for a few days and then he comes home and tells me they changed their minds and decided to go another direction. Then we repeat the process again a few weeks later. It's very ... um ... ... (ahem) ... character building.
We're not the only ones in our family being affected. We've gotten heart breaking emails and phone calls this week about what our loved ones are facing.
It is sobering and humbling and depressing all in the same breath. And while I would say I'm probably one solid step away from being a complete conspiracy theory fool, I don't think I'm stretching it too far when I say that this could have only been expected with the government being so hands on with our schools.
I know we like to think that as long as they have a good teacher and she's a Believer that our kids are safe and we don't really have much to worry about. She may have to teach evolution, but truth will prevail because .... well .... because I'm the room mom. (What? You haven't had that thought?)
We got our first real dose of just how cleverly the government has seized control of any and all aspects of our public schools when we needed Craig to be allowed to take a few of his supplements during school hours. He has a few whole food supplements that directly counteract allergens he comes in contact with in the environment and in food. While he gets both of these in the morning before he leaves, they have worn off by mid day and he begins to react slightly. While it is not near the behavior problems he was once experiencing, it still causes disruptions to the class from time to time and gets him sent out of the classroom. (For example, the last time it happened - he was throwing his cucumbers up in the air, catching them on his eyeballs and then trying to bounce them into his mouth. You can imagine trying to teach with that circus act going on. However, when he's reacting and you ask him to quit, he loses his temper and makes a scene.)
So, we began experimenting and talking with his chiropractor and soon figured out that if he could just have another dose of his supplements, he could finish the afternoon like a champ.
AWESOME!!
However, what I soon realized is that this is considered illegal.
We contacted the school to let them know Craig needed to take the supplements at school and asked what forms we needed to fill out. They sent the forms, but in reading through them we realized that the district had VERY strict guidelines regarding what the school nurses were allowed to give. Upon further investigation we discovered that it wasn't the district guidelines near as much as it was the states.
Even with a doctor's note, Craig was still denied the pills he needed.
The school nurse is allowed to dispense antihistamines, antibiotics, injections, epi-pens, and a whole host of other meds, but she cannot go near supplements.
The premise for this is steroids. (Or is it?) (I told you I'm just one hop, skip & a jump away from my own Conspiracy Theory.)
Supplements are likened to steroids in that they are not FDA approved and could affect the performance of a student ... or more importantly (in their eyes) an athlete. If the school nurses (and trainers) were allowed to distribute supplements, they could beef up their players before the big games. This is the reasoning they have on paper. (I'm not convinced.)
I'll save you my long, drawn-out Theory and just suffice it to say that if schools were allowed to give herbs, supplements, whole foods and vitamins instead of poisons (a.k.a. medications) - we would not be seeing near the cases of ADHD, ADD, diabetes, autism, etc... (However, the flip side of that is that the pharmaceutical companies wouldn't be making a killing off of the medications either. The love of money ... )
Yes, I know what I just said. I also know the research I've done since we began exploring other options for our son and I know where it's led us.
My children will never again receive another vaccination in their lives if I can help it. (If we have more children, they won't be vaccinated.) There is too much research that proves the links to autism.
My family will continue to eat organic, hormone-free, dye-free foods and do without in other areas (clothes, cars, etc...) for as long as we can without declaring bankruptcy. There is too much research that proves that the preservatives and additives in food are killing us.
We started this journey originally to help our son and it's turned into a life changing ordeal for our entire family. We won't ever be the same. We can't go back.
I realize that may sound a little dramatic (and yes we all know I can bring the drama) - but it's true. What we have learned in the last year regarding health, wellness, and food has taken us to a place of no return. (This is the part where you sing Phantom of the Opera's "Past the Point of No Return". Or, like Rick, you just roll your eyes and move on.)
Seriously speaking, this is a big enough, life changing ordeal to me that I am in the midst of beginning a ministry that centers around bringing truth on this very subject to families. I want to be able to go to churches (because getting into schools with this information will be banned) and speak to parents and show them how we found help ... point them to truth. However, that is a blog for another day.
Teacher layoffs, bigger class sizes, lack of freedom to give children medications they need ... It gets better.
I talked to one of my family members recently who informed me that her principal told them to no longer teach two of the subjects to their classes because they aren't going to be tested on them on the Taks test coming up in April. No need to learn history kids - it won't be on the Taks!
One of my other family members recently informed me that they found out that there is a poisonous "substance" in their school and the children are coming in contact with it each and every day, but that they are choosing not to do anything about it because the school doesn't have the money to fix it. And the most pitiful part? The teachers were sworn to secrecy and not allowed to tell the parents.
I don't know what the future holds for our schools. I don't know what the future holds for my husband's (and other family members) line of work or my children's schooling. (We all know I have no business home schooling them! I just taught Craig on Tuesday the "wrong" way to do subtraction. Oi vey!)
So much of all of it doesn't make sense to me. However, I don't have to have all the answers or have it all figured out. And - I don't have to worry about what the future holds. Furthermore, maybe the Lord put me in this place at this time in these circumstances "for such a time as this".
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