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The Hidden Cost of Public School
A free public education is anything but free or public. However, most people are not aware of the hidden costs of public school which are actually the most detrimental. Public school costs us: emotionally, physically, personally, relationally, and spiritually. Emotional Cost Public school has an emotional cost. Many studies (see below) have shown that attending school has a negative emotional impact on students. We may tend to downplay the impact of anxiety and depression on our children, but the reality is clear. No one escapes unscathed. Most if not all of us have experienced “test anxiety” at one point or another. Why is that even a thing? How have we…
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Public School is Not Free
Public school is NOT free. I first discovered this when I attempted to enroll my daughter in a Pre-K program in the school district where I taught while living in the neighboring county. “I’m sorry, how much?!” I blurted out while attempting to not spew coffee from my mouth. “Fifteen thousand two hundred and nine dollars,” the lady calmly stated through the phone. $15,209. For my daughter to attend a public Pre-K program. Public school is NOT free. While the average cost per student in the United States is $12,201 according to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau, states like New York pay $23,091 per student to attend public school. While…
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The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
Yesterday, my parents invited my children and me to spend the day at Sandy Point, a small beach about 40 minutes away. We jumped at the chance to put our bathing suits on and to lay aside our worries for the day. While driving over a huge bridge, my father gazed out at the water and commented, “Perhaps if things had been different, I would have bought a house here by the water… instead I decided to move to Silver Spring.” “Well, I’m glad you didn’t buy a house on the water – because then you wouldn’t have had me!” I retorted with a smile. But, it got me thinking……
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The Call to Peace
In light of everything that has been going on recently regarding the death of George Floyd to the violent riots that have occurred in the aftermath in cities all over the world, there has never been a greater time to issue a call to peace. As a teacher, I have always been taught to be “data driven.” It is important that we can honestly look at the numbers in order to have an honest conversation about them. So, let’s take a look at the number of people who have been shot to death by police by race from 2017 to 2020. According to the Washington Post, 1,004 people were shot…
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Public School is Not Public
It was 11:55 AM. My alarm was blaring reminding me to pick up my 4-year-old daughter, Sophia, from the bus stop. She was attending our local public pre-kindergarten program for just 2 hours a day for almost two months. Every day, I asked her the same question: “How was your day?” And every day, her answer was the same: “Bad.” “Why was it bad today?” “Because Miss R yelled at us again. She yells at us every day. Mom, do I have to go back there?” As a public school teacher, I had a hard time accepting the fact that my daughter was not enjoying school as much as I…
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What is Worldschooling?
Worldschooling can be simply defined as “the world is our school.” Worldschooling comes from the philosophy that the best learning is the kind that happens outside of the four walls of a traditional classroom. Instead, we view the world as our biggest and best classroom and the people in it as our greatest teachers. Peaceful Worldschoolers view the world as our biggest and best classroom and the people in it as our greatest teachers. Angela Harders Whether we are traveling to a country on the other side of the world or to the woods in our backyards, there is something to be learned from every place and from every person…
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