Homeschool Surging in Response to Public School Violence: Today we”€™re talking about education and the top things we would not want our kids affected by in school today – things like safety, worldview, and more! Did you know that public schools give the lowest academic results of all the major options that are available? Or that public school teachers have the highest percentage of kids attending private schools of any entity out there? So, what can parents do? Tune in now to learn more!

Air Date: 08/20/2018

Guest: Tim Lambert

On-air Personalities: David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

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Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith And The Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture. This is WallBuilders Live! We”€™re talking about today”€™s hottest topics on policy, faith, and the culture. Always from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. All of these topics, they affect our lives, they affect our families, they affect our property, they affect our businesses. This is where the rubber meets the road, folks. This is why we talk about this intersection of faith and the culture, of faith and and politics. And we always want to have that perspective to get to the right answer on all these issues.

Our discussion today is with David Barton, he”€™s America’s premier historian and our founder here at WallBuilders. Tim Barton is with us, national speaker and pastor, and president of WallBuilders. And my name is Rick Green, I’m a former Texas state legislator.

Check us out at WallBuildersLive.com. That’s where you can listen to programs over the last few weeks and also get a list of all of our stations across the country. And then at WallBuilders.com, we have a lot of great tools for you. Things you can use in your family, your church, your schools, to help equip, and inspire, and educate, folks on how to preserve our liberty and restore our Constitutional Republic. So, check that out there at WallBuilders.com.

David, Tim, of course, if we’re going to have a decent society you’ve got to have good education, you’ve got to be able to equip your citizens from an early time on what it means to be a good citizen and what the values are that will produce a good society. So, education is important. When you look at our country right now, man, we”€™ve got major problems in our education system. Certainly, if we’re churning out a lot of  socialists in this new generation that’s obviously a problem. But there’s also just a safety issue in schools today. There’s a lot of issues to deal with, the whole transgenderism, people are looking at school and going, “€œI’m not sure I want to send my kid into that environment.”€

David:

Well, it’s interesting that when you look historically and traditionally over recent years, even the last couple of decades, when you look at the various groups that compose American culture and society, the different professions that are out there, do you know which group refuses to send their kids in the public school more than any other group?

This Should Tell You Something

Tim:

Politicians.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

Not politicians.

Rick:

So, like a profession, you”€™re talking about.

David:

Yeah, what profession has the highest percentage of refusing to send their kids in public schools?

Tim:

Teachers.

David:

Public school teachers. Public school teachers have the highest percentage of kids attending private schools of any entity out there. Now, that should tell you something.

Rick:

And they would of course know what the environment is like.

David:

Yep. That should tell you something. Now, Rick, you hear some things–let’s just * some off. What are the things that you would not want your kids being affected by in school today? What are the things you stand a real chance of having your kids affected by or infected by, affected or infected, that you would not, as a normal traditional commonsense parent, you would not want your kids being infected or affected by these things?

Top Three Things

Rick:

Well, obviously, I’m on our on our program the three of us we talk about self-defence a lot. And it bothers me like crazy that parents send their kids into these schools that are “€œgun free zones”€. Which means they’re sitting ducks and schools are not, and states are not, making the decision to arm teachers and protect the children. So, I feel like I’d be sending my kids into an unprotected environment where they could literally be harmed. And then, of course, just the– not even just shootings, but just the violence of this culture right now and the things that happen on campuses. So, that”€™d be, number one in my mind, just basic physical safety.

David:

Yeah. The violence level is high. As a matter of fact, the assaults against teachers are unbelievable. The number of teachers who are put out of commission by students assaulting them – not counting student assaults on students. Not counting those who come in from the outside with guns, Rick, like you’re talking about.

Tim:

Guys, a thing I saw on Detroit ISD that it’s on average a teacher a day who has to go receive some kind of medical help for being assaulted by a student.

Rick:

Yeah.

Tim:

So, in Detroit ISD,  like every day, somebody is getting medical help, a teacher is getting medical help. So–

Rick:

Yeah – not a student from a fight in the lunchroom. This is the teacher, the person in authority. Remember we had Walter Williams on he was talking about it in Baltimore and Philadelphia, same thing. And I forget, I think it was maybe two or three a day because was like 600 assaults a year. So, I guess that”€™d be at least two a day since they’re not in school every day of the year. Anyway, it’s crazy.

Not Just On University Campuses

David:

Okay, so violence is one issue. What else?

Rick:

Well, worldview certainly. What are they actually teaching? We talk about universities all the time how they brainwash and take Christian kids and literally rewire them, basically, by turning them against the Lord and against His word.

David:

Yep.

Rick:

So, that happens on university campuses, but it’s also happening now at the elementary level. We’ve got kids that are being taught all kinds of sexual things in elementary school.

David:

So, your worldview, which is indoctrination. Also the anti-American side which is part of the worldview, “€œwe hate our country”€.

Rick:

Yeah, yeah.

David:

So, you’ve got a violence, worldview – what else?

Rick:

Hmm–

David:

I”€™d poor academics.

Rick:

Well, true.

The Lowest Academic Results

David:

Right now, of all academic options out there, public schools give you the lowest academic results of all the major options that are available. And this goes with worldview, but also the bad values. Just, you don’t have the manners, you don’t have the politeness, you don’t have the courtesy, you don’t have the Jesus/the golden rule kind of thing where you think about others first. It is such a selfish, egocentric, shark and tiger–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–atmosphere that even that”€™s really bad.

Rick:

And, David, I think sometimes we think as parents, “€œOh, my kid’s going to be the one influencing them.”€ We shouldn’t kid ourselves. Kids model each other. So, that environment, you send your kid into that, they’re going to pick up bad habits. They’re going to learn things from the other kids. The socialization that occurs in that situation is not good.

David:

Well, the thing I ask parents when they say that is, “€œHow have you done on changing the environment where you work? Have you made that environment where you work a really strong healthy environment?”€ “€œNo, I”€™m just not strong enough to be able to handle it.”€ Well, your kids aren’t that strong. And, by the way, they can’t change what teachers and administration do. They’re the kids – they’re not the adults. They cannot change that environment.

So, parents who make that– that really is not a good excuse, it’s not logical, the parents are not demonstrating that themselves in their own job situations and the kids don’t have the standing to do that.

So, we really do have an understanding of why public school teachers, more than any other group, do not want to have their kids in public schools. They see it firsthand.

Alright, guys, quick break. We’ll be right back. Our topic today, we”€™re talking about education. And you’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

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Rick:

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Visit RickGreen.com today for the dates and the details. We”€™re giving away this $1,000 course for free to the first 100 supporters of WallBuilders Live that register for the course at RickGreen.com. Come learn the real purpose of the Second Amendment and why the Founding Fathers believed it was so important for we citizens to be armed.

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Rick:

Welcome back thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live. We”€™re the intersection of faith and the culture. Today’s topic education, which, is probably more like a collision of faith and culture. Well, no, I take that back. We”€™ve probably removed faith from education to the point that there’s no collision at all anymore. Just absent.

No Collision Anymore?

David:

Well, that’s the indoctrination side we were talking about.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

You’re not going to come out of public education stronger in your faith, stronger in your values. Well, I can’t say you want, but the odds that you’re going to come out stronger are very, very, low. There may be some exceptions to the rule, but generally, students are not going to come out with a stronger worldview, a greater love of their country, a greater desire to serve and sacrifice for others, with the values, the core values, that we used to teach.

Rick:

Or, David, just better education.

David:

That”€™s right.

Rick:

You mentioned earlier even just a basic education. We can look at the fundamental principle that the fear the Lord’s the beginning of knowledge. So, if you don’t have that faith element in that education system the education is going to be bad. And then just the practical way that we educate in public schools versus the other options we’re going to talk about. A lot of times these teachers are just hamstrung with 30 kids at 30 different levels and they’ve got to teach to the lowest common denominator. It’s just a poor system for actually educating all the kids.

David:

Which is why two out of three Americans support competition education–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–and educational choice.

Rick:

Yeah.

Competition Always Improves the Product

David:

The chances you’re going to get legislators to support what the people support, they’re so scared of teachers unions, and teachers organizations, and teachers threatening to vote them out of office, and getting portrayed as anti education if they try to reform a corrupt broken system.

Rick:

Right.

David:

And there are good people in that system. Let”€™s be real clear here.

Rick:

That’s right.

David:

I’ve got a lot of my family are educators, they teach in the system, they’re very aware of how bad it is, they don’t like it. But you’ve got a lot of good people in there who are doing what they can. We’re looking at a system that is fixated on mediocrity. And in any other area in the country when you allow competition–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–competition always improves the product, and the quality of the product, and reduces the cost of the product. It’s just that way. And we’re not allowing that in education – even though the people overwhelmingly want it.

The Fastest Growth of Any Form of Education

David:

So,  the question becomes, alright we don’t like what’s out there and we’re not getting competition, we”€™re not getting school choice. So, what are the solutions you have?

Rick:

Well, and obviously, we still want to work on school choice and competition–

David:

You bet.

Rick:

–but in the meantime your kids are growing up, right. So, in the meantime, how can you give your kids a better education?

David:

You’ve got private schools you can choose, and a lot of teachers do. But you’ve got to have money to do that. So, what if you don’t have money, but you don’t want the system that your kids are being raised in. What’s happening right now, the biggest trend in America, the fastest growth of any form of education in America is the growth in homeschooling. It’s about 20 percent per year increase. So, it is exploding and it’s because of these major concerns.

This is where parents say, “€œMan, I’m not an educator, I don’t know if I can do a good job raising my kids and I don’t know–“€ And by the way, homeschooling offers a lot of flexibility because even if you got a job sometimes you homeschool when you get home from the job. Because you say, “€œI can’t take the day off. I have to make money for the family.”€ Well, homeschooling allows you the flexibility of when you teach.

But having said that, even the concern that “€œI’m not qualified”€,  it was actually California that kind of put that to rest. Because in California back when homeschooling was challenged a few years back they said, “€œOh, we’re not going to allow any parent to homeschool their kids unless they are a certified educator.”€ Well, as it turned out, only about 7-9 percent of parents in California were certified educators. But with 91 to 93 percent not being certified educators homeschool kids are getting two to four grade levels higher of academic achievement.

We Need Less Certified Teachers?

David:

And the argument was maybe we need less certified teachers because these uncertified teachers are getting greater academic results than are certified teachers. The Supreme Court of California actually reversed its decision and said, “€œNo, you don’t have to be a certified teacher after all.”€

Rick:

Yeah, but, David, that homeschooling thing, it’s kind of dangerous. It turns out people like John Adams, and George Washington, and some of these–

David:

Ben Franklin and–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

Yeah. You don’t want thinkers in a culture like this – you want followers – not leaders.

Rick:

Right. It is becoming– you’re right, of all places California, right. It”€™s such a good example on this of why you do want it. And it’s growing. Especially in places like California where the school system has really gotten bad, but it”€™s growing all across the country. Literally, a surge. And certainly the unfortunate violence increase, and school shootings, and all these different things has contributed to that.

When we come back from the break we’ve got the guy that started the Texas Home School Coalition. There’s about 300000 homeschoolers in just the state of Texas. And he’s seen a significant growth there as well. Stay with us. Tim Lambert our special guest on WallBuilders Live.

Share a veteran’s story

We Want To Hear Your Vet Story

Rick:

Hey friends! If you have been listening to WallBuilders Live for very long at all, you know how much we respect our veterans and how appreciative we are of the sacrifice they make to make our freedoms possible. One of the ways that we love to honor those veterans is to tell their stories here on WallBuilders Live.  Once in awhile, we get an opportunity to interview veterans that have served on those front lines that have made incredible sacrifices have amazing stories that we want to share with the American people.

One of the very special things we get to do is interview World War II veterans. You’ve heard those interviews here on WallBuilders Live, from folks that were in the Band of Brothers, to folks like Edgar Harrell that survived the Indianapolis to so many other great stories you heard on WallBuilders Live.

You have friends and family that also served.  If you have World War II veterans in your family that you would like to have their story shared here on WallBuilders Live, please e-mail us at [email protected].  Give us a brief summary of the story and we’ll set up an interview. Thanks so much for sharing here on WallBuilders Live!

Rick:

Welcome back. Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live. Tim Lambert”€™s with us from the Texas Home School Coalition – Tim, how are you doing, brother?

Tim Lambert:

I’m doing great. Thanks for having me.

Rick:

Hey, man, thanks for all you do and in Texas and actually across the country. You have a lot of other organizations around the country that, as usual, looked at Texas and say, “€œHow do we get what you’ve got?”€ Of course, in Texas we’ve got some of the best homeschooling laws in the world. In large part– and I remember back in my day as a legislator– in large part due to you, brother, for the hard work you guys do at Texas Home School Coalition. So, thanks for what you do, man.

Tim Lambert:

Well, thanks.

Things Are Growing

Rick:

I”€™ve got to tell you that we’re seeing, not just in Texas, but across the country, more interest. We travel around and do a lot of homeschool conventions across the country and things are growing. People are more and more interested in doing this. And one of the reasons, it seems, is the violence, the increased violence in public schools. And of course the shooting in Florida in February. Even though that was in Florida you saw an uptick. We saw an article in The Washington Times where you saw not just an uptick, but a surge in interest here in Texas.

Tim Lambert:

Yeah, that’s exactly right, Rick. We were– I was shocked when we asked our people in preparation for that editorial what kind of response we were getting. And our monthly calls and e-mails doubled. We went from six or seven hundred to 1200-1400.

Rick:

That’s already a huge amount of interest at six or seven hundred a month. But to double all at once– what did you pick up on from what people were saying and why they were interested?

Tim Lambert:

Well, I think, Rick, I think for a lot of people there was dissatisfaction. We’ve done polls in Texas. We did one last spring on why people homeschool. A lot of people are dissatisfied with what’s going on in the public schools from an academic perspective. They don’t like the philosophy that’s being promoted there and, course, there’s a lot of  bullying and that kind of stuff going on. So, for a lot of people this violence thing was like the last straw. Like you said, “€œWe”€™ve got to do something.”€

Rick:

Is there more comfort with people starting to homeschool now that there are so many more resources and people coming alongside, membership in something like Texas Home School Coalition, where you don’t feel like you’re on your your own? You know, 20, 25, 30, years ago, homeschooling was growing, but the tools were nothing like what we’ve got now.

More Homeschools Than Traditional Private Schools in Texas

Tim Lambert:

Oh yeah. The environment is totally different. Curriculum sellers wouldn’t sell to us back in the 80s. The state was prosecuting us. And today we estimate over 350,000 homeschool students in Texas. More students being homeschooled than in traditional private schools. So, yeah, there’s a lot more comfort from a standpoint of legality as well as what’s available.

Rick:

Is the best place– I mean, somebody listening right now saying, “€œI hadn’t really thought about it, but now this makes me really think about it.”€ What’s the best place for them to go and get more information and to look into this?

Tim Lambert:

Well, THSC.org is our website. We’ve got information there, we’ve got videos, we’ve got a YouTube channel. Just all sorts of stuff you can get there both on what the legal stuff is as well as connections to local groups, and curriculum, and everything. So,www.THSC.org.

Rick:

And this is not just the young kids. Now, homeschooling is through graduation, right?

Tim Lambert:

Absolutely. Homeschools are private schools. The state recognizes a graduate of homeschool as a high school graduate. State colleges in Texas have to treat our graduates the same way they do a public high school graduate. So, there is no reason folks can’t homeschool as long as they want to.

Rick:

And I remember 20 years ago we were trying to get universities to give homeschoolers a chance. Now, the universities are going, “€œWe want you.”€

Tim Lambert:

Exactly.

Rick:

“€œWe see the scores, we want you.”€

Why Are Homeschoolers Leading Better?

Tim Lambert:

Yep. And of course, the exciting thing is that is happening all over the country. So, we get the legislature to amend a law, so they have to treat us as high school graduates. But today we are seeing, as you pointed out, a recruitment. Homeschoolers are seen, really, not just as academic leaders. but leaders socially as well.

Rick:

Why are they leading better? What do you attribute to their ability, on average, to do better in the classroom, do better in their actual studies once they get into college. But as you’re saying, also just just leadership on campus?  

Tim Lambert:

Rick, I think when you think about it– I saw an article one time where the writer said that a classroom environment is an artificial environment. When you get out of school you never spend eight hours of your day with 20 or 30 other people your age. And I think a homeschool environment is much more similar to a real world environment. So, you’re dealing with younger people and older people, you learn how to take responsibility for your own academics, and you develop social skills that, I think, are not as easily developed in a classroom situation.

Rick:

It’s so interesting you say that because we always hear, “€œWhy are you homeschooling? What about socialization?”€ But the opposite is true, right? I know I’ve seen that even in  coaching little league baseball and the difference in kids that, man, they don’t look at adults, they don’t pay any attention. Like you’re saying, they’re just used to those 24-25  kids their age instead of interacting with people of all ages. And yet, the homeschool kids are the ones that walk up and say “€œhi”€, they actually carry on a conversation with an adult. So, the socialization, what you’re saying, is that’s actually been a positive for homeschoolers. And even in the job market employers are starting to realize that.

What About Socialization?

Tim Lambert:

Well, yeah, Rick, that’s exactly right. And not only is it true, but when I tell people– when I have people ask about the socialization question, somehow it’s always focused on five year olds. The presupposition is unless you’re five year old spends eight hours of his day with 30 other 5 year olds, he’s not going to learn how to get along in the world. And the reality is, we all know that what you learn from other 5 year olds is not the kind of socialization you want that’s for.

Rick:

That’s right. Yeah, so, the opposite happens in that homeschool environment. I see– you see the statistical and the anecdotal evidence. I see the anecdotal evidence just all the time around the country proves itself out. No doubt.

Well, it’s exciting to see the renewed interest, unfortunately, due to the violence that’s out there, I wish it wasn’t there. But parents that are looking for options, contact the homeschool organization in your state. Go to THSC.org. If you don’t know where to go in your state, you can find your way there because they”€™re great at leading you there as well. But lots of folks in Texas showing interest as well.

Tim Lambert, always good to have you, brother. Thanks for coming on.

Tim Lambert:

Glad to be here, Rick. Thanks.

Rick:

Stay with us, folks. We’ll be right back with David and Tim Barton.

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Rick:

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Rick:

We’re back. Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live. Thanks to Tim Lambert for joining us today on WallBuilders Live as well. Back with David and Tim Barton.

Alright, guys, so it’s obviously growing, the homeschooling surge, as Tim Lambert talked about. What about parents that are afraid to do this? Or you were saying in the beginning, David, some people think, well, even California said parents aren’t qualified and then figured out, “€œNo, wait a minute, they’re doing an even better job.”€ What do you say to parents like that?

So Many Tools!!

Tim:

Well, Rick, let me jump in on this one because I would say, right now, when you look at current government department studies that the government came out just a year or two ago and said that currently 19 percent of graduates– and this is approximately, right, it could change a little bit from year to year. But 19 percent of public school graduates are illiterate – they cannot read or write.

So, even if you’re a parent thinking, “€œOh my gosh, I don’t know what I need to know in math, and science, and these things.”€ If you could at least cover reading and writing, right, if you get that done you’ve already done more for one out of every five students. Nearly 20 percent of these kids are not even getting that.

And let me throw out a few other options. There are so many, now, homeschool organizations, co-op groups, where if you don’t feel qualified to teach something there are people who offer those classes. You can go once a week, twice a week, whatever it is, not to mention there are so many online classes now. YouTube could be your best friend. Where, even as a homeowner, I feel like I can do just about any home project I need to because of YouTube. I feel like if I had to do a basic surgery or operation I probably could find the video on YouTube and make it happen.

Rick:

Yeah.

Tim:

So, we live in a culture that you now should feel the most equipped and emboldened that any parent has ever felt because you don’t have to know all the information yourself. There are so many good resources out there that make it so much easier for parents to jump into this.

Rick:

Yeah.

Tim:

And ultimately, Rick, the things you talked about. So, whether it’s personal protection, my dad mentioned the academics. I would talk about, to me, the things that I would think would be the most significant are the environment, are academics, and are the protection I want my kids to have. And all of those are things I know I can control at home. I know what the environment of my house is going to be, I know that my kids are going to be protected in my house. And I know that I can encourage and challenge them for higher academics.

More Gain in Less Time

Tim:

Most kids when they go to school, even though they’re gone eight or nine hours a day, they’re not doing schoolwork eight or nine hours a day. As a homeschool student when I was growing up I finished all my homework in two or three hours a day. And I still had–

David:

Not just do your homework. You finished all your academic work.

Tim:

Yeah. That’s, I’m sorry, that’s what I meant. Yes, so, all of my school work, I usually get finish in two to three hours a day.

Rick:

Oh, thanks, Tim. I hope my son Rett is not listening because he’s always telling me three hours is plenty of time for school. Now he’s going to say, “€œSee, Uncle Tim did it.”€

Tim:

But it wasn’t– and I would argue, right, it’s not because I was an exceptional student at that time. No, it’s just because when there are not the classroom distractions around–

Rick:

That”€™s right.

Tim:

When there’s not things vying for your attention, right, when you’re not on your cell phone. When you can focus, it doesn’t take that long to get the basic information that you need. And there’s so many supplemental things too. Not to mention, it allows kids to be able to play outside, and do sports, and other things.

Rick:

That”€™s right.

Tim:

Where sometimes they’re so monopolized with the homework. I’m such a fan of homeschooling for what it can and has produced.

Homeschool Surging in Response to Public School Violence

Rick:

Yeah. And, Tim, you nailed it. All the tools available to us now, you can bring in the best teachers on every subject. You can do master classes, you can bring in professors from universities right there online and have your kids learning in a fun way, and learning the best possible. I mean, you can get your government training from us here at WallBuilders. You can get all kinds of fun cool learning that wasn’t available 25-30 years ago.

So, parents, don’t be afraid of this. Actually embrace it and look forward to the opportunity to spend more time with your kids as well and get them a better education.

Go to those websites today and you can find out more. Thanks so much for listening today. You’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live.