A Professor's Response to Social Media—Homeschooling
Introduction and Background
My name is Kay Toombs, and I am an Emeritus Associate Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University, where I taught undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as lecturing across the United States and in Canada and Europe. Twenty-six years ago, I became part of Homestead Heritage. As an educator, I have of course always been concerned about the quality of education and, having never had experience of homeschooling before I came to Homestead, I was particularly concerned that our children were receiving an optimal education.
Having now been involved with the education of children in our community for many years, I can attest to the fact that students in our homeschooling program are, in fact, better educated than the majority of students in public schools.
The State of Public Education
With regard to the quality of public education, according to the Nation’s Report Card (a study released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress), in 2022 two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders in public schools around the nation were not proficient in reading, with only 29 percent of fourth graders and 20 percent of eighth graders proficient in mathematics. As the U.S. Secretary of Education noted publicly, these results about the state of education nationwide are “appalling and unacceptable.”
This abysmal educational record and the ever-increasing violence in public schools (50 school shootings this year, 82 incidents in 2023) make me very grateful that our children are both well-educated and safe. I teach a seminar in our high school program, and essays that I receive from these students are frequently superior to the literary skills of the undergraduate students I taught in the past.
As part of our homeschooling educational program, we are also particularly concerned to teach our children critical thinking skills so that they can properly evaluate different perspectives and points of view – a skill that is desperately needed today, given the tsunami of nonsense and misinformation that floods the media and cyberspace.
Enrichment Beyond Academics
In addition to their academic program, our children have the opportunity to learn music and traditional crafts, such as weaving, spinning, woodworking, pottery, blacksmithing, farming, and so forth (skills that are also taught to the public in our Ploughshare Institute for Sustainable Culture). Visitors can evaluate the success of our educational program when they come to our Thanksgiving Fair and see some of the annual capstone projects that our high school seniors have completed. As a former college professor, I can tell you that these projects are quite incredible!
In my recent book, Changing Our Minds, you may also read what the latest research demonstrates about the serious problems faced by children in contemporary culture. This includes specific discussions about education, lifestyle, and mental and physical well-being. The book is available on Amazon (or in our online bookstore or at the Gift Barn in the Craft Village).
Since retiring from Baylor, one of my great joys is to demonstrate weaving and spinning in our Fiber Crafts Barn at our Craft Village (skills I learned from one of the young people in our community). I have met so many delightful people from Waco and from around the world over the years and have had many wonderful conversations. I am usually there on Saturdays, so come by and see me!
Kind wishes to all of you,
Kay
