When my mom started Classical Conversations 23 years ago, it was because many homeschool parents didn’t feel comfortable educating their children through high school. My mom didn’t start Classical Conversations to homeschool those children for their parents, but to provide those parents with the necessary support to homeschool their kids through high school. Unlike other education companies that focus on children, Classical Conversations is focused on their parents. If parents are well equipped and supported by a community, they can homeschool through high school successfully.
God gave children to parents, and we rightfully honor them as the first and best educators for their children. I believe homeschool parents are some of the smartest and hardest-working people on the planet. I also believe homeschooling parents are some of the best educators on the planet…especially when they get ongoing support.
I was sitting in the airport after a recent training session, and a couple of homeschool moms I know were talking about what they were going to do when they became empty-nesters. “I’ll probably have to get a minimum-wage job somewhere,” one of them said. Her comments, plus her long years as a homeschooler and her passion to invest in others, got me thinking.
Unfortunately, our culture has told us for the past 50 years that being a stay-at-home mom isn’t valuable. We know they are short-sighted, but it is such a pervasive message that it can inadvertently enter the thinking of even homeschoolers. We forget that we are princesses and princes, daughters and sons of the Most High King. We homeschoolers are seasoned educators, smart, hardworking people with valuable skills and knowledge. If only others would recognize that.
Classical Conversations has always invested in homeschooling parents as they homeschool their families and build learning communities. In the past twelve months we had over 35,000 parents get continuing-education credits at the Classical Conversations Practicum events; we had 50,000 parents go to weekly community days with their students to learn more about God and His creation. We’ve helped tens of thousands of homeschool parents run their own small homeschooling businesses by helping other homeschool parents, then go home and practice it each day with their children. It is a level of personal, mentoring education that most Ph.D.’s would envy…if they dilated their thinking and thought outside of “the system” a bit.
I have good news for you because the classical, Christian education movement that you have invested in, is taking a bold new step forward. You are a leader and linchpin in the movement! No more ignoring the hard work you’ve put into homeschooling your children. No more wondering what you will do after your kids leave home. You are already smart, you are already a successful educator, and our collegiate partners want to keep investing in yourself and others.
I am excited to announce that your investment as a homeschooling parent, your years of hard work, can now yield big dividends for you.
Watch for an important announcement on March 28 from our collegiate partners and us.
Robert Bortins
CEO
