Why Private Schools Imitate State Schools

A mystery:
Given the state of the state run schools, why do Christian schools imitate the failing state system and approaches?
Suggestions:

Certification of teachers through NCATE
Control of assessment tools by Progressives
Financing
Private schools distinuguish the teaching and curriculum from the governance, thus imitating the former
Reputation by quantity (i.e. they’re big so we should be like them)

What do you think [...]

What is Order?

Order is the application of intelligence and will to raw materials. Being decision and commitment, order accepts reality and mortality. In its purest sense, order is the crucifixion of the self with its uncontrolled appetites and desires.
Order is spiritual.

A Pace to Live By

At the human pace
You and I can act and rest,
labour and loaf,
strive and relax.
We can learn
to read,
to work,
to produce,
to grow,
at the human pace
At the human pace
we overcome
anxiety
At the human pace
We hear ancestral voices
calling from afar
When we hear
At the human pace
we hear past reverberating echoes
in our caves
We are still
So the self-reflecting words
are still
And world-creating words
can speak
In the stillness

A Filosopher Reflects on Philing

Owen Barfield was an inkling to whose daughter, Lucy, CS Lewis dedicated The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
He was a first class scholar in his own right who was comfortable with Latin, Greek, German, French, and who knows what other languages. I would love to read his book called History in English Words, which he [...]

Giving, Saving, and Staying Free

A quick report for those who love us and then an announcement about the 2010 conference:
In our year-end drive to raise $50,000 we are doing pretty well. So far, we’ve received $16,000 total, $8000 in donations and another $8000 pledged for the conference.
That’s a big help. Year end is always a challenge for small non-profs, [...]

Christmas is about suffering

When St. Paul was nearing the end of his earthly pilgrimage and sat in a Roman prison awaiting word on his fate, he wrote one last letter to a young man whom he had mentored and given authority over the church in Ephesus.
The mother of our Lord, Mary, had only recently ended her own earthly [...]

EPA the new IRS? USA the new USSR?

I need to know what people think of Krauthammer’s claim that the EPA has taken on more intrusive authority than any governmental agency since the IRS. Please don’t bother with the ad hominems. I want to hear responses to his claims.
This issue matters.

The One Inspired and Right Form of Government

I really like being a Christian, and I could list quite a few reasons for that affection, none of which could come under the heading: Because it is easy.
In fact, by no means my favorite thing about being a Christian, but one thing I like a lot, is that the Firstborn, He who laid down [...]

A Serious Question About Celebrating Christmas

A few days ago I mildly criticized kitschmas. One of the points I made was that kitsch doesn’t measure up to Camp because Camp tries to be serious while kitsch doesn’t even bother.
Thus, it seems, Camp can give us a strange sort of just pleasure in that we can get the point even while the producer of [...]

A Few Questions I’m Constantly Thinking About

Some Christians are hesitant about going back to the classical authors and theorists for fear of becoming ancient pagans. I understand that hesitation, but have had to ask myself some tough questions.
Especially this: Where do we get our education practices?
Where is the bell in the Bible? Where the classroom? emphasis on fun/entertainment? recess? certification? accreditation?
Where [...]