Ep. 74 - Public Schools Are Lowering the Bar—Is Homeschooling the Answer? - The Christy-Faith Show

Episode Transcript
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Christy-Faith (00:00):
Welcome to today's episode of who needs

(00:02):
logic anyway, where we take amoment to pause, look at what's
happening in our educationsystem, and ask ourselves, is
this real life? Becauseapparently, somewhere in a
boardroom in San Francisco,someone thought, you know what
would really help kids? Let'sthrow out homework. Tests,
optional. Accountability,overrated.

(00:23):
And attendance, meh. And thenthey tried to package this
disaster as a bold move for,wait for it, equity. That makes
no sense. Yes. Under theproposed grading for equity
model, students would basicallybe graded on their final exam
only, which they could retakemultiple times until they got a

(00:43):
score that they liked.
Missing class, turning in worklate, or just not doing your
work at all? No impact. And thegrading scale? Oh, just a teensy
tiny shift where a score of 80now earns you an a and a 21,
still a passing d. Becausenothing says academic excellence
like scraping the bottom of thebarrel and calling it progress.

(01:03):
Now the fact that this was evenon the docket somewhere is
absolutely blowing my mind, butI'm not here to rant. Well,
okay. Maybe a little. But if youever even flirted with the idea
of homeschooling, this might bethe universe handing you your
sign on a glittery poster withflashing lights. Because in
today's episode, we're gonnaunpack this grading fiasco, give

(01:25):
you a quick breakdown of what'shappening in the traditional
schools, and spoiler, it's notgreat, and explore why
homeschooling isn't just aviable option anymore.
For many families, it might be anecessity. Before we get into

(01:50):
this, hi. Welcome if you're afirst time listener or welcome
back. I'm Kristi Faith, authorof Homeschool Rising, speaker
and founder of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, a place where you can
learn how to fail proof yourhomeschool by following solid
plans and also find realconnection, mentorship, and
support along the way. Make sureto hit my website for some

(02:12):
really good freebies and freeebooks to support you whether
you are just homeschool curiousor a seasoned veteran.
No matter where you are in yourjourney, I got something for you
on my website. I'll put a linkin the show notes. And by the
way, my freebies are actuallygood and helpful. Don't you hate
those annoying freebies? Itotally do.
Okay. So let's break this down alittle more because I know some

(02:34):
of you might be thinking,surely, Christy, you're
exaggerating. Right? I reallywish I was. This isn't a joke, a
parody, or a rejected sketchfrom Saturday Night Live.
This was actually a proposal bythe San Francisco Unified School
District, a real taxpayer fundedinstitution supposedly
responsible for preparingchildren for the real world. And

(02:56):
here's what they called it,grading for equity. Doesn't that
sound nice? Like a warm hugwrapped in social justice
buzzwords? But when you unpackwhat it actually means, it's
more like grading for lowexpectations.
Here were the highlights. Finalexams would count for the entire
grade. You could retake thefinal multiple times. So,

(03:17):
basically, test until you guessright. Homework, classwork,
quizzes, attendance, irrelevant.
It won't affect your grade. Andthe grading scale? An 80% is now
an a, and a 21% is stillconsidered passing. Let me say
that again for the people in theback. 21%.
Excuse me? As in you could failnearly four fifths of the

(03:39):
content and still walk away witha d. I say this is a diploma in
denial. Now let's pause andimagine you're a student in that
system. You spend all semesterdoing the reading, turning in
your work, studying for quizzes,and showing up to class because,
you know, you think that's whatschool is for.
Meanwhile, the kid next to youis rolling in late with no

(04:00):
homework, no test prep, and noteven a pencil. But he aces the
final on his third try and getsthe same grade as you do. I
don't know about you, but that'snot equity. That's a slap in the
face to every student who'sactually trying. And here's the
kicker.
The plan was already beingpiloted in 14 schools. 70
teachers were set to test thisout with real students. That is

(04:24):
until the community, includingthe mayor and lawmakers, finally
stood up and said, absolutelynot. And this isn't just a San
Francisco problem either. We'llget into that right after this.
As a homeschool mom who values afamily together approach and
leans towards the classical andCharlotte Mason styles, I often
struggle to bring my educationalvision to life with my kids'

(04:45):
diverse ages and learning needs.With all our interests and super
packed schedule, bridging thatgap between the dreamy
homeschool I want and reality, Igotta be honest. It's a
challenge. Now, yes, I knowperfection isn't the goal. But
if you're listening and youcould use a little easing of
your mental load in your day today, I found a resource that has
become the quiet hero of ourroutine, and it could be a

(05:06):
really great option for you too.
BJU Press homeschool curriculum.Now many think that BJU Press
homeschool is solely an all inone option, and though it does
excel in that role, did you knowyou can also opt for specific
courses and tailor them to fityour family's needs just as I
have? BJU Press homeschoolprovides the perfect balance of
structure and flexibility andeasily complements my family's

(05:28):
mixed age family together on thecouch learning style. They are
second to none in integrating abiblical worldview, stimulating
critical thinking, and offeringtons of hands on activities in
the lessons. To find out how BJUPress Homeschool can come
alongside you in yourhomeschooling goals too, visit
bjupresshomeschool.com or clickthe link in the show notes.

(05:49):
Is your child struggling withattention, memory, reading,
writing, or math? If you'reexperiencing this, you know how
heart wrenching it is to watchthem face these hurdles. You've
poured love, time, and attentioninto their education, yet the
struggle persists, leaving youfeeling stuck and desperately
searching for answers. You guys,I want you to know about
LearningRx, a proven programdesigned to help your child's

(06:11):
cognitive skills, enabling themto think faster, learn more
easily, and perform at theirbest. I'm talking getting real
long term help here with thingslike ADHD and dyslexia.
LearningRx is backed by thirtyfive years of research and their
results are transformative. Usecode HOME 50 for $50 off your
cognitive skills assessment. Goto learningrx.com or click the

(06:32):
link in the show notes. InChicago, a principal recently
warned that these kinds oflenient grading systems, ones
where you can't grade behavior,can't penalize late work, and
aren't allowed to give a zeroeven when a student does
literally nothing, are becomingthe norm. His words, quote,
these students are going to behit with a harsh reality when

(06:52):
they enter the real world andrealize that life doesn't work
this way, end quote.
To which I say, exactly. Becausetry telling your boss, hey, I
know I didn't show up for workat all this month, but I did
resend that one email. So doesthat mean that I get a raise?
Let me know how that works outfor you. Okay.
Now, deep breath. I know a lotof you know that I have strong

(07:14):
feelings about grades, testing,and the traditional school model
in general. I'm not here to saythat we should all be obsessed
with letter grades or thatstandardized testing is some
kind of savior. But, and this isimportant, this is the very
model that homeschoolers areconstantly being compared to.
We're told, but how will yourkid get into college?
Or don't you want your child tobe held to real academic

(07:37):
standards? Or you can't possiblyoffer the same rigor as the
public school system? To which Isay, okay. Well, let's actually
look at those standards, shallwe? This episode isn't about
defending grades as the ultimatemeasure of success.
It's about asking if this is asystem that we're supposed to
measure up to, what exactly arewe measuring against? Because if

(07:58):
21% is now passing and effort,consistency, and responsibility
have all been voted off theisland, maybe it's time we stop
pretending that this is the goldstandard of it all. So why am I
even spending time talking aboutthis right now? Why does this
matter to you? The parent whomaybe isn't even in San
Francisco or Chicago and thinks,well, my local school district

(08:22):
isn't doing that yet.
Here's why. Because policieslike this are not isolated
incidents. They're part of alarger pattern, one that's
reshaping what education evenmeans in the traditional school
system. The foundation iscracking and instead of fixing
it, we're slapping on a stickerthat says equity and hoping no
one notices that the roof iscaving in. And if you're a

(08:44):
parent regardless of where youlive, your child is going to
feel the ripple effects becauseonce one district pilots a
program, others watch.
They take notes. They go, thatmight boost our graduation
numbers. Never mind the factthat the numbers become
meaningless if they're built onsand. And while we're over here
as homeschoolers being told thatwe're not rigorous enough, the

(09:07):
system we're supposed to bechasing is literally rewarding
students for doing nothing.Parents, this is the moment to
ask, is this really what I wantfor my child?
Do I want my child to be taughtthat deadlines don't matter,
that hard work is optional, thatshowing up doesn't count, and
that real learning is justperformance that you can redo

(09:27):
until the numbers start to lookgood? Because here's the truth.
The real world doesn't work thisway. Colleges don't work this
way. Jobs don't work this way.
Life doesn't hand you multiplechoice retakes and bonus points
just for breathing. And moreimportantly, and let's not get
lost in the weeds here, our kidsdeserve better. Not just better
grades, but a better educationand better values. Our kids

(09:51):
deserve an education thatteaches them responsibility,
critical thinking, consistency,integrity, and yes, how to
bounce back from a bad gradewithout blaming the system. If
public education continues tolower the bar, maybe the answer
isn't to panic.
Maybe the answer is to step outof the system altogether, and
that's where homeschooling comesin. So what are we supposed to

(10:14):
do as parents? Do we sit aroundhoping our district doesn't get
inspired by the chaos in SanFrancisco? Do we cross our
fingers and pray our kids'teachers still believe in
effort, deadlines, and, youknow, actual learning? Or do we
just step off this crazy trainaltogether?
A question we will answer rightafter this word from our
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(10:36):
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(10:57):
CTC Math is an online mathcurriculum for k to 12 students
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(11:20):
click the link in the shownotes. I've got some news.
There's a new reading curriculumthat ditches workbooks and
drills for fun and games. Ifyou're thinking fun and games
sounds a little too good to betrue, it's not. Ninety eight
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(11:43):
but makes learning to read fun,motivating, and confidence
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Visit lovevery.com/christyfaithtoday and use code Christy 10 to
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(12:05):
That'slovevery.com/christyfaith. This
is what is so wild to me.Homeschooling nowadays, it isn't
just a last resort anymore. Formore and more families, it's
becoming the logical choice, theproactive choice, the I don't
wanna wait around and see howbad it gets choice.

(12:27):
This is my kid. I got one shot.And before you say, Christy, I
could never do that. I couldnever homeschool. Chances are
you could, like, really couldand do it well.
Maybe you're not in a positionright this second. Maybe you
need to make a plan to make ithappen. But most families who
are determined to figure out howto homeschool, figure out a way.

(12:48):
Now not everyone can homeschooland not everyone should
homeschool, but I will tell youfrom working with thousands of
families that when someone isdetermined to figure out a way
to make it work, they usuallydo. Is it easy?
No. Most things worth doingaren't the easy road, but it is
exponentially worth it. Iactually wrote a whole book all

(13:08):
about this, homeschool rising,because I kept meeting parents
who were interested inhomeschooling but overwhelmed by
all of the doubts. My bookbreaks down the myths, shows you
what's actually possible, andgives you the tools and
encouragement to get startedwith confidence. Because listen,
you don't need a teaching degreeor a Pinterest perfect setup.
You just need a mindset shift, avision, and a solid plan, which

(13:31):
conveniently, I also have foryou inside my mentoring
community, Thrive HomeschoolCommunity. It's my private space
that I have built out. In there,we have the fail safe homeschool
setup so you can stopreinventing the wheel and
actually figure out yourhomeschool logistics and how
you're gonna set everything up.I give you a process. And it
also has the eight stephomeschool success framework
because winging it might workfor brunch, but not for building

(13:54):
your child's future.
If you're not quite ready forThrive Homeschool Community,
please visit my website becauseI have so many freebies and
guides and resources to help youbuild a homeschool that works
for your family, not against it.But what I want you to know is
that you're not alone and you'renot crazy for questioning the
system. You know what you'redoing? You're just paying
attention, and that's step one.So if you're sitting there

(14:15):
listening to this podcastepisode and thinking maybe this
is my sign, it probably is.
Maybe today I made you laugh.Maybe I made you cringe, or
maybe it just confirmed thatyou're not the only one looking
at the modern education systemand thinking, wait. What?
Whether you're alreadyhomeschooling or just starting
to research or somewhere in theI'm just listening to this while

(14:37):
hiding in the pantry phase,you're not alone. You are in the
company of a lot of parents whoare looking at this landscape
and saying, what in the world isgoing on here?
What am I putting my kids into?Because we've already known for
a while that this antiquatedsystem from the industrial
revolution is preparing kids fora world that no longer exists,
but we've been kinda putting upwith it. But I gotta tell you,

(14:58):
people are starting to sayenough is enough. And as a
parent who's wondering ifhomeschooling might be the right
fit for you, I want you to knowthat you are more than capable.
You can absolutely give yourchild a rich, meaningful
education at home, one that isbuilt on values, connection, and
actual learning, not one thatrewards 21% effort and hopes for

(15:18):
the best.
So here's what to do next.Shameless plug here, grab a copy
of my book, Homeschool Rising.It's on Amazon Prime. I'll put a
link in the show notes. It'slike a pep talk and a road map
had a baby, and it's there tohelp you ditch the doubt, figure
out your next step, andconfidently move forward.
You can also join ThriveHomeschool community if you're
ready. We're waiting for you.And in there, you'll get access

(15:39):
to all of my trainings, myframeworks, my master classes.
It's kinda like starting amaster's degree in
homeschooling, but with all yourbesties and not as much
homework. You don't have toreinvent the wheel with
homeschooling.
We walk you through exactly howto set everything up. And if
you're still feeling unsure,binge a few of my earlier
episodes. I'm not goinganywhere. I want your child to
have an education that actuallyfits them, and I want you to

(16:02):
have the confidence that comesfrom knowing that you're doing
what's best for your family, notjust following the crowd. And
until then, just remember, youdon't need approval from a
school board, a principal, or abureaucratic circus to take
charge of your child'seducation.
You just need a little courageand maybe a podcast like this in
your ears. Thanks for listeningtoday. I'll see you next time.

(16:33):
If you like this episode, Ithink you're gonna love this one
too. And don't forget to checkout all of my freebies and my
book, Homeschool Rising.

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Ep. 74 - Public Schools Are Lowering the Bar—Is Homeschooling the Answer?

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