Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I received my elementary education degree from the University of North Texas upon thereafter I would get my first job as a third grade teacher. I would also go on to teach both first grade and kindergarten. In a big way, I loved it. I loved my students and I loved creating lesson plans and working on a team. Something was missing though and that something was a big something. It was God. To be clear, I am not here to bash public school. I believe in taking the good from every situation and I still hold very dear many lessons that I learned and believe that God had me there for a purpose.

The Nudge on My Heart

During my third year of teaching, I began to long to be able to speak about God, but He has been kicked out of public school. My faith was a big part of my life but I was at work so many hours each week. If this bothered me as an adult, what message might this send to our children? At the end of the day, I think I just wanted to live in the truth. 

If you feel a constant nudge on your heart about something important, listen.

The Move

After my third year of teaching, my husband ended up finding a job in Austin, TX. I immediately began substitute teaching at a Catholic school. Soon after, we found out that we were pregnant with our first child, so we decided together that I would be a stay at home mom. 

Public School

I never thought I would be a homeschooling mom. Let me repeat that.

I never thought I would be a homeschooling mom.

I loved school! I actually could not wait until I hit the milestone of having my first child start school. Since financially, we would not be able to send them to Catholic school, we knew they would be attending the local public school in our neighborhood. I looked forward to being a classroom volunteer, attending award ceremonies, eating lunch with my child, and honestly, the break from my kids.

We think we know what we want, but God knows what we need. What would happen during my son’s first grade year would have me up at the school demanding to know what was being taught to him.

The Newsletter

So I noticed in the newsletter sent out from the principal that the school was becoming a ‘No Place For Hate’ campus and lessons were being taught to all grade levels. Now, this immediately was a red flag for me as this word “hateful” is often used to describe my Conservative Christian beliefs. So I looked into this.

Let me stop right here and say that you need to pay attention to what is happening at your child’s school. No more blindly trusting or using the excuse that we are too busy.

Anti-Defamation League

Turns out, this “No Place for Hate” program is run by an organization called the Anti-Defamation League. They are a political group which promotes many ideas contrary to my beliefs. One elementary school lesson is titled, “What is Marriage Equality?” It states: “This lesson provides an opportunity for elementary and middle school students to explore marriage equality, gain background information about it and reflect on their own thoughts and feelings about marriage equality.”

Another lesson plan, for High School Students is titled, “Why are States Trying to Ban Transgender Student Athletes?” The description reads: “This lesson plan provides an opportunity for students to reflect on how their experiences with playing sports and participating in other activities affects them, learn more about these bills that aim to prevent transgender students from playing sports, and consider what they can do about it.”

These are just two examples. They want your child to become a political activist for such things and they have lessons starting in Pre-K. My son was in first grade and was read a book titled, “Mary Wears What She Wants.” Now, maybe you can guess where this is going. The moral or message of this story is that there is no such thing as boy clothes or girl clothes, only clothes.

This message comes across very gentle though. Isn’t that how the devil works? “Oh, this is not that big of a deal, come on. You’re making a big deal over nothing.” He is sneaky and sly, like a snake. Eventually, we will have mass confusion, sin and chaos which we see coming to fruition now.

Oh, and let me remind you that this is an “Anti-Bullying” Program. This particular book is based on a woman named Mary Walker. Her greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, was her service during the Civil War as a surgeon. She eventually received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Johnson. She is still today the only woman to have ever received this. This book, though, focuses on her as a dress reformist (she wore pants). Now please tell me what little girl in school is being bullied for wearing pants? They aren’t. This is an irrelevant issue. There is a different agenda at play, and I was not going to stand for it. Our differences as male and females are beautiful, complementary and holy.

Crossing the Line

Oh, and the teacher administering these lessons told me that they would never teach anything that should be left for the parents. If you are teaching my child that there is no difference in boys and girls clothes, you’ve already crossed that line. 

The children getting bullied at school are the same children who always have. It is the small child, the precious special needs child, the poor child who does not have money for nice clothes. These children are being overlooked for the sake of pushing a political agenda. It’s grooming. It’s abuse.

“If anyone causes one of the little ones-those who believe in me- to stumble it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

This folks. This is why I am now a Catholic homeschooling mom and will not go back to public school, Lord willing.

Then We Found Regina Mater

We are now in a co-op situation where my kids go into school 2.5 days a week and I homeschool the rest. It is a school called Regina Mater and is located in Austin, TX. They let the children be children and is a place where they celebrate the differences in males and females.

The beauty of this school’s teachings and traditions has brought me to tears more than once. Like the time they were having Thanksgiving lunch outside, an ambulance came by, and before they started eating, they stopped to pray for the person. Or the time the young boys were “knighted” and told that their number one responsibility was to honor and respect women. This is why their bodies are designed differently by God. It is for our good. 

I hope you will pray and discern what God may be calling your family to do as far as school goes and I will pray for you too.  May God bless you always, and keep you in His ever so tender, loving care.