On Wednesday, May 23, John Tyler High School Teacher Todd Henry died of a stab wound. One of his students brought a knife with him to school that morning and before 9:00 Mr Henry had been stabbed by the student. He later died at a local hospital. The student was arrested and will probably be tried as an adult though he is currently in the juvenile detention facility.
Most of what I wrote is old news by now. Our hearts go out to the Henry family and those who knew him best. Henry was a musician who played guitar for several local bands and played on Sunday mornings at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. His soul is in the Lord's hand and since I don't know him and even if I did, my bet is he is in Heaven but it is not my place to decide his fate. That is up to God alone.
What I will bring up is the Issue of public schools. After the incident there were several parents on TV talking about the lack of security at the school. They talked about how gangs rule in the school and that there are fights almost every day. They mentioned that children are afraid to go to school and the administration wasn't lifting a finger to do anything about it.
They are lifting a finger now. When the incident happened, the school by procedure went into lock down. Every student was to stay in the classroom they were in when the lock down occurred. When the situation was under control and we didn't have a mass murder situation going on, the school brought the buses and released children to their parents as they came to pick them up.
Thursday morning, the school opened with all the security it could muster as a show of force to the public that the situation was being handled. The question is now is it enough or have we already entered a path that is bad for the schools and the country.
Tyler and most of East Texas are still in the Bible belt. No school activities are planned for Wednesday night so kids and parents can attend Wednesday activities at church. There are never any Sunday activities so that people can attend church. Churches very in culture in Texas from the Strict time schedules of many of the White churches that have to be out in time to see the Cowboys play at 12:00 to the less strict Black church's that will sometimes pause a service, have pot luck and come back to finish a service sometimes late in the afternoon. To say the least, church life is important. When I worked at McDonald's, I hardly say any business between 10:30 and 12:15 on Sunday mornings.
So why is our schools getting so dangerous? First, I'll have to say the drug problem. Drugs are big in most areas with a poor population. When I was younger, I would run through many neighborhoods that today would be unthinkable because of the drugs. Revelation talks about people not repenting of their sorceries. The word in the Greek is pharmacia. The word we get pharmacy. Drugs are an end time problem according to scripture.
The other problem is the fact that because of the taking of God out of the public schools, we have taken our children out of public schools. Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating sending your kids to public schools. I am saying that without salt and light in the public arena, the darkness gets blacker. That is not a racial statement by the way. Since God has been taken out of the public school we are now subject to the curses that God has placed on the institution for leaving him. School was originally the place that we were to learn the Bible. The purpose of reading was to learn the Bible. The purpose of writing was to take notes on the Bible. The purpose of math was so we can do the numbers. The purpose of History was we could learn from our mistakes. The public schools in this country have lost that focus and as such gone into social skills. An arena that should be taught by parents, not by teachers.
So is the answer Christian schools? I don't think so. Some of them know their purpose and do an adequate job in performing them. Some of them are nothing more then public schools with prayer. I have known many schools that have taken children that have been expelled from public schools. This is a very dangerous thing. I understand the power of God to change a life. You cannot expect God to do it every time. When the child refuses to accept the life changing power of God, he then becomes a problem to your school. As a sports official I have seen more unsportsmanlike acts in Christian schools then in public.
So what is the answer? My personal preference is home schooling. For many of you this is a great option. You have a stay at home wife that is more then willing to run your home school with care and love. With the support of a great husband it can be a wonderful thing. Check titus2.com and see a homeschool that worked very well. Some don't have the option. Both parents have to work. That is a sad thing in this culture. Before you quit your job to start homeschooling you have to count the cost. Can we live on the lower income. I dare say in many cases it is a yes. You don't have to buy new clothes, put gas in the car, etc. You will have to make sure your house as adequate room for children to do school work. Have extra computers and text books. You don't have to have and education degree. Just access to great study guides. You may be surprised how much you learn. You may find out you can be "smarter than a fifth grader"
Whatever option you decide on. Remember to do it with prayer and much investigation. If you don't think homeschooling is for you, get to know the schools in your area and find out who has a good reputation and who has a bad one. Get to know your children's teachers and getting to know the security officers wouldn't hurt either. I know one of the officers at one large high school and he is a great man. I also know the superintendent at a different school. He and I grew up together. Find out what it is going on and keep informed. Education is your responsibility no matter what the NEA says. Stay on top of your children's homework and on top of what is being taught. If you stay informed then your children will grow up to be better children. Always be there for your children.
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