Homeschoolers Take First Place!

Posted recently on the CHEC website (not sure how I missed this, but it's worth repeating!):

Another homeschooler snags national spelling bee title
Release June 1, 2007

Last night, a California homeschooled 13-year-old, Evan O'Dorney took home $40,000 and the national Scripps Howard spelling bee championship. The winning word was "serrefine," a small forcep for clamping a blood vessel. Five of the 15 finalists in the contest were homeschooled. Homeschoolers make up about 3% of the K-12 population in America.

This marks the first year that homeschoolers took first place in both the national geography bee and the national spelling bee.

There's more on Kevin's Swanson's blog, which IS fairly recent. It's dated July 8, 2007. (Unfortunately I can't find a way to permalink this, so if you click on the link and it's not at the top, scroll down!)

For the first time in the history of the modern home education movement, homeschoolers took first place in both the national geography and spelling bees. News coverage on the home schooled status of the winners was a little scanty this year, but it turns out both 14-year-old Caitlin Snaring from 13-year-old Evan O'Dorney were home schooled. Not bad for some folks who represent a minority group that only makes up 3% of the schooled youth in America!

Again and again home schooling proves itself a highly effective form of education that reverses all modern paradigms. The conception that it takes a professional don't try this at home, is pounded relentlessly into our heads on every side. A year or two ago, a brochure advertising a local private school caught my eye. There is a misconception, pontificated the EDD who penned the brochure, that teaching a child does not require university training or a degreed and certified professionals. Brain surgery requires professional training and so does teaching.

What these professionals do not understand is that we are not doing brain surgery. We're doing heart surgery.

And heart surgery requires a parent/child relationship, a focus on character, faith, and thousands upon thousands of hours of heart-deep discipleship. What wins spellihg bees and accomplishes great things for God and country is not so much brains as it is nurtured faith and character in the life of a child.

Heart surgery, not brain surgery - what a great thought! Thanks, Kevin, for reminding me again what I'm really about.