Inspire, Fall 2000

Inspire 19 Debbi also enjoys being around her mom a lot. “It’s good because you can talk about questions one-on-one, until you really understand,” Debbi said. “It’s fun having real talks with your parents about intellectual stuff!” Ironically, Sandy never finished her college education. She attended Cedarville from 1967 to 1971, majoring in English. She took time off in 1970 to marry her husband, Ray, who was then sent to Vietnam. Sandy recalled, “While he was in Vietnam I returned to Cedarville, but [I] still lack about 20 hours to graduate. Over the years, I have been so thankful for the liberal arts education that Cedarville provided.” Sandy maintained that Cedarville’s liberal arts emphasis was a key contributor in her successful home schooling, with all three of her children ranking in the top national percentages in verbal test scores. Educating the Birch children has been a joint venture. Eventually, as the children entered the higher grades, Ray became the math, science, and Bible teacher. “He has always been directly involved with every facet of our home schooling. He’s been my best encourager,” explained Sandy. Home schooling has not been without its share of trials for Sandy. “Initially, we struggled with our own capability. We had been indoctrinated to believe that only professionals could teach our children,” Sandy explained. She also found that while home schooling was legal in Oregon, it was not widely accepted. So she has worked to change that. “We have lobbied and testified before the Oregon State Legislature to move control of home schooling from local school authority to the state level, then worked with the state legislature to make up an acceptable home school law,” she noted. Now Oregon is a good state in which to home-school. “Our local public school administration is very pro-home school and allows home schoolers to attend any classes they wish for high school credit,” Sandy explained. Fellowship with other home-schooling parents has also been critical in Sandy’s educational ventures. “Support groups, newsletters, magazines, and local, state, and national seminars/conventions have been the key resources. There is so much available now,” she said. Sandy finds that the general public is increasingly in favor of home education, but teachers’ unions and national government seem to view home schooling as a threat to their control and influence. And that’s unfortunate. “Home schooling has been one of the most satisfying, challenging, and self-revealing experiences of our lives,” Sandy shared. “The rewards include wonderful relationships with the children that develop and deepen and the realization of God’s grace in allowing us to be the parents of these great kids that He has created!” A cherished home-school photo: Debbi reading history with her dog, Mocha, and a cup of hot chocolate