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Updated May 28, 2000

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Homeschoolers Comment on the Big Issues

Just some of the letters and emails KIC has received on issues like guidelines, sex education, TORCH, NACHE and more!
 

Sex Ed Publisher Sponsors TORCH Conference

Our Sunday Visitor, publisher of the controversial "Catholic Vision of Love," sponsored the TORCH Leaders' Conference in St. Louis, MO.

The TORCH website also proclaims Our Sunday Visitor's support at:

http://www.catholic-homeschool.com/Our_Friends/our_friends.htm

 
NACHE Continues to Dismiss Fr. Hardon's Advice and Extends Ban on Catholic Home Study Program
When Keeping It Catholic asked Fr. Hardon about NACHE's public actions against Seton, he declared, "That is clearly wrong. I do not support what NACHE has done in any way. Those so-called Catholics made those decisions on their own. They told me they do not have to take my advice, they only have to listen to it."  Please click on the link above for the story.

History of the Hot Debate:

 

1994 - 1995

NCEA Survey on Catholic Homeschoolers

See what your diocese had to say to the NCEA! The memorandum results isued by Sr. Antoinette Dudek are presented in 9 parts.
 

April 1998 

Homeschoolers: A House Divided

Marianna Bartold's nine page article was published in Mothers Watch and is followed by the MW editors' comments.

 

April/May 1998

TORCH Leaders Launch "Link" Deletion Demands

Immediately after Homeschoolers: A House Divided was released, some people associated with TORCH groups began a campaign, emailing Catholic websites that linked to Keeping It Catholic and strongly urging that KIC be deleted as a link. Those webmasters not associated with TORCH did not comply but instead forwarded those demands to Keeping It Catholic.
 

May 1998

TORCH "Greetings" Article

Questions the Obedience of Fellow Catholics

Another direct link to the NACHE site. Interestingly enough, TORCH has not published this article on their own website. This is the article upon which an allegation of schism was made without outright naming the "defendants."
 

June 1998

Homeschoolers: Next Casualty?

Opens with a brief synopis on the history of Catholic homeschooling, shares Church teaching on education and warns of what Marianna Bartold calls "Catholic Homeschooling - Protestant style" Heavily footnoted.

 

July 1998 

Homeschoolers and the Hierarchy

A continuation of Homeschoolers: Next Casualty? , this article addresses the internal problems within Catholic homeschooling and NACHE's plan to become the "bridge" between homeschoolers and the hierarchy. Heavily footnoted.

 

 July 1998

 Seton Article: Authority in the Church

This is the article which Fr. Hardon, S.J. called "free of doctrinal error" and which also received the approval of three other Catholic priests before publication. Ironically, it is the same article which ultimately led NACHE to take unjust action against Seton Home Study School.
 

July 16, 1998

Hasson's Private Letter to Seton

http://www.nache.org/let4.html

 

The most striking thing about this letter is its irony. In this letter, Mary Hasson continued the argument about church authority but the crux of the matter is revealed when she adds false and extremely personal allegations. While Mrs. Hasson tries to claim her own integrity was under fire, she did not hesitate in making a blatant character assassination attempt.

The link above will take you to this letter on NACHE website. The letter was not made public by NACHE until June 30, 1999.

 

July 29, 1998

 The Pledge of Solidarity - Help or Hindrance?

Was this a pledge or a "damage control document'? The "Pledge" was signed by a number of TORCH and NACHE board members including Kimberly Hahn and Mary Hasson. A minute number of other homeschoolers signed "the Pledge" but the majority did not....find out why.

 

Fall 1998 

Twelve Problems with the Pledge

Keeping It Catholic compares the "Pledge" to Church teaching.

 

Fall 1998 

What's Up with CHSNA?

KIC knows all about that " Elephant in the Parlor"

 

Fall 1998 

The Pittsburgh Story - A Dynamite Omission

What part of Fr. Stubna's workshop did TORCH omit on their website? Keeping It Catholic offers the entire transcript.
 

Fall 1998  

KIC and RCF: National Homeschool Fax Alert

With one national fax alert, Roman Catholic Faithful and Keeping It Catholic members brought serious concerns to the attention of the Vatican, Fr. Hardon, S.J., and Catholic homeschoolers concerning NACHE's plans and associations.

 

February 1999

TORCH/NACHE Claim to Set the Record Straight

Above is a direct link to the NACHE website.

Remember the "Pledge of Solidarity" (July 1998) to which NACHE members Mary Hasson and Kimberly Hahn added their names?  Read this article Setting the Record Straight and then ask yourself if they really took the Pledge seriously - especially the promise about discussing issues and not attacking persons. While at the NACHE website, please take read the letters Mary Hasson wrote to Seton, which also violate the same Pledge she signed.

 

Take Another Look: While at the NACHE website, viewers will find a few NACHE letters written to Seton School - letters which Seton instantly submitted to Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (NACHE's spiritual advisor) for his advice. Twice, his response to Seton was "Remain silent and pray." After NACHE's long harrassment against Seton, Fr. Hardon intervened on Seton's behalf. There are two glaring omissions at the NACHE website :

1. NACHE makes no mention that they asked Fr. Hardon for any assistance in any regard to Seton. Fr. Hardon personally confirmed to the Keeping It Catholic Network that he was never contacted by NACHE at any time concerning NACHE's issues with Seton. Nor did NACHE answer his letter in which he recommended that Seton should be invited to the NACHE conference. Fr. Hardon affirmed to Keeping It Catholic that the Seton article, to which NACHE objects, is "free of doctrinal error." The same cannot be said of NACHE's letters and articles concerning Church authority, as they did not submit themselves to the guidance of Fr. John Hardon, S.J. when writing rebuttals.

2. Fr Hardon's letter, intervening on the behalf of Seton Home Study School, is nowhere mentioned or found on the NACHE site. Instead, NACHE totally dismissed Fr. Hardon's input - and added insult to injury but publicing claiming on their website that he was misinformed.

 April 10, 1999

NACHE "Lays Down the Law"

Although NACHE has not issued letters to Protestant vendors or publishers, they've done it to Seton, the leading Catholic homeschool program...Read NACHE's "requirements" created especially just for Seton. Seton's director, Dr. Mary Kay Clark, is not only expected to explain Seton's article on Church authority, but she also must explain her professional relationship with another leading Catholic homeschooler - author, publisher and editor Marianna Bartold.

 

The questions remains...was the issue ever about Church authority? By NACHE's own words, we can see it was not.

 

June 23, 1999

NACHE Bans Seton Against Fr. Hardon's Advice

Seton is banned by NACHE for accurately describing Church authority

...but again, was that ever the real issue?

 

June 30, 1999

NACHE: Public Letter Skews Issues

 

One week after Keeping It Catholic issued an email flash news alert concerning NACHE's banishment of Seton, NACHE released a public letter. In their own words, they revealed the issue was never about Church authority. NACHE admitted they were taking action against Seton for a number of things in the Seton "Authority in the Church" article.

They are the following:

1) publicly and correctly defining church authority, thus correcting Mary Hasson's misunderstandings on the subject;

2) publicly acknowledging the link between TORCH and NACHE 

3) noting Mary Hasson's apparent "schism" charge and questioning it;

4) the coupe de graux- their allegation and demands concerning the professional relationship between Dr. Clark of Seton and Marianna Bartold of Keeping It Catholic.

Please note that NACHE also made attempts to skew KIC's views and actions in many ways. One example: NACHE claims that Mariann Bartold of KIC advocates that Catholic homeschoolers should separate themselves from the institutional Church. This is one of the worst of all the outrageous statements NACHE had made against Mrs Bartold and KIC. To repeat: This is an outrageous falsehood.

Nowhere, at any time, in public or private discourse, has KIC or Mrs. Bartold made any statement of that kind. What KIC has done is question abuse of authority - which is quite different.

We would do the same to an abusive parent who defended such abuse by pointing to God's command, "Honor thy father and mother."

Thus, we invite NACHE to stick to facts and remove these and other falsehoods, assumptions and allegations from their website.

 

July 3, 1999

NACHE and KIC: Truth Unveiled Once More

KIC makes one more attempt to dialogue with NACHE - and invites everyone on the NACHE board to comment.
 

July 6, 1999

NACHE's Response to Keeping It Catholic

Now see the results. 

 

July 12-13, 1999

NACHE Board Member On "Damage Control"

(Coming Soon!) 

 

July 15, 1999

Wanderer News Piece on Seton/NACHE

This article includes commentaries on NACHE's ban against Seton by KIC, CHSNA, Seton, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Victory and Roman Catholic Faithful. 
July 29, 1999

Saints and Scholars' Opinion Piece on Seton/NACHE

Jeff Minick (of Saints and Scholars, a resource many Catholic homechoolers use), shared his opinion on the Seton/NACHE issue. The most interesting part of his story concerns NACHE's information packet handed out to homeschooling parents that attended their 1999 conference. Find out which information NACHE withheld...
 

Summer 1999 Issue

Mothers' Watch: More Strikes Against NACHE

As usual, Mothers Watch tell it like it is,with no holds barred... 

 

August 1999 

CHSNA Comments on NACHE  

(This same article has finally been uploaded to the CHSNA website

at http://chsna.org/service.htm  )

 

 


 

 

And Elsewhere...

 NACHE's "Useful Links"

...should be renamed in the singular, as they have only one link - to TORCH.

But there's no connection between the two...right?

There is not one link to any Catholic home school program, any other supports groups other than TORCH, or to the increasing number of Catholic publishers who are now catering to Catholic homeschoolers, etc.
 

See it for yourself at http://www.nache.org/links.html

 

The "New" NACHE -

Bridge Building Under Way

NACHE's (National Association of Catholic Home Educators) seven board members have given their organization a little face lift. As reported earlier both on this site and elsewhere, NACHE has announced its intent to pursue status as a "lay association of the faithful,"in order to be a "bridge" between homeschoolers and the hierarchy. KIC's earlier reporting was verified by NACHE itself in the Michaelmas 1998 issue of its newsletter, The Catholic Home Educator.

By the fall of 1998, the association printed a small advisory board to their newsletter masthead. With their new advisory board, it appears the NACHE "bridge" is well under construction.

In the Lent 1999 issue of The Catholic Home Educator (Lent 1999), there were some eye-brow raising additions to the advisory board. The names now listed span the conservative - liberal array. This is the same organization that, according to the priest himself, voted Fr. John Hardon, S.J. "off" the board without even contacting him about the proposal --- yet retained him as spiritual advisor. Fr. Hardon said he allowed himself to be retained as he hoped to be of some influence to NACHE.

The updated NACHE advisory board includes the following individuals:

 

Cardinal John O'Connor (now deceased)

Cardinal William Keeler

Most Rev. Paul Dudley

Fr. Richard Gill, L.C.

Fr. Cornelius O'Brien

Fr. Jack Riley

Fr. Mike Scanlon, TOR

Fr. Kris Stubna

Curtis Martin

Michaelann Martin

Dr. Scott Hahn

Mike Aquilina

Deal Hudson

Patrick Madrid

Connie Marshner

Dr. Timothy O'Donnell

 

Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Michael and Teresa Aquilina, and Fr. Stubna, STD were all members of the first meeting Pittsburgh homeschool study group. Those who continued with the group were Kimberly Hahn, Michael Aquilina, and Fr. Stubna (as well as others).

NACHE likes to claim it doesn't encourage guidelines - so was it prudent to ask three people involved in Pittsburgh guidelines to join their advisory board?

 
Homeschool Leaders Report:

We Don't Need a Bridge

 

 

Homeschool leaders who attended the 1998 Round Table report they are not happy with any of the following:

- NACHE's plans to be the "bridge" between homeschoolers and the hierarchy;

-NACHE's 1998 invitation to Fr. Kris Stubna, editor of the highly controversial Catholic Vision of Love, to speak about the "Pittsburgh Story";

-NACHE's acceptance and printing of an ad for the sex ed series Catholic Vision of Love (edited by the same Fr. Stubna),

-nor do they appreciate NACHE's refusal to apologize for the mistake.

 

If NACHE claims they only exist to serve homeschoolers, why are they not listening to parents and leaders leaders from grass-roots groups?

 

KIC is listening and the message we're getting from homeschoolers is clear: The majority of Catholic homeschool families do not want and did not ask for "representative" group to be a bridge to the hierarchy who offer reams of evidence they themselves are not obedient to the Magisterium or the Holy Father, to make decisions for them, to represent them or to speak for them.

 

Keep in mind....

-NACHE has no real membership; it has subscribers to The Catholic Home Educator.

-subscribers to The Catholic Home Educator are called members but are not ever asked to vote on any issues with which NACHE involves itself;

-homeschoolers are *not* allowed to vote for or against any of NACHE's plans;

-NACHE claims a willingness to dialogue, but what does that mean? They have demonstrated time and again their own definition of dialogue means working with people that will assist and suport NACHE. On the other side of the coin, NACHE works very hard to discredit those who disagree with or correct them.

-NACHE has never been known to apologize for its mistakes. Their mistakes are either defended or blamed on outside sources.

 -NACHE's board - all lay people - refuse to obey Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

The lay members act on their own perogatives and have made it clear they are not interested in dialoguing with homeschoolers who do not agree with them; on the contrary, NACHE has shown an alarming willingness to silence, in any way possible, those who dare to question them in any way;

-When silencing doesn't work, defamation of character against opponents is the name of the NACHE game.

 

Homeschoolers Say NO to NACHE

 

An increasing number of Catholic homeschooling parents are saying NO to NACHE. They report they will avoid NACHE conferences, will not subscribe to their newsletter The Catholic Home Educator, will not purchase their conference tapes, and will boycott any of their board members who appear elsewhere as speakers. These homeschooles feel it may be the only way to get the message through that NACHE is no longer serving the needs of Catholic homeschoolers, but only their own interests.

 

 

Priest Resigns from TORCH

 

"Official" (enforced?) homeschool program?

 

Dialogue with the Diocese - Is It Prudent?

 

No Previous Experience Wanted!

 

Rome Didn't Deny It!

 

Diocesan Tricks of the Trade

 

Beware: Faith and History Quiz

 

 The Protestant-but-Catholic-owned

homeschool magazine

 

 

Priest Resigns From TORCH

Fr. John H. Miller, CSC, PhB, S.T.D. is the publisher/editor of Social Justice Review. He is a former Associate Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

Fr. Miller was acting as spiritual advisor to TORCH (St. Louis, MO) but he resigned from the homeschool group in the summer of 1998. Local TORCH Chapter president Donna Meyers insisted that she, on her own authority, could claim to represent TORCH and write the St. Louis Department of Religious Education to thank them for guidelines - guidelines which were never officially signed by the bishop. Fr. Miller and the majority of TORCH members continued to resist this for almost an entire year while Mrs. Meyers continued to pressure members to give in to her wishes.

 

At a summer 1998 meeting she again addressed the issue of writing a letter to the DRE in St. Louis. Fr. Miller said that Mrs. Meyers insulted those who did not agree with her views and labelled them as being "disobedient to the hierarchy" and therefore, "in schism."

Because of the TORCH president's longtime insistence that she could impose her will upon the group, Fr. Miller finally called for a vote of Donna Meyer's resignation during the meeting. Mrs. Meyer insisted that such an action was not allowed. Fr. Miller then said he would resign himself. The TORCH St. Louis group has since disbanded.

"Torch is run by the elite. The rest must obey," said Mrs. Meyers at that last meeting which was taped. She further stated that, since a good number of the TORCH leaders are members of Regnum Christi (Legionaires of Christ - LC), and are under personal spiritual direction of LC priests, TORCH is in direct contact with the Magisterium and thus, ipso facto, the TORCH group and individual board members cannot be questioned or challenged. Mrs. Meyers casts a questionable light upon the LC's by this comment and also shows her ignorance of the Magisterium's true definition.

 

In the meantime, TORCH "Central" (as Mrs. Meyers calls it, meaning the "national board") has appointed a new leader who will attempt to reinstitute the TORCH St. Louis Group, continuing Mrs. Meyers' earlier attempts. The latest report is that Donna Meyers has since been asked to join the TORCH National Board.

 

On a related note: Fr. Miller congratulated Keeping It Catholic's Marianna Bartold for her "excellent articles" which brought to the public light of day the principles and actions of TORCH and NACHE. The articles were published in Mothers Watch and Catholic Family News.

 

  • "Official" National Homeschool Program in the Future?

     

    • "The issue of an official homeschool program, based on Vatican II and the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, is currently being addressed on the national level."

       

      ---This information was literally taken from the homeschool guideline recommendations in the diocese of Boise, Idaho. To date, two dioceses (the other is in California) have made off-hand remarks about some kind of approved or official homeschool curriculum for Catholics. Boise is the first to state that this subject is now - at this very moment - being dealt with on a national level.

      This cryptic remark makes one wonder: Who "on a national level" exactly is addressing this?

      By national level, is this meant at a diocesan level? By DRE's (Directors of Religious Education) or, as many prefer to allege, bishops?

      Will homeschoolers be forced to comply in using a "diocesan approved" homeschool program in order to be recognized as "official Catholic home educators"? This is just a breath of a whisper of what many believe is the beginning of a "crack down " on Catholic homeschoolers by those who fear that somewhere, the true Catholic faith is being preserved.

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    MORE BELOW!


    Is Initiating Contact with Diocesan Personnel the Prudent Course?

    • As diocesan guidelines for homeschoolers get underway nationwide, alerts from concerned members of TORCH (Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes) have been reported to KIC in the last few months. TORCH is a nationwide chain of homeschool support groups, with each group dubbed a "chapter." A number of the TORCH founders and existing leaders are also board members of NACHE (National Association of Catholic Home Educators).

      The problem or concern, repeated by a number of TORCH Chapter members from various parts of the U.S., is that the leaders want to initiate dialogue with their local diocese or congratulate those within the diocese responsible for existing guidelines. Of the alerts received, the following are a small sample of the typical complaint from TORCH members:

      From the Deep South: an existing homeschool group that recently affiliated itself with TORCH has some members thinking second thoughts about the TORCH group's ideas. The member who introduced the concept that the group become a "new" TORCH chapter now wants to approach the diocese to discuss and possibly assist in the construction of sacramental guidelines for homeschoolers. As it stands, the bishop of the diocese has not shown any interest, negative or positive, in homeschoolers, guidelines, etc. Many homeschoolers prefer to leave matters as they stand. (They believe: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!)

       From the East: TORCH leaders in three different eastern states have introduced to their groups the idea of approaching diocesan people and offering help to institute homeschool guidelines. In two cases, guidelines are now being formulated with the cooperation of TORCH leaders who are keeping information under tight wraps in order to avoid "misunderstandings" and "critical opposition" from other homeschoolers. In the last case, the TORCH leader wants to make the first contact and "dialogue" with the diocese about a sacramental policy statement. One of the TORCH members also happens to be an employee working in the office of Bishop McHugh (who has been exposed as a major player in Planned Parenthood, sex education, and SIECUS in The McHugh Chronicles by Randy Engel, the investigative reporter who also gave us Sex Education: The Final Plague).

      From the Midwest: The entire membership of the local TORCH group rejected the suggestion of the TORCH leader who desires to contact the diocese and thank them for issuing guidelines on homeschoolers.

      The leadership wants to especially express gratitude that guidelines were drawn up without including homeschool families in any prior discussions. The TORCH leader's reason given for believing "no diocesan dialogue" with homeschoolers was a good idea is paradoxical: that homeschoolers in other dioceses who "worked in good faith" (i.e. TORCH and/or NACHE leaders) with diocesan officals later become the target for complaints (from other homeschoolers who realized that guidelines would open a Pandora's box to all kinds of abuses against homeschoolers -which it has). This also appears to be a vague reference to the reported and alleged secretive behavior of the eastern state TORCH leaders who refuse to discuss their involvement and assistant actions in constructing sacramental policies and guidelines on others. Reports say that eastern state TORCH leaders claim they would rather not inform other homeschoolers until guidelines are actually released - in order to avoid what TORCH dubs "uncharitable criticisms" from those parents who voice any concerns.

       Click here to share comments or info you'd like to share


      No Previous Experience Wanted?

      The layers of bureaucracy in any diocese and the personable facade presented by diocesan personnel has fooled many a well-intentioned Catholic homeschooler before. The fact that Monterey, CA homeschooling parents were manipulated by diocesan personnel was reported in the October 1995 issue of Catholic World Report.

      (Old Experience hard at work)

      No matter how many times experience has pounded in the lesson, a growing number of the TORCH leadership, per members' reports, fail to grasp the truth that, philosophically, diocesan personnel will be opposed to homeschooling, even though the Church has always taught parental primacy of their children's education of all forms. The diocesan schools know they have lost their influence and any perceived authority with parents who desire a pure Catholic education for their children. Therefore, the bottom line issue is the attempt to control homeschooled children's access to the sacraments. Guidelines are not needed in any diocese that is obedient to the Magisterium and recognizes Pope John Paul II as the Vicar of Christ.

       Remember, Church law requires nothing more than the pastor's evaluation of any child's readiness to receive the sacraments. That responsibility does not lie with the Director of Religious Education or any other pastoral appointee.


      The Key Point --
      • Rome Didn't Deny It

      When the Round Table of Catholic Home School Leaders (RT) visited Vatican officials (twice since 1995), interest and support were expressed by the various cardinals, bishops and monsignors.

      The Holy Father said, "Good work. I give my blessing to you and your families."

      Cardinal Alfons Stickler, prefect emeritus of the Vatican library and archives, expressed his hope that "...all bishops everywhere" would support homeschooling.

      Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, secretary to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was enthusiastic over parental willingness to personally educate their children. Further, he expressed his support of the Catholic educational materials provided by the Catholic curriculum provider and Round Table attendee, Seton Home Study of Front Royal, VA.

      Monsignor Peter Elliott, representative of Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, openly commented that homeschooling would preserve the Catholic family and thereby the Catholic Faith.

      At no time did any Vatican official, from the Pope to Cardinals to Monsignors, deny the parental right and responsibility to personally educate their children - spiritually, academically or socially.

      Catholic dioceses should do no less.


      Tricks of the Trade

      Many sacramental guidelines for homeschooled children include phrases like "we recommend," " we invite" and "we hope." Still, these are are not mandates by the bishop.

      Some guidelines also include phrases meant to sound authoritative but are still not mandates and in no way conform to the teachings of the Catholic Church. To say it plainly, the phrases are simply an abuse of authority and a blatant attempt of coercion.

      Examples include "homeschoolers must..." "homeschoolers are required..." and "homeschoolers are expected," while others quibble that sacraments are part of "community life" and cannot be relegated to mere parental preparation. Still others try to push the idea that the parents and the "parish community" share some vague partnership. (If, indeed, this were always true, why is one partner enforcing policies and guidelines on the other?) Even worse, some dioceses are "requiring" parents to be certified catechists to give their own children the truths of the Faith!

      Catholic parents are already certified by the graces from the Sacrament of Matrimony. Tangible proof exists if diocesan personnel want it. It's called the marriage certificate.

      Homeschoolers must be aware the "policies" and "guidelines" are not equivalent to Church law. Resisting guidelines that do not comply with Church teaching is morally correct, not an act of disobedience.

      Homeschoolers must be aware the a large number of diocesan personnel are trained to answer parents that don't agree with their position. On the surface, such personnel can and will appear agreeable and cooperative with parents. It's a trick of the trade.


      Beware: Faith and History Quiz
      • Beginning in the spring of 1997, homeschoolers nationwide began receiving persistent phone calls from a man by the name of Jim Koop. The man claimed he was contacting homeschool groups to offer them a chance to participate in his Faith and History Quiz.

        He dropped fairly well-known names in Catholic circles, including the names of Immaculata Magazine, Seton Home Study, Ignatius Press, etc. He claimed these familiar names were either approving of his contests or would provide prizes to winners.

        He also asked for and received the endorsement of the NW Pacific group, which sent out a letter to homechool leaders, asking them to cooperate with Mr. Koop.

        In a telephone interview in which Mr. Koop attempted to attain the assistance of Marianna Bartold (founder of The Catholic Family's Magnificat Magazine, Sursum Corda's first Home School Editor and co-founder of the Catholic Homeschool Network of America), he asked questions like:

      What parish do homeschoolers in your area attend?

      Which priests in your area are pro-homeschooling?

      Which priests in your area are anti-homechooling?

      Are there other places homeschoolers gather together?

      How many families are in your groups?

      Give me an estimate of the number of children in the groups.

      How many homeschoolers are in the state?

      Who are the other leaders in your area?

      What are their addresses and phone numbers?

       

      • Mrs. Bartold evaded the questions but instead asked a few of her own about Mr. Koop's background, his interest in homeschoolers, and actual involvment of the names he dropped.

        It turns out Mr. Koop is not married and has no children. He provided a discombobulated story about Immaculata Magazine's brothers intention to help in some way with the faith and history quiz but were later prevented from doing so when the superior had to retire earlier than expected.

        When asked how he received Mrs. Bartold's personal home phone number, he first said it came from a homeschool leader on the West Coast. Later, he claimed it came from a home study school and then even later said NACHE provided it.

        His relayed that his interest in homeschoolers issued from his failure to receive the cooperation of diocesan schools in running his Faith and History contests.

        Most importantly, he said, he felt offering such a contest would help "mainstream" homeschooled children into the "community." His private agenda, his "method of mainstreaming" homeschoolers, was to eventually have the homeschooled children contest against diocesan school children. He did not want others to know of his ultimate plans for homeschoolers.

        Keeping It Catholic considers that a major alarm bell.

        His interest in puzzles and quizzes were simply a hobby, he claimed. He offered information that he had "several" Catholic journals which had printed his quiz work.

        When asked for the names of those publications, Mr. Koop could not recall even one. Mrs. Bartold's experience as both an editor and a writer thought that kind of forgetfulness unusual.

        When asked what kind of prizes Ignatius Press was going to donate, he said he wasn't sure. In fact, it wasn't yet guaranteed that Ignatius Press was going to "follow through" as he put it. Earlier in the conversation, however, he stated IP's involvement as a given fact.

        He also alleged he did "this sort of thing" (i.e., religion type contests for children) when he lived in the Chicago area "some years back." He could not (or would not) provide the exact city name, nor the names of the parishes where he had conducted the contests.

        In short, Mr. Koop offered very vague information about himself, which was a curious thing from an unknown person who expected unquestioning trust from homechool parents as well as such detailed information from and about Catholic homeschoolers.

        Consequently, Keeping It Catholic advises caution when dealing with Mr. Koop.


        Protestant-but-Catholic owned

        Homeschool Magazine

        S-Squared Productions, the parent-company of the evangelical Homeschooling Today magazine, was purchased by Catholic Maureen McCaffrey, who also operates the Catholic publishing company Lost Classics Books.

        The press release issued in the summer of 1997 focused on the fact that the evangelical magazine promoted the educational philosophies and methods of Ruth Beechick and Charlotte Mason. The founders and original contributors of the magazine were retained - all of them promoters of Protestant views on matters of faith, the Holy Bible, and history.

        Debbie Sayer, who was slated to remain with Homeschooling Today, is also the author of the Learning Language Arts through Literature series - which promotes anti-Catholic ideology, especially reinforced beginning in the 5th grade level books. Mrs. Sayer left the magazine three months after the acquisition by McCaffrey. No public reason was given.

        No plans were announced to introduce the Catholic Church's teachings on education into the magazine.


    If there is anything you'd like

    brought to the attention of other Catholic homeschoolers nationwide

    but feel unable to do it yourself, why not contact us?

    Feel free to e-mail and share your concerns

    and information with KIC today!

    This page added February 7, 1998

    "Keeping It Catholic" and "Keep it Catholic." Trademark and Copyright,1996. All Rights Reserved.  


     

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