There are certain challenges that are common to most or all homeschool parents and their children, especially in the “early years” of home educating. And there are key considerations, pieces of philosophy, and practices that significantly enhance home educators’ success, attitudes, and joy. Dr. Ray will present to you some of the nuggets that he and his wife have gleaned from the home education of their eight children (now ages 30s to 19), and from years of research and learning from thousands of parents and families from around the world.

Is that word “freedom” for just ol’ graying hippies and revolutionary wannabes? No. It is a biblical concept and at the core of what it means to be an American and, especially, a homeschooler. Dr. Ray will answer: How’d we get our homeschool freedoms? Why should you care? Are we really free? How might we lose this liberty? What are the enemies? Risks? Is Common Core related? What about compulsory attendance laws? Parental rights? Whether your youngest child is pre-born, 7, or 18, you need to know the core principles of educational freedom and why we must strive to keep or expand that liberty. Dr. Ray has been in this practical and theoretical battle for over 30 years.

Common Core, No Child Left Behind, Goals 2000, and, by the way, have you forgotten about the Seven Cardinal Principles? Presumptuous planners, nationalists, and philosopher-kings have another plan for “all our children.” Dr. Brian Ray addresses the most fundamental reason why every parent should care about Common Core State Standards that has hit hard the educational scene. What should homeschoolers, scripturalists (i.e., Christians) and liberty lovers do about this, if anything? If you do not want your children to be a part of this educational bandwagon and you do not want to waste your time jumping into bandwagon reactionism, come hear Dr. Ray.

You want your children to be the best in academics, spirituality, and physical health. You also want to have godly compassion for your children. In striving to lead his wife and eight children to "greatness," however, Brian has found that he can fall into the sin of provoking them. He'll use scripture and experience to address the way to combine high expectations with justice, mercy, and love. Especially for fathers.

Dr. Ray explores scripture, the state of government-run education, the origins of public schools, research on homeschooling, and personal experience to answer the question, “Who Should Be Educating Your Children?” He boldly challenges every Christian parent to face the idea that perhaps home-based education is the “default setting” that God has designed for the education of children. Dr. Ray, one of the world’s leading homeschool researchers and homeschooling father of eight children, calls and warns parents to not be a stumbling block in their children’s lives (Matthew 18:6).

Dr. Ray will first ask "Should you teach your own children?" then proceed to help his audience answer the question which is the title of this message. Brian will use Christian thought, his experience as a long-time home education father of eight children, ideas from the education profession, and research to stimulate, challenge, and encourage both veteran and novice educators.