It is time for parents and families to forget everything they learned about “education” in school and completely re-imagine it, and yes — that means leaving the government system completely. That was the message of conservative educators and leaders at the Underground Education summit in Port Saint Lucie this month.
The summit, convened by home-educating mom and celebrity actress Sam Sorbo, drew a parallel between the American families trapped in public school deception, and those trapped in Plato’s allegorical cave. Once a person leaves the cave (government “school”) and discovers the incredible freedom and beauty of home learning, it is difficult to explain the wonders to those still chained up inside in darkness with nothing but shadows to see.
“The focus of this conference was to shake people’s assumptions about education enough for them to consider the alternate, healthier paradigm of home learning and then cast that vision for them,” said Sorbo, who hosts an education show at Epoch TV and has written several books. “Schools have abused us for long enough – so much that we feel incapable of education, yet rely on the institutions that schooled us to ‘educate’ our children!”
Sorbo argued that the education establishment controlling government schools has deliberately sought to convince Americans that “experts” with “degrees” are necessary to “educate” children. In reality, though, parent-led education can — and does — produce far more knowledgeable, productive and curious students.
Indeed, Sorbo is so opposed to the traditional “schooling” paradigm that she now refers to homeschooling as “home learning.” The point, she said, is to draw a sharp distinction between the indoctrination and dumbing down taking place during “schooling,” and the genuine learning that takes places at home with parental help and guidance.
“Education in America should cultivate the child’s innate curiosity, encouraging them to teach themselves, freeing them from the school’s imposed constraints, lies, and governmental overreach, and part of education would be parents and care-givers who focus on engendering strong relationships, building solid character, and fostering moral virtue in their children,” said Sorbo.
Other speakers, including this writer, echoed those remarks, calling on parents to take charge of their children’s education as a top priority for reasons ranging from biblical mandates to better outcomes and everything in-between. Among those speaking were Pastor Massey Campos, librarian and education expert Michelle Howard, Luke Griffin and his wife Tina Griffin (former Hollywood actress now known as the Counter-Culture Mom), and more.
The event also included a series of events and talks geared toward younger audiences. Speakers for the youth included Braeden Sorbo, wealthy crypto-currency entrepreneur Erik Finman, and Counter-Culture Mom Tina Griffin. Each shared their perspective on key issues with children ranging in age from as young as five to as old as young adults.
Sponsoring the event was a powerhouse group of grassroots organizations, companies, and educational options. These included My Father’s World, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the Florida Citizens’ Alliance, Timothy Plan, FreedomProject Academy, Public School Exit, Classical Conversations, the Institute for Excellence in Writing, Valor Global Online, Patriot Academy, the Foundation for American Christian Education, Summit Ministries, Templeton Accountants and Advisors, Liberty Sentinel, Schoolhouse Rocked, Sprouts Farmers Markets, the Discovery Institute, and more.
“What a tremendous success we had, from happy audience to vendors who were likewise thrilled. We will definitely be doing more of these!” Sorbo told The Newman Report after the event. “I even had a vendor tell me they had never heard much of the info at this conference, even though they’ve been in alternative education for over a decade.”
Demand for truth and alternatives in education is growing unbelievably fast, as the Underground Education conference proved. Whether it will be fast enough to save America and the next generation from destruction caused by indoctrination posing as schooling, though, remains to be seen.
This article was originally published on FreedomProject.com and is reprinted here with permission.
