Barbara Frank

I recently received an email from Christine Field, who’s a fellow homeschooling mom and an attorney. She shared some exciting news:

I work for a legal ministry called Homeschool Legal Advantage, a ministry of the Christian Law Association. CLA has been representing clients (including lots of
homeschoolers!) in matters of faith and religious freedom for 40 years.

Homeschool Legal Advantage represents a new idea in legal services for homeschoolers. We operate on a donations basis, rather than a yearly premium.
The face of homeschooling is changing, and we believe the delivery of legal services to homeschoolers should change too.

We offer first year members a FREE membership! For that membership, you receive 24-hour-a-day access to an attorney. We help parents resolve challenges to their
homeschooling, up to and including litigation if the matter is a direct constitutional challenge to homeschooling. If you are pleased with your first
year of service, we ask you to renew on a suggested donation basis. As “legal missionaries” we are blessed to be of service to the homeschool community.

In addition to access to legal services, first year members receive a FREE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT. We are committed to the right to life and the preservation of
the family, and that commitment begins pre-birth and extends to death. This will is a demonstration of that commitment and another valuable service we can
provide for homeschoolers. Think about how much it would cost you to hire a private lawyer just to draft your will! We offer you your membership and the
will – for FREE.

Sign-up is easy. Just visit our website at www.HomeschoolLegalAdvantage.com and click on JOIN NOW. You will be asked for a coupon code. Enter CLA (which stands
for Christian Law Association) and we will send you a membership card, along with a form for you and your spouse to fill out for your will. In a few weeks,
our attorneys mail you your will, ready to execute according to the laws of your state.

How can we afford to do this? The Lord has provided for the Christian Law Association ministry for 40 years and we rely on Him as we increase.

It’s time for a new look at legal services for homeschoolers. Check us out at www.HomeschoolLegalAdvantage.com.

A school district in Georgia that was having financial difficulties decided to cut the school week to four days in order to save money. The result, according to the school superintendent?

Test scores went up.

So did attendance — for both students and teachers. The district is spending one-third of what it once did on substitute teachers, Clark said.

And the graduation rate likely will be more than 80 percent for the first time in years, Clark said.

Hmmm….if doing less of something results in more success, why not get rid of it all together and see what happens? 

Woohoo! My newest book is out 

There’s nothing like the feel of a fresh new book, right fellow book lovers? And I’ve got to tell you that seeing my name on it and knowing that it’s the result of a couple of years’ worth of work is a good feeling!

Hot off the press: Women of the Old Testament: 14 In-Depth Bible Studies for Teens with Mother-Daughter Discussion Starters, a book I wrote six years ago for our daughter Mary, who was 13 at the time. » Read the rest of this entry «

If you’re not a subscriber to “The Imperfect Homeschooler” newsletter, you probably can’t answer questions like:

• What practical course of study can be used to teach your children about science and theology?
• Where will you find a huge database of teaching helps and lesson plans?
• Where can you get a free eBook about beating the high cost of college?

The answers to these questions plus other useful information for homeschooling parents can be found in the current issue. Do subscribe so you can receive each newsletter “hot off the press.” 

I can’t help it: I’m a date geek. I have all sorts of dates parked in my head of things that have happened in my life, both big things and little things. And sometimes I make mention of these things on the appropriate days. (My family thinks I’m nuts.)

Today marks one of the big things. » Read the rest of this entry «

Today’s big news story is making headlines all around the world: shocking video exists of a teacher at a charter school in Texas slapping, kicking and dragging one of her students while other students watch.

I won’t watch the video; I doubt that I could stomach it. But one thing I know for sure: when you homeschool your kids, you never have to worry that a schoolteacher could do this to your child.

When I was homeschooling, one of my goals was for my kids to find really nice friends. I’d had the experience of dealing with mean kids at school, and didn’t want my kids to have to go through it. And while we did have some great neighbors, I wanted my kids to have good friends in addition to their neighborhood friends.

They did make some really nice friends, which was great. But what I didn’t realize was that these kids would have nice moms, too. What a pleasure it was to hang out with people who understood exactly what my life was like! When we started homeschooling, many people thought it was weird. Some of my mom friends thought I’d lost my marbles because I wanted to have my kids home all day. But the homeschool moms understood completely.

Over the years, I’ve met many more homeschool moms through support group meetings, convention booths and workshops, and the Internet (especially my blogs). I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you all! I think homeschool moms are the smartest, nicest and just plain coolest moms there are 

I want to wish all of you a blessed Mother’s Day and also tell you how much I appreciate your friendship. I do think socialization is one of the best things about homeschooling, for kids and their moms. Don’t you?