PRESENTING: MIKE SHEPHERD

My interest in home education derives from my Christian commitments and my work as a teacher in public and private schools. I joined Word Book Club in 1982 to try to balance my readings in secular education theory (East Texas State University) with a biblical world and life view. I ordered an interesting title: Home Spun Schools by Raymond and Dorothy Moore and my wife Dana and I both were fascinated by the case studies. We attended a conference sponsored by the National Organization of Parent Educators (NOPE) in Dallas Texas in July 1983 and met a number of people who shared our interest.

I was happy when my doctoral committee (Education Administration) approved the topic for my dissertation. My research led me to examine the growth of umbrella schools, especially Christian Liberty Academy and Accelerated Christian Education, as well as the research of the Moores since the early 1970s. Here is an outline of the not-yet-finished dissertation:

I.            Introduction (21 pages)
A.           Educational Theory
B.           Historical Study
C.           Practical Issues
D.           The Education Profession
E.           Home Schools Before 1970
II.     Social Change, Alternative Schools, and the Emergence of Home Schooling as a Secular Alternative (30 pages)
A.           Social Change
B.           Alternative Schools
C.           Alternative School to Home School
D.           Experiments
E.           Court Cases
III. Home Schooling as a Religious Activity (26 pages)
A.    Reaction to Social Change
B.    The Moores: Opposition to Early Schooling and Day
Care
C.    Nonaccredited Protestant Schools
D.    Umbrella Schools
E.    The Amish
F.    Other Cases
IV.     Home    Schooling in Texas (22 pages)
A.    Legal Conflict
B.    Ambiguity: opinion, enforcement
C.    Leadership
D.    1983 Conference
E.    Religious Orientation
F.    Legislative Stalemate
V.            Arguments For and Against Home Schooling (18 pages)
A.    Economics of Private Education
B.    Academics
C.    Health
D.    Socialization
E.    Family Life
F.    Religion
VI.     The    Future of Home Schooling (19 pages)
A.    Toffler
B.    Naisbitt
C.    Numerical Growth
D.    Legal Change
E.    Standardized Testing
F.    School Administration
G.    Constitutional Challenge?
VII.        References (17 pages)
– Mike Shepherd

Note:    Mike Shepherd has not indicated when he expects to finish his dissertation. Nor do I know how long it will be until a copy of it might be available through an interlibrary loan. He is selling copies of each chapter at $5.00 per chapter. See his address below.