CC: verify, then trust

There are over 1200 posts on this little blog of mine, but the one that’s garnered the most attention is my review of Classical Conversations, a homeschool “school” of sorts. Two years after it was first published, I continue to receive emails from other moms who have also had negative interactions with their individual CC group or corporate CC.

Since the post is almost three years old, I thought I should give it another look to make sure it was as even-handed as possible. I also thought I’d see if any of the tutors who caused us heartburn are still working at our local CC.

Good news: my review is not spiteful. Trust me; this is a major accomplishment after what we went through. Other good news: the state CC director has stepped down. I have no idea who took her place, but knowing she is no longer in that position is a good thing.

Bad news: the Lansing CC director who caused us such grief is still there. (I realize there are two Lansing campuses now – to be clear, I am not referring to the one that meets at the Free Methodist Church.) I do not know if Amy’s tutor, the one who was so woefully unqualified, is still there. I certainly hope not, but wouldn’t be surprised if she is, considering how all the cries to local, state and national CC leaders fell on deaf ears.

Some may wonder why I’m bringing this up. It’s been several years – shouldn’t I just let it go? I would absolutely drop the subject, except I keep getting emails from other parents harmed by CC. It’s important for those parents to know they aren’t alone. Trust me: when you complain about CC in the CC community, you are treated like you have leprosy. I want others who have been hurt by CC to know they are not the only ones.

And more importantly, I want to implore those looking at CC to really, really LOOK at CC. Interview the campus director as well as the teacher/director. Open up the Latin book and make sure the teacher can actually pronounce the words. See if he/she can explain anything from the logic book. Ask questions. Verify, then trust.

To those having a successful time with CC I say good for you. I have two dear friends who are enjoying their year with CC; I am very happy for them. The beauty of homeschooling is finding what works for your family and doing it. If you explore the concept and materials of CC (they have some of the best books on the market) and decide CC is for you, I simply wish to let you know that finding a well-qualified tutor is not as easy as CC makes it seem. Do your homework before asking your kids to do theirs.



Here's a link to my original post: To CC or not to CC You can read a post I wrote in the heat of the moment here.