Park Church Denver, CO
Weighing the Options
Thursday, Nov. 02 6:30
$12.00
USD/Ticket
Weighing the Options
What Educational Choice is Right for Your Kids?
Often, this question has led to tension in the church and among parents.
Christian educators emphasize the need to teach a Christian worldview in all subjects (Col. 2:3); homeschooling families stress the responsibility parents have as the first educators (Deut. 6:7); Christians in public education note our calling to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13-16). Too often, though, disagreements have created fault lines instead of thoughtful dialogue among Christians honestly seeking what’s best for their children.
Join Denver Institute, leading educators, and parents for an open-minded conversation examining the various approaches to training our children. During the evening, we’ll ask questions like: Public, private, or homeschool? What’s the theological case for each? What’s the right fit for my kids? How can we prepare them to be faithful to Christ in a rapidly changing world?
During the evening, we’ll hear from Bill Kurtz (CEO, Denver Schools of Science and Technology), Kurt Unruh (President, Valor Christian), and Jen Oshman (author), as well as a panel of thoughtful parents of kids in public, private and homeschool settings. Join us as we come together in a neutral setting to discuss what these three choices – public, private, and homeschool – mean for our kids, and our society.
Light appetizers will be served
Speakers & Panelists
Bill Kurtz is CEO of DSST Public Schools, a charter school management organization that is opening ten secondary schools on five campuses in Denver. He founded the original DSST campus, a leader in STEM education nationwide, with a 100 percent college acceptance rate for graduates over the last 10 years. Bill was recognized as the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year by the New Schools Venture Fund at their national summit in Washington D.C. He serves on the Advisory Council of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education MAT program. Before his career in education, he worked as an investment banker at JP Chase in New York City. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University with a B.A. and earned an M.A. from Columbia University’s Teachers College in educational administration and leadership.
Jennifer Oshman is a mother of four daughters, missionary, and writer. In addition to homeschooling her children in Asia, Europe, and North America, she and her husband work as church planters (Redemption Parker) and international consultants with Pioneers International. She earned a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Denver and is a Colson Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Her writing has been featured at The Gospel Coalition, Church Leaders and Tim Challies.
Kurt Unruh has served as President and CEO of Valor Christian High School since its founding in 2006. Prior to this appointment, he was in private practice as an attorney serving the needs of individual and corporate clients in transactional matters. Unruh has a B.S in Economics from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the University of Denver.
Kimiko Egy is an Air Force brat who was public, private, and home schooled growing up. She went on to receive a B.A. in both English-Writing and Bible from the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota. After college, she worked as a technical writer until deciding to stay home with her children full-time. Kimiko is an active volunteer in her community & her kids' local public school.
Kelly Haanen serves as Children’s Director at Littleton Christian Church and homeschools her four daughters. She received her education at Valparaiso University where she played Division I soccer and met her husband Jeff (full disclosure - Jeff founded DIFW.) Before homeschooling, Kelly taught in both public and private school settings and worked internationally in Latin America.
Amanda Rodriguez is the Dean of Academics at Augustine Classical Academy, a classical, Christian school in the Denver area serving Preschool-12th Grade. She was raised in central Illinois and holds a degree from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. Prior to working at Augustine, She taught language arts, government, and journalism at Brush Ranch School, a boarding school near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Amanda’s two children attend Augustine Classical.