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Matthew Gerwitz
Member since 10/2009
Matt is a speaker, writer, and musician. Along with Ellen, his wife of 25 years, they homeschooled all three of their children from kindergarten through high school. For nine years Matt & Ellen were Chapter Leaders of a local homeschool support group serving 180 families. They also served in the past as volunteer coordinators for their annual state convention. Matt regularly conducts parenting seminars in his community and with Ellen, is now getting a new homeschool curriculum company underway (Honour of Kings). Later this year he will be retiring from the position of senior pastor at OneWay in Rochester, New York.

My Mission Statement

My desire is two-fold according two God's will:

#1 - To inform and equip parents to understand the principle that homeschooling is more parenting than academic instruction and with that understanding, and by God's grace, raise up their children in His nurture and admonition. My wife and I firmly believe academics cannot be separated from spiritual truth and still be God-honoring.

#2 - To sound the alarm about our nation's quickly fading freedoms and encourage parents to equip their children with a solid understanding of our founding, its principles and documents, and the men and women God used to pioneer this great nation. Our children may be faced with a world far different that we have ever known; we need to make sure they are armed with the truth.

Honorarium

Travel expenses plus anything else you freely and willingly choose to give.

Presentations

A Father's Role in Homeschooling

In many American homeschools fathers are not involved as much as they should be, if at all. The reasons are many, but more often than not the lack of fatherly involvement is due to a lack of knowledge of his role. This presentation takes a look at that roll and challenges men to become the leaders of their homeschools. When Dad and Mom are on board together, there's no stopping them.

CCSS – Turning Minds Into Mush

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are not merely a misguided educational philosophy gone wrong. They are the final step in a plan that’s more than a century old; a plan to turn America into a model of progressivism. Homeschoolers should not be helping it along by going along. This presentation details the CCSS, where it came from, and what the real intentions behind it are. We also address why it’s absolutely vital for both homeschool parents and public school parents alike to stand and fight against it.

Homeschooling: More Parenting than Academics

Did you know that the success of your homeschool is not as dependent on curriculum as you might think? Nor is it dependent on whether or not you make school "fun" for your kids. The most important factor in determining the success of your homeschool is your parenting. You see, homeschooling is just one component of the larger task of parenting. If your parenting skills are lacking, your homeschool will suffer. This presentation can be given in a single, condensed session or spread out into three more detailed sessions. In either case, participants are taken through the Biblical framework of parenting and then given practical examples of how to implement it -- both in the classroom and outside it.

The Truth About John Dewey

John Dewey was a 19th century philosopher, psychologist, and education activist who is credited as being largely responsible for shaping our modern educational system. Unfortunately, Mr. Dewey was also a socialist who believed the school system was the best tool for destroying religious faith, family values, and the principles of individual liberty and freedom. If America does not wake up to the reality of John Dewey and his influence on 21st century education, it will be the source of her destruction. In this presentation we will look at Mr. Dewey's now infamous Pedagogic Creed, his purpose for promoting public education, and how far we've gone in implementing his stated goals. What you learn may shock you. Be prepared to face a very uncomfortable truth; be prepared to tell others about it as well.

Why do I have to memorize poetry?

There is a terrible misconception that schooling has to be fun and enjoyable to be effective. Unfortunately, when the focus is on "fun" we are setting our children up to believe that life should never be uncomfortable, inconvenient, or "not fun." Quite to the contrary, there are legitimate reasons for requiring things students hate; things like memorizing poetry, memorizing multiplication tables, and learning phonetics. This presentation looks at the purpose of academics and what parents should be trying to accomplish. It also examines many of the progressive myths that now pervade 21st century homeschooling. With that understanding parents can find a balance between work and fun in their own homeschools.