$335 Tuition (split between tutor and director) So, our biblical foundations have been discarded. Adam and Eve discarded Gods words. Foundations: As a former CC director (CC community Business owner), I can attest that this is truth. Everything in this house of cards depends on the in-person programs succeeding. thought that maybe we were doing some things wrong and didnt really understand what the law (meant). Wasnt accurate in particular instances like Palmers and why the email wasnt warranted? https://docdro.id/ncBKRI6. And an Army Chaplains Aid, as well as an Air Force Senior Master Sergeant can be threatened with discharge because they made the unconstitutional mistake of speaking their opinion on the gay marriage issue. There can be no doubt that our country was founded on biblical principles. After all, the unborn are not human. They openly express empathy for those whom may be being taken advantage of. Aware of these issues, Topp said she offered her expertise to the CC networkonly to see her work buried. I asked: Are you now theologians to tell the church what is and what is not worship? Over the years, dozens of former CC contractors have called out CCs alleged exploitative business practices, including on The Spiritual Sounding Board, Kristi Bothurs blog and JJ Veales blog. The story reports (paragraph 35) that this is a viable solution for many local CC chapters, though an expert source also states this is not a solution in every case. Hence, Gods principle that protects unborn children has been discarded. The local chapter never grew, despite her skill at networking and selling the program. Some of these things are required, some are not. Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. Hola, cmo puedo ayudarlo? // We have discarded the Bible, so why not also discard the Constitution? He clarified his remarks, stating CCs corporate office covered charges assessed on the churches. Do our founding documents really acknowledge a right to life, the free exercise of religion, the right to pursue happiness, the freedom of speech? There are instances when Christians have made intentional decisions to disobey state laws. Classical Conversations, Inc., has always complied with all IRS tax laws and was audited in 2019 for the 2018 tax year, in which we were found to be above reproach. Also, Calvary Chapel Fremont isnt the only church that has been assessed thousands of dollars in property tax because it hosted a CC program. These are warning signs that Topp has seen with CC for years. Well said, Maggie. My husband owns several small businesses so I KNOW what goes on the higher up you get and the more you have to jump through government hoops. As for the silenced parents there was not possibly enough information shared about the situation to really understand why the legal letter was sent to Palmer for instance. Multi-level marketing strategies are not inherently unlawful or unethical. Then again, we would not have expected to hear anyone advocating the abandonment of the Bible. Once my children began moving into the Challenge classes, our enjoyment disappeared. 69%. The commercialization of making God known.. Estimates show that corporate makes almost 75% (actual is 73.7%) of what a director makes in an F/E program (and MORE if you are just looking at Essentials). Please do not tear down this bridge between homeschool and private with such shoddy assumptions based on things in our world only being worth something when money is attached. Finding a director in most places around me is like trapping a unicorn. Two years later, she published a full account of being strong-armed by CCs threatening letter. I remember one womens tea I went to, put on by a rich lady from the Bible study. He did not. Is there any reason why Bortins statement that Some moms . Reread the section on the cleansing of the temple. We should be humble enough to address concerns and make things right. Please see the notes below on the calculations, assumptions, and figures used to come up with these estimates. Yes the material is garbage, but I transferred to a director who knew how to run the campus at least even with the learning material being what it was. I have to admit, I heard this question a couple times when I first decided to homeschool, but most people I come across dont ask it anymore. I dont regret doing it. The private company, majority-owned by the Bortins family, including founders Leigh and Robert Bortins, does not publish financial data. DIRECTOR income on Foundation students is estimated to be $9,916,000, CORPORATE income on Essentials students Application fees is estimated to be $2,875,000. Maybe the girl was well-paid. Theres nothing here to improve or change, so did you just want your pound of flesh? CC, on the other hand, collects fees and sells its curriculum to all program participants. When we discarded Gods Word, not only did we eliminate His precepts, but we also abandoned the idea that man answers to a higher authority. Now Im much more selective about how much I let outsiders interfere in our school day. (The percentage CC received varied due to discounts given families with multiple children enrolled.). Find A Community View Programs Watch Video Watch Video In a statement to The Roys Report, CC said: Classical Conversations has supported more than 37,500 Licensed Directors over the past 22+ years. CC director Annie Ferguson of Niceville, Florida, added that avoiding tax issues was a main reason that the churches, which have hosted her CC chapter, have not charged her rent. The government, Almost 11 weeks into tax season, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service continues to experience delays in processing last years tax returns. Our family has been a part of CC for nine years. . SRs receive approximately 15% of CC student registration fees, 5% of curriculum sales, and some ancillary revenue, according to former CC area representative and homeschool mother of four from Arizona, JJ Veale. Shes quit Youve quit. We must continue teaching Gods principles to our students day and night, when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up3. I would encourage reading the article carefully and looking for missing information. There is empathy in what they say and a concern for true justice to be carried out on earth because this is a very foundation of the throne and the rule of Jesus Christ on this earth. Brown then remembered information CC had sent Calvary Chapel when the church first began hosting the CC program, stating that the church now had membership with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal group which defends challenges to religious freedom. Can you confirm the tax law situation in Austin for us? CC is good and bad, but I find the good outweighs the bad imho. Classical Conversations also has sales team members that make commission on every sale. Unfortunately, yes. $145 / 55 Application Fee (first student / subsequent students) goes to corporate CC really should be investigated by various states (and maybe the Feds) for this. They are an extension of my family and make a difference in my success as a homeschooler. I am a grandmother homeschooling my 9-year-old granddaughter who has been through a lot of trauma with both parents. We dont want tuition raised. If I told a local Churches on facebook, for instance, that they risk being held liable for property taxes when hosting CC, when in fact I didnt understand the reach of my communication or the fact that tax laws are different in County X and County Y though they happen to share a border in my local vicinitycounties (for instance) should I be held liable for misinformation that potentially harms CC because I dont know the tax laws for each county and dont know that in County Y its totally fine? According to Topp and several former CC directors I interviewed, CC recruits homeschool moms by appealing to the ministry benefit of the program, rather than stating up front that local directors are starting their own businesses. John Corvino on Homosexuality 27. Good and bad. Give a gift of any amount to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive "In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches" by Kenneth Garrett. Some were tutors or directors of local programs; others served as CC area or state representatives. Would the average church member be pleased to hear their building (which presumably they helped finance) was used as part of a whole to make a corporations tens of millions? That is a different matter than a church seeking to comply with state and local laws, yet being thwarted in that. Buckland accuses CC of being deceptive and preying on unsuspecting homeschool moms. This cease-and-desist episode launched Palmer into an in-depth examination of Classical Conversations and its business model. All rights reserved. Despite this, CC continues to grow. It would be entirely appropriate for Classical Conversations Inc. to disclose the statements that tax assessors in North Carolina and in California (both linked above) have made regarding the specific issue of faith-based homeschooling groups using tax-exempt church spaces. It was a great Bible-centered way to teach them about this concept and have it as a reference when we encountered false gods in history later. In the interim, we have also succumbed to the attractive idea that man is the ultimate authority, autonomously knowing good and evil. Four days later, Palmer agreed via correspondence to stand down and not send further e-mails. She hadnt showered in two weeks and said her husband was threatening to leave them because theyd face financial ruin, owing thousands in back taxes.. On that note, we need to speak with integrity and stop describing ourselves as just a bunch of homeschool moms getting together or Moms who use CC curriculum. My CC community breathes flavor, energy, and structure into my homeschool. In addition to this, I firmly believe homeschoolers will be a significant influencing factor in the reversal of this trend. "You will not certainly die." Distort: Here's the real truth. They compares CC to programs that sell items- schemes to sell makeup or a line of books through a mom for extra cash, as if these homeschooling moms would not be homeschooling even without CC and for no financial benefit. They get harassed. When I was younger I tried to be more accommodating than I should have to a pastor that wanted our free labor and also various neighbors and relatives that wanted one thing or another. Our mission is to know God and to make Him known. My accountant asked, OK, wheres the six percent service charge youre supposed to be charging on the tuition? It turns out every director in our state had been operating outside of the law for years, she told me. Learn More Classical Christian Community You Have Questions. Merely being a ministry, a Christian organization, etc. Ive been homeschooling for 24 years. The real truth is that this mandate does not apply to the unborn. You and your child benefit from the type of comprehensive, Christian education that creates a lifelong love of learning. They communicate a clear and very selfish pragmatism, this is working for me so why is anyone else having a problem with it? They shoot the messenger as if Julie or whomever wrote up the story is evil and THE problem, because in their own eyes they are. However, both he and the company declined to answer specific questions regarding specific incidents described in this report. I would never lose hope that CC could be a force for good, she said. Realistically, I dont think it will happen. The specific group targeting CC in this situation is hard to pin down but the tactics are similar to other groups who dislike classical education. The portion of a property used by a for-profit organization at a church will jeopardize the churchs exemption on that portion, whether or not the church allows use of the property with or without a fee, Wing writes. More unethical behavior from Christians. Note from Julie Anne: Here is a personal account that was sent to me. Encouraging parents to develop the confidence to lead Christs natural classroom: the family. Several reported less than $800 profit for a years work, and one reported losses multiple years. Again, all my opinions and my calculations are indeed based on very limited data posted by CC on their site and are certainly subject to inaccuracy because of that limit though I did my best to try and most accurately represent what I believe to be good assumptions and calculations. We would expect to see laws and court decisions that fly in the face of biblical principle. Having been in CC for 8 years, tutored 2, directed FE 3 going on 4 I think Ive been through the gamut of what CCs structure and business model holds. Do we want to see CFA in a church? So does that mean that while a few are going after CC that they are going after all other groups? In the interim, we have also succumbed to the attractive idea that man is the ultimate authority, autonomously knowing good and evil. Similarly, California statewide tax assessor Margie Wing stated that whether CCs religious-based instruction aligns with a churchs mission does not guide her boards evaluation. We have benefitted from seasoned home educators pouring into us as a young family and now find satisfaction sharing our strengths and struggles with others. Through multiple contacts in the CC network, Veale later learned Arizona support reps were the poorest paid in the country. Only then, the masters graduate was embarrassed to admit, did she sit down to carefully read and research CC contracts. If tuition increased to be a fair wage to Directors and tutors, and if Directors had to pay market value to rent a facility for their business activities, the price per student would place CC out of reach of most homeschool families. CC Corporate site states that they have: Where the you and the Roys Report seem like youve simplified things, all you have really done is eroded my trust in CC by fooling me into thinking the situation isnt complex and that everyone understands our tax laws because they arent draconian after all. Parents flocked to Veale, formerly an English instructor at the university level. With this, they pull in millions in fees, CCC subscriptions, and book sales. The first three videos are designed to help you understand more about our classical model of education. Great! I was all over the place for my first six years of homeschooling. Is this what God has in mind for his church? They express zero empathy for anyone other than themselves and their immediate friends and family. Still it made me sad. Plus, more than 2,000 former CC contractors have organized a private Facebook group to raise awareness of CC policies they allege are abusive and ethically dubious. Tuition Paid for Essentials Students: 25,000 x $335 = $8,375,000 Even the casual observer will recognize that our culture is losingmore likely, has lostits basis for Truth. The purpose of education is to know God and to make Him known. The reason CC community businesses dont just convert to nonprofits is bc they cant stand the transparency/scrutiny (financial and ethical) that a true nonprofit board would bring. If I did not think this way, I would find another co-op or go back to home-based schooling through Veritas Press. CCs handout to churches posted on their website says nothing about potential tax issues this arrangement may raise. Former director Bothur said this incident suggests that CC doesnt want its directors to know the extent of tax liabilities they are taking on. After all, free speech really only applies if it conforms to cultural norms. So lets talk about it. That is not almost nothing or not much money as it is often described and justified. Another church in California received a similar tax bill in 2016. Integrity in action: Titus 2:7-8; Proverbs 11:3, Excellence in results: Philippians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31. The preferential treatment allotted to some families is damaging to the rest of the class and community. You will not certainly die. Distort: Heres the real truth. And many churches and local CC directors seem unaware of the potential danger. When Bortins granted a brief interview last fall, I challenged him about his no fines claim. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. When you homeschool with Classical Conversations, we connect you with a local community of like-minded families who not only learn together, but do life together. What makes CC Inc. different is theyre not just a curriculum seller, said Carol Topp, who has specialized in serving homeschool families and leaders for the past 16 years. I do not intend them to be presented as facts of certainty, but as logical estimates for discussion purposes. The encouragement and support from other parents is vital. Insiders such as CPA Topp, who have followed CC for years, worry that dozens, or even hundreds, of other churches may be at risk but dont realize it. Education is the responsibility of the family, with support from fellow believers. CORPORATE GROSS INCOME: $20,067,500 Justin Clardy on Love and Relationships Section 6: Emotions and Art in Public Life 29. Or is it just CC Because I mean how biased would it be to just go after CC groups? Bortins claimed his webinar statement as factual because the churches were not financially responsible for that amount, he said. Hence, we can legalize abortion, because right to life really means that biological parents have the right to responsibility-free life. $12,428,500. In my opinion his ignorance is culpable and embarrassing. My director and fellow parents are tutors are more than colleagues; theyre friends. My decision to leave was mostly due to CC no longer offering what my children needed educationally. You knew that this would cause me some tax problems . Classical Conversations, Inc. (CC) bills itself as a leading faith-based homeschool education company that enables homeschooling parents, upon being contracted as local CC directors, to make extra income while providing an important local ministry. Again, the bias dripping from this article is so much so that hopefully many people can see through it and do their own research. Homeschooled parents and children are sometimes exploited. She also lied when doing all this recruiting about how many families she had on her campus. Olivia, Much of your comment does not reflect what is in the reporting in the article above (for instance, the value of the company is not addressed here.) My theory is this: at some point in the near future, the increasingly outrageous anti-biblical and anti-constitutional incidents occurring in our country will force Christians out of their complacent woodwork and into the spotlight. When Directors ask the wrong questions, they get kicked out of groups and have their comments deleted. Several parents who posted in CC-moderated groups about a persons legal right to resell curriculum materials they own (per U.S. law) report being censored and blocked from those groups. // CC did not reply to inquiries about specific issues. I have slightly edited it for length, but it may help you understand the amount of $ floating through this company: It has been placed on my heart lately to really examine the income that is being generated in our churches. I dont believe this is the environment that you would be okay with, she texted CCs statewide leader. I am not standing here saying I am exclusively right and my thoughts are the only thoughts. And belonging to a community is a choice. Domestic members, please click the link below to access your CC Connected account! I know we all can have different things revealed to us as we spend time in His word, but I do hope that hearts are open what God may want to reveal to you. 255 Air Tool Drive Exactly, its amazing judging by the posts on this article how easily the church rolls over for Caesar. I enjoyed tutoring Essentials. 5. I cant imagine being on this journey alone, as a lone wolf. I love how CC covers aspects of homeschooling that I would not get to on my own, such as weekly science experiments and art projects, and memorizing a world history Timeline of events. CC has other ways of making money via the registration fees, licensing fees, the proprietary curricula, etc. Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Anglican, Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been increasingly used to muzzle people within evangelical churches and Christian organizations. The Classical Conversations marketing team is seeking a creative Graphic Designer that can translate concepts into clear, compelling graphics for print and digital applications to support . The final straw for Veale was seeing a woman she had recruited be mistreated by higher-ups. However, they are damaging local churches and risking local Directors plus their middle man administrators with their choice. non profit communities in the US, both in California, and then Washington state has a dummy non-profit available that all the communities work can join. I as a director have not felt exploited. CC relies on Directors being naive about business risks and willing to put in long hours for minimal pay because, hey, its serving other homeschool families. Note: directors buy the product and volunteer to lead. Most years, the majority of SRs in Arizona were expected to double their number of CC communities to receive any bonus, Veale said. I had always understood the classical method to promote learning that was appropriate to the level of maturity of the student. CC meets a need for so many who are just getting started or need some structure. After 22 years as an Air Force pilot, God poked Brian in the chest and said, You will homeschool!Within two months of his retirement, he was tutoring Challenge B with his eldest son. With insight from our Lord, check yourself.. It relies on, and takes advantage of, workers and churches to be naive and unconcerned about what and how they are being compensated while making sure they get as much as they can get. When the number of blatantly blasphemous events (laws, court decisions, and so on) reaches its climax, the content citizenry will become discontent. Were the homeschool program that helps you cultivate an inquisitive, thoughtful child through an intentional, community-based approach. Critics say thats because the company fuses spiritual language into its business dealings with contractors, creating a culture of religious obligation. Check with a lawyer. Palmer sent emails to 10 churches in the Austin area on May 18, 2016, stating in part: Some churches are not aware that these CC homeschooling communities are for-profit businesses. More wolfs in sheeps clothing and BTW pastors of the world. The director interviewed here ran her campus like a circus! What he really meant was that we should not execute criminals. About 24,500 Challenge students. Most of these directors and similar are the suckers in the middle. For a moment forget all the benefit you get from CC and just listen. Classical Conversations fulfills its mission by curating curriculum, providing services and training parents to build flourishing homeschool communities. I get paid directly by the parents and send a portion to CC. About 74,000 Foundations students (For the sake of privacy, we are not reporting the directors names with their income.). You can decide how much or how little you use. There is no compulsion that could not be avoided simply by not joining. This suppression of religious freedom is the price of citizenship (says the New Mexico Supreme Court Justice). It hurts me emotionally. Jessie Johnson, teaching pastor at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia, rejects the idea of a Christian nation. After corporate peddled ADF membership to churches to help which was completely ineffective because ADF clearly states on their website they dont help with property tax issues they belatedly posted the page you reference. We have not had any issues (with) churches getting fines or anything like that, said CEO Robert Bortins Jr. last year during a webinar for CC directors. It also dictates the way each group must be run. Thinking about it all has led me to believe it is important to take a hard look at the commercial activity and the value of that commerce being done in our churches. DIRECTOR income on Foundation students is estimated to be $2,512,500, TOTAL CORPORATE income on Foundations and Essential Students is estimated to be: $9,165,000 Believing it would be promoted to all directors, Topp agreed and delivered the content in early 2018. I truly miss the community of moms, the fellowship we had, and the early years in Foundations and Essentials. Meals were provided, children were picked up and dropped off, and we were flooded with calls, emails, and notes of encouragement from our leadership and friends. 19,000 Tutors and Directors, It is estimated, based on information provided to me, that the numbers break down as follows: Great investigative article. These moms dont even have time to school their kids because theyre too busy running a business for CC. If we can discard the standard upon which our Constitution was written, what is the next logical step? NEVER has there been any talk of this being a way to make a ton of money. However, Brown was not aware of the context in which his letter was shared on last springs webinaras Bortins used it to claim that churches being assessed taxes was a non-issue.. classical conversations homosexuality. Brown said he suspected CC knew about potential tax issues and thats why the company had this arrangement with ADF. Or you may just view them as having more opportunities to earn some hard cash. If they have to be for-profit, and flexibly non-profit, in order to best support this subversive act more power to em). I am using these for my calculations to try and be conservative and accurate. ___________________________________________________________________________________________, 2 Internal memo sent to DOJ managers in advance of LGBT Pride Month, found at, <
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