The latest news to rock the homeschool world is that Dr. Wiles has left Apologia. On August 14th of this year, Dr. Wiles resigned from Apologia stating that he was in disagreement with the current direction of the company. His Christian worldview and that of Davis Carmen, who currently owns Apologia, were too diverse to continue to working relationship. Dr. Wiles started Apologia and is known for his Exploring Creation science books sold the company to Davis Carmen in 2008.
News of his resignation has caused a stir among those who were faithful purchasers of the Apologia curriculum. Many are beginning to take sides on this issue or question the direction Apologia is taking on new curriculum. Those who love Apologia products want specific answers as to why Dr. Wiles felt the need to leave. However, Dr. Wiles and Davis Carmen are not speaking in specifics so drawing a conclusion is difficult.
Dr. Wiles stated on his blog:
“”I did not make this decision lightly. It involved many, many hours of prayer, deep discussions with Kathleen (my wife), lots of consultation with homeschooling leaders I respect and admire, and several discussions with my Christian role models. In the end, it truly boiled down to the fact that I cannot continue to work for a company that is opposed to many of the Christian values that I hold dear.””
However, he also stated:
“”Please don’t take this as a blanket denunciation of Apologia. Obviously, I still like a lot of their products, including the books that I wrote (surprise, surprise). I just cannot support its new direction or the vision of its new owner.””
Reading the comments on his blog will give you an idea of the stir this is causing throughout the homeschooling and Christian community. Some support his decision while others believe he is disparaging Davis Carmen’s Christian beliefs.
Dr. Wiles is in conflict with what he considers a move toward Calvinism. He also disagrees with placing a worldview in a child’s hand as opposed to developing a worldview. He believes if a child develops his own worldview than the child is more likely to adhere to it.
Davis Carmen commented on the Apologia website. He was gracious in his response and says he does not feel Dr. Wiles was purposely trying to disparage him. However, he will not speak specifically on the subject as to not cause discord among the brethren. Davis Carmen does outline his vision and who he is in the response which can be found here.
For those faithful to Apologia Science please note that all books with Dr. Wiles name had to be approved by him. The science books will continue to be sold by Apologia without revisions for the time being. This does not mean that one should stockpile Apologia books in case the science books are revised. The curriculum series “What We Believe” was central to this issue and Dr. Wiles departure.
What do you think? Do you use Apologia in your homeschool and will you continue to do so?
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