About Us
Directors
Greetings Faith Home School Tutorial Family!
Allow us to introduce ourselves, Mark and Melody Benton. With a marriage of 38 years, we have been blessed with three children and three precious granddaughters. Our journey began at Harding University in 1982, and we concluded our time there in May of 2009.
Mark dedicated 22 years to Harding Academy in Searcy, AR, serving as a Chemistry/Science teacher, Secondary Principal, and eventually as Head of School for a decade. Additionally, we worked with Dan and Tammy Dawson, to start the University Model School in Searcy, AR. Mark contributed his passion to Jackson Christian for 14 years, nine of which he spent as Head of School. Melody embarked on her career as a Kindergarten teacher in the public-school system and later directed the Early Childhood Center at Harding. She then taught at Jackson Christian for five years. For 3 years prior to becoming a director of FHST, she was involved with Faith Tutorial, working as an aide, a kindergarten tutor, and an Elementary Art tutor.
With a wealth of experience in Christian education spanning 37 years, Mark has been an active member of the National Christian Schools Association board since the fall of 2000. He is wholeheartedly committed to supporting aspiring administrators and advocating for Christian education both nationally and internationally. Melody’s passion lies in teaching children of all ages how to live a life that honors Jesus and glorifies God in everything they do. From the youngest toddlers to high school students, she leads them purposefully towards the Truth found in God’s Word.
We are genuinely excited about the opportunity to serve and love the families associated with Faith Home School Tutorial. For three decades, we have stated that the purist form of Christian Education is homeschooling.
History
In the fall semester of 2003, the founder and owner, Ramona Mitchell, launched Faith Home School Tutorial with a vision to provide quality tutoring programs for home school families in West Tennessee. After thorough prayer and planning, the Tutorial program welcomed 45 students in its inaugural year. By the second year, the program had grown to accommodate 75 students and continued to increase annually. Mitchell’s primary focus was on partnering with committed home school families seeking supplementary education.
The need for tutorial settings arose when Ramona was homeschooling her first child and, in the subsequent year, her second child. As a certified secondary teacher, she recognized the necessity for assistance in certain early childhood areas.
Furthermore, the Tutorial program expanded its curriculum to include classes in art, personal finance, keyboarding, and fostering a biblical worldview, responding to the desires of families for additional learning experiences for their children.
The Program dedicated itself to excellence in academics and instructional methods while actively seeking opportunities to offer valuable experiences to home school families. These experiences encompassed annual participation in events like the 6th to 12th-grade Middle Tennessee Regional Science and Engineering Fair, West Tennessee Color of Music competition, and Leadership University—a program by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce designed for high school juniors. Additionally, the program incorporated various other activities to enrich the academic and social development of students based on families’ preferences.
In the spring of 2023, Dr. Mark Benton and his wife, Melody, acquired FHST from Ramona Mitchell, assuming the roles of owner and director of Faith Home School Tutorial.