3 Christian teachers share about their work in public schools
By / Sep 21

America’s education system has been at the center of public debate for decades, if not centuries, but the nation’s current cultural and political climate has brought pressures unlike the past for many of our country’s public school teachers. From national teacher shortages to contentious school board meetings to the learning loss created by COVID-19, the challenges facing America’s teachers are immense. As a parent of three children in public schools and a friend of many public school teachers, I have witnessed these things firsthand and prayed along with friends for the realities they face.

Though numbers are hard to measure, many faithful Christians teach and lead within the public school system. While expressions of their faith are limited, the Supreme Court recently confirmed once again the religious liberty rights of teachers and school officials. As the school year is now underway, it is important to hear from Christian teachers in our public schools about their different experiences and how and why they engage in their communities through teaching. 

We have chosen to keep their names anonymous. The following are answers from “Beth,” a kindergarten teacher in her 8th year; “John,” a middle school teacher in his 20th year; and “Jason,” a high school teacher in his 15th year. Their answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. We understand experiences vary across the nation and various districts, but hope that their stories will encourage you to consider how you might support individuals like them, as well as the students they serve, in your community. 

Jill Waggoner: Why do you teach in the public school system? Why do you think it is important for believers to be in these environments?

Beth: I teach public school because they need me here. As a believer, although I can’t explicitly share about Jesus or God’s Word with my kids, I share the Spirit with them because he is with me in our classroom. I try to view them as our Father does and love them in spite of their home lives, income, personalities, beliefs, etc. 

John: It is my belief that the public school system is one of the biggest mission fields in the United States. I teach in order to impact students in a positive light to follow their dreams. The opportunity to inspire, motivate, and challenge young people is a privilege and honor. The value of believers being in these environments is evident on a daily basis. Students learn so much by simply observing their surroundings and the actions of other people. Being able to witness positive examples of respect and honor displayed to people from all walks of life is a tremendous testimony.

Jason: I grew up in the public school system, so it is all I know. I had a great experience growing up in it. I never thought about not teaching in the public system. I think it is good to have stable people who will hold you accountable. In a world where it is easy to pass blame, students need to learn to take ownership of their learning and the choices they make. I also think it is important that Christians show that there’s hope in the world. 

JW: What cultural pressures have you seen creep into the classroom since you began teaching?

Beth: I have encountered lots of different lifestyles including same-sex marriages, home cultures where drug use is considered normal, abuse situations, parents in prison/jail, and the use of language that is deemed appropriate in front of and out of the mouths of children. Recently, I have encountered my first experience with gender identity issues, as well. 

John: Pressures from the culture we live in have filtered in at an increasing rate over the years in education. Change is clearly inevitable in students and education. And with the dependence on technology becoming more mainstream, the pressures have increased in frequency the past few years. Students have constant access to opinions and beliefs from a variety of sources. This rarely allows them to experience a break from the pressures that accompany growing up. 

Jason: I think apathy is more widespread than what I remember as a teenager. There’s definitely more of a LGBTQ movement amongst teenagers. Kids talk like they have everything figured out and regurgitate what they have seen and heard on social media. Kids have more excuses made for them. Honestly, I think we have made education easier for them now, yet the students do not feel that way.

JW: How do you hope to influence your students?

Beth: More than anything, I want them to know that they are valued. They are more than the world, or maybe even their caretakers, tell them that they are. They are loved, not because of what they can offer, but loved simply because they were created by the Lover of the World, in his image. I want them to remember that at least one person thinks they are smart and capable, even when things are hard. We have certain phrases we are not allowed to say in our classroom. We don’t say: “I can’t do this,” or, “This is too hard.” We are allowed to say, “This is hard,” and, “I need help.” I’m hopeful that these principles will carry them on throughout their lives when things inevitably get hard and they need to persevere. And hopefully they will turn to their Creator for guidance. 

John: It is my hope that the students experience an inspirational leader that encourages them to influence others also. The ability to teach and then see others pay it forward is an amazing gift. The legacy left by teachers is immeasurable and has the power to affect others for many years to come.

Jason: I am a math teacher. I hope that I can show them that they can face adversity because they will face a lot of it in Algebra 2. Adversity is not necessarily a bad thing if you allow yourself to grow from it. I do not expect everyone to like me, but I do hope they feel I tried my best to educate them and help them learn to think for themselves. I want them to be overcomers and problem solvers, and stop thinking everything has to be catered for you. 

JW: What do you think are the challenges for Christians who work in the public school system?

Beth: We are definitely in the minority. We see more than data and numbers; we see souls. We don’t see an individual; we see families. We see what purposes God may have in store and simultaneously see the evil trying to interfere with those purposes. It is a battlefield in our classrooms every day. And on top of all of that, there’s a curriculum of course! 

John: A specific challenge seen is maintaining a consistent focus. In public education there are many distractions and demands that can easily move the spotlight from the main purpose of teaching children. The ability to keep the main goal as the emphasis is a gift that the best educators truly have to work at constantly. 

Jason: Again, my job is to teach math. I do not dive into social conflicts or those type of matters in my classroom. If a student asks a question about a social issue in class in a whole group setting, I deflect. If a student wants to speak one on one, I will entertain that some, but my job is to teach. I do pray with my teams that I coach. It is easy for one’s words to be used out of context, so I never want to be the topic of a social media post. There’s always this fear that I could shed a negative light on my wonderful Savior. I think one thing that has changed in my new district where I have been for over two years is that I now have more co-workers that are not Christian or “religious.” I think that has shaken me more.

One memory I have where I did feel that my beliefs were being challenged was when there was an email sent to the whole school asking if we wanted “Safe Space” stickers with the pride flag on it. I felt it would single out the teachers that did not want to condone homosexuality, but still wanted to be a trustworthy person for students who want to talk in times of difficulty. It has not been an issue that my door does not have the safe space sticker on it, and I did have to have some conversations with people around my school about it. 

JW: How regularly do you interact with students who are struggling with issues of sexuality and gender identity?

Beth: Gender identity has not been as prevalent for me (as a kindergarten teacher). However, I do have students who already show signs of sexuality issues, especially in terms of already being “over-sexualized.” 

John: Interactions relating to these issues in the public education system are quite often. The frequency of these struggles that students experience often fluctuates, but I have seen an increase over the past few years.

Jason: My first two years in this new district, I have averaged about a student per class that was transgender. I try to use wisdom in how I handle each of these situations. 

JW: How can Christians pray for public school teachers? How can we be involved in our communities’ schools?

Beth: Pray for our minds and hearts to stay focused on the “big picture.” Pray that the Holy Spirit stays ever near us throughout our days. There is a lot thrown at us from all directions, and it’s easy to get “jaded” and to see these children as products of their parents and environments, rather than those made in God’s image. You can become involved by volunteering time to work in the copy rooms and such, bring in goodies for teachers, and ask if your local school needs food for weekend bags that are sent home. 

John: Volunteering in a variety of ways is meaningful to both students and educators. Additionally, collaborating with leaders in the community to create volunteer ideas to support students is a growing need in education. Educators are grateful for the support from volunteers, and simple commitments can reap great rewards for the students.

Jason: Pray for strength. There is already pressure to try to hit education standards that districts and governments set. Now these social issues bring a whole wave of things. Sometimes you can feel like you are walking on eggshells. Pray that we continue to see these students, parents, and co-workers as God sees them and understand that we are placed in this space for a reason. Pray that we make the most of the opportunity to represent Jesus. 

Teachers love food. Churches can volunteer in and around the school as much is allowed. Be at events. Amazon gift cards, care packages, or something that a teacher can use to buy more school supplies help so much. Morale is often low, so personally, even a nice note can go a long way, especially if it is from a student. 

JW: Is there anything else you’d like to add or say to our readers?

Beth: Just continue to pray, pray, pray. We are on the front lines, quite literally, and it is hard and draining. But don’t just pray for us while we’re at school. I ask that you pray for all aspects of our lives because so many of us are leaving here and going home to our families, sometimes with what we feel is not much left to give. Pray for our days to be extended and that grace fill our homes. And thank you, God’s people, for your willingness to do so. We feel each and every prayer! 

Jason: I often tell people that one of the biggest differences that I notice from when I was in school, nearly 20 years ago, is perspective. The only world I knew was my high school and maybe the city that was nearby. Students today are exposed to a much bigger world now from the time they wake up till they go to bed. They are still teenagers—kids that are looking for something to cling to and for someone to pour into them. 

We, as Christians, still have the opportunity to be a light for these kids. We cannot expect them to just show up or to come to us like they did 20 years ago. You have to be intentional and sincere with them. I know there are extremes on social media that have people thinking schools are the worst place right now, but I do not see those extremes where I have worked (though there are some teachers that share their beliefs on social issues). I still see high school as an opportunity to have an influence on the future. It is a bit tougher than when I started, but it is awesome when you have a breakthrough. I am still seeing where positive influencers are making a difference in the classroom and sport fields.

How parents can engage local public schools
By / Sep 19

Should parents be able to dictate what schools teach their children? Should schools be able to hide information about a student from their parents? What rights and responsibilities do parents have when it comes to engaging the public schools in their area? These are not new questions for Christian parents, but the frequency with which they are being asked seems to have grown significantly in recent years.

Three years ago, our family moved to a new ministry assignment in a familiar location. We moved to my wife’s hometown to work at our alma mater, but nearly 20 years had passed since either one of us had lived there. We weren’t the same people moving back either. When we left, we both had just earned college degrees and had not yet married. When we arrived back two decades later, we had married, lived in two other states, and had four children—all of whom were about to enroll in a different school for the first time. What lay before us was the monumental responsibility of choosing what the next stage of our children’s education would look like.

We are not alone in making these types of decisions. And our choice to enroll our children in the local public school system (a first for us) did not come without some fear in light of the unknown. For us the decision has been a good one. Our children have benefited from excellent academic and extracurricular opportunities. In addition, they have learned what it looks like to live out their faith in a environment that is not exclusively Christian. Even with these benefits, the most important part of our decision is that it came with intentional choices on our part to be involved parents.

So how should we exercise our rights as parents and engage our local school systems without burning bridges to these core institutions in our communities? Let me share a few lessons we have learned in the last three years as we have engaged a new school system.

Get to know your school’s leaders. When we moved back to my wife’s hometown, there was a sense that we would know everyone. In fact, our kids constantly rolled their eyes as we would walk into the grocery store or a local restaurant and run into people that we knew from college or that my wife knew from growing up. But we also quickly realized that so much had changed. From the beginning, we made an effort to get to know leaders at every level of our schools. I had a phone call with the varsity girls’ soccer coach within days of moving here. We went to “meet the teacher” events. We eventually got to know the administrators at the various schools in town and even built relationships with some of the school board members. Today, if I had a concern with something at one of our schools, there is a teacher, a principal, a coach, or a school board member that I can call because I have a relationship with them.

Ask questions. This can happen at any level of the school system. I’ve asked questions of teachers, coaches, office personnel, principals, and school board members. Sometimes I get responses right away. Sometimes they say they need to get back with me. Because I have built relationships with them (see #1), I am confident they will reply with honest answers. These relationships mean that I have built a trust with them and they with me, so that these questions are received in good faith, not as hostile or accusatory, but aimed at what is best for my children.

Be constructive in your criticism. At the beginning of this semester one of our children brought home a form to be signed that listed potential books that would be read in class for the year. In reviewing the list with my wife, we came to the conclusion that a couple were not our preference, but one was certainly problematic. Rather than firing off a critical email to the teacher and talking about how this teacher could be corrupting the children in the classroom, my wife sent an email expressing our concern with the book in question and offering a few alternative options for our child that could stand in place of that particular book. The next day she received a kind response explaining that the teacher had decided not to assign that book to the class and that they would be reading something else that did not undermine our convictions. The teacher even thanked my wife for expressing her concern.

Stand up for your children. The previous three lessons all point to this one as the culmination. Building relationships, asking questions, and constructive criticism all serve the purpose of standing up for your children. There is a time and place for various actions to meet this goal. This can mean making a public statement in a school board meeting. It could involve scheduling a meeting with a teacher. It could even reach the point of changing the educational option for your children. At the end of the day, these are your children whom God has entrusted into your care.

As we are experiencing with a senior in high school this year, we only have our children under our roof for a limited time before we launch them out as arrows into the world (Psalm 127:4). What they likely encounter in their schools and our neighborhoods and what they will face in the world requires that we diligently and prayerfully disciple and equip them with a biblical worldview to the best of our ability. We owe it to them and to our communities, and ultimately to the Lord, to engage the process of their education. And we can do so in such a way that prepares them for a life of worship — loving God and loving our neighbors — and demonstrates a healthy and biblical civic engagement at the same time.

What school option will you choose for your child?
By / Aug 3

The countdown to a new school year has begun. Summer has flown by, as it usually does, and families everywhere are preparing to get back to the routine that the start of classes brings. But not everyone will go to the same kind of school. Many of us in our country are blessed with choices regarding how we will educate our children. And many school choices have turned upside down after COVID-19. According to the Census Bureau, during the pandemic, nearly 93% of families with school-aged children reported some level of “distance-learning” from home. This, in conjunction with a more progressive push in public education, has led Christian parents, in particular, to weigh the best options for their family. But what measure will help us determine the best school option for our children?

A rubric for families

In education, teachers use rubrics as scoring tools to measure student performance based on established criteria. Students are expected to meet certain goals in order to achieve mastery of a particular skill or standard. A score is given based on how the student met or failed to meet the expectations of the assignment. What if there was a rubric for families to use to gauge school options for their children? What standards would they use to measure those options? To design such a rubric, there are some essential questions parents should ask in order to guide their thinking.

What is the cultural climate of our school district? No two school districts are the same. Some schools are in districts that lean more progressive, while other schools are in districts that lean more conservative. This is important to understand, because many of the decisions that are made about school policy, curriculum, and instructional practice arise from the political and cultural climate of school districts. Administrators in each individual school also have choices regarding what is emphasized each year. Families must ask, “What is the climate of our school district, and can we navigate its waters as we send our children to its schools?” 

What are our current family dynamics? Family dynamics place a large role in education choice. Some parents may have the time and resources to educate their children at home. Other families see benefits from sending their kids to the local public school. Or, a family may prefer the environment and curriculum that a private education offers. The family’s schedule, taken as a whole from its various members, should also be considered. Whether it’s marital status, budget, health, or some other factor, what is feasible and preferred varies from one family to another. 

Families require flexibility as children grow and needs change. And along with that, every family is unique with various strengths and challenges. Parents will have to decide what educational option fits them best for right now considering their current family structure, demands, and resources. 

How involved are we in our local church? There is no substitute for the local church. School, travel ball, scouts, homeschool co-ops, and other subgroups should not replace the fellowship families have with other believers in their home church. Before families seek out the best schooling option for their children, they must first seek out a local church that is gospel-centered, proclaims the Word soundly and emphasizes obedience to its commands and ideally has a strong discipleship focus that applies to various ages. Find a church. Get involved by committing to weekly attendance, service, and fellowship. There is no school option that can or should replace the local church.

A simple rubric like this can assist parents as they are trying to decide what school option is best for their kids. Essentially, families should ask, “What are non-negotiables for us? What are the non-essentials? What are our goals for our children? Will this help us disciple them in that direction?” 

3 action steps

As parents evaluate the above questions, it can still be intimidating to make a choice. Here are a few action steps to help you along the way: 

Pray for wisdom. Seek the Lord’s will as parents who desire to please him with the kids he has entrusted to you. Our children belong to Jesus first and foremost. Trust him, and let him guide you as you prayerfully consider how he is guiding you. Pray for your kids before they enter school age, while they are in school, and after graduation. We are all in formation throughout our lives and need the Lord’s grace to shape and sustain us.

Get equipped. Whatever choice you make for your children’s education, continue to be involved in their learning. If you choose to homeschool, you will have a front row seat in your children’s school as both a teacher and as a parent. Look for other homeschool families to come alongside you on the journey, and find resources to support your role as a homeschool parent. If you choose to send your child to public school, ask about opportunities to volunteer,  join the school’s parent organization, or attend your school district’s committee meetings. Invite their school friends to your home and get to know their families, as well.

Get equipped in knowing your kids in whatever school context they face. Check their homework, ask about their lessons, and look for natural opportunities to extend their learning with a biblical worldview. Lastly, read or watch the news in small measures. Get informed and seek to understand the culture in which we live and in which our kids live on campus every day. Strive to eat most of your meals together around the dinner table weekly and engage your kids in thoughtful discussions asking about their day, their interests, their friends, etc. Look for ways to have conversations about current events and issues and how God’s Word addresses them. 

Keep an open-hands mentality.  I used to homeschool my oldest two kids, but now all of my kids go to the school where I teach. Even though my methods have changed as a parent, my convictions have not. My husband and I still have the same goals and aspirations now as we did when our children were younger. For now, the Lord has led our family in a different direction, and he may lead us elsewhere in the months and years to come. Be open to how the Lord may lead your family in educating your children year by year.

The fact of the matter is there is no perfect school option. Every system is broken, and until Jesus returns, no matter what educational choice we make, we will be disappointed along the way. We can have confidence that God, in his grace, will use various people and methods to accomplish his purpose for us (Acts 17:26, CSB). In wisdom, choose the option that fits you and your family best, as the Lord leads. Turn off social media and all the voices clamoring for our attention and allegiance. There is one choice to be made, really. Choose to follow and serve Christ in whatever place you find yourself. Let Deuteronomy 6:4-7 be your family decree: 

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Keep the conversation going and the relationship with your children strong as you continually point them to Jesus. If you are homeschoolers, private schoolers, public schoolers, or somewhere in between, the most important education we can give our children is teaching them who our God is and living a life following him as our King. In the kitchen, at the ball field, during homework, in the car, or in the yard, we will teach our children to love the LORD with all that they are. There is no better choice than this.

Explainer: What is Carson v. Makin about?
By / Dec 8

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Carson v. Makin, a key religious liberty case before the court this term. Here’s what you need to know about this case:

What is the case about?

This case arises out of the unique way that Maine provides free education to its 180,000 students. Every child in the United States is entitled to a free public education. In Maine, there are rural areas where students don’t have easy access to a public school. Given that limitation, some of the school districts allow parents to choose a private school in the area to teach their children. 

In order for a school to be able to participate in this program — and receive government funding — the private school must meet the state’s minimum requirements, and it must be “nonsectarian.” Functionally, this excludes a private religious school from participating in Maine’s public education program, because any school that provides religious instruction is considered “sectarian.”

In this case, three families sent their children to private schools that are accredited but do not meet the nonsectarian requirement because they are religiously affiliated. The schools aren’t approved by the State of Maine, and the families did not qualify for tuition assistance. They filed a lawsuit stating that Maine’s nonsectarian requirement violates the Constitution.

This case is a follow-up from Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer and Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which both dealt with the question of whether states can exclude organizations and schools from receiving public benefits simply because they are religious. Each case was decided favorably for religious liberty.

Why is this case important?

In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court held, “A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious” 140 S. Ct. 2246, 2261 (2020).

The Carson case is important because it would close a loophole the First Circuit opened when upholding Maine’s exclusion of “sectarian” schools from its public education system. As the brief ERLC joined on petition for certiorari explains:

Nor can a state justify discrimination against religious schools with the ploy that the First Circuit permitted here: labeling its benefit as a “substitute” for, or “rough equivalent” of, a free “secular public education,” and then arguing that such an education must be secular, so religious schools can be excluded. That result and rationale conflict with this Court’s ruling in Espinoza and would allow easy evasion of Espinoza in the context of many government benefits. This Court must reject that rationale before other states attempt to capitalize on it.

Maine had argued that it was not excluding religious schools from participating in a public education program because the public benefit offered was for a secular education. It is easy to see how states would be able to continue excluding religious organizations from public benefits simply by redefining the nature of the benefit offered.

How has the ERLC been involved?

The ERLC was involved with briefs at the petition for certiorari stage and when the case was before the Supreme Court on the merits.

The brief the ERLC joined on the merits argues that Maine’s public education system, especially in light of how Maine defended its system in the courts, does not merely exclude religious schools — it discriminates against them. The brief goes on to argue that the Supreme Court should adopt a per se rule against religious discrimination. In other words, where a state discriminates against religion, courts should immediately strike down the law rather than applying any kind of balancing test with state interests.

What’s next for this case?

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on Dec. 8, 2021. The court will release its opinion later this term, likely in May or June of 2022. ERLC will continue to cover future developments on this case at ERLC.com.

The ERLC will always protect religious liberty before Congress, the courts, and in the public square. 

For Further Reading:

3 opportunities public education offers to Christian families
By / Oct 20

Choosing a school for your children can be one of the most difficult decisions that a parent makes. Our family’s choice was complicated by our kids’ particular needs. My wife Megan and I are deliberate people, and after taking some time to consider our options, we sent our oldest daughter, Rachael, to a two-day-per-week kindergarten at a classical school, one that we knew would emphasize reading old books, choral music, and learning ancient languages like Latin and Greek. The school was a great fit for her; she seemed to thrive.

But that same year, our second-born, Lucy, began her academic journey at a half-day Head Start program. Lucy had been diagnosed with what would now be classified as level 3 Autism. Her language, social, and self-care skills were already behind her 3-year-old peers, and she needed the behavioral, speech, and occupational support that our local public school system could provide. 

Choosing two different schools seemed like a wise decision at first. The two schools felt like just the right fit for our two daughters. But living in two different educational worlds at once was more difficult than we anticipated. Not only were our girls’ weekly schedules radically different, but the school calendars — the holidays, as well as the start and end dates for the two school systems — just didn’t mesh. Lucy also had daily therapy sessions after school in our home. Even if one child was on a break, another still had something going on. We felt like we were always on the go. In many ways, that was our first rodeo as parents, and Megan and I were exhausted trying to manage it. 

So, as the summer drew near, we pulled both girls out of their schools, went to Disney World with my in-laws (we found that restful!), and began a process of making certain that both girls would have the same school schedule the following fall. Our Lucy needed the public school system’s support for children with disabilities. So in order to unite our family around a shared routine (and actually enjoy family vacations!), we put both girls in public education.

A battle for minds and affections

Choosing public school is not a decision that any Christian parent should come to blindly. Megan and I sat down with a friend and advisor who walked us through a process of identifying our values, ranking them, and then finally making the decision. 

One thing that made the decision so hard is the reality that public education isn’t designed to reinforce Christian values. As James K. A. Smith has chronicled in his book Desiring the Kingdom, the rhythms of the public school and university campus are aimed instead at forming the next generation to value and worship competition, radical self-expression, and economic success.

And it’s not only that the secular worldview heralded in the public school curriculum seeks to regularly undercut a Christian worldview. Whether your kids attend a Christian school or a public one, the passion and regular rhythms of middle and high school extracurriculars —whether it’s athletics, academics, or the arts — will compete for your kids’ affections. 

Smith quotes Duke Divinity school professor Stanley Hauerwas’s striking observation that “Friday night high school football is the most significant liturgical event in Texas.” Now don’t get me wrong. I stand up and cheer for each touchdown pass as loudly as the next man (okay, maybe louder). Football, along with other sports, is a gracious gift from God, but that doesn’t mean Smith and Hauerwas are wrong when they see games and competitions as acts of worship that can compete with the faith. 

What makes this even harder in the public school context is that most public schools no longer take church activities into account. Gone are the days when sports and activities take a midweek pause so that students can be involved at their church on Wednesday evening. And when the band competition ends late on Saturday night, it’s hard to get up for church on Sunday morning. 

Why let Caesar educate your kids?

We know that young people are susceptible to the influence of their peers and cultural environment. So, if the public school environment is so hostile to Christian belief, why would any parent choose it? Why let Caesar educate your kids?

The truth is that without some vision for what it will take to navigate public school culture as a Christian, it’s unwise to make that choice. Ultimately, I believe that a Christian’s school choice is a Romans 14 matter — an issue of Christian freedom that will be worked out as each mom and dad weighs the options in light of their individual consciences. There are great reasons to choose a Christian school environment instead, but I believe there are also some opportunities that public education uniquely offers to Christian families. Here are three:

1. In public school, students typically experience greater diversity. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, many conservative white churches became bastions for segregationist opposition. Especially in the South, a number of private schools were founded by people who were committed to segregation and opposed to any possibility of interracial romance. As Michael Aitcheson observed on The Gospel Coalition’s As In Heaven podcast, “My grandmother in Orlando, Florida, remembers integration happening and our first private school was founded ‘six hours later.’”

Though they began as “segregation academies,” many of these schools have turned from their segregationist practices, and there are even efforts within Christian education to prioritize greater diversity. But on the whole, public education remains much more diverse than private education, and this presents lots of little opportunities for Christian kids to learn how to respect cultural differences and engage peers who differ with friendly curiosity rather than suspicion.

Public school exposes our children to ethnic and racial diversity, socioeconomic diversity, religious diversity, and ability diversity. It’s good to hear in a sermon about how we should honor the dignity of every human person made in God’s image. But the student in public school also gets the opportunity to practice showing honor when splitting a pizza with her Hindu friends. 

2. In public school, kids encounter pressing issues before they leave home. Christian kids who attend a public high school today are going to hear a Christian account of creation questioned in science class. And that Christian student probably knows at least one person in their classes who identifies as lesbian, gay, or transgender. Theologian Michael Krueger observes that too often Christian parents think their kids are best served by being sheltered and protected from any discussion or exposure to such non-Christian thinking. But it shouldn’t be that way!

It’s good to help your child wrestle with how, for example, to square what the Bible teaches about gender with the empathy she feels for a friend who experiences gender dysphoria. We need to give young people the basic biblical categories and tools they need to deal with non-Chrisitan belief while they’re still living under our roof. 

And just as it’s good for us to repent and ask for our children’s forgiveness when we lose our temper with them, it’s also good for parents to admit to their kids when they don’t know how to answer challenges to the Christian faith. When we’re honest about what we don’t know, kids will learn what it looks like to suspend judgement, do some research (pick up a book; ask a pastor), and think through how to give a reasonable defense for the faith. 

3. In public school, Christian students have the opportunity to be a witness. Some Christians ask, “Why put your children on a school bus to Babylon? Here’s the reality: No matter how much you’ve sheltered your child, they’re still living in Babylon. The question is whether they’re merely assimilating or living as bold exiles. 

On the one hand, it’s essential for students to have a Christian community beyond their nuclear families. Every Christian needs to know that he’s not alone. That’s one reason I’m so grateful for our church youth group that includes kids who are in public, private, and home school. 

But if a young person is only around people who share his beliefs and, as a result, his faith is never tested during his growing up years, that youth may trade cultural conformity in a Christian environment for a more dangerous cultural conformity in his college dorm. 

The public school environment certainly tests a young person’s faith. But when that faith is tested, there’s also an opportunity to see its true mettle. The student who chooses to dress modestly, not to participate in an event on Sunday, or share how her views of social justice involve convictions about hell and final judgment will be seen as socially awkward — perhaps even weird. She’s also a witness. 

The biggest reason we chose public school in the first place was for the specialized care it provided for our daughter Lucy. Staying in public education has meant greater intentionality about teaching and modeling a biblical worldview to our daughters at home. 

At the end of the day, a family’s educational choice for their kids is just one factor in a child’s formative years. In his book Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp warns against the danger of evaluating your parenting by your child’s educational success. He wrote, “Unfortunately, scores of disillusioned and broken people are thoroughly educated. It is possible to be well-educated and still not understand life.” For the Christian parents who help their students learn to celebrate other image-bearers, work through doubt, and stand for Christ even when it seems strange, public school can be a pathway toward gaining a heart of wisdom.

Obama administration issues sweeping transgender decree: What now?
By / May 13

Today, The Obama administration is sending a letter to every public school district in the United States instructing them, by decree, that students who self-identify as a member of the opposite sex ought to have unrestrained access to restrooms (and locker rooms) that align with their gender identity. The decree also has implications for other sex-differentiated activities such as sports.

While the decree does not have the force of law behind it, the implications are very clear: Conform to newfound government transgender policy, or risk lawsuits and federal funding.

I wrote previously on April 29 about how America was being primed for the inevitability of the moment we’re now in. Who would have thought, then, that less than fifteen days later my article would be out-of-date? But it is. In that article, I mentioned then how the federal government’s involvement in public education, mostly through funding, is going to slowly transform public education in accordance with the values of the Sexual Revolution given the current trajectory. And so here we are. It shouldn’t be surprising that the Obama administration has issued this ruling, but the pace and aggressiveness at which is was issued is nothing short of stunning. The government is implementing a systematic top-down push to mainstream transgender ideology by circumventing democracy.

How might we consider what has happened?

Let us be clear in calling this what it is: A lawless power-grab. Without congressional authority, President Obama is taking a deceptive approach to policy-making by bypassing congress. Relying on lawless reinterpretations of Title IX, the Obama administration, along with its Education and Justice Departments, is bringing the transgender revolution to every school in the United States without regard to local values or parental authority. If your child is in public school, there is now no way to insulate yourselves or your children from this ideology.

The nature of this action is problematic for its overt affront to representative democracy. When decrees are issued without consent, not only do citizens lose, but the system of government we were designed to have loses, too. When elected officials take it upon themselves to make law, rather than pass law, it breeds an indifference among citizens—a sense of powerlessness, disenfranchisement, and the discomfort from seeing power denied and the system rigged from elites colluding with bureaucrats. Citizens find themselves asking, “How are we to respond if the President just makes laws as he sees them?” Sadly, this sentiment has justification. Such actions will only result in further entrenchment and cynicism. This is yet additional proof that schools and parents are governed by a cultural elite that views any wave of dissent as unacceptable. What a pitiable state our politics is in. Let us also reject the media stereotype that it is evangelicals or conservatives that are the catalysts of the culture war. This administration has been avid culture warriors from the start.

What must happen now?

First, schools should refuse to comply with the federal government’s overreach. This decree isn’t a law, and the threat of penalty doesn’t ensure a penalty. Brave districts, superintendents, and principals should refuse to implement these new set of policies.

Second, citizens should contact their elected representatives to register their dissatisfaction. In the face of such egregious overreach, it is advisable that the House of Representatives and Senate file a lawsuit against the Obama administration on the grounds that its lacks the authority to decree such sweeping, radical policies.

Third, citizens need to take their frustration to the ballot box. Whatever that may mean in the coming election, it remains incumbent upon citizens to elect officials that enact commonsense policy based on biblical values that uphold the distinction between men and women. Privacy and safety are stake, not political correctness.

Fourth, state legislatures should pass laws that counteract this decree. These laws should regulate restroom usage on biological sex and not amorphously-defined “gender identity.” Governors should tell their education officials not to implement these policies, either. In a word, state governments should just say no. This will require an act of courage and a determination to stare down the critics. So be it.

Fifth, we should see that actions like this invite God’s judgment on our land—as any rejection of Christ’s Lordship does. Attempting to live beyond our nature denies God’s sovereignty and, in the long, can’t live up to its promises of emancipation and self-will. God made men and women complementary and when these truths of our nature are exchanged, rejected, or blurred, a sort of anti-creation is occurring. Romans teaches us that disavowing creation is its own form of judgment. A nation cannot suppress the creational laws of God and expect to prosper in the long-term.

Sixth, Christians should take stock of the cultural moment. With parents busy being employees, spouses, and parents, it is easy to overlook the ways that children are being morally instructed and habituated in local schools. Parents should take active roles in discovering what their children are learning and combatting errors where necessary. Christian parents will also need to pay closer attention to ways in which government works to enforce moral norms. Christian parents: Catechize your children or the public school will do it for you.

Seventh, Christian parents need to evaluate what this means for them and their children. They need to establish a tipping point. This may be the most important response to consider. What actions taken by your local school will be sufficient for you to re-evaluate public education? Is having a teacher reprimand your child for his or her belief about marriage, sex, and gender acceptable? Will you allow them to be in schools where bathroom policies are based on gender identity rather than biological sex? Are you uncomfortable with a biological male having access to the restroom and locker room that your daughter uses? Not establishing a tipping point could leave your child over-exposed to environments they shouldn’t be in. Not thinking about a tipping point is irresponsible and will communicate carelessness about a child’s education and Christian formation. It is advisable that spouses have a candid conversation and establish a line in the sand.

Above all, let us remember that this debate isn’t about transgender men or women using the restroom of their choice. Instead, the restroom wars are merely a proxy debate for a larger conflict about what it means to be male and female. As Christians, we’re told God created us in His image. God made men and women as equal, but distinct. These distinctions are beautiful, good and a testament to God’s wisdom in creation. Rewriting laws to conform to the spirit of the age cannot rewrite the laws of nature and nature’s God (Psalm 24:1).

At the very beginning of the Christian Scriptures, we’re presented with a story of creation. The pinnacle of creation is God’s creation of men and women. God didn’t make us automatons. He didn’t make us asexual monads. He made us gendered, embodied, and different. Those differences extend to all levels of our being—our emotional, physical, and psychological selves—and this is intentional and good. Unfortunately, Christians now find themselves on the other side of an administration determined to bring every last measure of the sexual revolution to fruition.

5 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Public School
By / Nov 13

As novice parents in our mid-twenties, my husband, Scott, and I initially spent a significant amount of time thinking, researching and praying over the educational options available to us as our firstborn, Ethan, approached his elementary years in the late 1990’s. I recall with stunning clarity the sense of gravity I felt over this decision, as if one instructional choice prior to kindergarten would forever alter the person he would become.

While wrestling with the school possibilities—private, home, public—we were simultaneously being drawn toward adoption as a means of enlarging our family. The pursuit of two international adoptions within four years of Ethan starting elementary school required much financial wisdom and creativity on our part. It was through this commingling of substantial family decisions that we felt assured in our choice to place Ethan, and subsequently our daughters, in the public education system—embracing this direction as an intentional family affair, not simply a default option.

In 2013, Ethan graduated from our local public high school, and his sisters are now attending the affiliated middle school. In the years since our children became a part of this school system, we have undoubtedly been blessed by a quality school district which is comprised of committed, caring educators who value parental involvement and input.  We have likewise learned several noteworthy lessons about navigating our way as a Christian family through the environment of today’s public education.  

1. Do Your Homework

Research your child’s school district. Effectively navigating public education requires an awareness and understanding of the realities and traits unique to your particular school system and its governing leadership. Start by reading about the school online. Talk with other parents in your community to learn about their experiences within your particular district. Most schools will also offer some variation of school tours or open houses for new or transfer students. It is important to remember that what is true for a school in one community may not be so in a neighboring town. Similarly, use caution when making generalizations about public education based upon a media report focused on an isolated incident or a school not your own.

Some helpful questions to consider as you explore your local public school include the following:  

  • Who are the school board members and the superintendent?

  • Does the school have an educational philosophy or mission?

  • What curriculum is being used for your child’s grade level?

  • For middle and high school, is the health curriculum abstinence based or comprehensive sex education (and if the latter, will the school allow parental opt-out for controversial topics)?

  • Is parent involvement welcomed or discouraged?

  • In addition to academic, athletic and social opportunities, do the students have access to extra-curricular faith-based initiatives such as FCA, Campus Life, Young Life or student-led bible studies?

  • What are some of the school’s strengths, and what are the most significant challenges the school faces?

2. Build Bridges, Not Walls

Communicate well and respectfully with the adults who will be a regular part of your child’s day. Learn the names of office staff, teachers’ assistants, bus drivers, librarians and cafeteria workers, and express appreciation as often and creatively as possible: send notes, bake cookies, leave small packages of candy in their in-boxes, or organize a staff appreciation luncheon with other parents. Be proactive in connecting with your child’s teacher(s) early in the year to learn how you can support him or her in the classroom and to share any specifics about your child you feel the teacher should know. When you observe a teacher or staff member going the extra mile, you go the extra mile as well; send an email of commendation to the individual with a carbon copy to the appropriate supervisor. Encouraging, friendly interactions will build a foundation of trust so that if you do have a legitimate concern to share, it will likely be heard with more receptivity.

3. Get Involved

When the school asks for help, JUMP IN if you’re able! Whether you coordinate a class party, chaperone a field trip, volunteer at a fall festival, work a shift for the band concert, attend a PTO meeting, plan games for track and field day, or bake goodies for the golf team, you will be making a purposeful effort to connect, building meaningful relationships. Meaningful relationships can lead to gospel opportunities.

4. Train Your Children Well At Home

Regardless of educational choice, all Christian parents are called to homeschool (Deut. 6:7).  Scripture is clear that parents are to be the primary disciple-makers in the lives of their children. This means instructing children from their earliest days about our sin nature, as well as the nature and character of God and what He has done in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We must deliberately cultivate a Christian worldview and equip our children to identify, filter and respond to lessons that are contrary to our biblical convictions as we guide them toward maturity.

5. Advocate Directly and Respectfully

When a difficult situation arises, begin with your child’s teacher. Sometimes a quick email to ask a clarifying question is helpful, but be prepared to make an appointment. While email is fast and easy, face-to-face communication allows more personal interaction with less opportunity for misunderstanding. Be polite and tactful. Document everything: what has occurred to cause concern and any further actions, meetings, or contact about the matter. If a suitable solution cannot be reached with your child’s teacher, request to meet with the guidance counselor or the principal.

Throughout the years, God has continually reminded us of both His sovereignty and His purposes for our family to remain in public school. Countless stories have been shared around the dinner table about the blessings, friendships, Divine appointments, and how the Lord is working through challenges in the hallways of a public school. The same God who “gave Daniel favor and compassion” (Dan. 1:9) in Babylon, a culture set against the precepts of God, is just as able to guard today our children whom we entrust to Him amidst a rapidly shifting culture.