Why We Public School: A Christian Perspective

I couldn’t be a Christian parent in 2020 without being a part of the eternal discussion of how to school our children. Many of our believing friends home school or private school, and with COVID, many more are opting out of public education for many valid reasons. As a public school teacher and believer, I thought I had heard all of the sides of the debate in their entirety until recently when a well-known Christian organization published a post in favor of Protestant schools over all others, especially public school. The contents of the post were moralistic in nature, focusing on purely behavioral and marital statistics rather than the gospel, but as I read it, I realized that many in the home school or private school world may not understand WHY my family and many others choose to attend public school.

This post I read asserted that Christian parents put their kids in public school to be missionaries-a choice that often ends up corrupting them morally. Now, there are many reasons we public school, but I can truly say it has very little to do with missions. The following are some of the ACTUAL reasons we have chosen this route:

1. This is where we are called to be. I have been mentoring and working with kids since I was 17 years-old. I loved college, but when I entered the public school for my student teaching, I knew it was where I was meant to be. I have taught everything from severely emotionally disturbed students to honors level and everything in between and have loved every minute of it. Yes, I have encountered a myriad of challenges along the way, but I have no doubt in my mind that God wants me to serve and be in community with all of the diverse people a public school serves, and we believe he wants our children there as well.
2. Sin is original. While we teach our children the faith, take them to church, pray with and for them, we know that ” . . .sin came into the world through one man” (Romans 5:12) and ” . . . all have sinned a fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). I don’t believe our theology is wrong in interpreting this ALL to mean not only those in public school, but in private schools, home school coops and sports teams as well. We do not believe that sending them to public schools is “throwing them to the wolves” as some may say, but empowering them to rely on us, the Lord and their Christian community (some in the public school itself) to help them live wisely in a diverse and challenging world.
3. Public school offers the most diversity. At first glance, a community can seem fairly homogeneous, but a public school soon reveals how diverse it really is. This experience allows kids to meet people from different races, creeds, family structures, ability levels and orientations more than any other. As a teacher, my exposure to the diversity of the students I teach has enriched my life. I have a greater appreciation for all of God’s creation and the ways he is working in different groups within my community. For my children, the blessing of getting to know others from different backgrounds helps them empathize with and appreciate those who grew up differently than they did, some of whom are fellow believers we would never meet anywhere else. A significant portion of our population are being raised by single, divorced, LGBT parents, grandparents or other family members, foster families, and even group homes. Besides the cultural and socioeconomic diversity represented, much of the special education in our society is only present in public schools.  Relationships with these valuable populations is paramount in teaching my children to appreciate all of God’s creation. Our prayer is that getting to know these students from a variety of backgrounds will help them appreciate rather than fear all of God’s creation and truly “bare one another’s burdens” as members of the community as well as the broader Christian community, which is always more diverse than we think. In our church, we pray “your kingdom come” every week. When we get to Heaven, we will be worshiping with a diverse crowd of brothers and sisters from every “tribe and tongue” who have had a myriad of backgrounds. So, why wait until Heaven? Why not start now?
4. Public school blesses my family. Our city has many wonderful teachers. The teachers my children have had throughout elementary school are skilled, fun, and compassionate. They have truly made learning a blessing. My prayer is that my kids bless them, and the other students as well, by actively learning, helping others and being leaders in their classrooms. When they graduate, my kids will be well-educated and better people because of the influence of the public teachers in their lives.

There is no doubt a doubt in my mind that Christians and many others will be debating the best schooling options until Christ’s return. Our family has many friends who haven’t chosen public schools. As a part of the Christian family, we fully appreciate the many valid reasons people have for choosing different schooling options, but we have no doubt that public school is where we are meant to be.