Public, Home School, or Christian School?

Where should my kids go to school? As parents, you need to answer this question if and when you have kids. What will you do? How will you process?

Possible factors that could drive your thinking about this:

1. What worked for you when you were a kid
2. Big fears about __________
3. What other families whom you respect are doing
4. Convenience
5. Specific needs of your child
6. Your desires/passions as a parent
7. Thoughtful conviction

It is impossible not to be influenced to some degree by all of the above factors, but I have noticed that many people fail to go deep into thoughtful conviction.  I have come to believe that thoughtful personal conviction (way more than fear and convenience) should be the overwhelming driving factor for a wise family.

Do you only have fears and opinions? Or do you have thoughtful convictions? 

A resource to consider:

Kristin and I took some time to read Perspectives On Your Child’s Education: 4 Views (Amazon Link). Here are the 4 views that this book carefully examines. Throughout the chapters, each view, one at a time, is explained thoroughly and then subject to critique, which reveals its strengths and weaknesses.

1. Public On Purpose – This is when a family determines to be part of the public school system, along with their neighbors, for both the education and to be a light for Christ. Along the way parents will proactively equip their children with a Christian worldview.
2. Christian Schooling For Everyone – This is where a family chooses to be part of a private Christian school, with Christian teachers, that caters to any and all students regardless of their faith. This is both a Christian education and an outreach to non-Christian families who choose to go to the school.
3. Christian School For Christian Families – This is where a private Christian school, with Christian teachers, caters only to students from Christian families. One cannot be admitted to the school unless the student is a professing Christian (or the parents are Christians in the case of young children). The idea is that the school is a safe place of true fellowship and growth for Christians who all share Christian values.
4. There’s Still No Place Like Home – This is homeschool where the parents teach their own children. What a blessing it is to train your own children and teach them for all those hours of the day. Often the parents partner with other parents and groups to do more than they could do alone.

I would recommend prayerfully reading a book like this one and having some in-depth conversations with Christian families you respect who come from every angle (not just one camp).

The rhetoric:

Some of the rhetoric bashing public schools is irresponsible and hurtful towards strong Christians who teach in public schools as well as strong Christian families who are there by their own conviction.

It should also be stated that labeling all home school families as sheltered, unsocialized, and inferiorly educated is also hurtful and unfair.

As a Pastor I very badly want our church (Fellowship Raleigh) to be a community where families from every camp can find respect, support, and true fellowship. We are doing that now and I pray we continue!

My advice for figuring this out:

1. Do the work of developing your personal conviction
2. Be positive, passionate, and open-handed about your plan….  You never know what the future may hold.

About Us:

Our current personal conviction and plan with our kids (for the time being):

1. Our two eldest children go to our neighborhood public school. We love it and have had a wonderful experience. The school is diverse and represents our city well. We have had a few tough situations, but we have also had several great teachers (some Christians). Our kids have built wonderful friendships with their friends and we, as parents, have made many connections with other parents within the school as well.
2. Our kids are thriving and excelling academically.
3. We are doing our best to process life and school with our kids on a daily basis, as well as instill our Christian values in our kids through church and family devotions and prayer times.