Learning to Choose: From Private Christian School to Public by Margaret Philbrick

Last updated on: April 10, 2012 at 2:30 pm by Amy Julia Becker

Learning to Choose: From Private Christian School to Public by Margaret Philbrick 2012-04-09T20:31:55-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Margaret Philbrick's three children

After nine years in a private Christian grammar school our son stepped into his freshman year at the local public high school with 600 people he didn’t know. Almost every student in his graduating class of 80 went on to attend the private Christian high school. He didn’t want to be like everyone else.

We evaluated both schools prior to making our decision. The primary reason why he determined he would be happier in the public school was diversity. He was grateful for his Christian education, but he felt like he had grown up in a bubble, everyone looked and acted the same. Popping the bubble in ninth grade seemed to be as good a time as any because as parents we liked the idea of him being exposed to the challenges of a big school while still under our own roof. We could talk to him about the drinking parties, the inappropriate “grinding” at school dances, the “liberal” ideas of some of his teachers which didn’t line up with our Christian worldview. Thought provoking dinner table conversations ensued. These situations forced him to take a stand for what he believed in and behave accordingly.

He ran Cross Country freshman year and went on to run Cross Country and Track all four years making it to the state competition for both sports his Junior and Senior year. This opportunity would not have been available to him at the much smaller Christian school. His coach and several of his friends were Christians and proved to be an immense blessing to all of us. The economic and ethnic diversity he longed for was very much a part of the team and he grew to love many of these students who would not have been able to attend the private Christian high school due to unaffordable tuition costs.

At graduation he was awarded a scholarship in honor of his loyalty to friends, academic achievement and competitiveness. Each of these qualities grew in our son because we chose the public school, but more importantly, his ability to perceive right from wrong and make the right choice blossomed in the public school environment.

He went on to study at Indiana University and as we wandered through the early morning drunken morass of the phenomena known as tailgating, he did not partake of it. We asked him how he felt looking at all those young students in the gutter at such an early hour on game day, his response, “It presents a very clear choice.” The public high school honed in him the ability to make the right one.

Margaret Philbrick is an author, gardener and teacher who desires to plant seeds in hearts. Her first book, Back to the Manger is a holiday gift book she created with her mother, an oil painter. You can connect with Margaret via her website at www.margaretphilbrick.com or on Facebook.

This post is one of a series of guest posts about different choices Christians make in sending their children to school. All of them are in reference to an article I wrote for Christianity Today: The New School Choice, and you can find out more through Christianity Today’s This Is Our City project.

Previous Post

April 10, 2012

"This is a God Place": Why I Send My Kids to Christian School by Abigail Liu

Next Post

April 11, 2012 An Unexpected Choice: Why We Traded the Public School for Homeschooling by Helen Lee

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz