Where Should Christians Send Their Kids to School?

Last updated on: April 9, 2012 at 3:52 pm by Amy Julia Becker

Where Should Christians Send Their Kids to School? 2012-04-09T09:17:29-04:00 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.

Sophie Widmer, Luke Avula, and two friends at Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia

I have a new article for Christianity Today’s magazine that is now available online: The New School Choice Agenda. In it, I write about a group of friends who moved into a low-income neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia who have decided to send their children to the local public schools. I also had a chance to interview men and women across the nation, all Christians who have made similar choices. The article prompted me to ask the question–are Christians “called” to send their kids to public schools? To struggling schools? Or perhaps we’re called to send our kids to Christian schools or to home school or even to private schools? How should our faith and our desire to love our neighbors impact these decisions, which are often made based primarily upon what is “best” for our individual children?

For the rest of this week, I’m going to be running a series of guest posts this week in which a variety of people share the choices they’ve made. You’ll hear from Abigail Liu and Elisabeth Klein Corcoran about sending their children to Christian schools, from Margaret Philbrick and her son’s maturation in a public school setting, from Sarah Reimers about involvement as a parent advocate at her children’s neighborhood public school, from Steve Garber about his children attending a private high school, and from Helen Lee and Marlene Molewyk about the choice to home school. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself grateful for these many voices of parents who are trying to follow God’s lead in educating their children.

I should add that all of these come under the banner of Christianity Today’s This Is Our City Project, which is looking at five different cities and the ways in which Christians are seeking to bless their communities.

For now, here’s the beginning of the article for Christianity Today:

Chanan Wijesooriya in class at Chimborazo

When Cheryl Burke first walked into the dark lobby of Chimborazo Elementary School, where she had just been appointed principal, she noted the distinct smell of urine. Outside, the playground was littered with “40s,” large empty beer bottles, and crack cocaine was stashed in one of the bathrooms. “I just cried,” says Burke, recalling that day in 1996.

Sixteen years later, the brightly lit lobby sports two armchairs and a coffee table. Where black asphalt once surrounded the buildings, there is now green grass. Sterile white cinder-block hallways now vibrate with colorful stripes of paint. Over the years, “Miz Burke,” as she is known to staff, parents, and students alike, convinced the local faith community to pray for the school, raise funds, and counsel and tutor students. Chimborazo’s scores on the state Standard of Learning exam have climbed, and now the number of students declared “proficient” in math and reading hovers around 60 percent.

Still, 88 percent of Chimborazo’s students are so poor they receive free or reduced-price lunches; with that poverty comes a litany of challenges for the PK-5 school. As bright and beautiful as Burke has made it, Chimborazo reflects its local community, with all its hurts and all its possibilities.

To keep reading, click here.

Previous Post

April 9, 2012

Why I Need Spirituality and Religion to Be a Good Mom

Next Post

April 10, 2012 "This is a God Place": Why I Send My Kids to Christian School by Abigail Liu

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