I Believe In Public Schools (Part 2)

So here is the summary of Part 1: Jesus purposefully and strategically did not and does not extract his followers from a sinful world, but leaves us here to influence the world for good, for God and to invite sinners to accept and follow Jesus.  I proposed that this applies to our children, and that their "world" in which they can influence for good is their public school.

The popular objection to this argument often sounds something like this:  Our kids are too young and impressionable to be subjected to such huge responsibilities.  They need to be protected and nurtured in a safer environment.  Later, when they are strong and mature, they will be able to influece the world.

That objection sounds reasonable until we re-read the Bible chapters I referenced earlier (John 14-17).  Jesus speaks to his followers in a peculiar tone: he speaks constant re-assurance, acknowledging their fear of living without him by their side.  In chapter 17 he prays three times for their protection!  He does not treat his followers like strong, capable men.  On the contraary, he acknowledges that in their faith they are young, weak, immature and in need of protection!  By way of analogy, Jesus does not ask his children to hide away in safety, waiting to interact and influence the world until they are mature. Plus, he simply trusts that his Father will protect them as they mature.  I wonder if our fear of public schools is really an indicator of our lack of trust in God's protective power?

There is also a practical response to this objection.  At what point in my child's life will he/she really be ready to face to realities of the mean, cruel world?  Let's face it; we can't shelter our kids forever.  Eventually they will grow up, move away from the safety of the commune we call home and be faced with the darkness of our world.  And last I checked, neither a high school diploma nor the arrival of an 18th birthday include a magic potion labeled, maturity, wisdom and perseverance. It seems to me that the structured environment of a six-hour school day followed by eighteen hours at home is a great combination of environments in which our kids can graually learn how to resist evil and influence the world for good.

Psychiatrist John Bowlby proposed a great theory to help parents.  In his theory, healthy parents create a secure base at home, in which their kids are loved, nurtured, fed, disciplined, etc.  When those children know they have a secure base waiting for them at home, they can have the confidence to face difficulties, try new activities, take risks, etc.  Applied to school, children can endure temptation and even thrive in a difficult place because the safety of home is coming soon. 

So here is my proposal:  Send your kids to public schools.  Create a warm, safe, loving home for them to return to.  Stay in constant communication regarding their experiences at school, both good and bad.  Talk through their difficulties.  Help them process their conflict and coach them on how to respond. Encourage them to take risks and try new things!  Be there to cheer them on and be the first to pick them up when they fall!  

Or, I suppose you could also just sit on the couch every night and complain about how the schools aren't doing a good job raising your children for you.

Next, in Part 3:  ACT's, IQ, and why C students rule the world.

I Believe in Public Schools (Part 1)

I remember the question very clearly.  Olivia was only a year old, and we were enjoying dinner with some friends whose daughter was the same age.  "So are you going to send Olivia to public schools?" Thankfully, Erica and I had talked often about this issue before having children, and we were in firm agreement: "Yes."  And the reason is not just because we are cheap for a private school or too lazy to homeschool.

It turns out that this strong, affirmative answer surprises some folks.  Many just assume that a conservative pastor would automatically send his kids to a Christian school, or maybe even homeschool his kids.  No.  And in this short series of posts, written on this first week of Olivia's first-grade experience, I will attempt to explain why I believe in public schools.  (Disclaimer: this is not an attempt to condemn those who choose private schools or homeschooling- it is just the reasoning behind our decision.)

My first reason comes from my core belief that as followers of Jesus, we are called to influence our world for good, for God, for Jesus and his Kingdom.  And, believe it or not, so are our children.  In the Bible, in the book of John, throughout chapters 14-17, we find a lot of red ink.  Those are the words directly from the mouth of Jesus.  In those chapters, Jesus works hard to encourage his followers that they really will be okay as he leaves them, both through his death, and especially after his acension to heaven.  In John 17:11 he makes this very clear as he prays to his Father: "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name..."  Jesus is going. His followers are staying...for at least a little while.  We also find out the reason:  Jesus expects his followers to take his message to the ends of the earth. They can't do that if he takes them with him.  And the same is for us. 

When we pray the sinners prayer and put our trust in Christ, we are not immediately tele-transported to the safety and holiness of heaven.  We stay, grow, and tell others!  It is also clear that we are not to shut ourselves out from the world in order to remain holy or not be influenced at all from the world.  In fact, in the Bible, and especially in the book of John, "the world" that we are "in" is usually a reference to the dark, sinful, broken, realm of human society.  In short, the world is our mission field!  And missionaries don't sit safely at home behind locked doors!  They go out into the world and make a difference!

I believe this applies to our children.  I want Olivia and Easton to make a difference in their world.  I want them to set the example for their classmates in how they treat their teachers, other students, the bullies and the picked-on.  I want them to tell their friends about Jesus, and his great love for them.  I want them to invite their friends to church.  On the negative side, it seems just a tad hypocritical for Christians to yank their kids (and their kids' good influence) from public schools and then turn around and criticize public schools as cesspools of evil.  Duh!  That is like making a withdrawal from your bank account and then complaining to the bank manager because your balance didn't go up!

"But Jason," you might argue, "that is fine and dandy for us strong, mature adults, but should our young and impressionable children be forced to endure such a sinful world?  They are so impressionable at their age!  Shouldn't we provide them a safe, secure, environment in which they can grow to maturity, and then go out into the mean cruel world?"  Good question!  I will address it in part 2.