I want to go into this asking you to have an open mind about what I'm about to say, with the understanding that I am keeping an open mind about your situation as well. I don't know what your situation with the public school system may be, but I want to make it clear that this letter is not a ploy to tell you how to raise your child. Ultimately you are the parent, and you know your child; what works for one student may not work for the next. I get that. I'm mostly just writing to shed some light on a subject that I think gets a lot of flak in the Christian community for reasons it shouldn't. Regardless of how you feel about it, I want to propose one simple thing: the public school is not the enemy.

As I've been more involved in the Christian community over the past 5 years, I've noticed that there's been an overwhelming amount of Christians who have very strong opinions regarding public schooling. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but often those that I heard always left me hurt and wondering, "Where are they getting their information from to fuel such bitter opinions on this?" You see, I grew up in the public school, my mom was (and still is) a public school teacher, and now I am a public school teacher as well. So to me, the public school is a normal, harmless thing, which is why such extreme opinions always confused me. Now, I realize I've done a horrible job of presenting myself as an unbiased author, but hear me out. Given my extensive experience in the public school, and my propensity to side mostly in the middle ground of controversial topics, I think I have a leg to stand on when it comes to what the public school's strengths and weaknesses are.

I think a large part of painting the public school as the enemy comes from the misconception that Christians have of public school. I've spoken to a great deal of Christians who have referred to students who attend a public school with a sneer in their voice as, "public school kids," almost as if they were lesser human beings. I've spoken to people who have tried to persuade me to go to work in a Christian school rather than my current position in a public school almost as if where I was working wasn't good enough for me. I've heard it all. Being a Christian teacher in a public school just doesn't sit well with a lot of Christians, and I'd venture to say that it's because those that think that have it all wrong. So, instead of telling you what public school actually is, let me tell you what it's not. 

1. The public school setting is not some hedonistic environment where students run around, talk, and act like heathens on the daily. 

One of the coolest things about the public school environment is that the student learns that not everyone is like them because they're forced to be around and work with people from all different socioeconomic backgrounds. Although of course when left alone they group off with those who are similar to them just as humans everywhere do, they live in a reality where they see a great many races and backgrounds on a daily basis, and are forced to have cordial interactions with them. Yes, it's true that since these students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, it's inevitable that some will act a little more crass than others. However, you'd be surprised at how many students actually know what's acceptable. Contrary to popular belief, there isn't a fight everyday, not every word they say is a cuss word, and poor behavior is not tolerated. Like most things, it isn't like you see in the movies. Are there students who do those things? Absolutely. Every misconception is based on fact. But also, some of the sweetest students I've ever met are the ones who offer to help a student feel included in class or at lunch, I can count on one hand the amount of fights I've had to break up, and four letter words are often few and far between. 

2. The public school is not some place where students go to sit around, do nothing, and receive low-quality instruction. 

Although there are some bad teachers (trust me I had some and I've worked with some), by and large public school teachers are highly qualified. Teachers must go through a rigorous, collegiate training program to learn educational philosophy and what works best for different learners (referred to as "best practice"). They are expected to do this not only to receive their degree, but also to attain their license. And this doesn't happen once, no, it happens on a cyclical basis. You see, when teachers get a license to teach, they have to renew it every 5 years, and in order to do this, they have to prove that they have participated in a certain amount of professional development on educational practices. Education is constantly changing and evolving. We are finding out what works and what doesn't. Teachers aren't only responsible for teaching, they're responsible for learning and improving too. Therefore, by and large, if your student attends a public school they are a part of one of the richest instructional practices available to them. 

3. And possibly most importantly, the public school is not a place were your student is not able to express their religious beliefs. 

The myth is that, "God is not allowed in schools." This is what I call a half truth. If you don't hear me on anything else, hear me on this: your student is just as much able to express their religious beliefs and have meaningful conversations about it as everyone else is. I've seen these conversations happen. Where the partial truth comes in is that, yes, the teacher cannot lead in this or initiate conversations regarding a set of beliefs. And let me ask you this, if the situation were reversed and the teacher were using the teachings of Islam or Buddhism as anything other than a cultural study, would you be happy that was happening? Of course not! One of my favorite things about working in a public school is seeing students share their beliefs with others. And honestly, it's really cool to see it this way because it's something that they're not forced to do. Christianity becomes a lifestyle they can practice in a real life setting, and not something that they're required to learn about. They can apply what it means to live in the world and not of it. They get exposed to real life temptation and real life issues. They reach out to others and learn about it because they want to not because they have to for a grade. How beautiful is that? But possibly the most amazing thing to me is that Christian students who attend public school have such a unique opportunity: to be salt and light to those around them. Peer influence is far more powerful than an adult influence and it means so much more coming from a friend than an authority figure. 

I want to make sure I'm very clear in pointing out that there are a great many flaws with the public school system (in fact I posted about it here). I am not blind enough to say that there aren't. However, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater here. While public school may not be for everyone, (and let me be clear: THAT'S OK) it's not the enemy. Not even close. Public school may be flawed, but there is such beauty in it as well. So I leave you with this: is your prejudice founded on fact or myth? Give the public school the benefit of the doubt. These kids are not who you think they are, and it breaks my heart to hear some of you talk this way about the kids who have basically become my family. This is not the place you think it is. It's so much more. 

Sincerely,

A passionate, Christian public school teacher