Christian School Movement in Trouble?

We homeschooled our kids, but having pastored in the same area for 26 years, here are my observations:

1. No method is guaranteed to produce faithful Christian adults; if such were the case, we would be saying we have found a way to eliminate free will/choice. We cannot program kids like computers.

2. I have seen success and failure in all methods; I know home schooled children who are now agnostics, alcoholics, being promiscuous, and simply not walking with the Lord. However, I think I see more kids from a home schooled background walking with the Lord than from other schooling backgrounds. I do not have statistics, but it seems evident to me.

3. When it comes to finished product and long-term walk, I cannot say I see much difference between kids schooled in a Christian school and a decent public school (I am not counting one Christian school in our area that draws misbehaving kids; you can imagine what those results are like).

4. Private Christian schools funded by the "country club" set [at "country club" rates of tuition] might be a different story, but most of these kids would have been in advanced programs in public schools or would reside in wealthy school districts and probably would fare similarly.

I agree when it comes to economy. As far as mediocrity goes, all the stats I saw put private schools ahead of public. with homeschooling usually leading the ranks. Am I missing something?

To me, academics is secondary, but important (especially reading and thinking).

I think Christian schools are a paradox. They are often considered to be a sort of ministry, but yet in order to operate, they must charge to cover expenses. The people who work full-time in a school must be compensated a living wage, which makes the tuition more than the average Joe with 2.4 kids can afford. So the programs and opportunities are limited, the teachers sometimes unqualified... so in order to make more money, the school begins to compromise on entry requirements, and after a bit, it is no longer a Christian school, but a public school with a cross over the door, a dress code, and the Ten Commandments on the wall. Yippee.

IMO, if Christian schools are going to work in this century, they need to take a page out of the homeschooler's handbook, and operate more like co-ops than as traditional schools. They can reduce the tuition, pull from a greater number number of talented people who would love to volunteer for such an endeavor, and offer a better variety of learning opportunities.

BTW, there isn't such a thing as an opportunity that is limited to a traditional school and is unavailable to parents. It's a common misconception I feel compelled to correct.

I agree with those who have cited the troubled economy and the rise of homeschooling as the two main factors contributing to the decline in Christian school enrollment. Often, these factors work in tandem: homeschooling is much more cost effective than Christian school tuition. And, really, homeschooling has never been easier than it is now. (I'm not saying it's EASY...just that it's never been easier, and that it looks more doable to parents who would have been hesitant to consider it 20 years ago.) As recently as seven years ago, I wasn't even considering homeschooling. Matt and I intended to put our daughter into the small CS about thirty minutes away from us (a good one, btw). But the sheer number of homeschoolers around me got my attention. We had conversations, weighed the pros and cons...and chose homeschooling "on a trial basis," for that year only. We always said we'd evaluate every year whether to put the kids in the school or keep them at home. And we did for a while. But the benefits of homeschooling have been so overwhelming--the flexibility and convenience, the family time with the kids, increased time for extracurricular opportunities, customized academic instruction, huge support system, cost effectiveness, etc., etc.--that we haven't even talked about sending them to school for a couple of years now.

Anyway, that has been our thought process...and Matt and I are both products of a great Christian school, and are thankful for the education we got there. If anyone was a prime candidate for the Christian school, our kids were. Yet here we are: homeschooling and loving it.

I will say that I do feel sorry for the families who are watching their good Christian schools decline and/or eventually close their doors. I know that homeschooling is not an option for everyone, and I really do hate to think that good options are decreasing for my Christian friends who are not able to homeschool for one reason or another. I hope their schools can hang on through the economic downturn, and can find creative ways (like maybe what Susan suggested) to keep the Christian education option open.

but at one time, many schools were by default 'Christian' schools. The 'rebirth' of the Christian school was of a reactionary nature, or so it seems. It's the same with home education- there was a time when that was the only option- teaching yourself, finding someone to mentor you, or if from a wealthier family, having tutors/governesses. There was no educational system as we know it today; and the modern public school system is only around 120 years old. Nothing's really 'new', but there appears to be a rhythm to the way things come and go.

The Christian school movement doesn't have to kerplotz, but it is hard to even get people to consider creative alternatives to traditional schooling. I think home education has begun to have an effect in this area, because there is a track record and evidence that a motivated and dedicated parent can provide a quality education for their child, regardless of how many years of schooling they themselves had. This begs the question of why we feel the need to require a full staff of professional teachers, when obviously this is not a necessity.

The Abell Foundation did a study... "Stumbling for Quality". The bottom line was that certification proves nothing- the best teachers were those possessing key attributes such as cognitive and verbal skills, a positive attitude, and an affinity for the students. This to me is intuitive- there are many talented folks who are experts in their fields, but they could not effectively teach what they know- and some of us have been their victims in the classroom.

Now that homeschoolers have kicked down the door and paved the way for alternative educational methods, I think it's high time some Christian schools woke up and smelled the coffee.

I'll add my two cents though I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said. From my experience (a son of a Christian school teacher, a graduate of a Christian school and with children of my own in a struggling Christian school) the biggest need is money. Christian schools I know if in central Pennsylvania are charging $3500-5000 per student. ALOT of families cannot afford that. With dwindling enrollments, these schools can often not afford to pay a starting teacher even 20K. This impacts teacher recruitment. The school is hindered in providing adequate facilities, labs and advanced courses that very bright high schoolers want to take. The Christian schools I know of that are thriving are doing two things. One is that they have a church that is contributing generously to provide facilities and to supplement the income so that the tuition can stay reasonable. The other is that some do very aggressive fund-raising to be able to offer generous scholarships.

I have spent over 30 years in Christian education and this thread has moved me to add some personal observations. As I begin, I will acknowledge that there are exceptions to these generalities, but these seem to typical of Christian schools today.

Years ago a noted fundamentalist leader told me that I would see the day where Christian schools would become little more than private schools. 30 years ago, most Christian schools had "hot" chapel platforms, with preaching that addressed the spiritual needs of the young people. Today it is not unusual to see schools without chapel (or to have chapels that encourage conformity to "standards" rather than to Christ) and even to offer Bible classes as an elective. Many of the Christian schools that boast of their "high standards" are more concerned with hem lines and haircuts than they are with heart issues.

Mediocrity is a fact. Education in the Fine Arts is practically non-existent. Qualified math and science teachers are absent. And when we consider that most Christian schools do not admit students who are performing below grade level or have a learning disability, the defense that "our students test at or above national norms" rings hollow. The fact is the honor roll students at most Christian schools would have a hard time if they transferred to an IB or AP program somewhere else. (Again, there are some exceptions.)

Discipline seems to be on the decline in Christian schools. Parents are having to cope with the same problems that occur in government schools---bullying, vulgarity, etc. Administrators are hesitant to take a hard line on behavior problems because they may lose students and thus lose needed income.

The money problem has been well-documented. Low teacher pay practically assures the absence of male teachers and role models for the boys and young men.

Home schooling is on the rise because parents are realizing that they can provide a higher quality education than the Christian schools are offering and also protect their children from peer influences that were once only found in government schools.

For example, even at the federal minimum wage the opportunity cost of homeschooling two children nine months out of the year is more than $5000 per child. And it's over $3000 per child if you're homeschooling three. Of course, that opportunity cost goes up for those who could be working in more lucrative positions. For someone qualified to work as a staff RN, for example, the opportunity cost of homeschooling three children would be more like $10,000 per child.

*****

For those who like to see the numbers:

$7.25 per hour * 40 hours * 39 weeks = $11,310
Divide that by the number of children

I don't translate the hours I spend parenting into wages- in principle I find this idea extremely distasteful, even though I do understand what you are getting at with it.

However, homeschooling does not require spending alot of time 'teaching' my kids. I also believe that the person who does the work is the one who is doing the learning- so my kids do 99.95% of the work, with me acting as a guide or coach. I believe that kids learn when they are presented with quality materials and inspired to be curious. All they need is a nudge on occasion to make sure their education is well-rounded, and that they deal with their weaknesses and improve on their strengths. When they begin the process of specialization is when the big bucks kick in- but that's college, not elementary or high school, which is what we are talking about here.

I also don't use textbooks except for math and grammar, so materials costs are minimal. In our home we have somewheres near 1,500 books- from Mark Twin to Nietzsche, from Chaucer to Christopher Paolini, and we go to the library at least once a week. My overdue fees could fund the economy of a third world country. We watch seminars and documentaries on DVD and online. There is no end to the information we have access to.

For example, lest thou thinkest I exaggerate-
Open Courseware Finder
iTunes U
The Open Video Project
Education-Portal.com
Academic Earth

If parents desire a quality education for their children, but high tuition for professional teachers is not an option, then other methods MUST be considered. I sense at times that churches and/or parents are saying "Well, we can't afford a good school (in the traditional sense), so we can't have one at all". If some people were given charge of the world's innovations, we'd still be waiting on the wheel.

While we are comparing educational choices here, let's not forget how badly our public schools are faring overall. Education Week just posted an article lamenting the fact that only 23% of the nation's graduates are college ready based on ACT scores. That doesn't take into account the issues in schools that can have an affect on a child's character and spiritual development. It takes a very dedicated parent, even more so than the homeschool parent, to have one's child in a public school. My job is ridiculously easy compared to that of a PS parent, and I don't take that for granted. Ever.

I think if churches and parents are serious about providing a quality education based on a Biblical worldview, they are going to have to turn to non-traditional methods, take advantage of technology, and observe what homeschooling parents have spent the last 30 years proving again and again- it doesn't take a professional and $60,000 to educate a child.

I don't think I am misinterpreting your post, nor am I disputing that people do cost evaluations when it comes to decisions like education, but I personally find it distasteful to do such an analysis when it comes to what is best for my kids. It has never occurred to me to attach a monetary value to the time and energy I spend educating my kids, because I view that as a responsibility just as keeping house and preparing meals.

Obviously there are things that we would factor time/energy costs when deciding on a product, activity, course of action... so I am not opposed to the idea of cost evaluation. I think Julie said it very well- I agree completely with her post... it must be a mom thing.

What I am really hoping to convey is that it is very possible to have quality Christian schools without the exorbitant tuition if alternative methods and new technologies are being utilized, as well as the spirit of volunteerism and ministry that one should be able to expect in a church.

I'd have to agree- the dream of the Christian school has not been fulfilled in reality. In my class of 21 kids, most were sexually active starting in 9th grade, three were pregnant by senior year, and one had an abortion. Several were recreational alcohol and drug users. That was in the 80's. Oy vey.

But how to nail down what went wrong... I'd cite parental abdication of the teaching and training of children, growing materialism resulting in a marked increase of the 'necessity' of two-income families, acceptance of declining morality amongst kids as the 'normal' behavior of teenagers, a lack of spiritual mentoring of younger people by older mature Christians due to peer segregation... I could go on, but I'd probably get I think alot of folks thought a Christian education was a simple equation, but IMO many problems were just not anticipated, and when they arose, they were not dealt with Biblically.

that this was a strange example. What's more common in my experience is the basketball coach teaches science and the youth pastor teaches math.

Jim,

Not only is it true, I have seen it happen. Typically it happened in church/schools where external standards were deemed very important (we can let our daughters talk to those girls in jeans, out girls will wear them). But I have seen it on other church/school situations as well.

We go to a very little church, and the few kids we have go three different places - homeschool (majority), christian school, and public school. We have maybe 20-30 kids totally from preschool to high school! I said it was tiny! (And we've lost some due to a church split last year.) Among the youth, the three never mix. The exception to that is those who are involved in the local youth theater program, those kids tend to intermix, but those who are not involved don't mix with anyone outside their own sphere.

My daughter has tried to break into the other groups, but they just don't mix at all. The few that there are do go to youth group, but often she's on the outside looking in. Right now, she's the only girl her age - the others graduated last year and she's a senior. There are two other senior guys - both homeschooled, as is my daughter, and they are friends, but they also both have girlfriends that see my daughter as "competition" :\ Oh well, that's another story ....

I've talked about it with several other moms, and none of us can figure it out. The ones who "stand off" the most and don't become involved, in fact eventually change churches totally, are those that go to the Christian school. Their attitude or whatever seems to be that they really don't want to mix or even talk to those who are not "fortunate" enough to go there. Their friends are all at school, so they end up going to church where they are. The few times that they actually come with their parents to our church, they sit with their parents, don't talk, don't socialize with anyone, unless it's another DCS student. My daughter has tried to make friends with some of them, but she got to the point of "why bother?"

As a result of all this, neither my son nor my daughter really want to come to our church. There are a lot of problems, mostly arising from the painful split last summer, from which we have yet to recover. I let my daughter go to another youth group, but I do want her at church with us on Sundays. Of course, not being able to drive kind of enforces that anyhow In my son's case, he's now at a Christian college in Phoenix, and heading to the ministry, partly because of the feeding he got at the church that he changed to.

As long as churches blindly follow practices such as age-segregation and treating adolescence as a legitimate and separate phase of life, we are going to have these issues. The artificiality of age-segregation ends with graduation from high school- why doesn't anyone seem to view this as a serious detriment to the preparation of young people for real life? Hasn't anyone seen a John Hughes movie lately? I mean, we separate kids by age with only a couple of adults as their recognized mentors/leaders- and then we wonder why so many of them are foolish and easily influenced by peers. Dare I say "Duh!"

If we look at how the Bible chooses to segregate people for gatherings and for teaching, we come away with the clear impression of gender segregation, not age-segregation. And what a coinky-dinky- the gender studies I have read in recent years indicate that gender segregation is more natural and much healthier for children than age-segregation. What chance does a girl really have to be taught by the older, spiritually mature women when she only interacts with mom, the youth leader's wife (if he's even married, and don't get me started on single young men as youth leaders) and possibly a Sunday School teacher, who may or may not be a good influence because she passed the Warm Body Test for teaching a class at church?

I'm not ranting, but I'm working up to one.

I went to Christian schools for kindergarten, then grades 4 - 12 plus college. I graduated in 1980, from the same Christian school where we sent our daughter for K-12. I felt I had a decent education, considering that the 1970s were the heyday of experimentalism in public schools and Christian schools were still attracting dedicated teachers who saw Christian school as ministry. Our daughter's education was a decision we struggled with yearly during her secondary years; our son, with significant special needs, has been totally in the public schools.

In our part of the country, about ten years ago Christian schools began to be perceived as inexpensive prep schools. Schools that had directly been ministries of churches are now spun off as independent nonprofits, and if schools cannot increase or maintain enrollment through their traditional demographic/congregation, they begin to merge into Christian school districts, acquiring smaller or outlying schools. This in turn tends to dilute loyalty to the original institution. I've just obtained my state teaching credential, and I haven't even seen any jobs posted for the Christian schools; at least with the public schools, I can substitute and be choosy about the assignments I accept. I personally would be rather leery about working under an administrator who has not had classroom experience. Many Christian school administrators in my experience have not been classroom teachers.

So to sum things up, I think Christian schools are being bombarded with the combined threat of real competition, declining enrollment, decreased loyalty and weak administration. There are thankfully some exceptions, but if we had younger children right now, we would really have to consider if the monetary cost of a (perhaps) slightly better education with an only somewhat better atmosphere is worth the cost and stress to our family.

Christian schools in my day were perceived as a version of rehab. Kids would get kicked out of public school for drugs and unruly behavior, and then get sent to our Christian school. This was considered to be ministering to the community. And as long as the parents would sign on to the Statement of Faith and the school handbook, and their money was green, their kids could attend. This had a lovely affect on the school dynamic ( you might need some Bounty to sop up the dripping sarcasm).

The problem was, of course, thinking that a different school would solve the problem, when the problem was at home. There is alot of junk that gets blamed on schools that is really a parenting issue.

Based on my interactions with some Bethany students this summer, I would have to agree 100%!!

OK, I think I see what you are getting at. No, our church doesn't have its own Christian school, which likely accounts for the large home school percentage. AND, now that I'm reading you differently, for the difference in my experience from yours. Now it sounds to me like you are saying the church itself also having the Christian school leads to or even causes this divide between those who go to the church's school, and those who choose to home school anyway. I can see how that could happen. If the church leadership allows or encourages those kids of cliques ("those homeschoolers should be attending our school, and they are disloyal if they aren't"), then that's a real problem. I don't think that I personally would stick around in a church like that, if there were any other choice.

I agree with your perspective, Joseph. It is something I've seen again and again over the years, regardless of the makeup of the youth group. Part of the problem is, in my opinion, that we are allergic to advice and correction. We only 'receive' it when it comes from someone we consider wiser and more admirable than ourselves. I've been thinking about this alot lately- Paul rejoiced in the message of Christ being spread, regardless of the intent of the source, and I think it would behoove us to have the same attitude towards correction, because I think we'd really benefit if we could ignore the source of correction more and instead look for the kernel of truth that the correction might contain.

So if church leaders could avail themselves of the information that the questions and concerns of their congregation would give them, I think some of these splintering issues could be addressed more effectively. There is an apathy that takes over when laypeople feel that their insights will have no worth in the eyes of church leadership unless they are held in high esteem for some talent they possess or function they perform in the church.

A church school really needs to be an effort that the whole church can get behind to some extent. Not that all parents should be pressured to put their kids in the school, but even a supportive atmosphere is helpful. I've been to churches that are friendly to homeschoolers, and some that were not so friendly, and it was all about attitude. A church can be unified in their efforts to help parents teach and train their kids, and every person- single, married w/o kids, married w/ kids, grandparents, widowed, retired... has something beneficial to offer the next generation.

Christian School Movement

I have worked in the Christian School area as a Deacon in my church and a school board member for 10 years as well as sending my 3 children to our church’s christian school since kindergarten. Our school averages around 250 students with a peak enrollment of 420 students 6 years ago. I am not a pastor or Christian educator, but I am a business man who had to work thru a failing Christian school. I offer the following advice and strategies in building and maintaining a strong, vibrant, Christ honoring Christian school. Compromise does not have to creep in to the school , but stubborn, old-school, my way or the highway will only tear down your school and cause it to fail. Some things that worked in 1970, does not work well today. If your church or school is making excuses on why your not successful, you must pray and ask yourselves, “Do we have what it takes to run a Christian school”. It’s not enough for a church or coop group to say, we want a school. You must have the chops to run it and be successful.
This is not a comprehensive document, but it is a specific list where I think many conservative Christian schools are failing.

1. Quit complaining about or blaming public schools and or homeschoolers - Move on!

2. Never ever hire church members or family members because they need a job. Do hire church members or family members only if they are fully qualified and worthy of the job. Do not hire a pre-school teacher unless they are completely qualified. If your church has a policy that you only hire church members, then you need to search for someone who is qualified and willing to relocate. In my church, the old school adm. hired one of the assistant pastors wife for our pre-school and completely ruined it. She was not qualified or remotely interested in the job, but wanted a job at the church.

3. Start or build up your pre-school program. A pre-school is great for your church members and the community at large. It’s a good feeder program for your school as well as helping to fund the 1st – 12 grades. It’s also good for the church for soul winning and prospective members. In our school, we do not require the pre school parents to be Christians or active Christians. Also, do not make the excuse that “we do not have the room”. Have the program off campus if necessary.

4. Write a business plan for the school. Break it down into elementary, middle, and high school along with preschool. Plan your work then work your plan. Share it with the teachers and explain very clearly where they fit in. Get advice and feedback from them and use it. Hold specific progress meetings and one on ones. In my opinion, teacher contracts are a waste of time. Either they are hired or they are not. Make it very clear that if they do not excel in their work and the bettering of the school, then this might not be the right job for them. You are letting down the students and the parents if you keep a not so good teacher in a position because they are a church member or the assistant pastor’s wife. You have no business having a Christian school if you are not willing to improve a not so good teacher. This does not mean you have to fire him/her, but create a changed environment and bring them into it. Are you willing to fail 20 kids just so a good church member wants or needs a job? If your answer is yes, then you have no business operating a school.

5. Have nice facilities. This is tough for some schools, but you may have to think outside of the box here. Have volunteers plant flower beds and trees, build a great, safe playground. You may not have a big, modern campus, but do your best and build into your business plan how you will modernize. Stop using the excuse that you don’t have the money. Make something happen. Employees, students and parents like to be in environments where things are happening and exciting. Make something happen and share the excitement.

6. Do Not undercharge for tuition. If parents cannot afford it, then they cannot afford it. Do not have a mediocre school because you want to make it affordable. What good does this do if the school is inexpensive, but is inadequate in many areas. This might be OK for some, but remember, most Christian parents do not send their kids to school to get religion, they do it so they get the best education in a Christian environment. They want the best for their kids. They want the school to be great. You must give the children a great school.

7. Don’t make the rules harsh just to be harsh. Rules must be fair and for specific reasons. Do not teach to your past, but teach to the childrens future. We do not allow shorts at our school for modesty reasons. However, our previous administrator would not allow jeans at after school functions. Well guess what? Little or no kids would come to these functions. He personally did not like blue jeans. Our new administrator now allows modest fitting blue jeans at after school functions and guess what, we now have kids not only coming to the functions, but more are returning the next year. Parents no longer are the sole decision maker. Kids often times influence their parents on where they go to school. Unfortunately, many parents are saying, “ Why should I spend $4000 or $5000 dollars a year if my kid does not like it here. This is not 1970!!!!! Be sensible on dress code, but do not compromise. Communicate with the kids on this and help them to want to be modest.

8. The teachers and administrators must have a personal, loving relationship with each child. Some of the more strict and firm teachers at our school have the best relationships with the students. There is a Christian school about 2 miles from ours that has an enrollment of about 300 students , but the facilities and grounds are terrible. There are about 10 portables and no library, no gym, no cafeteria, no ballfields. But the parents and the students absolutely love the teachers. If this is possible, can you imagine what it could be like if you had great facilities. We had some teachers who were mean spirited, who did not feel that having a relationship with the students and their parents was necessary. We could not move ahead as a school until these teachers either drastically changed or were fired or laid off. Once again, if you want the kids to come back, the kids and the parents must know you love them and care for them.

9. Do not spank! This is the parent’s responsibility imho.

10. Have a very good sports program and maintain it. If you have a small school and have trouble fielding teams, use your church’s homeschoolers to fill the roster. Make sure you charge the homeschoolers more than the school kids. This is extremely fair considering what it costs to send kids to school. Use rec fields and ask if you can hang banners, even if it is only during the games. If you use volunteers, make sure you pay them, even if it is a small amount. Sometimes volunteers do not hold themselves as accountable than if they are being payed. I would not include uniforms in the general budget. Buy used or have the team fund raise.

10. Only have fundraisers where people want to spend the money. ie, car wash, auctions, flea markets, golf events. Sometimes give kids ½ day off to participate in or as a reward for their efforts. Be creative. Try to avoid pizza kits and candy sales, etc, unless you can be successful. However, people tire of those types of fundraisers.

11. Participate in fairs, parades, certain community events. You need to be careful here, but sometimes a little exposure is necessary and good for the kids and the school.

12. Remember, school is not and extended Sunday School class with reading, writing and math. Too many Pastor’s think this way. They may not want to admit it, but it’s true. School is school!! Don’t run it like Sunday School or church.

13. Get your alumni involved in the school and ask them to help fund it. Give them regular updates and include them in your vision for the school. The administrator and or Pastor must maintain control of the school, but the alumni can be a valuable asset. We have had very little success in this area, but I believe it is vital in this ministry. In the past ten years or so, our students did not like the school and some even hate it. This is why we are struggling in this area. But we are turning this around and will try to get the graduates to understand that they are vital for the school to continue. Usually alumni are financially able to help when they turn about 30, but get them involved much sooner than that.

These are just a few things it takes to run a successful school in 2009, but in my experience, these are some of the key areas where Christian school leaders are making huge mistakes and why Christian schools are in big trouble. The kids must want to come back. I will say it again, if the parents see that their kids don’t like it, they often times will not return.
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Forum director comment: I did some minor editing to correct spelling! Thanks for this post by the way!

Our IFB high school'ers now predictably graduate and leave the church as in other places no doubt. Other younger members too. I grieve. The school Admr. cites more worldly taste in music as a key reason. And probably bvr standards too.

By contrast local CCM new-evngl churches are running 2-3 AM services. These Willow Creek-like, gospel-lite churches , seem to be the weak leading the weak, IMO. We all know about this.

Has any one out there solved this puzzle? I have a couple of radical ideas. I dream of a third alternative to praise and worship. More lively than hymns alone but more edifying than the faddish, froth and foam that is so popular. And, it's even Biblical. Ever done a Strong's word study on key OT words translated "praise"?