by Stephen Williams February 26, 2024 0 news

A friend reached out to me (Sarah) and mentioned that a recent Natasha Crain podcast on public schools included Prepare the Way as a resource. I decided to listen. Turns out, she has several helpful episodes that discuss making those hard and controversial educational choices for our kids. The first episode is on homeschool, the second is on Christian private schools, and the third and fourth are on public schools. I think she makes some insightful observations about education in general and the worldview battle in our culture. To get the most out of the episodes, I recommend listening to all of them, regardless of how you educate your kids. She also points out the same thing that we write about in our book, Navigating Public Schools, and that we say frequently at our seminars and conferences. Your children will face worldview challenges regardless of whether you have chosen homeschool, public school, or private Christian schools. Do not think that because your kids are at home or at a Christian school that they can avoid the worldview battle. Equip your kids. Start early. Be proactive. Engage your kids about worldview issues at home. Do not simply rely on youth group or school or church, though they are great resources.

That said, you certainly have less control over the worldview that is presented to your kids when you choose public schools. Stephen has spoken across the country on this topic and whether he is in Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, or here in the Pacific Northwest, he continually encounters parents who underestimate the power that public schools have not only on kids enrolled in them, but on our culture as a whole. So I particularly enjoyed the episodes on the public schools. Natasha Crain’s podcast emphasized that the public schools really affect all of us because they affect our communities. For that reason, Stephen and I wrote Navigating Public Schools as a resource for students, parents, teachers, administrators, volunteers or anyone involved at any level in the public schools for any reason. Stephen has unique insight into this subject having taught for ten years in public schools and having been involved in a federal court case about primary source documents with Christian references. We emphasize that if your kids are in public schools, your family will likely face especially heated worldview challenges whether you are aware of it or not. You need to be prepared. I feel Natasha Crain’s podcast on public schools will be a helpful resource for many, as she helps parents understand the system as a whole from the federal level to the state level to the community level.

To listen to Natasha Crain’s podcasts on educational choices, check out the episodes below (Intro & Homeschool – Episode 26; Christian Schools –  Episode 29; Public Schools – Episodes 34 and 35): https://natashacrain.com/podcast/