Three things to think about when looking at a Christian (or any other) school

One of the most important, and likely one of the most difficult, decisions parents will make is where they will send their children to school. Some parents realize this early on and spend a great deal of time and resources on finding the right school. Other parents realize this later, and make changes along the way.

As parents consider how best to educate their children, I suggest there are three things (at least) to keep in mind as that decision is made.

First, parents should understand that they are the ones who bear ultimate responsibility for the education of their children. The ultimate responsibility does not fall to the government or the church or any other entity. It is the parents' ultimate responsibility. That is not to say that the government nor the church has an interest in education. They do, and should. But when it comes down to it, it is the parents who bear it.

Second, parents need to consider the goals they have for their children. What do they want them to "look like" academically when they graduate? Parents often think that education is something that just "happens" when kids go to school. But it's not so simple. Parents must ponder what it is they want accomplished for their children. The answer to this depends, in large part, on what one thinks education is for. Is education primarily career preparation? Is it merely college prep? Is it, tongue in cheek, an extra-curricular activity while the real focus is sports? Is it to prepare children to embrace God's call upon their lives? Is education about the mastery of information? Is it about development of skills? Is it about personal formation? These are questions parents need to ask. If you don't know where you want to go, don't be surprised if you end up somewhere else. Education takes you somewhere; you might as well consider what the destination ought to be.

Third, parents need to realize that they have options to meet the aforementioned goals. Parents can send their kids to the local public school, or to any number of private (faith-based or secular) schools, or even homeschool. That is, will you entrust the education to others

Parents need to consider what options are available to them to assist them in meeting the goals they have for their children. This will require time to tour schools, look at curricula, interview teachers and administrators, etc.

How parents educate their children is one of the most important decisions they will make. Bearing the above issues in mind will assist parents as they make that decision.