Featured

Advantages of Going to a Christian School

Why is it important to consider, when considering which college to attend, whether you should go to a Christian school or a public or private school? There are many advantages to Christian schools. Christian schools are smaller with fewer students. They usually last longer than public or private colleges, and they tend to be more focused on Christian education and Christian values. There are several reasons why Christian schooling is better than other schools, and I will discuss some of those below.

One of the first advantages is that Christian schools generally strive to teach values formation to their students. They are smaller and have a smaller student body. That means they can focus on more individualized counseling and instruction. They also are more likely to have the time for small group projects, which allow students to express themselves and work one on one with a teacher. This personalization of your experience is one of the greatest benefits of choosing a Christian school.

Another advantage is that they have the ability to keep up with peer pressure. In today’s world, many Christian schools are able to handle peer pressure well. They recognize that each child is unique and should be treated as such. A Christian school is not like a public school where the students are all from the same neighborhood. They handle all students individually and know how to relate to them.

They also have a much higher graduation rate than public or private institutions. The Christian education allows the student to reach their full academic potential in both subjects and classes. They learn from an early age the importance of being a good person. In many cases, these are the people who will become tomorrow’s leaders. Christian childhood is always centered around character development.

A third advantage is the financial benefits. Christian schools receive tax dollars and do not have to worry about government regulations. This can mean more financial freedom for parents. They do not have to pay taxes on tuition. This means more money available to pay for their child’s needs.

There are so many advantages to sending your child to a Christian academy. It should be your number one concern. After all, his future will depend on it. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding which one is right for you and your family. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

If you have questions, there are many excellent Christian schools online that can answer them. They have a Christian curriculum and teachers. They have experienced Christian academics and staff. They have good reviews from parents.

Christian schooling has many advantages over other forms of education. So don’t delay any longer. Your child’s education is waiting for you. Enroll your child in a Christian school today. He will never be the same without you.

When you have a Christian background, you are more likely to have a successful and fulfilling life. There are Christian schools that offer a year of retreat and instruction as well. This will help you and your family further understand the teachings of Christ. There is so much to learn about God and life. You will have a better understanding of what is going on in your life, why you are living the way you are and why you must continue to learn and grow.

The advantages of this type of learning are that you will find it is easier to have a purpose in life. You will have goals to follow. You will have a mentor to guide you and assist you. You will have a community of support. These are important aspects of any life situation.

You will also have the opportunity to go to Bible Studies and Pre-natal classes. You can choose to explore these areas when you are prepared to return to school. They will provide you with extra preparation for when you are on your own. You will be able to stay up to date on developments in your field.

Of course, there are other advantages. Many parents choose to send their children to a Christian school because they want their children to become trained for a future that does not include the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol. This may seem like a far-fetched idea but the fact is, there are many people in your shoes who have suffered and lost everything due to drug abuse. Why would you want to risk your child’s future by sending them into an environment where drug abuse is common?

Christian School Versus Public School

These days the major concern of any parent is the education of their children. They start getting tense as soon as their children reach the school-going age. Nowadays most of the American parents send their children to public schools but there is also a significant increase in parents who choose private schools. Amidst these schools Christian are also increasing. Although parents generally like to enroll their child in Christian school depending on their beliefs, thinking, and neighborhood but still there is confusion in choosing the best school for the child.

It’s a fact that the majority of children will do well in either public or private schools. What you choose will depend on the options that are available and the price of enrollment. You must look at all the options before you select public or private schooling for your child.

Despite various advantages of enrolling their wards in a Christian or private school many parents still avoid that mainly because of the high tuition fee. If any school interests you then it is wise to look for the scholarship programs. Nowadays the majority of schools offer financial advice and are always ready to help parents in regard to tuition fees. They also propose discounts if parents volunteer at the time of any event and gathering.

Christian schools focus on religion and incorporate it into the scholastic realm. If you are unpleased with public schooling or want to focus on religion in your child’s life, then choosing a Christian school is a perfect choice. If you would like to incorporate religion into your child’s life but are not a Christian, check out other options in your community.

Most parents that choose to enroll their children in private schools do so because they usually provide more specific education for children to meet that child’s needs. Kids with learning disabilities usually perform better in a private institution. Private schools usually have a small student to teacher ratio, allowing teachers to provide their students with more one on one interaction.

The private schools have a cutting edge over other schools as their students are well placed in colleges and universities. These days certain private schools are allied with many top-level colleges and universities including the famous Ivy League schools. Private schools are a stepping-stone to the colleges in comparison with other high schools.

Many kids wish to attend certain Christian private schools due to certain programs. These programs may include art, drama, music, science, literature, mathematics, civics, or sports. Due to drastically cut funding and other financial problems, public school systems have lost many of their specialized programs. Children interested in specific aspects of schooling find themselves at a loss due to nonexistent or incredibly limited programs. Choose a private school that meets your child’s interests and needs to ensure success in both the academic and extracurricular activities.

When contemplating enrolling your child in a Christian private institution instead of a private school, be sure to include your child’s opinion. Since he or she will be the one attending the institution, ensure the choice is favorable for your child. Carefully consider your options and visit several schools in your area. Finding the perfect school for your child will ensure your child’s success.

Christian Schools Aren’t Perfect – Just Necessary

… Called to Teach…

What a great mission, to know that you are called to be a teacher, especially in a Christian school.
Remember this, when you stand in front of your students, at that moment in time you are the most important person in their lives. Your actions, attitudes, and words can have an amazing impact on their lives.
The responsibility that comes with the designation TEACHER can be a burden… or a passion! In a Christian school especially, that passion as God’s messenger can have eternal consequences.
Your students will leave your classroom and get on with the rest of life.
When they leave, they will take part of you with them.
Will that part of you…
direct them to God? encourage them to excel? impassion them to the mission?
You do get it, don’t you?
All this God-stuff puts an amazing and awesome impetus on teaching in a Christian school. Or at least it should.
We must not be content with being “as good as the public school.” We must transcend that measuring stick and create one of our own.
It is extremely critical that we grab hold of the idea that we “are more than conquerors.”
We cannot become content with apathy, for a growing apathy diminishes the ability to think critically. Once our critical thinking becomes moldy with apathy, we run the extreme risk of becoming apathetic towards God.
That’s why we have entered this profession called teaching. Our passion is to help achieve a sense of radical excellence that makes Christian school educators unique in the world of learning and leading.
It is our passion to help those in Christian schools to catch the vision of what it will take to set a standard rather than reach a secular standard that has been shown repeatedly to be infused with fatal flaws.
To create our own unique identity in the world of learning, we need to focus on some rather foundational items.
seek radical excellence by returning to traditional values develop outstanding leadership that is infused with courageous vision create schools that are sharply focused on and committed to scripturally based mission statements
Speaking of passion, three teachers with over sixty years of combined service in several Christian schools nationwide, both as classroom teachers and administrators, have reached one inescapable conclusion.
We have begun a journey towards creating a national movement that promotes a system of excellence, possesses a unique identity, and encourages mission-focused operation. This growing action MUST be ignited and fueled by teachers and administrators who develop a genuinely professional dialogue system that works.
To that end, we are encouraging Christian teachers to join us in developing a national forum of communication that will eventually enable us to create a local voice that is respected and listened to. You can read more about our efforts by checking out the site noted in my author bio and reading a document called “The PACT Report” that develops the concept of a Professional Association of Christian Teachers.
So the charge is simple.
Keep the Faith, Fight the Fight.

Keep What You Have

For most schools, having every seat filled and a waiting list would be a nice problem to have. The staff would have living proof (students) that their ministry was reaching as many as possible. The donors would feel like the school they are supporting is doing everything possible to change the world. The church or churches that support the school would feel that they are supporting an effective ministry.

Reaching capacity requires two things. One is an effective recruiting and enrollment process. The other is an effective student retention process.

Many times schools treat retention as a salvage process. The parents fail to re-register a student or announce that they are withdrawing a student and the retention process begins. It usually includes a discussion of tuition and financial support. In addition, the desire to keep the child in the school and the willingness to handle any complaints are discussed. The goal is to make it comfortable for the student to remain at the school.

What if retention was an ongoing process? What if it was a preventative process rather than salvage?

The most common reason given by parents for having their child enrolled is they value a Christian school. If you ask a follow-on question like, “What other things do you want for your child?” You receive a wide and varied list of other expectations.

While finances play a part in the withdrawal of some students, it is a small percentage. Most students are withdrawn because the “other expectations” are inadequately met. Failure to meet those expectations means the family is receiving less value for their money than is justified to continue pay tuition. In other words, finances are a symptom of the larger problem.

We often ask the school leadership why parents enroll their students. Most of the time the leadership lacks an understanding of the reasons beyond a Christian education or provides reasons that are different from those we hear from the parents.

Next Step:

During enrollment, ask the parents for their “other expectations”
Share those expectations with the staff broadly and specifically with each of the student’s teachers
Check with the teachers and the parents twice a year to ensure the expectations are being met
Check with the parents once a year to confirm the expectations and listen for new expectation as the family’s needs change

Yes, it is extra work, but it is how each of us would all like to be treated. More importantly, it ensures that the student stays in your school and is able to receive the full benefit of your ministry.

It is economically justified. It will take less than 2 hours a year to check with the teacher (principal and teacher’s time combined). It will take about 2 hours a year to check with the parents. How many hours of your time are paid for by a year’s tuition? In short, it costs less to be preventive than to try to recruit replacement students for the upper grades or have a chair sit empty.

The success rate of this process is much higher than the success rate of the salvage process. In addition, lost families seldom make good referral sources. Alumni and their families are usually good referral sources and often become a long-term financial supporters.

Retaining the students increases financial stability and helps ensure the school is sustainable.n