Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School

by David Pritchard, Kelli Pritchard, Dean Merrill

“Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Taking this verse at face value provides the perfect opportunity to prove it in the educational setting of our children, say the authors of Going Public . By nurturing the life and power of Christ within them, students will be ready to stand against negative influences no matter the environment, even bringing light to a dark place. They will also benefit from many of the services that the often well-financed public school system has to offer. Readers of this practical guide will learn how moms and dads have a strategic role to play in the ongoing development of their school-age children. Discover what the Bible says about education, the three most important things to teach your public-school child, how to shape your child through teachable moments, the importance of getting involved at school and why everyone should “home-school,” in addition to public school.

Genres: Parenting, Education, Nonfiction, Christian, Christian Living, Family

219 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed emotions about this book in the same way I have mixed emotions about our own family decision to send our youngest to public school. In some ways the Pritchard's make some excellent points and they offer somewhat helpful parenting advice too, but after a while their perfect solutions to every problem and idyllic responses to other people's problems starts to grate. Do they never face issues in their own family?

I also get freaked out when I hear Christians talking about 'the hedge of protection' as if it were some sort of magic formula. Certainly we can and should pray for our children and their protection but I am not a fan of formulas for doing this.

If you are considering public school then this book is certainly helpful. Just try not to let it get you down if your own family is less perfect than theirs. Even though much of this book was helpful, I noticed I was wincing and feeling anxious as I read, even getting knots in my stomach towards the end. If you do decide to send your child to public school you are going to have to trust God far more than your own abilities to be a perfect parent. Same if you send your child to private school or homeschool. Public school could very well give you and your children a chance to see just how big God really is as the Pritchard's maintain. That is my hope for my son, but I am hoping he can see that even through my own weaknesses as a parent.

[Lauren Klomparens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and encouraging. These parents have alot of experience with alot of different situations.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offers some rich parenting wisdom. I appreciate the aim of the book which is to encourage Christian parents who for one reason or another have opted for public school. Having said that I would warn readers that this book is painfully outdated to the nature of our culture and public schools now. So much has happened since this book was first written. Gay marriage, transsexualism, further hostility towards all things Christian has just dramatically increased. Academically the landscape has changed too.....with many districts embracing common core. What's happening in the culture is no doubt bleeding into the public schools. Just as the culture is trying to coerce anyone who is a Christian into their way of thinking, this is happening to impressionable schoolchildren also. It's much harder for children to withstand the onslaught.

I know some have to send their children to public school because there's no other choice. I wish there were more books like these to encourage you. But also there are many who if they thought about it could offer an alternative to public schools and I'd really encourage you to do so. Like it or not public schools are a contributor to why many kids walk away from church. It's hard to compete with a place that your children go to for 35 plus hours a week for 12 years and often learn (either by omission or commission) a foundation entirely different than the one your try to offer at home. Students will often become like their teacher.

Having said that please make sure home is base and you live out a genuine faith. Make sure you attend a strong Bible believing church. One that you're involved in. Also be in strong fellowship with other believers. PLEASE remember your 5 or 6 year is not a missionary, they are impressionable and will need you to help filter their experiences. They are going to come home now and say things like......"well Jonny wants to be Sally now".....or " Joe has two mommies" or "why is homosexuality not okay" or " why don't we believe in evolution", "isn't religion the greatest cause of war?", "why would a loving God send someone to hell" " did Jesus even exist" etc. We have fully entered a post Christian time in our culture and your children will be in two worlds. One at home where faith and Christian values are embraced, and one where they're not welcome.

Parents immerse yourself in apologetics and knowledge of the Bible. While I do want your kid to thrive in whatever route you've chosen for their education. It's becoming less likely that it will happen in the public school system. To be fair all kids can walk away from the faith no matter how you educated them, but reality is public school kids are doing it far more than their counterparts in other forms of education.

I've read this book twice, and at one time felt really encouraged about it because we were going to send our kids to public schools. Then my position began to change for two reasons......I studied the issue to a great depth and I also worked in public school for nearly a decade. Those two experiences convinced me that public school wasn't the best route for my children. I saw increasingly sexualized children at younger ages, brutal bullying (also cyber bullying), the LGBT agenda welcomed, and the few kids I saw who had some form of faith got quickly eaten up by the pressure to conform.

I've said a lot and I could say more but please go eyes wide open into the decision of public school for your kids. Again for those who have to choose their local public schools please make sure your home offers a secure Christian foundation for your children, and even for their friends. God bless.

[Chelsea Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! I remember when I worked at a church in family ministry we always recommended this book as a great resource for those who chose or were considering public school. It was published back in 2008, so it’s not new, but it still holds up. It gave me a lot of confidence and really good challenges for being a parent of a kid in public school. Thankful for this resource!

[Nadiya Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expanding my thoughts, beliefs, and appreciation of the public school system.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was excellent! I would highly recommend this for anyone with kids approaching school age, whether or not you are considering public school. The authors, David & Kelli Pritchard, are family friends of ours, but more importantly they are a wise and godly couple who have raised 8 amazing kids in the public school system. They also just started the process to adopt 3 Ethiopian siblings through our same agency (YWAM)... so it is safe to say that I am big fans of theirs! I love their positive outlook, their love and respect for all children (not just their own), their hopeful perspective on the public school system, and their commitment to raising up children who know who they are in Christ. I have a feeling that I will be referencing this book many times in the next 20 years (or however long it takes all the Ballasts to make it through school).

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some good advice about how to be an involved parent and supplement what your child learns at school with Christian principles at home. It's okay as long as you recognize it is good advice. This is not a very good book if you are looking for great exegesis or theology about the issue. Matter of fact, most the passages cited are out of context, lack depth in understanding what it says, and at times are just plan wrong. It is important to recognize you don't have to do things exactly like they did it. Also, this is impossible if you lack Gospel driven solid Christian character and a Christian worldview yourself.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are a homeschool family considering putting our kids into public school next year. My whole life, I have heard the arguments for why you shouldn't put kids in public school, and this definitely helped me to see the other side of the coin when it comes to the public school vs. private Christian/homeschool debate. They make a lot of good, valid points and it definitely helped take some of the fear out of our decision. I personally don't think any decision should be made based on fear, especially when it comes to major parenting decisions.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to understand how Christian families can be an impact in public schools. Quick read.

[Brooke Frymire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful read for any public school parents- super outdated though, only reason I gave 4 stars.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book on insulated parenting vs isolated parenting as much as a book on surviving the public school ministry

loved the emphasis on active, intentional parenting in the world, but not of the world

very balanced insight into how to send a child into a public classroom, often not as "little evangelists," but as loving believers

"Right away we want to set aside The Myth of the Eight-Year-Old Preacher. Anyone who thinks they should fire up their second-grader to go proclaiming the gospel loud and clear on the playground to all the heathen hopscotchers is seriously out of touch. The main job for a Christian child or teenager in public school is simply to be a good student, a good citizen and a servant-leader-to model what Christianity actually is. Each morning with our kids, we pray for this to be true...In other words, we should not think in terms of sending our child off by himself to "the mission field." We go there together. This is a family expedition."

David Pritchard;Kelli Pritchard. Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School (Kindle Locations 1863-1866). Kindle Edition.

great emphasis and push for parental involvement in the lives of other families in the community

"If we sat down at our home computer, opened up Microsoft Outlook and analyzed our contacts list of acquaintances from A to Z, probably 40 percent would not be churchgoers. Every one of these names represents a household that is still in need of the light of the gospel."

David Pritchard;Kelli Pritchard. Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School (Kindle Locations 1965-1967). Kindle Edition.

several solid chapters on the essentials (most important things) of raising a child in the public school system...which amazingly corresponds very well with the most important things of raising any child.

beautiful description of the danger of not transferring self-control to the maturing child via growth and responsibilities

"We give instruction and gradually transfer more and more decisions toward the child, so that by age 18 or so, he or she arrives at the point of total self-control, where we no longer have to exert outside pressure. The young person is now self-governing. Chart If we are afraid to enable self-control, and keep holding on to the reins until late in the game (see dotted line), we can end up causing an explosion of irresponsibility."

David Pritchard;Kelli Pritchard. Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School (Kindle Locations 840-843). Kindle Edition.

Took away a strong encouragement to live in a discipline and dependance relationship with God in raising a child.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had thought we would homeschool. I had, in fact, been researching it since before I was pregnant with our six-year-old. I have a shelf of homeschooling books, the ability to discuss philosophies at length with any poor sop who mentions it, and enthusiasm.

When my husband and I discerned, though, that homeschooling was not going to work (for a variety of reasons -- and this isn't the time or place to discuss them), I started another kind of research. Surely the schools couldn't be all bad. And, in Going Public I found just the support and encouragement I needed. I returned it to the library, bought my own copy (and talked about it so much my best friend also bought a copy), and promptly lent my copy to someone. (I've been considering buying another copy, because there are passages I'd like to reread.)

This book is wonderfully written and down-to-earth. The Pritchards share their approach to public schooling, and it involves many of the same skills and commitments that are required by all parenting. Their philosophy, in fact, can be applied to pretty much all aspects of life as a parent, from religious education formation to schooling. Parents have to be...parents. They share great ideas for exactly how to be involved, how to supplement at home what's going on at school (especially in the area of morals), and the concept of a family Bible study every morning, while beyond me, really made me consider.

Highly recommended, especially if you send your kids to schools, public or otherwise.

[Jeremy Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can a child thrive in the government school? Sure, it is possible. With God all things are possible. Can a man stand in fire and not be burned, or face hungry lions and remain unharmed? Yes, indeed they can. --- But that does not mean that we walk into the fire voluntarily, or lay down in a den of hungry lions and expect to be unharmed. It is evil of man to put God to the test. When we have no choice in matters, we place our trust in God for a miracle, otherwise we simply listen to His wisdom and stay out of the fire and stay clear of the lions. This is the main problem with the title of this book and its entire premise. --- It advocates purposefully placing ones child into temptation, and then saying, "God is bigger than this temptation."

This concept is the same test that Satan asked Jesus to put God to: "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself off the temple, for God has promised to save you." Jesus responded, "It is also written, Thou shalt not tempt The Lord thy God."

The authors also for the outset state that government should make education mandatory for all Americans, and they also advocate that it be done through coercive taxes that have penalties attached for any that disagree. In short, it is Godly for us to have the government steal from our neighbor so that others may be schooled. This is anti-Christian.

So to sum up. This book advocates theft by coercion in order to educate children, and also advocates purposefully placing your child into temptation and then telling your children that God will save them. Both principles are anti-Christian and evil.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to like this book much more than I did. I attended Catholic elementary and middle school, but my husband and I are sending our children to public schools, for a variety of reasons. With this book, I was looking for guidance on raising our children as Christians when they won't be getting religious education in school. The Pritchard's answer was basically, "Be a good parent." I didn't need a book to tell me that. Also, even though the Pritchard's take pains to state that they don't see public school teachers as atheists, as a former public school teacher I found some of their remarks about schools and teachers borderline offensive. I also disagree with many of their more conservative viewpoints, which led them to discussions with teachers about curriculum I see no need for, as well as them pulling their children out of some lessons, which, again, I don't plan on doing. I thought I was the intended audience for this book, but I was wrong.

[Marie "Notcheva") · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, clear and concise look at the advantages and challenges Christian families face in the public school system (often pejoratively termed "government schools" by public schooling's detractors). Pritchard is a leader in Young Life and the father of eight children, all walking with the Lord, so he knows of what he speaks.

Co-authored by his wife, I especially appreciated the Pritchards' reluctance to criticize those who choose to homeschool or to manipulate statistics the way those on the opposing side of the issue have done. Thoughtfully and carefully, through anecdotes from their family's experience and personal application of biblical principles, Pritchard encourages parents to take advantage of the college-preparatory education available in this country while instilling a biblical worldview and nurturing personal love of Christ within the family. Overall, a superb and accurate book.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good food for thought. I was already leaning toward public school anyway, and this book gives some great recommendations for how to walk with your children as they attend school. There are lots of good, practical parenting tips, as well as great ideas for getting involved in whatever school your child attends. A good reminder that we as parents are still the primary influence in our children's lives, and we can use the lessons learned in school as a way to teach and train our children in the way of the Lord... but we must be prayerful and intentional in doing so. A reminder too that there are many children and adults that we will encounter in the public school system who need the love and compassion of Christ, and our whole family can be involved in showing care and concern for others. Are we up for the challenge?

[Marlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

After homeschooling since kindergarten, we put our oldest in school two years ago as a fifth grader. This year our younger son followed in his footsteps. We chose to take the public school route for many of the reason the Pritchards laid out in this book, after laying a strong foundation at home. I appreciated the encouragement and practical examples and ideas found in Going Public. Some of it is just common sense -- involvement and such, but it also reaffirmed and strengthend my resolve to be as active as possible and to parent intentionally.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely influential to me as a parent. No matter what route you take for schooling your children, your will find David Pritchard's philosophy on parenting and schooling your children very Biblical, practical, intentional, and challenging. This book addresses the common fears many parents feel about public school as well as encourages them in the endeavor. I felt like every question I had was answered and even more so! Great book!

[Leanne Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very balanced and insightful view of the public education system. Helpful advice on utilizing public schools, and a solid reminder that children benefit greatly from a home life that is full of educational opportunities as well. Written by a family who appear to "walk the talk".

[Ty Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were enough parenting style differences in the how parts to prevent this from being a 5-star book for me, but the arguments for why Christian kids should go to public school is spot on. Corrie and I had already been thinking that public school would be the best option for our children, but this book really solidified my reasoning.

There’s one analogy in particular from the end of the first chapter that I think I’ll be retuning to often in future conversations:

None of us who have children want them to drown. But how can we prevent it?

One way is to keep them away from bodies of water deeper than two feet. It works. Kids won’t drown if they don’t get into deep water.

But we can also guard them from drowning by another method: teaching them to swim. Though it isn’t foolproof, it works rather well and provides more freedom.

In the same way, we should teach our kids to “swim” against the currents of the world. Avoidance of the world is ineffective—children eventually go away to college or start their own lives and encounter all the things we guarded them from.

They will be more ready to face worldly currents if we have taught them to swim.

The rest of this book will provide, in a sense, swimming lessons. They are based on the premise that the public school is an excellent pool in which to train our young sons and daughters. Yes, it’s deep and noisy and the water’s cold and sometimes the chlorine gets in your eyes. Sometimes you get splashed by other swimmers. But this is preparation for even bigger bodies of water to come. Someday they’ll have to swim in Lake Michigan or Puget Sound. Might as well get started learning now.

My Christian school education did not teach me to “swim”, and I suffered unnecessarily because of that after I left home.

What’s worse, the nature of Christian schooling implicitly taught me that God’s presence and power were limited to “Christian bubbles”, and if I stepped out of those bubbles for too long, the world would corrupt me. But that’s not true. The whole earth belongs to God, and God is with me wherever I go in it. And while in the Old Testament, God’s people were instructed to maintain strict separation from other peoples to avoid being corrupted, that’s one of the major differences introduced in the New Testament. The influence now works the other way around: our holiness rubs off on the nonbelievers we associate with.

[Blythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A faith-based defense of public schooling: your child can grow into a godly person of integrity and character not in spite of public school, but thanks to public school, the opportunities it presents, and the opportunities for intentional parenting it presents.

I was encouraged by the authors’ convictions of trusting God with our children instead of attempting to over control, praying for their sin to be revealed at an early age so parents can help them navigate their own hearts and learn to trust the Lord, viewing public schools as a mission field, seeking diverse environments for their children to experience, submitting to authority and teaching kids to do so even when it’s tough, instructing kids to navigate real-world issues in age-appropriate chunks/stages from an early age while under their parents’ roof, teaching kids to engage in real-world conflict in redemptive ways, teaching self-control as a necessary and valuable virtue, etc., and how public schooling provides these specific opportunities (though not necessarily exclusively).

All that said, we had already decided on public school when I picked this up, so I’m not sure if this book is helpful to someone who’s on the fence. Also, I would love an updated version; because it’s 10 years old, give or take, parents are now facing issues that perhaps the authors didn’t face when their kids were in school [e.g. school shootings, lockdown drills, walkouts, etc.].

Also, I had actually hoped this book was more of a guide for being a light in public schools and teaching your children to do the same without compromising our way of life as believers—a kind of how-to book for navigating the brokenness of the world as seen in public schools, how to teach children to engage the world while simultaneously protecting their hearts, how to love big and well as a family, etc. This book touched on that but only briefly. It’s not a fault of the book’s—it’s just not what it is.

I deeply appreciate this book and what it accomplishes, as well as this family and how they have approached education and child rearing.

[Stacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! Every Christian family not homeschooling their kids should read this. (And homeschooling families should read it so they can recommend it and encourage and pray for their brothers and sisters in Christ whose kids are in public schools.)

As our children entered into a local charter school (instead of homeschooling) my husband and I were very convicted that we are in charge of our children's education and that we are using resources offered to us. We've been very involved with the school, their homework, and becoming more regular and consistent with Biblical teaching at home. I found this book to be encouraging, empowering and convicting. I'm so thankful this was written and that I found it just before the start of a new school year.

While I understand reviews saying they come across as too perfect or formulaic - I wish they would have at least acknowledged that they've failed at times and learned from their mistakes - but they were also very clear... You don't have to do everything exactly like them, but be involved and be focused on Biblical discipleship of your children. The harshest critique that homeschoolers have of public-schoolers is that we are not discipling our children. This book was a way of showing that not only can public school parents disciple their children, but they can do it well.

[Claire Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

FULL of scripture and encouragement. A must read for any parent, whether or not you opt in to public school. The Pritchards give so many practical tips for raising kids to be obedient, kind, self controlled students who love the Lord above all else.

The takeaway: public school is an excellent option for Christian parents who are willing to be intentional and accept the spiritual challenge and responsibility that must come with it. This book gives tips on supplementing public education with Christian viewpoints and resources, raising confident and respectful kids that can defend their faith to both teachers and peers, and it reminds parents that no matter where you send your kids to school, you are always their number one educators, and should “home school” in addition to public school.

Loved this quote at the end. “Even if you choose a Christian school or homeschool setting, don’t be afraid of the public school scene. If you are, Satan wins twice. He keeps you and your children in a state of uncertainty about God’s power in this world. And he prevents those who need God’s love from getting close to the very people who could bring it to them.”

[Meghan Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

We recently re-enrolled our son back into public school. I remember hearing a podcaster a few years ago stating this book convinced her to pursue public school for her kids, so I picked it up as encouragement for sending our son back. Though it did have practical wisdom for engaging the public school system as a parent, I felt the majority of the book was addressing how to parent at home, and I did not agree with their parenting views or tactics. I felt there was unintended shame placed on those who do not parent the same way they choose to, or who chose the same schooling option as them. Also, I felt the book lacked authenticity. There is no way their family is that perfect all the time, and I would have loved to have seen more authenticity and vulnerability in addressing public school matters. Granted, this was written in 2008, but I wish it would have had more of the practical wisdom and less of the ‘our parenting is the only and best way’.

[Elizabeth Sperlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When Christian parents talk to us about their concerns with public education, they usually bring up three things: 1) physical danger, 2) lack of academic rigor, and 3) intellectual pollution. We counter these concerns by asking gently, ‘Should we pull all missionary families with school-aged children off the foreign mission field and bring them back to America?’ Many of them live in cultures that are antagonistic, even violent, toward the cause of Christ… they and their children are at risk. Yet in the church we honor them as heroes. What a great opportunity we have in this country to live for God with our children in the middle of ‘a crooked and deprived generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe’ (Phil. 2:15), just like missionary families do. God is bigger than our culture, more powerful than the forces of darkness at work in our world. He has put us here, in this place, at this time, for a reason.”

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging book for Christian parents no matter their schooling decision. I appreciated hearing all the advice and anecdotes from experienced parents who have already been through it with their oldest kids yet are still in the thick of it with the younger ones. The book made me feel capable as a parent to tackle the difficulties of raising kids in a broken world. My only complaint is that all the big problems they talk about dealing with are surrounding other kids’ mistakes, not their own (who seem to be nearly perfect). There’s an underlying sense that if you parent right, your kids will turn out right. God doesn’t promise us that, and the book doesn’t really talk about that or how to handle things if/when your kids turn away from God. Despite that, a good read full of practical ways to encourage a heart for Christ in your kids and guide them through their school years.

[Susan Highfill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book on looking at practically raising kids in a Christian home while also public schooling. My husband and I are firmly set on sending our kids to public school because we desire to fully immerse our whole family in our community. The Pritchard family give great examples of how to do this well.

The reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 was because I think it is a little too perfect. Every outcome has a positive ending and they both seem like perfect parents all the time. I do not at all feel this was the intention but I do wish they would have added more in on their failures and recovering from those. Overall I would highly recommend for any Christian parent who is sending their kids to public school.

[Kelsey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because we were unsure about whether to homeschool our kids or send them to pubic school. To be honest, we still don't know! But, this book gave a lot of practical ideas about how to help your children stand strong in their faith in the public system. It's not about creating little evangelists, it's about approaching public school as a family and elements you need to focus on to provide your children with a stable foundation as they go out into the world.

[Karri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at least once a year. The Pritchard family is incredibly inspiring. Up to this point, we've homeschooled. My kiddos will be entering public school this fall. Thank you, Kelli and David, for equipping parents with tools to navigate challenges and thrive where they and their family's are planted.

[Lexi Zuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a homeschooling mom, I wanted to read this book to challenge me and give an alternative perspective on public school. The Pritchard family has truly given me much to think and pray about. I am so thankful they wrote this book. I think it would be a huge blessing to any Christian family heading into the public school system. May we seek above all else the glory of God!