Navigating Public Schools: Charting a Course to Protect Your Child's Christian Faith and Worldview

by Stephen John Williams, Sarah Middleton Williams, Sean McDowell (Foreword)

Who Should Read This Book?
Navigating Public Schools will empower Christian parents to navigate the increasingly secular public school system with the aim to 1) cultivate strong relationships with their children in a season of immense secular pressure; 2) help their children stand firm in their Christian faith and Biblical worldview; 3) exercise their rights on campus; 4) become salt and light for Jesus Christ.

This book will also be a powerful resource for all Christians involved in schools—teachers, administrators, staff, extra-curricular groups, Christian club volunteers, youth leaders, pastors— as they learn to discern the misapplication of the "separation of church and state" and appropriately live out their Christian faith on public school campuses.

How Can This Book Help You?
For Christians, navigating the public education system is becoming increasingly daunting. Christian parents often feel anxiety about sending their children into the public school environment. Kids spend more waking hours in school than in their homes, and while there, they face many challenges to their faith. The statistics on kids and faith reveal that roughly 50-70% of Christian teens walk away from church when they leave home, and only about 10% come out of the teen years with a Biblical worldview.

Navigating Public Schools was not written to debate whether kids should be in public schools or not because the fact is, the majority of Christian kids are in public schools. Navigating Public Schools was written to parents who are hungry for guidance on this journey. As a public school teacher for ten years, Stephen saw firsthand how a child’s faith may be eroded, so he desires to equip parents and concerned adults to protect children’s faith in schools. This book is perfect for busy parents who want clear tools to navigate curriculum pitfalls, exercise their rights in schools, build a strong worldview foundation as a family, and influence the culture for Christ.

This book is meant to help Christian parents be intentional about charting a course to protect their child’s faith and Biblical worldview. But it’s not only for parents— Navigating Public Schools also equips teachers to step off the fear-induced cultural tightrope and appropriately incorporate Christianity into their curriculum. Christian educators, volunteers, pastors, and anyone who is involved directly or indirectly with public schools will learn to exercise their Constitutionally-protected rights in a respectful way.

All Christians who read this book will become more empowered to impact and protect the next generation.

230 pages, Paperback

Published February 29, 2016

Reviews

[Paul Pompa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could, I would give this four and a half stars. I thought the author did a great job at spelling out Christians’ rights in public school. I must say that I feel empowered by the information. I also feel encouraged. As a parent, I have more rights than I realized. My child has more rights than I realized. We have more options for recourse than I realized.

[K Pompa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I read this book which I find to be a necessary tool for any Christian parent with kids in the public school system. It's an important book for anyone, regardless of their belief system that cares about religious freedom. Stephen Williams does a great job informing parents how to be aware of the insidious ways the education system is trying to undermine religious freedom. He also offers many resources that can be useful to parents fighting back against secularism and historical lies/manipulation being pushed on kids in the school system.

[Eric Koehrsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much needed wisdom

This is a much needed resource for Christian parents and teachers of public school children. Beyond that, it clearly conveys Biblical wisdom for faithful believers navigating a world hostile to Christianity.

[Melody]

This book is very dry, but full of useful information for those of us who want to help make a positive impact on the public schools.

[Katherine Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I’ll say this: Navigating Public Schools breaks the stereotype of your average resource book as it’s actually a pleasure to read. Written in a clear and engaging style under an overarching nautical metaphor to thematically bind it together, it strikes the perfect balance between encouragement and practical help. While weaving in their own inspirational true story, the Williamses provide an honest look at where we are today without using scare tactics. Its well-researched appendices alone are worth the price of admission.

If I were to compile my picks of recommended resources for Christian parents, this invaluable resource would top the list. If you are a Christian with any connection to public schools — as a parent, educator, youth pastor, or even a high school student — I cannot recommend Navigating Public Schools enough. It’s also a must-have resource for any church library or parenting support group.

Having read Navigating Public Schools, I feel encouraged in my position as a Christian parent and far more confident of my children’s Constitutionally protected First-Amendment rights as students (as well as mine as their parent). These are, by the way, far greater than you may think.

After he won his legal battle with his school district, co-author Stephen Williams left public-school teaching to pursue a ministry calling. He founded Prepare the Way Ministries, which aims to “equip and empower Christians to uphold a Biblical worldview and engage an increasingly secular society” — including living out our faith in public schools. This flagship resource assists conscientious Christian parents in doing just that.

Thanks to Veritas Communications for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.