justobserving hit the nail on the head, SimplyPut.
I couldn't fix all those things in the public schools by sending my kids there. I could fight the fight, but it wouldn't put God back in the schools RIGHT NOW for my kids. If that ever happens again, my kids will be parents or grandparents themselves. Just like you, I do the best I can when I vote, but I can't change the system simply by sending my kids to public schools. I have a ton of friends who are teachers, coaches and administrators in public schools, including 2 brothers-in-law. The public schools are full of wonderful Christian people who truly make a difference in kids' lives. But their hands are tied in a lot of ways. Believe me, I AM fighting the fight as much as anybody in the political arena. Sending my kids to private school doesn't mean that I couldn't care less about public schools. Societal issues are hugely important, no matter where your kids go to school.
Private schools are far from perfect too, though. They come with their own set of problems and limitations. It just boils down to a choice between which set of pros and cons you want for your own kids. I care a lot about the quality of the public schools. The kids coming out of school, whether my kids attend there or not, are going to be my neighbors. I want nothing but the best for them all. The fact remains that I can't control their environment, but I can control (to a greater extent) my own kids' environment. Naturally, my own kids are my #1 priority, so I'm going to try to do whatever I think is best for them.
The public schools here in Abilene aren't bad at all. Like I said, lots of my friends work there. I know they are doing good things. In fact, that is what makes it hard for our private school to grow. There isn't a "mass exodus" leaving the public schools.
We just wanted our kids to grow up in an environment that was more similar to what we grew up in. I grew up in Tulia, and I graduated high school in '84. All the years I was in school we had a prayer over the loudspeaker every morning. We said the pledge. The Ten Commandments were posted on the walls. God was welcome there. Teachers were respected by the kids. We were disciplined when it was called for, and crude/rude behavior wasn't tolerated. We learned useful knowledge rather than some of the politically correct BS that public school teachers are forced to teach these days.
That is the kind of education and environment that is only available to us today in the private school setting, so we chose that. We were blessed by scholarship money that made it possible early on, but it was still a huge sacrifice for us. I don't know the actual numbers, but I'd estimate that 75% or more of the students at our school either receive scholarship help or get discounted tuition (like we do now) because of a parent that works for ACU or ACHS (my wife now works at ACU). Ours is not a school only for rich families. We're all just regular folks that want our kids to be in a good old fashioned Christian environment at school.
But, rest assured, the public schools don't have any better political allies anywhere than they have in the families with kids in private schools. I pay property tax PLUS tuition, so I'm funding both.
