Growing up in a polygamous colony, Samantha was heavily indoctrinated by her family, church and community — all of whom strictly adhered to the same cultish practices. Samantha had no reason to question this lifestyle; she knew nothing else.

When Samantha’s parents enrolled her in public school, she began to imagine freedom from colony oppression. There she met her best friend, Rachel — a Christian who did not reject her because their beliefs differed. Samantha turned to this life-long friendship, born and nurtured in the corridors of a public school building, with her unanswered questions.

Today, largely due to the faith of Rachel and her Christian family, Samantha and her three children are Christians. What’s more, eight of Samantha’s nine siblings have embraced Christianity as well.

As an at-home Christian mom and former teacher, I have been contemplating my children’s education since my first ultrasound. I have given serious consideration to home and private schooling. However, because of stories like Samantha’s, my husband and I have deliberately opted for public school.

I believe free public education for all children is one of our nation’s greatest opportunities. I believe strongly in the hearts, motives and methods of most teachers. And, I believe in the power of God to use Christian parents and students to positively influence our country’s educational system. But we will only affect change if we participate in the process.

We cannot be salt and light if we completely remove ourselves — and, therefore, our values — from the very places we are most needed. If all Christian parents withdraw their children from public schools, who will encourage and support Christian educators? Who will promote standards and curricula that adhere to God’s righteousness? Who will oppose agendas that have no place in our classrooms?
Perhaps my background as a teacher colors my opinion. I know countless teachers whose dedication to their students soars high above their job requirements. Many spend their summers in training and their weekends planning and grading.

At Paonia Elementary School in Colorado, a group of teachers meets regularly before school to pray for their students and for God’s direction in their teaching. This school consistently excels in test scores and commendable strides in student achievement. Clearly God is blessing the efforts of these faithful teachers who unite to promote morals and character as they strive to model Jesus.

Theirs is not a unique story. Christian parents who seek them will find like-minded educators in public schools.

Groups like Moms in Touch meet weekly to pray for local students and teachers. It requires little more than an ad in the newspaper and a willing leader to start a lunch-hour prayer group. In Old Testament times, the petitions of one faithful man often protected entire nations from destruction.

When parents send their children to school with prayers for God’s protection, He is with them. When children whisper prayers for courage or wisdom, God’s power is present in their classrooms. When we pray for our children’s teachers, principals, and friends, there is God — all over campuses, all over this country.

The only way to expel God from schools is to expel those who carry Him in their hearts. And the only way to remove prayer from schools is to remove those who pray. When we choose home and private schools, are we doing just that?

Students in Texas started the first See You at the Pole (SYATP) prayer circle around the flagpole at their schools in 1990. Now, more than three million students annually participate on the fourth Wednesday in September in See You at the Pole day.

One September morning I saw out my school office window nearly 50 teens boldly encircling the flagpole, hands held and heads bowed. I was touched by their courage, and ashamed of my cowardice. Finally I pushed aside my fear of being ostracized by fellow teachers and went outside to join them. Two other teachers and I were welcomed into their circle. Every fall, students in all 50 states and over 20 other countries prove that young believers make a difference in their schools.

Public schools are mission fields in which parents and children stand for our beliefs. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). If we learn all about God and know our Bibles forward and backward but never step beyond Christian circles, are we doing what God has called us to do?

Will we be another bright bulb in a well-lit room, or will we bravely step out into the darkness to shine a light for those who cannot see?

Our schools are filled with lost children. Will we seek and love them, trusting God to be victorious as He promised? Fifth grader Hannah Kassebaum comes home from public school and prays with her parents for the specific needs of struggling peers. She boldly proclaims herself a Christian in school reports and assignments. Although Kassebaum has expressed concerns about starting middle school, when her mom suggested attending a charter school, she said, “I want to stay in public school. I think it’s important for me to learn to stand up for myself. If I don’t learn it now, then I will really struggle in college.” Students like Kassebaum shine in their schools.

Every Thursday after kindergarten one of my daughter’s classmates spends the afternoon at our house while her mom works. One day she and my daughter were talking about the Book of Mormon. My daughter said, “The Bible says we are not supposed to add to it because God tells us everything we need to know in the Bible.” There was a time when I would have discouraged this friendship, but remembering that Samantha became a Christian against so many odds, we continue to open our arms to my daughter’s friend and her family.

Jesus came to love and heal the Gentiles as well as the Jews. He walked among the hurting. To follow His example, my children and I will work together to ensure that God’s influence remains in our public schools. I trust God to protect my children as they share His grace with those who don’t already know they have it.