Christian Day Schools

The term Christian day school is used to distinguish the diverse elementary and secondary institutions founded by evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants since the late 1960s from older schools established by Protestant denominations, such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, that often date to the 19th century. Once among the most ardent supporters of public education, since the mid-1960s a growing number of conservative Protestants have dissented from major trends in American culture and its school systems. Some have attempted to “reclaim” or “resacralize” public education, whereas others have exited government schools for Christian day schools or homeschooling.

Much has changed in the United States since the genesis of modern public education in the mid-1800s. Conservative Protestantism no longer shapes American culture and the public schools as it did in the 19th century. The 20th century witnessed its gradual decline as the dominant culture-shaping force and the growing influence of secularism, particularly among social elites. On the other hand, the public outcry following the 1962 and 1963 Supreme Court decisions declaring state-sponsored prayer and devotional Bible reading in tax-supported schools unconstitutional, the resurgence of evangelicalism amid the cultural and political crises of the 1970s, and the political activism of conservative Protestants at the national, state, and local levels suggest that a significant minority of the general public is very uncomfortable with a quasi-official secular worldview and a public square devoid of symbols of America's Christian heritage.

Profoundly dissatisfied with what they perceive to be the secularistic, not neutral, belief system embodied in the public school curriculum, unsatisfactory behavioral and academic standards, and the centralized control of public education, a growing number of conservative Protestants have tried to regain control of their children's education, which they believe has been usurped by secular elites, the courts, teacher unions, federal government, and “educrats.” Since the 1960s, they have utilized several strategies. For example, some evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants have sought to incorporate theistic symbols and perspectives in the public schools through, for example, urging consideration of creationism or intelligent design in science classes, posting Ten Commandments plaques in schools, and advocating history texts that recognize the influence of Christianity on the development of the United States and sex education curricula that stress abstinence. Others have protested the use of curricular materials that they believe advance secularism (e.g., certain home economics and literature texts), have sought to have their children exempted from exposure to the offending materials, or have requested complete removal of these materials from the school curriculum. Still other conservative Protestants have forsaken their historic commitment to public schools and either looked to the private institutions to provide an education congruent with their beliefs or opted for homeschooling.