According to a recent article in the Washington Post, some 65% of “teachers said that they limited their instruction because they were afraid of upsetting parents… and felt uncertain about whether their school or district leaders would support them if parents expressed concerns.” To varying degrees, teachers in more progressive and in more right-leaning areas admitted as much though, according to the author, teachers were more likely to suppress classroom content in areas where former President Trump received the majority vote in 2020.
The encouraging part of this story is that more teachers care how parents will respond to what their children are being taught. This is certainly an improvement over treating children as if they are the property of the state or the school. For too long and for too many, parental involvement has been limited and even discouraged, left up to “experts” to determine what is and is not appropriate content for kids.
Beyond the parent/teacher dynamic, there is another, troubling side to this story. Regardless of political leanings, when the place of truth within education is unclear and uncertain, and the role of the teacher as a representative of truth is compromised, the educational project has lost its way. The clear implication for learners and teachers is that truth is merely subjective and should be changed to fit the mood of the day. In fact, according to the ever-increasing Critical Theory mood dominating education in the Western world, any claim to objective truth is viewed as an oppressive power play rather than an accurate reflection of reality.
It’s inevitable that teachers will instruct their students according to the worldviews dominating the educational system. So, it shouldn’t surprise us when teachers alter content to better fit the cultural mood, especially if it means escaping the backlash of a polarized age. But, this isn’t education. At best, it’s confusion. At worst, it’s propaganda.
Compromising truth for the sake of peer pressure doesn’t bring clarity. It only reinforces a murky view of the world. As C.S. Lewis warned, “If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth—only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”
Lewis’ words are a necessary rebuke in our culture, too. Truth is objective, that which corresponds to what is real and ultimately grounded in the God who made the world and reveals what is true to humanity. To help students rightly understand the world in which we live, educators must first acknowledge the reality of the God who created the world and the objective basis for truth that He provides.
The surge in enrollment in Christian education over the past few years is an encouraging sign. In fact, both parents and educators have moved en masse from state run options to private, Christian ones, a move that seems to point to a shifting mood about education itself. In a recent New York Times article about school choice, the superintendent of public instruction in Arizona Tom Horne was quoted as saying, “Nobody can do a better job of choosing what’s best for the child than the parents.” The freedom to confidently make educational decisions based on truth is a driving factor for educators and families.
To support Christian educators in their work at this incredibly important time in American educational history, the Colson Center is partnering with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to offer the Rooted Educator Worldview Summit. Held this June 24-27, in Black Mountain, NC, the summit will feature leading voices on essential issues of Christian education, including how to communicate biblical truth, especially on issues related to identity; how to engage Critical Theory and gender confusion; and how to cultivate within students a love for what is true. To learn more about the Rooted Educator Worldview Summit, visit acsi.org and click on “featured event.”
This Breakpoint was co-authored by Stefan Wilson. If you’re a fan of Breakpoint, leave a review on your favorite podcast app. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.
Image credit: ©GettyImages / monkeybusinessimages
John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.