I am getting many emails from teachers wanting to share their faith in a public school and are not sure what is and is not allowed.  First, let me assure you I am a born again Christian teaching in a public school.  Remember, your actions and attitude can say tons more than words.  Let me answer some of the questions I have received. 

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Email Question:  I am a Christian.  I would like to teach in the Christian schools but the pay is not enough to survive on.  Is it right for me to apply to a public school?

My Response:  Absolutely, you can and should apply to the public schools if that is where God is leading you!  First, please know that if God calls you to teach in a Christian school, He will provide you with means to "survive" on the salary they provide.  But please do not knock public education.  Christ did not associate with the "religious" only, now did He?  A doctor does not need to heal those that are healthy, he is needed where the sick are found. Bottom  line, God will place you where He wants you to be.

Email Question:  My son starts kindergarten next year and as a single mom I cannot afford private school tuition  Is the public school as bad as I been told?

My Response:  As a parent, you can make or break a child's faith by the part you play in their education.  Do not leave everything up to the teacher.  Yes, some public schools are horrible.  But those that I have worked in have some very caring teachers. My suggestion is that you meet early in the year with the teacher and express your concerns.  Then when your child brings up a question, answer it as honestly as you can.  Make the teacher aware if any thing comes up at school that really bothers your child but please do not blame the teacher.  Remember, she cannot always control what other children say to your child.

Teachers, likewise, make sure that parents hear from you if a discussion comes up at school that may concern them.  It's better if you tell them than to have a child try and explain.  The child may not understand all and the message may get garbled.

Email Question:  When is it okay to share my testimony at school?

My Response:  Verbally you cannot ever share outright what you believe with the students.  If a student brings up a question you are allowed to answer.  For example, if you give up sodas during Lent and a child asks why, you are allowed to say, "This is a practice of my faith."  Again, I urge you to have students ask their parents about these matters.  If you call the parents yourself, you may have an opportunity to share your faith.  I did.  I pray at meals and one child asked me what I was doing.  I explained simply and that night called the parents.  This parent asked me if I went to church, they told me that their parents had taken them to church as children.  This opened a whole conversation.  This parent did not accept Christ but the seed was planted. 

With fellow teachers you have more latitude but be careful, again pray and let God open the doors.  You must make sure that no students are around, like in the teachers' lounge.  If students are not present, you have the same rights as any other government employee.  One possible way to share would be to invite colleagues to a revival or special ministry.  My church has a two month service called the Living Christmas Tree every year.  One of the services is free and I always tell my colleagues about this service.  Tickets usally are not expensive for the first two weeks they go on sale and I sometimes will pay for a friend to go.  Careful, adults who do not want to hear what you have to say will try to cause more trouble.

Email Question:  Can I pray at school?

My Response:  This is a very vague question and I am not sure how to respond.  If you are asking if you can pray aloud or lead students in a prayer, the answer is no.  If you want to silently pray, does not God command us to pray without ceasing?  If your school has a moment of silence in the morning, please pray for your students.  Before your lunch meal,  silently ask God to bless it.  If you are facing a difficult theme or lesson, by all means, pray. Pray before conferences, field trips, etc.  But you must pray silently.  Remember what Christ said about the publican who wanted to make a spectacle of himself by praying in public.

Email Question:  Can I celebrate holidays at school?

My Response:  You can teach about religious holidays if you give equal time to all religious holidays to which the students will have community exposure. (Can we really do this?) but you cannot celebrate the holidays with worship.  Please see this link for a better grasp on the question.

Email Question:  Can my students share their faith? 

My Response:  Let them!  Students have more leeway than teachers.  If the child they are speaking to seems upset, I would then intervene. 

If you are a Christian teacher in a public school and are not sure what you can say or do to share your faith, please contact me.