![\"\"](\"https:\/\/faith-blog-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/20170523133744\/Serving_Our_Public_Schools-e1299793422257.jpg\" "\\"Serving_Our_Public_Schools\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Recently one of our staff members attended a meeting hosted by two political figures explaining possible legislation that could impact the funding formula for Indiana public schools.\u00a0 The attendees were primarily public school educators who were understandably concerned about the future.\u00a0 A one point a teacher rose to her feet and said,<\/p>\n
“Teaching used to be a noble profession.\u00a0 That isn’t true any more.\u00a0 I could not in good conscience encourage a young person to go into education today.\u00a0 It’s just not worth it.”<\/em><\/p>\n I wonder how many teachers feel the same way today?<\/p>\n I don’t pretend to have the magic bullet when it comes to solving the educational challenges faced by our state.\u00a0 It is disconcerting that we continue to spend significantly more money per pupil with marginal results.\u00a0 Our state simply does not have the fiscal ability to continue to increase our financial support for education without significantly raising taxes.\u00a0 “We can’t afford it” is a phrase that seems to be lost on many people in this debate.<\/p>\n On the other hand, teachers report that they face greater expectations with fewer resources all the time.\u00a0 In many schools, elementary teachers no longer have prep periods\u00a0or speciality teachers to supplement the curriculum.\u00a0 They carry loads of work home each night and weekend yet read endless reports about how poorly our schools are doing.\u00a0 Working in\u00a0an discouraging environment like that can be exhausting over time.<\/p>\n The apostle Paul concluded his letter to Titus by saying,<\/p>\n Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful (Titus 3:14).<\/em><\/p>\n Place that verse next to the teacher’s comment mentioned above in your mind and see if a solution emerges.\u00a0 What a great opportunity for the church to marshall our resources to be a blessing to the good people who are doing their best to educate our community’s children in our local schools.<\/p>\n Let’s put feet to Paul’s command to “engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs.”\u00a0 You probably know that a new public elementary school is being constructed one-half mile south of our church and is scheduled to open this fall.\u00a0 Scott Grass, the administrator of Faith Christian School, has volunteered to lead an initiative to explore as many ways as possible to lighten the load of our new educational neighbors and be a blessing to them in as many ways as possible.<\/p>\n Scott has already been in contact with our county’s School Superintendent and the new school’s principal to let them know of our willingness and desire to serve them.\u00a0 Here’s a list of some of the ways we may be able to be a blessing to them:<\/p>\n We do not know how many of these ideas might become realities at the new public school.\u00a0\u00a0Over the years we have\u00a0learned the importance of “walking before we run.”\u00a0 So it may be years before we have developed the kind of trusting relationships necessary to have a genuine community partnership.\u00a0 But you have to start somewhere.<\/p>\n What do you think of these ideas and how would you add to the list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A complicated issue for our state<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A great opportunity\u00a0for the church<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
What do you think?<\/strong><\/h2>\n