Ken Smitherman, President (retired 2009)
Association of Christian Schools International
As the Association of Christian Schools International focuses on achieving its mission of enabling Christian schools and educators worldwide, we have concluded that the most effective “enabling” fits into two crucial categories:
- Assisting our member schools to maximize the window of opportunity they have to teach and nurture the students in their care by helping them provide the very best Christian school education
- Helping our member schools to expand the window of opportunity so that more students will be able to access a Christian school education
It is this second window of opportunity that I focus on here—the tremendous challenge of helping to make Christian schooling available to vast numbers of children who, by virtue of their economic status, cannot now enjoy that privilege.
Education choice is an often divisive and troubling topic in the United States. However, we at ACSI are thrilled with this summer’s announcement by the United States Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of allowing vouchers to be used by families to choose a religious education.
I believe that the clearest and perhaps most expressive way of describing the Court’s decision in the Ohio case of Zelman v. Simmons-Harris is simply to declare that “a dark ominous cloud has been lifted.” A new ray of sunshine and hope shone on the 4,000 Cleveland children currently served by the voucher program. The high court’s decision brought a potentially bright day for thousands of other economically deprived children whose families simply do not have the financial resources to provide educational options. A major obstacle to the establishment of new voucher opportunities has been removed.
We should not conclude, however, that the battle has been won. Opponents to school choice have no intention of rolling over. Every effort will be made to halt any broadening of the use of vouchers or similar instruments to provide economic support for the economically deprived. Our response must be to prayerfully seek God’s direction as we strategize regarding this issue of justice. Christian schooling should be every family’s option. No student should be eliminated because of economic status.
The Meantime Volume 2 Number 1