“Evangelical Christian Academy exists to partner with parents and their church to educate, equip, and empower students to pursue their purpose in Christ.” ECA Mission Statement
During the course of this week, Betsy DeVos has undergone her Senate Confirmation Hearings prior to being cleared to serve as our new Secretary of Education. Her views on school choice have drawn mixed reviews. Simply put, she is an advocate for parental choice in educational options in America. Having a leader with this philosophical bent may bring significant change to the educational arena in our country. While the wheels of government can turn slowly, it will be interesting to see if her influence can make a difference.
I have been keeping a close eye on this topic for many years. In fact, many of you may not realize that we applied for ECA to be an approved school for Douglas County’s “Choice Scholarship Program.” Though we were approved, this program is still wrapped up in the courts, but it played a significant role in raising school choice awareness in our State. Currently, there is proposed legislation to approve tax credits (both individual and corporate) to provide funding for Scholarship Granting Organizations which could be dispensed to parents for schools of their choosing. I am told by a very reliable source that this legislation will likely pass in the Colorado Senate this year but is much less likely to pass in the Colorado House of Representatives. This is yet another step in the movement toward affirmative school choice for parents in Colorado; and, if approved, ECA could become quite affordable to a vast number of families.
Several years ago only a handful of States had working initiatives to provide school choice options for their residents. Today, just under half of the States have approved choice legislation. Next week I have the privilege to speak on the steps of our City Hall about school choice for all Colorado students. I believe Colorado is now on a path to approve such legislation with the next few years.
In Loco Parentis
I believe it is certainly biblical for parents to be in control of the education of their children. Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Not only are parents to be active in training, but notice the “indoctrination” concept here, too: “in the way he should go” gives impetus to the spiritual, moral, and character development of a child as well.
The Latin phrase “in loco parentis” means “in the place of the parents.” Indeed, ECA serves as a partner with “the parents” as they partner with us in the education of their children. I am convinced that every school has some element of indoctrination worked into its ways of operation; at ECA, it is our privilege and pleasure to partner with Christian parents in shaping the hearts and minds of their children in Christ.
Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) are Already in Place
Several years ago, it could be said that almost every ECA family was completely responsible for paying tuition for their children. Today, ECA is partially-funded from outside sources for approximately one fifth of our students! These funds are made available through SGOs (like ACE and Parents Challenge), churches, and charitable friends of ECA. Perhaps someday soon this availability of support will expand even further.
Tell Someone About Evangelical Christian Academy
You might be surprised just how many families would even now be able to afford the Classical Christian education available at ECA. If our school is the “right school” for a family, please pray with me that a way can be made for them to enroll this year!
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