What Happened to the America I Knew?

When talking to parents, donors, and business partners there seems to be a common theme and question woven among most conversations: what happened to the America I knew and grew up in? Classical Christian schools are working hard to address these concerns and we are having incredible success in doing so.

The Concerns

People over the age of 35 are noticing that culture is shifting fast and not in a direction that they feel is positive. There are three areas that this question usually revolves around:

1. The Decline of the Traditional Family Children are less likely than ever to live in the home with both biological parents. In fact, according to Pew Research, the United States has highest rate of single parent households (23%) in the entire world. According to the APA 40-50% of all marriages end in divorce.

2. The Decline of Faith Americans are less likely than ever before to believe in God or a higher power. Gallup polls has been tracking the religious preferences of Americans since the end of World War II and the statistics are staggering:

   • 1948: 69% Protestant, 2% no religion

   • 1958: 70% Protestant, 1% no religion

   • 1968: 67% Protestant, 3% no religion

   • 1978: 60% Protestant, 7% no religion

   • 1988: 57% Protestant, 7% no religion

   • 1998: 58% Protestant, 6% no religion

   • 2008: 47% Protestant, 12% no religion

   • 2018: 35% Protestant, 20% no religion

   • 2023: 33% Protestant, 22% no religion

   There is concern that some have replaced the role of God with trusting the government to solve their problems and take care of them.

3. The Decline of Education It doesn’t take much to see how education has changed. Social media is full of videos and spoofs of students that can’t answer basic questions about our country and struggle to even make eye contact with adults. In 2022 the NAEP (National Assessment of Education Program) found that only 31% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders were at or above a proficient level of reading.

Sardis and Classical Christian Education is Effectively Tackling All of These Issues

1. Family We have intentionally chosen a hybrid model because we believe that a parent’s role in their child’s life should be paramount. We also actively work and partner with parents to give the tools they need to disciple and educate their children within the support of an active, professional, and loving community.

2. Faith Most Christian schools today are not much different from government schools in the area of faith other than adding on a few Bible and theology classes. Classical Christian schools weave faith and theology into every class and every subject from PreSchool through 12th grade.

3. Education We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. We have gone back to the educational model that worked for a millennia. The same model that taught the greatest minds of all time from Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates to our Founding Fathers. Students learn phonics and math facts as well as how to draw, read/play music, and speak other languages. Then in adolescence they take classes in debate, rhetoric, and government systems. Classically educated students are more prepared than any other for the workplace and/or higher education.

Classical Christian Education has Proven Success

In the Winter of 2019, the results of study done on education via a partnership between the Association of Classical Christian Schools and the University of Notre Dame were released. They did a comparative study of graduates ages 24-42 from six different educational backgrounds: public, private, prep, catholic, evangelical, homeschool, and classical Christian. The results were beyond incredible. If you want to see how Classical Christian Education is working to change the course of culture for generations to come you simply have to read what has been labeled The Good Soil Study findings.

To over-summarize, graduates from a Classical Christian school far outperformed all their peers in every area of life including but not limited to:

• SAT and ACT scores

• College Admission Rates

• Church Attendance and Involvement

• Life Satisfaction

• Job Retention

• Community Service and Community Involvement

Those involved in the Classical Christian Education movement, whether it be staff, board members, parents, or donors are so hopeful for the future because of this resurgence of classical Christian education. The students in these programs are bringing back the culture of America that so many of us know and love.