Published on September 29, 2024, 12:43 am

Christian pastor and author, Denny Burk, recently criticized The Louisville-Courier Journal in a public post for what he termed as a “deliberate attack on Christian schools.” His comments are aimed at the newspaper series against Highlands Latin School. According to Burk, the objective of said articles is to dissuade people from supporting Amendment 2 and school choice by disseminating misleading information about Christian educational institutions.

Amendment 2, which is up for vote this November, proposes empowering the General Assembly to back students’ education costs from kindergarten through twelfth grade who are not part of the public school system. This has been seen as a direct threat by leftist monopolies and teachers’ unions prompting them to incite fear among Kentucky voters against the amendment.

In their report on Highlands Latin School, reporters Josh Wood and Krista Johnson shared the remarkable journey of the Lowe family’s small home-school transitioning into a progressively expanding network of classical Christian private schools. Although they begun on an affirmative note, frequently using the term “empire” could be construed as negative portrayal.

This narrative was carried forward through an op-ed written by columnist Joseph Gerth questioning if Amendment 2 could redirect tax contributions towards private schools where mistreatment is alleged. Gerth engages readers with prospects of tax money possibly funding private schools where academic excellence outweighs student well-being and emotional stability.

However, these accusations have been met by testimonies from parents and former pupils who report satisfying experiences with Highlands Latin School (as indicated in numerous social media commentary). Furthermore, a teacher at Highlands Latin defended her institution via her own column in The Louisville-Courier Journal emphasizing how beneficial she found it compared to her time in public customs.

Nevertheless, one key element seems overlooked: parental discretion in choosing what suits their child’s needs best. Schools such as Highlands Latin witness consistent enrolment because parents realize its value; schools focused mainly on challenging academia become safe havens for children fleeing dangerous public schools. The increasing popularity of this educational model stands in stark contrast to nearby public schools plagued by violence and disappointing academic standards.

The premise is this; more merit, more excellence equals fiercer opposition from the leftist movements. Emphasizing school choice forces them into defence mode over their fear of losing significant funding otherwise directed towards struggling public education.

School choice development has seen notable victories across various states with polls indicating majority desires for more flexible options. Recognized as a critical contemporary civil rights issue, school choice proposes an alternative that opposes globalists and statists who prefer truancy within government institutions, offering parents various enticements to ensure acceptance.

Hence, as Kentucky steps closer to its vote on Amendment 2, it calls upon its citizens’ ability to discern real and trusted news based on grounded Christian worldview views from falsehoods. The battle lines are drawn between promoting individual educational choices against conforming to the standard one-size-fits-all narrative catered mainly for the majority. As Paula Bolyard said: “Hopefully, Kentuckians will see through the lies and disinformation and vote to approve school choice in the state.”