Making The Leap

Christine and Chris dive into one of the more controversial issues in Christian education; the role of science in a biblically-based education. The Stigalls welcome guest, Nancy Reid, a middle-school science teacher at Veritas Christian Academy in Wayland, Massachusetts. Nancy was one of twelve 2022 Christian Teacher of the Year winners at the Excellence in Christian Education Awards presented by...

Christine and Chris begin today's episode discussing mental health and how education might impact the alarming statistics we see in children today. They mention some specific scenarios where increased pressure on students can easily lead to mental health issues, and how a Christ-centered education might help. The Stigalls are joined by Connor Boyak, founder of the Libertas Institute and autho...

Christine and Chris begin this week's episode by recapping their time in Washington, D.C. for the Herzog Foundation's Excellence in Christian Education Awards Gala, honoring 12 Christian teachers from across the country. To learn more about the 2022 Christian Teacher of the Year recipients, click here . If you'd like to nominate a Christian teacher in your school, visit HerzogFounda...

Christine and Chris welcome Dr. Josh Mulvihill, author of numerous books and articles on Christian life and education for this week's episode of Making the Leap. During this episode, the Stigalls cover why some might choose a Christian education, why public schools are failing Christian families and why that may be irredeemable.  Dr. Mulvihill shares the types of curriculum a Christian school...

Join Christine and Chris as they discuss the role of dads in education, and how dads can be a part of Making the Leap.  The Stigalls are joined by Adam Rizzieri, founder of the Dads and Dudes (DADs) Initiative, part of the Building Education for Students Together program at FreedomWorks. Adam, a father-to-be, details the critical role dads play in life and education, the challenges dads face today...

Christine and Chris devote a show to discussing how public schools are adopting gender ideology policies which override parental control, confuse adolescent children, and even lie to parents about what is happening with their children. They talk about the roles and limitations of teachers. Chris interviews Kimberly Hermann, General Counsel with the Southeastern Legal Foundation, who is suing the S...

Join Christine and Chris as they explore Missouri's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, Arizona's wide-ranging school choice initiative, and other school choice options. Today's guest is Missouri State Representative Josh Hurlbert. Representative Hurlbert was first elected in 2020. Hurlbert works for the Herzog Tomorrow Foundation to implement the MO Scholars program and...

Join Christine and Chris as they discuss their family's experiences with children in both public and private schools. They explore the current state of public education and examine the "culture shift" in public schools. The Stigalls are joined by their daughter, Anna, now in her second year attending a private Christian school. Anna and her parents discuss her perspective on her edu...

Many parents who are considering removing their children from public schools are immediately faced with the cost of private education, whether it's Christian or secular, private education. Some parents will never even investigate their options because the costs are daunting while others begin the process but change their minds over a lack of funds. However, many families and churches have fou...

The school choice options are endless compared to twenty years ago where Christian education alternatives such as homeschooling were viewed as unconventional and strange. More states are offering funding opportunities like education savings account programs (ESA), reallocating funds, scholarship applications, and more.    Parents are rapidly turning to these school choice opportunities as public s...

Highly polarized institutions are influencing what is being taught in public schools. Parents are taking a stand for their children; they want education not indoctrination. They want schools to get back to the basics. But public schools are prioritizing gender and race agendas over learning how to read, write, and do math. School choice and funding students directly in every state for the school a...

As the beginning of the school year approaches, more parents are considering Christian education options as the public education system continues to fail. Culture has drastically shifted the education sphere forcing teachers and administrators to explore career alternatives or leave their profession entirely. Prior to the pandemic, a subtle shift and change happened in the public education systems...

As public schools continue to shift further away from American and Christian values, school choice continues to expand in states across the nation. The result? Parents are taking their hard-earned dollars and using them elsewhere. They're spending their money at schools where teachers and administrators haven't completely abandoned patriotism and Christian values. Will the NEA and public...

Founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 2003, Faith Christian Academy now stands at the forefront of classical Christian revival as the first Christian, classical, collaborative school to be fully accredited by the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS). On this week’s episode, Chris & Christine interview Jean Auxier, the Dean of Faculty and Curriculum at Faith Christian Academy. Jean h...

Long gone are the days when school boards were simply balancing budgets and negotiating contracts. These days, school board members are shaping curriculum, pushing agendas, and doing their best to hide information from parents. On this week’s episode, Chris and Christine are joined by Ian Prior of America First Legal (AFL). As a father in Loudoun County, Virginia, Ian has seen firsthand the damage...

Bethany Mandel joins Chris & Christine to discuss her children’s book series called Heroes of Liberty. Bethany started Heroes of Liberty because she couldn't find books that were entertaining, engaging, story-driven, visually appealing AND full of love and admiration for the American values which made this country great. So, if you're concerned about the woke children’s literature in...

BONUS EPISODE: New York Times bestselling author and FOX News host Pete Hegseth joins Chris and Christine to discuss what he says is his most important book yet: A revolutionary road map to saving our children from leftist indoctrination. Battle for the American Mind is the untold story of the Progressive plan to neutralize the basis of our Republic. Pete Hegseth and David Goodwin explain why, no...

This week the Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot exclude religious institutions from government funding based solely on their religiosity. This is a huge win for the Christian education movement and the perfect way to commemorate the 10th episode of Making The Leap. Also on today’s episode, Chris and Christine interview Walter Blanks, the National Press Secretary at the American Federa...

What is the state of public education? What will public schooling look like in the next 2 years? Or 5 years? These are the questions that Chris and Christine unpack alongside their guests, Julie and Nate Brumet. Julie and Nate have both worked in public education in the state of Kansas. Like so many teachers across the nation, Nate witnessed an alarming shift in education during the COVID-19 pande...

BONUS EPISODE: Families across the nation are experiencing the homeschool awakening, taking advantage of the freedom and opportunities for self-discovery -- with the world as their classroom. Actor/producer Kirk Cameron dives into the everyday adventures of American homeschool families in his new documentary, The Homeschool Awakening coming to theaters for two nights only on Monday, June 13 and Tu...

Christian education hasn’t always been mainstream. Many parents, including Chris & Christine, just recently started exploring Christian education as a viable option for their children. Whether it was covid restrictions or political agendas hidden within curriculum, parents around the country are the waking up to the reality that is public education today. The Herzog Foundation, a nationwide Ch...

Parents and students aren’t the only ones abandoning public schools. Teachers are leaving too. Whether you’re a student, parent, or teacher, summer is the perfect time to make the leap to Christian education. On this week’s episode, Christine shares her personal experience as a public school teacher and why she decided to leave teaching years ago. In addition, Chris and Christine interview two pub...

On this week’s episode of Making The Leap, Chris and Christine discuss the culture of parent empowerment they’ve found in a Christian school setting and contrast that culture to the veil of secrecy in public schools. Public schools are hiding information from parents and taking away their power. Elana Fishbein from No Left Turn in Education joins the episode to discuss the alarming curriculum shif...

On this week’s episode of Making The Leap, Chris and Christine focus on K-12 curriculum and who REALLY wields the power when it comes to children and their education. Inspiration for this episode was largely derived from a new film, “Whose Children Are They?” This groundbreaking and powerfully persuasive documentary film features brave teachers, empowered parents, and front-line experts who pull b...

Please make sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review about today’s episode. On the third episode of Making The Leap, Chris and Christine discuss the initial challenges their family faced during the switch to Christian education. From budgeting to commuting to shopping within a dress code, the transition to Christian education wasn’t always easy, but it was worth every sacrifice. Chris a...