By law, public schools must obey the constitutional separation of church and state. Public schools welcome a diverse range of students from all walks of life who deserve a high-quality education in a school where they feel welcomed and included. For these reasons, according to Pew Research Center, public school teachers may be prohibited from promoting prayer and most other religious activities to their students.1
Although a public school teacher may teach about religion, they cannot provide religious instruction. If you decided to work in a public school, you would not be prohibited from practicing your faith on school grounds. You would be free to pray as you see fit. However, you would not be legally allowed to lead your students in prayer or to encourage them to pray, as this would violate their constitutional rights.1
If you feel called to teach in a school where you may be able to embrace your faith more fully and incorporate God and Christianity into your lessons, then becoming a teacher or other education professional at a Christian school may be the right move for you. As with any workplace, teaching at a Christian school can require you to abide by the school’s mission and policies. You are encouraged to do your research on the schools you are interested in to see if your goals and their expectations are aligned.