Center for Christian Virtues loving Ohio kids left to fail. Critics wrong. | Opinion

Is the Christian thing to do to turn a blind eye to this tragedy? Would it be to advocate for more money towards a system that is already flush with cash?

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Aaron Baer is president of the Center for Christian Virtue.

Parents deserve options, competition and constitutional clarity — not fearmongering.

A February Dispatch guest column by teachers’ union gadfly William Phillis criticizing the Center for Christian Virtue is a case study in how teachers’ unions attempt to distract and divert the public’s attention away from the education crisis facing Ohio.

Tracking Phillis’ rants can be difficult. But in his piece, he manages to attack the Center for Christian Virtue for advocating for parental choice, goes on a rambling pseudo-legal argument about the First Amendment, and ends with a complete butchering of Jesus’ words. 

What his column never does is address the plight of Ohio’s kids in a failing education system created by the teachers’ unions. Because for Phillis and his friends, this discussion is not about the kids — it’s about protecting their monopoly and the billions of dollars that flow through their system. 

William Phillis: Center for Christian Virtue’s hands are in our purse. It’s not what Christ would do

The numbers don’t add up

This system needs reform from the ground up. And that’s what Center for Christian Virtues’ work is all about. 

At its core, CCV’s education agenda is about expanding opportunity, strengthening parental authority and ensuring more families can access schools that meet their children’s needs.

Through our advocacy for EdChoice and other scholarship pathways, CCV has helped broaden access to nonpublic education for families who previously had few realistic options. 

Critics like Phillis describe this as “diverting” public funds. The numbers tell a different story.

The combined cash reserves of Ohio’s school districts now exceed $10.5 billion, nearly triple what they were just 12 years ago. Yet three out of five Ohio fourth graders are not proficient in math and two out of three struggle with reading, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ latest report.

Columbus City Schools tells the same story.

In fiscal year 2019, the district enrolled 48,927 students, spent $21,336 per pupil, and ended the year with a $229 million cash balance. By 2025, enrollment had dropped nearly 10% to 43,998. Yet per-pupil revenue rose 8% to $23,166, and cash reserves grew 62% to $372 million.

Despite higher funding and larger reserves, academic outcomes remain troubling: Just 25% of Columbus City Schools eighth graders are proficient in reading, and only 23% are proficient in math.

Simply pouring more money into underperforming public schools and into the political priorities of teachers’ unions has not produced the academic gains families were promised.

We must stop blindly throwing money away

That’s why the Center for Christian Virtues advocates for expanding educational options and fostering healthy competition among schools. This isn’t abolishing the public schools, this is challenging the public schools to meet the needs of families today, instead of just blindly throwing money after the problem. 

Phillis also falsely raises alarms about the separation of church and state. But the constitutional framework governing school choice is well established.

The U.S. Supreme Court made clear in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris that Ohio’s school voucher program is constitutional and that scholarship programs driven by private parental choice do not violate the First Amendment.

More broadly, Center for Christian Virtues’ education advocacy extends beyond vouchers. Through the Ohio Christian Education Network, we help communities launch new schools where demand is strong and equip educators with operational support to serve families seeking alternatives.

We also protect the religious liberty of Christian schools while expanding access to Gospel-centered education for Ohio families who choose it.

Yet what Phillis gets most wrong is his use of scripture to try to silence Center for Christian Virtues and our Ohio Christian Education Network. 

We cannot stay silent

Jesus commands his followers to “love our neighbors as ourselves,” and to care for the “least of these.”

So, as Christians, when we see a generation of American children suffering at the hands of an education establishment that is getting more money than ever and producing worse results, we cannot stay silent. 

Research from neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath revealed that Generation Z is the first generation in American history to perform worse academically than the previous generation.

Is the Christian thing to do to turn a blind eye to this tragedy? Would it be to advocate for more money towards a system that is already flush with cash? 

No. As Christians, we serve a God who cares for the “orphan, the widow, the stranger.” He loves those forgotten about by society. And there are few more overlooked today than the kids in our schools who are being starved of the educational opportunity our state has promised to provide them. 

Phillis seems upset that Center for Christian Virtues is growing and having success helping families find better schools. While he continues to call us names and criticize our work, we’ll stay focused on helping kids.

It’s what Jesus would have us do. 

Aaron Baer is president of the Center for Christian Virtue.