The Battle to Control Private and Home Schools

By Sandy Szwarc
© Szwarc 2025 

In the previous segment, Globalists’ Charter School Movement, we learned that billionaire globalists moved to indoctrinate children through charter schools that they could control. Charter schools failed to be a viable option for many Christian parents, though. Globalist stakeholders have recently turned their sights on private schools.

Private schools, even Christian ones, are not immune from globalism influences and errant curriculum. 

There are three main paths for globalism − with its anti-Christian, anti-science, anti-patriotic ideologies − to infect alternative, nonpublic schools. Private schools, even faith-based schools, online schools, and homeschools all suffer from these serious vulnerabilities: state regulations, accreditation and school associations.

All states regulate and assume responsibility over the accreditation of public schools, but they currently have far fewer regulations over private and Christian schools.

Without a “compelling state interest,” Christian schools can escape a lot of state regulations, especially concerning textbooks, curriculum, teacher certification, school and attendance records, and student performance. However, as soon as state public money gets involved, the state becomes an interested party and private schools are subject to greater scrutiny in their compliance with public state education guidelines.

This is the fundamental principle behind the push for “school choice,” as we’ll see.

State regulations of private and home schools are available at the Department of Education website. State regulations vary wildly but since the 1990s, about 96% of private schools have been accredited or comply with standards set by various national, regional or state private school organizations and maintain standards that have been recognized by education agencies.

Accreditation Myths

While “accreditation” is heavily marketed by third party vested interests, accreditation of private schools is required in only three states in the country, according to the DOE (with two other states exempting religious private schools, and two others only requiring accreditation for participation in government voucher programs). Twenty-two states have only basic curriculum requirements (reading, writing/grammar, math, science and social studies), with sixteen requiring teaching state history and constitution, and three have required curriculum only for accreditation.

Accreditation of private and Christian schools is essentially a marketing tactic, promoted by accrediting bodies, such as the Association of Christian Schools International, and school associations.

• Accreditation is marketed as a label of excellence, as meeting “quality” standards and a stamp of approval.

• Accreditation is also marketed to schools as a way to build a school’s reputation, entice parents, increase enrollment, and secure funding and donations.

• Accrediting bodies have especially convinced state education departments and policy makers to require accreditation to align “state accountability” systems that were set up with the globalism agendas in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), monitor school performance, and compel compliance with government education directives. As an accountability measure, whenever public funds are used for private schools, states can mandate accreditation and compliance with the education requirements issued by a third party accreditor.

In other words, accreditation is not just about making money, but a way for the state and stakeholders to increase control over education in private and Christian schools.

The list of accrediting bodies for U.S. schools is extensive, and states control which accreditations they will accept in order for private schools to operate in their state. In Texas, for example, all private schools must be accredited by one of the 19 agencies approved by the state, under its private school accreditation commission (TPSAC). It is exceedingly difficult for parents and the public to realize, however, that this accreditation is optional for private schools, as it is buried in fine print.

There are about 29,700 private K-12 schools in the U.S., and about two-thirds of those are religious, as of 2021-22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Most faith-based private schools use the same third party accreditations used by public schools, or use accreditation services specifically marketed to faith-based schools. Many religious schools have dual or multiple accreditations, hence answer to multiple outside third party interests.

School Associations Infusing Globalism

Most private schools and faith-based schools also belong to school associations that have significant influence on curriculum and school policies. They provide “research and statistics;” lobby legislatures for favorable policies; and work closely with politicians, media and third party accreditation bodies. Most school associations are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that do not have to reveal their donors or conflicted interests on their IRS 990 tax filings. All can surreptitiously bring globalism to their children’s education, and require close discernment by parents.

We’ll just look at the a couple of the largest and most used.

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) claims to be the largest association for independent schools, to provide leadership and collaboration with education leaders, and offer its own accreditation. However, only 1,707 private schools are part of NAIS, most secular. Not only does DEI appear throughout its online publications, its school accreditation standards use the Model Core Standards that require all school programs to adopt social-emotional learning; promote equity and diversity; foster international cultures; and adopt United Nation’s goals to “recognize global connectedness, promote a culture of global understanding, and foster a commitment to the values of sustainability in all areas including preservation of the environment.”

The National Council for Private School Accreditation includes a multitude of private and faith-based school accreditation organizations and state accreditation commissions.

All members must comply with NCPSA’s accreditation standards that are based on the National Education Technology Plan 2010 to radically transform American education, issued by the Department of Education, and published by UNESCO.

This series has extensively looked at these globalist goals to transform America’s education to their world vision. It includes social-emotional learning and technology integration; redefines core education for technology and STEM; and merges public-private interests, federal-state-local policies, teacher and school organizations and globalist corporations.

Eliminating the DOE will simply move all of its initiatives to be carried out by NCPSA member organizations.

NCPSA compliant members include the accreditation organizations used by nearly all Christian and faith-based schools in America.

 That bears repeating.

Nearly all Christian and faith-based schools in America are affiliated with NCPSA members, which means they have agreed to comply with its globalist goals for transforming America’s education. These influences may be veiled, but are embedded enough into the school curricula to have successfully been awarded NCPSA approval.

COGNIA

COGNIA (formerly known as AdvanceED) is the parent organization of NCA CASI, NWAC, and SACS CASI).

COGNI is a globalist organization and one of the world’s largest accreditation organizations for Christian and faith-based schools, charter and private schools, state education agencies, and corporations for the past 130 years.

COGNIA’s global network for sustainable improvement offers accreditation, STEM and CBE certifications. COGNIA’s Global Commission governs accreditation and certification.

Its school guidelines mirror United Nation’s sustainable education goals through UNESCO in directing schools to cultivate a sustaining culture with fairness, equity and inclusion; focus on well-being and social relationships; emphasize digital learning and technology infrastructure; collaborate with school associations such as National School Board Association and National Association of Independent Schools; emphasize diverse cultures in their curriculum; and follow American Association of School Librarians’ recommended literature and media (parents across the country have opposed the sexualized and Marxist content of school librarian books as inappropriate for children, exampled by the top 10 “challenged” books of 2024 and 2023).

It accredits over 40,000 public and private schools in over 90 countries. All public schools in Idaho, for example, are required to be accredited by COGNIA, which also accredits 42.6% of all private schools in the state.

More than 7,000 private, faith-based and independent schools are accredited by COGNIA. 

COGNIA accreditation is common among private and religious schools across the country (156 private schools in Texas and Christian schools from Dallas to Lubbock; and 63 private schools in Virginia). About 49% and 44% of COGNIA-accredited private schools in Texas and Virginia, respectively, are religious schools.

By far, the largest accreditor of Christian schools is ACSI. COGNIA is partnered with ACSI and 90% of private schools accredited by ACSI also have COGNIA accreditation.

ACSI

The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is a 501(c)(3) organization of over 26,000 international evangelical Christian schools in 108 countries, headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO. Its members say they contribute to the public good through biblically sound, socially engaged and culturally relevant content and teachers that engage in transformational teaching and discipling.

ACSI accreditation standards, called Inspire, mandate equipping students with a global perspective and connecting students with global communities; having instructional materials with biblical and global perspectives; and submitting regular reports to the global office on school demographics, faculty qualifications, and other metrics specified by the global office or divisional accreditation commission.

Under ACSI, schools must adopt its Flourishing School Culture Model with six Inspire domains to align holistic teaching and wellbeing, an integrated worldview, God’s story, and create an action plan to see transformational results. Readers of this series will recognize these globalist buzz words; even the graphics are the same.

ACSI’s Global Core Standards for teacher certification, developed by its global committee, also promotes its Flourishing School Culture model for cultural transformation, calling for “holistic” spiritual growth, and a Biblical worldview that moves “beyond a simple head knowledge of Bible content.” Its GRAACE initiative (“Gender, Race, Ability, Academic, Culture, Economic Status”) promotes worldwide unity.

It all might sound Biblical on the surface until you look closer. An example of the reality of ACSI’s “Biblical worldview for Kingdom Unity,” and its impact on Christian schools and even homeschoolers, was exposed when ACSI partnered with UnifiED Center for Unity and Hope to provide diversity, inclusion, racial reconciliation and multiculturalism training for Christian schools.

The courses, Cultivating Biblical Unity, were by Tia Gaines – who sits on ASCI’s Board of Trustees, is a faculty member of ACSI’s Flourishing School Institute, and Executive Director of UnifiED – along with her husband, Joel, ACSI’s director of leadership development. The other course developers were Jerry Nelsen, ACSI’s Chief Ministry Officer; and Walter Strickland with UnifiED’s racial and diversity curriculum. Strickland is a well known Black Christianity professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary who writes and speaks on critical race theory and systemic injustice.

Immediately, ACSI’s departure from sound Biblical teachings was recognized. Jon Harris, with Conversations That Matter, described the heresy on YouTube podcasts. Founders Ministries also released an explosive video.

Investigative series on the Biblical false doctrines in ACSI’s curriculum by Strickland and its James Cone‘s black theology influences, were published at Thirty Pieces of Silver and Capstone Report, which explained the dangers of racial identity politics and multiculturalism. ACSI’s inclusion teacher training for LGBTQ+ was also called out by Rev. Thomas Littleton.

ACSI makes no secret that it is about instilling a global perspective in Christian schools. Its Global Competencies, by its own definition, are UNESCO’s.

ACSI also operates six global divisions for its “transformative work” of global leaders and partners.

ACSI has also been an affiliate member of the World Evangelical Alliance, the largest interdenominational group of evangelical Christian churches in the world, established at Freemason’s Hall in London in 1846. It is partnered with the United Nations and has offices at the United Nations (in New York City, Geneva and Bonn). With the World Council of Churches, it participates in global interfaith events to move the world “towards greater oneness in Christ.” As Christians know, calls for Biblical unity is the false teaching of global ecumenism that God warned against 2,000 years ago. 

ACSI is the largest and most influential association of Christian schools in the world. It alone shows how far the world has fallen from Jesus’ teachings.

Next: What does school choice really mean for Christian parents and what is the purest Biblical option for their children’s education?