What the Amish Can Teach Us
About Freedom and Authority in Education
When debates flare up about parental rights or the role of the state in education, one group rarely enters the fray—but quietly lives out an answer every day: the Amish.
For generations, the Amish have modeled a way of life—and a way of schooling—that places God, family, and local community far above the priorities of the state. Their story is more than a cultural curiosity. It’s a constitutional case study in what it means to live by conviction rather than compliance.
Who Are the Amish?
The Amish are a religious community with roots in 16th-century Anabaptist Christianity. Today, they live in rural enclaves across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and upstate New York. They’re known for their plain dress, horse-drawn buggies, and rejection of modern conveniences—but beneath the surface is a deeply theological worldview that centers on humility, simplicity, and separation from the world.
For the Amish, education isn’t about standardized achievement. It’s about forming young people in faith, virtue, and practical life skills—within the context of their community.
The Legal Line in the Sand: Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
In 1972, three Amish fathers were convicted for refusing to send their children to public high school, in violation of Wisconsin's compulsory education law. They appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
And they won.
In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Court ruled 7–0 that the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause protected the Amish families' decision to end formal schooling after 8th grade. The Court held that:
“The values and programs of secondary school were in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion.”
The decision affirmed that parents—not the state—have the primary right and responsibility to direct their children’s education when it stems from a “sincerely held religious belief.”
This was a groundbreaking moment in the legal recognition of religious educational sovereignty.
Why This Still Matters
The Amish don’t lobby legislators. They don’t write op-eds. But they have quietly defended a principle that’s now under pressure in nearly every state:
Education is not neutral.
It always reflects values.
And not all values are expressed in every family.
In New York, where regulations like substantial equivalency require private and religious schools to comply with public school standards, we would do well to remember that the Amish already carved out a constitutional exception—not just for themselves, but for all Americans who take faith-based education seriously.
What We Can Learn
Religious freedom isn’t just about worship—it’s about formation.
The Constitution protects convictions that run against the grain.
Communities can quietly live out resistance without seeking state approval.
The Amish teach us that living differently is not just allowed in America—it’s protected.
And in an era of expanding state oversight, vaccine mandates, and educational conformity, we must remember that the Supreme Court once said: the integrity of a parent’s vision for their child outweighs the government’s interest in compulsory schooling.
Let’s reclaim that clarity—not only for the Amish, but for all families seeking to raise children under divine authority, not beholden to bureaucratic interests.