Religion+and+Public+Schools

=The Presence of Religion in the Public School System=

Collected by Kylie Carlson
Religion is a powder keg subject that cannot be ignored by the public school teacher. Most schools today operate "religion-blind" but Vivian Paley demonstrated in //White Teacher// that divisive topics should not be ignored but integrated into the conversation of the classroom. Religion affects the way students view the world, colors their vocabulary, and can cause serious miscommunication. It is important for future teachers to understand the legal and cultural background of this subject before entering the classroom to avoid possible land mines and allow open conversation. These articles were found using the ERIC article database and the CQ Researcher library. I've tried to present a range of pieces rather than just legal discussion.

//[|The Establishment Clause and Public Schools in the 21st Century]// Epley, B Glen (2007, September). The Establishment Clause and Public Schools in the 21st Century. //National Association of Secondary School Principals. NASSP Bulletin,// //91(3),// 181-200.

• I trust this article's reliability because comes from a long standing educational association bulletin, it is well referenced, and the author holds a PhD in Education from Duke. • This article looks at the current Establishment test, dubbed the Lemon test after the 1971 Lemon vs Kurtzman, and alternatives. With the current Supreme Court the Lemon test future is very uncertain, but an alternative is slow to show. In 1984 the Endorsement test was introduced to try to replace the Lemon test but instead became a co-patriot of it. The next section details the school prayer cases that have been tested against Lemon. The next section is devoted to the Intelligent Design cases, kicking things off with a Scopes trial reference. Following that is an interesting section on the distribution of relgious materials by schools and on school property. Finally a miscellaneous section discussed religious groups using school property and the observance of religious holidays. Epley concludes this article by restating that there is no clear cut guide to these issues on the imperfect guidance found in the Lemon and Endorsement tests. • It is important for future teachers to be aware of the legal guidelines and complications attached to the subject of religion and the public school system. This article is very well written and clearly lays out the past and more importantly current legal rulings on public school cases. If you only read one of these article I would suggest this one, it's dense but worth it.

[|Imaginative Engagement with Religious Diversity in Public School Classrooms] Kunzman, Robert (2006). Imaginative Engagement with Religious Diversity in Public School Classrooms. //Religious Education, 101(4)//, 516-531.

• This article comes from a peer reviewed journal and is well referenced. • Kunzman begins by stressing the role of the school in crafting citizens that need to function in a multicultural world. The article then turns to three main outcomes of this type of engagement: not just knowledge but appreciation (not approval), expansion of empathetic understanding, and the opportunity for students to connect heir own experiences to the material. These outcomes are reached through role playing, field trips, and art and literature which combine the students brains and hearts leading to Imaginative Engagement. • Half the reason I chose this article was to throw a bone to all the experiential education adherents in this course. The other half was because it creates a way for students of various ages to engage in learning the why's, how's, and what's of a ethical/religious system rather than a religion's basic creed. This article points out the civic benefits of engaging with a ethical system beyond your own and how this engagement can be found within the bound of the public school system.

//[|Religion in Schools: Should the Courts Allow More Spiritual Expression?]// Marshall, P. (2001, January 12). Religion in schools. //CQ Researcher//, //11//, 1-24. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from CQ Researcher Online.

• This article is a general overview of a wide variety of issues within this topic but is well referenced and included many links to more specialized sources for additional information. • Religion, or at least Christianity, has re-emerged in the public school in the past few years and so have the debates. Many administrator are confused over the legal guidelines and other groups sincerely believe that public schools are harming students due to their secularism. Next Marshall looks at some of the specific questions being asked: 1) are barriers to prayer are too rigid? 2) are Christian groups "sneaking" religion into schools? 3) Should taxpayer supported vouchers help parents send their children to privet or religious schools? There are no answers to these questions but plenty of controversy. Marshall then steers the article to a historical look, tracing American schooling from the church school, the common school, the supreme court decisions limiting school lead religious expression, and Bush's impact on the system. • This article presents a general overview of the subject and introduces the reader to the controversy is a much more real way then the other articles compiled here. It also does a good job of creating a juxtaposition between poll results and governmental doctrine.

[|The Bible Makes a Comeback] Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy (2007, May). The Bible Makes a Comeback. //Education Week, 26//(37), 25-27.

• This article was featured in a large education journal. • This short article narrates the recent re-emergence of the bible in public schools as a historical and cultural piece of literature rather than a religious text. The problems educators are faced with are figuring out how to teach such a text without offending either side of the bible debate and determining a way to monitor the programs so that the state can ensure that the courses are academic rather than devotional. • This piece is important because it shows that it is possible to include "scared texts" such as the bible in the public school curriculum. It also conveys the difficulties of teaching such a text and the academic benefits for the students of a successful curriculum. It is important for future teachers to fully realize the resources available to them in the classroom and how they can be used.

[|Bible Answers]