religion in public school presentation

8/9/2019 Religion in Public School Presentation

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Lindsay Kaye Ohlert and Mary Jo Loch

April 13, 2010: Religion in Public School

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IN PUBLIC

SCHOOLS?

TRUE OR FALSE:

1. _____ Having a daily enforced moment of silence is acceptable.2. _____ Religion-related groups can meet on campus as long as the school allows equal access to

all faiths and philosophies.

3. _____ Teacher-led prayer is acceptable as long as it is optional.4. _____ It is unconstitutional to require creationism be taught alongside evolution in science

classrooms.

5. _____ Religious texts cannot be read over the school intercom.

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS AS WE GO THROUGH THE POWERPOINT!


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Prayer and Religion in PublicSchools


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The Gist of the AU Article

Ninety percent of America's youngsters attend public

schools. These students come from homes thatespouse a variety of religious and philosophicalbeliefs. Given the incredible diversity of Americansociety, it's important that our public schools respectthe beliefs of everyone and protect parental rights.The schools can best do this by not sponsoringreligious worship. This principle ensures that

America's public schools are welcoming to allchildren and leaves decisions about religion wherethey belong with the family.


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Supreme Court Decisions

The push for religious neutrality in public schools

began in 1948 with McCollum v. Board of Education The court found religious instruction in public

schools a violation of the establishment clauseand therefore unconstitutional.


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Zorach v. Clausen, 1952

Court finds that release time from public schoolclasses for religious instruction does not

violate the establishment clause.


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Engel v. Vitale, 1962

Court finds school sponsored prayerunconstitutional.


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Abington School Districtv. Schempp, 1963

Court finds Bible reading over school intercomunconstitutional.


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Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968

Court says the state cannot ban the teaching of

evolution.


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Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985

Court finds state law enforcing a moment of silencein schools had a religious purpose andis therefore unconstitutional.


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Edwards v. Aquillard, 1987

Court finds state law requiring equal treatment for

creationism has a religious purpose andis therefore unconstitutional.


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Board of Education v. Mergens, 1990

The court rules that the Equal Access Act does not

violate the First Amendment. Publicschools that receive federal funds and maintain a"limited open forum" on school grounds afterschool hours cannot deny "equal access" to studentgroups based upon "religious, political,philosophical, or other content."


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Lee v. Weisman, 1992

Court finds prayer at public school graduation

ceremonies violates the establishmentclause and is therefore unconstitutional.


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Students can face harassment and threats basedon religion

Somali students in St. Cloud. What kind ofharassment did they face?

Harassment of Jewish students in Alabama


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"Every day that I send my children to Pike

County schools, I wonder if I am sending themin to a war zone. I feel that the environmentthreatens every value that my husband and Ihave tried to teach them at home. I have askedschool officials how I can teach my children tobe tolerant human beings and not bigots whenthey are subjected to outright religiouspersecution and bigotry in school."


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The Law

Prayer is not banned, only the leading of prayers by

school officials. Students are free to pray on theirown.

Students may read the Bible or other religious bookson their own as their schedules permit.

Religious groups may meet during non-instructionaltime if other student groups are allowed to meet.

Courses about religion are legal as long as they areobjective.

Teachers must not pressure students to take part inreligious activities. They must be neutral.


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Take Away

It is our job to help students learn, which means we

should try our best to make students feel safe andcomfortable by remaining neutral about studentsreligious backgrounds.


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As a teacher, how would you handle a situation where

1. A student asks you, What religion are you?2. Your school has both a student-run Christian group and a student-run Muslim group, and you are the

faculty sponsor of both. A Christian student joins the Muslim club, saying that he is a seeker. At

first he is a quiet observer at meetings, but eventually he begins to proselytize, including handing outBible tracts and encouraging the Muslim students to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The

Muslim students request that he be barred from attending meetings of the group.

3. A student brings a Bible for sustained silent reading time, and does all her independent readingpresentations and book reports on books of the Bible.

4. There are a handful of Jewish students at your school, and other students routinely make negativeremarks about Jews, snatch yarmulkes to play keep away, and start physical alterations while

saying anti-Jewish slurs. Other teachers encourage the Jewish students to participate in Christian

religious activities such as prayers and a nativity play. An administrator is heard to comment, "If

parents will not save souls, we have to."

5. Your school bans students from wearing crucifixes or rosaries on the basis that they have been usedas a gang symbol. Teachers are directed to request that students wearing crucifixes remove or

conceal them, and if students do not comply, they are to be sent to the office. Two noncompliant

students are suspended the first week this policy is in effect.

6. A Jehovahs Witness parent informs you that her daughter is unable to celebrate student birthdays inclass, as celebrating birthdays is against their religion.

Follow-up discussion question: What experiences have you had with religion in school? Has your own

religious background (or lack thereof) affected your educational experience?

EXIT SLIP

It ispossible to accommodate students religion-related beliefs and practices while fully following laws

regarding the separation of church and state and without discomfiting students of other faiths.

Please list a few concrete things you intend to do in your classroom to make this happen!

religion in public school presentation

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