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| A flyer advertising the school-sponsored prayer service |
Forget "teaching to the test", the premier strategy of US education thanks to Bush's No Child Left
The principal says parents asked her to hold the classes and prayer service. You know? If the parents want a prayer service for their kids, and think that will help them on the tests, fine. They can organize whatever they want at their churches or homes or whatever. But that's a totally different animal from this, an official school-sponsored prayer service explicitly referencing Christian belief and citing a bible verse.
You have to wonder how a teacher or student or parent opting out would be received. Peer pressure can be an enormous influence. Do you want to be known as the teacher who wouldn't show the kids zie cared by being at their prayer group - especially with that fine print reading "Teachers, we would love to see you at the celebration and prayer!"? Tell me how that doesn't imply a culture wherein Christian religious affiliation is preferred and potentially necessary to advance. Or the kid who was noticed not to be there, or the parents who might be assumed to be disconnected from their kid's success and well-being because zie chose not to be there?
The president of the local principal's union is being a douche about the whole thing, saying the problem isn't the principal who arranged this, or the parents who requested it, but "the narrow-minded politicians from some 50 years ago, for removing prayer from our schools." Really? Enforcing the Constitution's provision of separation of church and state is narrow-minded, but holding a clearly sectarian gathering that makes broad assumptions about the religious choices of the students, parents, and teachers, and subtly implying that a particular religious choice is superior in that it is what makes the children succeed, that's, what? The very definition of open-minded and tolerant, right?
Two different parents are quoted in the Baltimore Sun article as saying basically that this is what their children need to succeed. Well, if that's what you believe, fine. But that's something you provide for them, on your own time, sponsored by a church or family group, not something the school should be promoting and sponsoring and managing! Can you imagine the flaming uproar if a non-Christian religious group, say Muslim or Pagan, had wanted the school to hold a prayer or ritual service to enhance the kids' performance on the test?
Ugh. My sympathy to any students, families, or teachers at the school who are of religious persuasions other than Christian and felt pressured or bullied by this stupid, blatantly unconstitutional act. And seriously, if the standardized test is something that so frightens a school that they will go to these lengths...that's just a bad goddamn sign, and something needs to change that won't be fixed by at-school prayer rallies.
6 comments:
Since it's linked in the articles, I'm assuming you've seen this, but it is a great example of getting students psyched for the MSA done right. ^_^
I can't really help comparing and contrasting here. My son's in Head Start and I've noticed some Christian influence in there, such as in the guests they invite to speak to the children and some of the things the children bring home. Every time this comes up, I point it out, and Jake's teacher bends over backwards trying to backpeddle from it. For instance, one speaker was talking about china, and handed out cards with ink paintings on them and a Christian reference on the back. I pointed this out and his teacher offered about a dozen times to 'just cut that right off, that can come off, you don't have to keep that part'.
What would have been good would have been telling the guest not to give the kids anything that promoted any particular religion. I'm sort of deadpan about it, but I just can't help thinking, if my son's school did something like this, how pissed off I'd be, as a pagan parent. Not only are all other religions disappeared by this prayer function, but the pressure it puts on the students to conform is disgusting. And it's like the faculty don't even see it. You're right, I don't think it occurs to them (except when they're using it as a racist dog whistle) that anyone in their district isn't Christian and doesn't want to be.
You'd think it'd just be easier to have a set of guidelines for presenters, rather than a wait-and-backpedal response. Although at least the teacher is doing that, rather than getting snippy with you about having an issue with it. Silver linings, I guess?
(sorry your comment got caught in the spam filter btw; seems Disqus was flagging *anything* with any links at all. Argh.)
Just another exampole of the dumbing down of the educati0n system in the U.S. I am just wondering seeing how they are talking to themselves do they get any answers
Praying doesn't necessarily mean talking to oneself. I pray sometimes, and yes, sometimes I get answers. Not to or from the Christian god, but the point remains.
I do agree about the unfortunate effects on the education system. Constant cuts, increasing class sizes, reliance on testing alone as the measure of a school's "success"...it ain't what it used to be, so to speak.
Jadlyn
I really are interested in your answers I don't pray because I don't believe in some supernatural being in the sky but if it works for you so be it. I am not one,put down your belifes but Ialso notice you are not iust not refering to a christian god. I think you and I could have some inteesting talks if you want. tejas667@yahoo.com
Well, those to whom I speak aren't in the sky. ;-) My theosophy is...difficult to explain, to be honest. It's all based on personal experience and my own senses, rather than dogma and theory. I do and believe in what feels right and true to me, and I hope others will do the same. If that means atheism to some and theism to others, that's as it is.
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