Governor Forces Schools To Partner With Religious Groups

[doggie]

Yes I am sure there will be no prothitizing going on of course.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/14 ... r-dollars/

In a blatant violation of separation of church and state, Ohio’s Republican governor is literally forcing public schools to partner with religious groups if they want taxpayer funding. Because Ohio voters are apparently gluttons for punishment and chose not to oust incumbent Governor John Kasich, they now have to live with the reality that one way or another, their kids are going to be preached to and possibly indoctrinated into a religious sect. That’s Kasich’s “vision†under a mentoring program that requires schools to partner with a business and a church if they want to qualify for a piece of $10 million given to schools that work with at-risk students. There are no exceptions to the rule and schools who fail to comply with Kasich’s demands will receive zero funding. Despite religious groups clearly being given the red carpet welcome into schools with or without the approval of students and their parents, an Ohio Department of Education analyst insists that religious partners won’t be preaching to students in an effort to convert them.

“The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor. We do not foresee any proselytizing happening between mentors and students. That’s not really what we’re seeking.â€

Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols told the press, “The governor believes faith-based organizations play an important role in the lives of young people†when asked about why religion is being forced upon schools as a requirement for them to receive public funds. Of course, one wonders if the religious organization requirement only restricts schools to partnering with Christian groups, or can other groups such as the Satanic Temple, atheists, and pagans become partners as well? Because we all know that if these other religious groups are prohibited from being partners, Republicans will once again be forced to show their cards and reveal themselves as the conservative “Christian†lackeys we know they all are. The fact is, withholding public money from schools just because they don’t want to intermingle with a church is wrong. It’s also unconstitutional. There is a reason we have separation of church and state. It would be acceptable if religious groups helped students without preaching to them and pushing religious beliefs on them, but it’s inevitable that a religious partner will do that exact thing, thus violating the constitutional rights of the students and outraging many in the process. In the end, this is just another idea concocted by the GOP to insert religion in schools where it doesn’t belong.

[BrownieMomma]

According to who?

Stephen Foster, the author of this "article", never says where his information comes from or points to any sort of source or backup. The one quote from a spokesman can be interpreted different ways, and given the lack of real documentation, the author is not trustworthy to have reported this factually.

Perhaps it is meant to be an opinion piece but is in disguise?

I'd need to see something backing this up before I'd give it one shred of credibility.

[jerkit]

I guess I don’t understand what the purported reasoning is for this. Why do schools need partnerships with anyone?

[doggie]

I found rawstrory reporting it. but it looks like if thye want a piece of a 10m fund then they have to do it.

[nelliebelle1197]

According to who?

Stephen Foster, the author of this "article", never says where his information comes from or points to any sort of source or backup. The one quote from a spokesman can be interpreted different ways, and given the lack of real documentation, the author is not trustworthy to have reported this factually.

Perhaps it is meant to be an opinion piece but is in disguise?

I'd need to see something backing this up before I'd give it one shred of credibility.

Are you serious? A two second google search turns up this:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... partn.html

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/gop- ... d-program/

http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/ ... 0Board.pdf

I don't know if you understand journalism, but this was reported from a press release issued by the governor's office. Journalists don't usually put cites and footnotes in articles.

[formergothardite]

According to who?

Stephen Foster, the author of this "article", never says where his information comes from or points to any sort of source or backup. The one quote from a spokesman can be interpreted different ways, and given the lack of real documentation, the author is not trustworthy to have reported this factually.

Perhaps it is meant to be an opinion piece but is in disguise?

I'd need to see something backing this up before I'd give it one shred of credibility.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... partn.html

Buddy Harris, a senior policy analyst for the Ohio Department of Education, told the gathering of church and non-profit representatives that each application must include a school district (or charter school) plus a business and a place of worship or faith-based organization in its partnership.

Other non-profits can be involved, he said, only if they involve all three of the other groups. Partnerships between just schools, business and a community non-profit won't qualify.

"The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor," Harris said after the session.

Okay, it is time for non-Christian religions organizations to start flooding Ohio with applications.

[browncoatslytherin]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... partn.html

Buddy Harris, a senior policy analyst for the Ohio Department of Education, told the gathering of church and non-profit representatives that each application must include a school district (or charter school) plus a business and a place of worship or faith-based organization in its partnership.

Other non-profits can be involved, he said, only if they involve all three of the other groups. Partnerships between just schools, business and a community non-profit won't qualify.

"The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor," Harris said after the session.

Okay, it is time for non-Christian religions organizations to start flooding Ohio with applications.

if i was still in ohio, i'd be all for supporting or even starting a new organization for pagans to get into the schools. :D

[Mama Mia]

Wow, so he is not only REQUIRING a faith based partner -- but he did a sort of bait and switch when promoting the bill? That's really messed up.

I know the applications just came out, but it will be interesting to see what the range of " faith based groups" are that apply, and are awarded, grants.

Personally, aside from it just bring flat out wrong to require a faith based element in a public school -- it sounds like just a God awful PITA type of grant to have to administer.

[BrownieMomma]

So the governor can just up and decide to use $10 mill in casino profits for his pet project?

Exactly what are these mentors supposed to be doing?

Very misleading title. It's a grant, a school district can choose to apply for it or not. Apparently it's not part of the normal state funding so no school is being forced to partner with religious groups. An accurate title wouldn't be near as sensationalist.

My kids attended a Title Something school and there was a church that established some kind of foundation, what they did was send college students to tutor the elem students and help with homework. They also provided nutritious snacks.

I never did find out exactly how it was funded. There were different locations, in our apt community they met in the mgmt office after school. My kids would go over there but they were A students and didn't need the help. Frankly, I was not comfortable with this particular church and was glad when they decided to stop going. The free apples weren't worth it.

They met during the afternoon hours when I was at school/work so never met any of the mentors.

While that grant is odd, what I find disturbing is the governer can just hijack 10 mill for his own personal agenda.

[FloraKitty35]

If I were a parent in OH, I would make my displeasure known and fast. I have had teachers (in public school) who thought that it was their right to indoctrinate us into good Christians. The first one was in elementary school (first grade). We had to pray everyday, we were asked about church and Sunday school every Monday, I was one of the few kids who didn't go to either (even on a token basis). I remember Mrs. Ingram (the teacher) asking me why my mommy and daddy didn't care enough about me to send me to Sunday school. Nice thing to ask a six year old. :evil: And the kids who were morally approved of (regardless of their behavior) got all of the better tasks. And she preached about how she went to convert prisoners (again not generally a topic of conversation for a six year old). Our spelling words included church and pray. She kept her job, she had tenure for starters and she would have sued for racial discrimination, if her she had been fired.

The second teacher that was a major religious whack job was my computer teacher in 11th grade. She was an uber Catholic and militantly anti-choice. We couldn't have a holiday party in December, because of her. She wanted to used the holiday party as an excuse to distribute anti-abortion literature and to "celebrate the bravery" of several of my pregnant classmates for "not killing the gift that god gave them". The administration were less than thrilled with this idea and she wasn't tenured, so she was fired, shortly after she suggested the idea.

[PennySycamore]

If I were a parent in OH, I would make my displeasure known and fast. I have had teachers (in public school) who thought that it was their right to indoctrinate us into good Christians. The first one was in elementary school (first grade). We had to pray everyday, we were asked about church and Sunday school every Monday, I was one of the few kids who didn't go to either (even on a token basis). I remember Mrs. Ingram (the teacher) asking me why my mommy and daddy didn't care enough about me to send me to Sunday school. Nice thing to ask a six year old. :evil: And the kids who were morally approved of (regardless of their behavior) got all of the better tasks. And she preached about how she went to convert prisoners (again not generally a topic of conversation for a six year old). Our spelling words included church and pray. She kept her job, she had tenure for starters and she would have sued for racial discrimination, if her she had been fired.

The second teacher that was a major religious whack job was my computer teacher in 11th grade. She was an uber Catholic and militantly anti-choice. We couldn't have a holiday party in December, because of her. She wanted to used the holiday party as an excuse to distribute anti-abortion literature and to "celebrate the bravery" of several of my pregnant classmates for "not killing the gift that god gave them". The administration were less than thrilled with this idea and she wasn't tenured, so she was fired, shortly after she suggested the idea.

What the everloving fuck, FloraKitty35! I never ran into that when I was in school and I'm in SC. We did, rather unfortunately, have a Christmas program in high school that I was tempted to boycott, but didn't. It certainly not like being told in first grade that mom and dad needed to take me to Sunday school. That is just outrageous. :pull-hair:

[Mama Mia]

If I were a parent in OH, I would make my displeasure known and fast. I have had teachers (in public school) who thought that it was their right to indoctrinate us into good Christians. The first one was in elementary school (first grade). We had to pray everyday, we were asked about church and Sunday school every Monday, I was one of the few kids who didn't go to either (even on a token basis). I remember Mrs. Ingram (the teacher) asking me why my mommy and daddy didn't care enough about me to send me to Sunday school. Nice thing to ask a six year old. :evil: And the kids who were morally approved of (regardless of their behavior) got all of the better tasks. And she preached about how she went to convert prisoners (again not generally a topic of conversation for a six year old). Our spelling words included church and pray. She kept her job, she had tenure for starters and she would have sued for racial discrimination, if her she had been fired.

The second teacher that was a major religious whack job was my computer teacher in 11th grade. She was an uber Catholic and militantly anti-choice. We couldn't have a holiday party in December, because of her. She wanted to used the holiday party as an excuse to distribute anti-abortion literature and to "celebrate the bravery" of several of my pregnant classmates for "not killing the gift that god gave them". The administration were less than thrilled with this idea and she wasn't tenured, so she was fired, shortly after she suggested the idea.

Did you tell your parents what was going on with the first grade teacher? P do you know if she got lots of complaints, and that was the official reason she wasn't fired? That's pretty phenomenally outrageous behavior.

[FeministShrew]

What the everloving fuck, FloraKitty35! I never ran into that when I was in school and I'm in SC. We did, rather unfortunately, have a Christmas program in high school that I was tempted to boycott, but didn't. It certainly not like being told in first grade that mom and dad needed to take me to Sunday school. That is just outrageous. :pull-hair:

I can believe it. There was a 6th grade teacher in my school (in Spartanburg, SC) who started every school day by having a devotion, reading from the Bible, & praying the Lord's Prayer. I was in 6th grade in 79-80. Parents of non-mainstream kids would complain, (my best friends were Mormon & Jewish & we had several Jehovah's Witnesses in our grade) she'd be reprimanded & told to stop, but she always started it back. The parents didn't push it because in that area at that time they wouldn't have had any support. I was outraged, but my mom thought it was just fine.

Other teachers throughout my school years found subtle ways to sneak their religion into the classroom, including field trips to play basketball & rollerskate in the First Baptist Church gym, where a pastor of some sort would conveniently stop by & have a devotion & pray.

Just 3 years ago when my oldest was a senior, our high school principal hosted all the seniors at his house for a showing of some Christian themed movie. Believe me, you don't want to get labeled a "troublemaker" in my little community.

[doggie]

it is the whole only Christians are moral thing. of course all you have to do is look at politicians to know that is bull.

[FloraKitty35]

What the everloving fuck, FloraKitty35! I never ran into that when I was in school and I'm in SC. We did, rather unfortunately, have a Christmas program in high school that I was tempted to boycott, but didn't. It certainly not like being told in first grade that mom and dad needed to take me to Sunday school. That is just outrageous. :pull-hair:

I was in first grade during the 1983-84 school year. My mother did mention it to the school principle and was told "it was the teacher's right and she was great teacher". (Mother saw through that apart from religious schools there were no other options, since my parents lacked the required education level for homeschooling in DE). In the context of the time this only happened 5 years (1978) after State Board of Education exhausted its appeals related to implement a suitable (under Brown v. Board of Education) integration plan, so the courts did it for them.

[Mama Mia]

I was in first grade during the 1983-84 school year. My mother did mention it to the school principle and was told "it was the teacher's right and she was great teacher". (Mother saw through that apart from religious schools there were no other options, since my parents lacked the required education level for homeschooling in DE). In the context of the time this only happened 5 years (1978) after State Board of Education exhausted its appeals related to implement a suitable (under Brown v. Board of Education) integration plan, so the courts did it for them.

I'm just curious, did your mom point out to the principle that it most certainly was not the teachers right to grill you about Sunday school attendance, or any of the other stuff? Particularly the daily class prayer. I'm not blaming your mom for not fighting to the death over it, fighting school administration can be exhausting, and futile. but I'm just wondering what his response was. Because teacher led school prayer had been banned for 20 years by the time you were in first grade. And I would assume your parents weren't the only ones who objected.

[FloraKitty35]

I'm just curious, did your mom point out to the principle that it most certainly was not the teachers right to grill you about Sunday school attendance, or any of the other stuff? Particularly the daily class prayer. I'm not blaming your mom for not fighting to the death over it, fighting school administration can be exhausting, and futile. but I'm just wondering what his response was. Because teacher led school prayer had been banned for 20 years by the time you were in first grade. And I would assume your parents weren't the only ones who objected.

Mrs. Penrod (the principal) told my mom that she (Mrs. Ingram) was a good teacher and that they stood behind their teachers 100% and the principal already disliked my mother, because she fought her when I started kindergarten (she wanted to have me bused to another school that was 20 miles away and placed in remedial classes, because it was felt that I hadn't had enough contact with other children. My mother was a stay at home mom, so I never went to daycare and I never had a babysitter. I never really saw other children of my age until I enrolled in kindergarten.) My father didn't care about that because he was a manic depressive, self absorbed alcoholic. If it didn't interfere with him it didn't matter, so my mother tried to do what she could in the limited capacity she was allowed. Maybe it would have been better, if my mother could have talked to some of the other parents who weren't standing by the teacher.