Thoughts on teaching

[fishwithfeet]

Given the recent changes that the Texas School Board has approved, I have made up my mind that when I have children, they will be either home-schooled by me or will attend a nonsectarian private school. Or an approved Montessori. Either way, I will be strictly examining the curriculum. If my children ever attend public school ... well... I

Comments

[psychodrake]

For curiosity's sake, the exact wording of the first amendment does not specify that church and state need to be separate. It merely restricts congress from establishing a national religion, or passing legislation favouring one religion over others. Government is allowed to get as religious as it likes, as long as it doesn't pass legislation to that effect. The concept, and phrase, of 'separation of church and state' is from a letter by Jefferson, an interpretation of the first amendment

[fishwithfeet]

It may not have been written in expressly, but many of the Founding Fathers including Jefferson as you said, and Adams, specifically mention separation and freedom of religion.

But yes, I'll be hunting for good private schools when the time comes.

[psychodrake]

Unfortunately, the government doesn't follow the FFs' unwritten ideas.

*thumbs-up*

[blitzen_]

jeeeeeezus!

this makes me feel a LITTLE BIT insane reading this. WOW.

jesus! put a deposit on a montessori school NOW dude. vacancies are going to be slim (hopefully?) in the future. my god!

[fishwithfeet]

Hell, i'd reserve a spot now if i knew where I'd be living by the time my kids will start school.

[saltnester]

[accidentally still up at 3am] 's what being founded by Puritans gets a place...I think the racist article is probably most distressing - children can bounce back from a fundie education [waves] but without outside influence, they'll believe the history books given to them. I've heard there are adults in Canada who know all about Florence Nightengale and naught about Mary Seacole due to 1950s textbooks quietly not mentioning her and the facts never catching up without the home-focused historical interest of UK adults.

[fishwithfeet]

Aye. I'm just... I know that I will be the mother who discovers what her child is learning about, and takes on the full school board to change the curriculum. I will make a shit storm. I don't necessarily mind doing it. But I'd rather the schools teach something not so history rewriting...

[cosmic_reverie]

I grew up in Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn on the principle of freedom of religion. Just by learning the history of the state, that concept was emphasized over and over. I, too, feel sorry for students who aren't getting a true picture of what our nation stands for. Or worse, that certain students will feel like they don't belong or they're not American enough because they don't fit a certain mold (or will feel this way about someone else). What really bothers me these days is the distorted concept of immigration, that immigrants somehow don't belong here; did they never learn about the great melting pot in history class

[fishwithfeet]

references to God are not references to Christianity.

In this case, I believe you are mistaken. The intent of many members of the board is to promote a christian basis in schools as has been proven by how they've voted and for what in the past. Not just monotheistic religions in general. This is especially evident when you take the evolution debate into account. They want to teach the story of creation in science classrooms as an alternate to evolution. And not just any creation, but the christian version. They have stated over and over again that they want students to have a christian world view and that the only correct view is that of a christian student.

[copperstitches]

What's the difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy? I'm asking, because this is the second time I've heard it mentioned as being exclusive from each other.