Education: Religious Expression

Many public school teachers and administrators think they cannot teach students about these holidays. And many parents have become timid about how much their child can share his or her faith in the setting of public schools.

For instance, did you know that the U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled in support of a school's right to teach about Christian holidays. The court said: "It would be literally impossible to develop a public school curriculum that did not in some way affect the religious or nonreligious sensibilities of some of the students or their parents. School administrators should, of course, be sensitive to the religious beliefs or disbeliefs of their constituents . . . but they need not and should not sacrifice the quality of their students' education."

Keep informed about the rights that teachers, students, and parents have to participate honestly and freely in the public education system. Alos learn how rights differ between a teacher, student, and parent/community member.

Features

Turning the Tide

You’d think universities promoted as a haven for free thought would gladly welcome all beliefs. At least that’s what Michelle DeRitter thought ...

Guidelines for Religious Expression in Public Schools

The great advantage of the presidential guidelines, however, is that they allow school districts to avoid contentious disputes by developing a common understanding among students, teachers, parents and the broader community. ...

Taking the Fear Out of Christmas

"Because liberal secularist organizations have threatened school districts so often, administrators are scared," added Steve McFarland, director of the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom. "School officials have come to the conclusion that [acknowledging Christmas] is a bigger headache than it's worth, so they pretend it doesn't even exist."