Part of me thinks the teacher should have been fired, but maybe the school took appropriate steps.
The problem is that the school just reflects the values of the community. Changing the values of a community just won't happen overnight.
Across the country, schools have set standards in Math and English Language Arts. All students are tested on their proficiency in these areas, and, because of NCLB, school funding and autonomy can be severely affected by the results of those tests. In many states, the stakes are higher, and students may not recieve diplomas if their scores are too low. Science standards and the accompanying high-stakes tests are next on the agenda. When those numbers start coming in, the school will have to worry about every lesson being aligned with standards and how much class time is being spent actually delivering instruction.
Canada is looking good right now.
I am starting to feel like Atheists are gonna have to start being much more aggressive in protecting that divide between Church and State. Let's face it, logic and reason does not work with the Religious Fundies, their closed and bigoted minds cannot deal with anything that is not based on their specific dogma. It is a shame that we atheists don't believe in Hell because it would be a wonderful place to place these self-righteous bastards.
Kevin
I think you're right and if you read the article Matthew didn't sue.
My opinion is that people will start taking church - state separation seriously when it starts costing them money.
For a long time there was a small school district south of Houston called Santa Fe Independent School District. They were actively pushing a religious agenda. After a number of high profile losses, they've been pretty quiet.
When it starts costing people money - they start to take a different view of reasonable.
Kevin "When it starts costing people money - they start to take a different view of reasonable."
...or we'll hear a cacophony of "Oppression! Oppression!". Both, probably.
I think we should also remember that many religious people support church-state separation and we do ourselves no favors to offend them needlessly.
Jen raises a good point. I have had the pleasure to know many level-headed Christians who care as much about separation of church and state as I do. They can be excellent allies.
Still, I'm less worried than some about the perils of offending people who worship something they believe is sending me to hell to torture me for eternity. Perhaps this is something I'll get past someday. Perhaps not.
Ron,
You wrote, "The problem is that the school just reflects the values of the community. Changing the values of a community just won't happen overnight."
I'm curious, if this teacher had been proselytizing white supremacy, would you still think that district may have acted correctly based on current community standards?
BTW, I agree with your opinion on the cost-benefit analysis of lawsuits. But, to win in front of the judge and/or jury you have to have the consciousness of the public raised. Historically, this has never happened without a large amount outrage expressed on behalf the offended minority. I really don’t think that now is the time for soft-sell. Maybe later as a conciliatory gesture, but I think for now loud, public outrage will move people more.
Might have been a good idea to consider homeschool. Sometimes, it's the only way to protect your child from crap like this.
It's not enough that xtians can homeschool their kids or send them to parochial schools - they've got to screw up everyone else's kids too. They just can't seem to abide the thought that someone, somewhere, might be getting an education in which Eve is not depicted as riding sidesaddle on a duckbilled dinosaur. They can hardly sleep nights for worry that some kid is learning about filthy evil heathen Greek mythology but not about Jesus and His merry band of disciples. And it must seem downright tragic to these concerned parents that girls and boys might be learning that their genitals are an amazing amalgam of form and function rather than being taught how filthy, disgusting and evil sex is...until you're married, of course.
Shit - why do these people need schools at all? Why not just go back to the good ol' days of the fourteenth century, when no one could read but the priests, and the only book in town was the Bible, and the earth was flat and the sun revolved around it in a perfect heaven and everything was just hunky-dory...except for the Black Death, and the occasional famine or Crusade or witch-burning or what-have-you. Fun times back when God ruled!
Jen is right that most christians support separation of church and state. The problem is when someone says anything negative about jesus or christianity the more extreme of them always raises a lot of hell about it. Out of fear of mistreatment many of the ones that want separation of church and state act like the good sheep they are.
Has anyone ever wondered why christians call themselves sheep? I have seen how sheep are and I would be greatly offended to be called one.
It is the moderate christians which enable the more extreme to be able to get as much attention as they do. Until people quit following with out questioning it will be hard to change the way things are.
Tully:
I'm curious, if this teacher had been proselytizing white supremacy, would you still think that district may have acted correctly based on current community standards?
Ron didn't say they were correct. He simply stated that the community has the fucked up values and the school reflects that. This would be especially true with an elected school board.
It's difficult to force people change their behavior when they are convinced they are doing the right thing. Witness Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana. Only changing community standards will fix the problem. And he's right. It won't happen overnight and will take a concerted effort.
These small religious communities are self-perpetuating. Those who recognize the ridiculous, illegal or offensive public positions for what the are just move out of town or otherwise divorce themselves from the community (i.e. private schools or some such). That leaves the fundies free to vote in whatever stupid policy the want.
bullet,
My comment was based on Ron's statement that, "but maybe the school took appropriate steps"
I must say, "No they didn't!"
And I'm willing to go out on limb and state, "That if the teacher had been proselytizing white supremacy, you would be hard pressed to find people that would say that the school took appropriate steps. No matter what the local culture comprised."
It's not any pocket of local culture that needs to have their awareness raised, it's the national culture. If WE don't respond to things that are clearly wrong, how can we expect anyone else to?
I'm sure somewhere there are christians who do favor the separation of church and state, but it sure doesn't sound like they are a force in Kearny. If they are there, but they won't speak up, then they're worthless.
I find this story so depressing, like EKM above, Canada sounds very appealing.
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