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NWPE News Notes
The Online Communiqué of Northwest Professional Educators
January 7, 2005
RESOURCES:
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY: January 16, 2005
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY: January 17, 2005
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY
Each year, the President declares January 16th to be "Religious Freedom Day," and calls upon Americans to "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship." It is the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom. Educators may want to acknowledge Religious Freedom Day on Friday, January 14, since January 16 falls on a Sunday.
Many public school teachers do not understand the religious freedom students have. Consequently, Christian students are often told they cannot include their faith in their homework assignments or classroom discussions. In fact, President Bill Clinton stated May 30, 1998,
"...Schools do more than train children's minds. They also help to nurture their souls by reinforcing the values they learn at home and in their communities. I believe that one of the best ways we can help out schools to do this is by supporting students' rights to voluntarily practice their religious beliefs, including prayer in schools.... For more than 200 years, the First Amendment has protected our religious freedom and allowed many faiths to flourish in our homes, in our work place and in our schools. Clearly understood and sensibly applied, it works."
A federal government document clarifying religious rights of students may be accessed at http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html. This document informs educators about the following topics: student prayer and religious discussion, graduation prayer and baccalaureates, official neutrality regarding religious activity, teaching about religion, student assignments, religious literature, religious excusals, released time, teaching values, student garb.
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Gateways to Better Education informs us that January 17th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and February is Black History Month. Many schools will highlight the contributions and accomplishments of various African-Americans in history. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to also learn about the influence of Christianity on the Civil Rights Movement. For example, if students are to truly understand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s activities for Civil Rights, they need to understand how Christianity influenced his thinking.
Public school officials recognize the Christian influence on Dr. King. For example, the California State Department of Education recommends that "[students] should understand Dr. King's philosophical and religious dedication to nonviolence by reading documents such as his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail,' and they should recognize the leadership of the black churches in the movement." (History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools: 2001 Updated Edition with Content Standards, p. 147)
For more information, resources, and sample classroom discussion questions, please visit http://www.gtbe.org/news/index.php/1/11/18.html.
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