Chapter three discussion board

Overview

Chapter three discussion board--due September 4 @ 9 am

Respond to the following in paragraph form, providing an appropriate level of detail and specificity. Single sentence replies are insufficient. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation count. Be certain to proofread before posting.

Required Text: Jeanne H. Ballantine & Joan Z. Spade, Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education, 6th ed. (2018). Sage: Los Angeles, CA

Ballantine chapter three discussion board:

Religion in the Schools:

1. According to the author, “…school districts and building officials have the responsibility of maintaining neutrality by creating an environment that allows believers and nonbelievers to coexist without one having to endorse or adhere to the other’s beliefs. Why is this an important goal? Identify the various groups who seek to express, in one form or another, religious views in public schools. Briefly address the issues of “coercion” and “endorsement.”
2. If an individual wishes for his or her child(ren) to receive religious instruction they are free to send them to religious schools and/or church. In other words, they have some choice in the matter. If they do not agree with the perspective being put forth they are free to send their children elsewhere, either for school, church, or both. When an individual sends his or her child(ren) to a public school institution they expect those children to be taught academic subjects. For example, I trust that my daughter’s teacher is qualified to convey basic social science and mathematical concepts; the teacher has undergone sanctioned training and received official recognition from the state acknowledging competence and qualifications in these areas. However, the teacher has no formal, recognized, state-acknowledged competence or qualification to convey ideas about religion in a public school setting. In short, I trust public school teachers to convey appropriate academic information; I do not trust them to convey religious ideas; that is not what they have been trained to do, nor is that what they have been hired to do. If I want my child to receive religious instruction I will send her to an explicitly religious school and/or attend a church whose philosophy and denomination matches my own. Importantly, I wish for other parents to do the same. In other words, if you want your child to receive religious instruction send them to a religious school and/or church which adheres to your religious philosophy and denomination rather than relying on public schools to do so. Is this a reasonable position? Why?