Religion in Schools

     The separation of Church and State is always a heated topic of debate.  There are few topics that people are more passionate about than their religion or even their lack thereof.  After reading the article, "Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up," I see the issue is no closer to being resolved.  Our nation was founded on Christian principles and also freedom.  However, these two topics tend to conflict when it comes to our education system.
     I personally grew up in a Christian household and have practiced Christianity my whole life.  I believe that God will always be part of life, but I also respect others' choices and own religious beliefs.  I think the school system does too.  A quote I came across during my research says, "All parties should treat one another with civility and respect and should strive to be accurate and fair” (First Amendment Center). I believe that this is a goal of not only our education system, but also the First Amendment.
     At first after reading the article "Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up," I tended to almost agree with Judge Gettleman's ruling against the moment of silence only because I think religion should be left out of schools.  However, once I put thought into it, I don't agree with it at all.  The moment of silence is in no way specific to any religion.  If you are religious you can pray, but if you aren't, a prayer is not required.  The article simply states "it is a student's personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children" (Calefati, 2009). I agree with this point 100%.  It doesn't matter what students actually do during the moment of silence; it is open to all religions and nobody is making it mandatory to pray. Overall I don't believe religion belongs in a school setting because of so many diverse beliefs.  However a simple moment of silence should not offend anyone- Believers or non-Believers.

References:

Calefati, J. (2009). Religions in schools debate heats up.  Retrieved from: https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302

First Amendment Center (1999). A parent’s guide to religion in public Schools.  Retrieved from: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED440021.pdf

The Innovators and The Makers

     I learned quite a lot while reading these articles about the innovators and makers of the school system.  I have to admit that I had never taken the time to really learn about the history of our school system, and I have to say that I am fascinated by it.  What these people were able to accomplish is truly inspiring. 

     The major difference between the Makers and Innovators that stood out to me was the Innovators set out with a mission to improve the education system, whereas the Makers were industrialists who impacted the education system indirectly. 

     All of these Innovators and Makers had a great influence on the public education system that we know today, but one Innovator in particular fascinated me.  I was intrigued by the influence that Deborah Meier has had on the public education system, specifically in inner city schools. I think she stood out to me because I personally have a heart for children from less fortunate backgrounds.  She may not have built our education system from the ground up like some of the other innovators, but she has definitely had a strong voice in her years.  I found it incredible that she reformed schools in Harlem with the lowest test scores and turned them into schools with a graduation rate of 90 percent. The simple way that she explains how she transformed the education system stood out to me the most: “What I wanted was to create thoughtful citizens — people who believed they could live interesting lives and be productive and socially useful. So I tried to create a community of children and adults where the adults shared and respected the children’s lives.” (PBS, 2001)

     I was surprised to see many of the names listed as “makers” of education, but one in particular interested me.  That was John D. Rockefeller.  I was intrigued to see what his role was in building our education system so I looked deeper into his background.  According to the Wikipedia website, Rockefeller financially supported the education system with very large sums of money.  His foundation supported education in the United States “without distinction of race, sex or creed.”  He also funded The John Hopkins School of Public Health as well as Harvard School of Public Health. (Wikipedia 2011). Without his generosity and abundant wealth, these schools may never have existed.  Although Rockefeller didn’t affect the school system by actually working in the field, his money definitely contributed to the needs of education. Reading about the Innovators and the Makers of public education was inspiring to say the least.   

PBS. (2001). Deborah Meier. School: The Story of American Public Education. https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133297

Wikipedia. (2011).  John D. Rockefeller. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Foundation