Do they allow for pulling out of students for non-religious instruction provided by non-district employees during the school day?
That seems like a program better placed before or after school and probably off school property. (I know nothing of the quality of the program itself… just commenting on the idea of providing outside instruction.)
Yes. It’s called RFRI (Release For Religious Instruction) legislation, and groups like LifeWise are pushing hard for it in other states. It does happen off site. LifeWise has its own buses that they use to come get the kids, go indoctrinate them in their false doctrine and awful character traits, and then bring them back to make fun of the kids who didn’t go.
I’m for religious liberty, but this is wrong.
Yeah, that seems disruptive. Do that before or after school, not during the school day.
Is Westerville still dry?
Asking for a friend.
Ah: Wet starting in 2004.
One way to shine a spotlight on this RFRI stuff and call out groups like this is to have other faiths push for like AllahWise Academy or LuciferWise Academy etc. and then see if “religious liberty” is still their argument for their efforts to get a license to step on the line between church and state.
Totally agree.
I think it is healthy for students to have, as part of their curriculum, classes on various religions and philosophies but that is very different from what sounds like forced indoctrination in any one religion. It is not my idea of inclusiveness to force non-Christian students to listen to Christian doctrine.
Jimmy Carter turns 100 today!
Why would it be problematic for low income families if it was after-school? I’d think the free(?) childcare would be appreciated. Or is it that the kids would not have a route home on a bus?
It’s during school hours though. That’s the whole goal of the RFRI movement. LifeWise in particular is adamant that their programming be during the school day and not just after school. Not sure how the logistics work out if they would get back in time for their regular buses or not. But yeah, there’d be no issue if it were just an afterschool program.
I think FA is responding to the quote in your article from LifeWise saying that being an afterschool program would harm low income families.
“We really feel like this is an important option for making it equitable for all families in our school district,” LifeWise Program Coordinator for the district Jennifer Jury said. “A large number of the families that we’ve served the last two years, come from, socio-economic background that would limit them being able to participate if it took place before or after school.”
If they have their own buses, you’d think they could bus the kids home or perhaps to central pick-up locations…
Even if they did figure out busing, that would solve only one problem, and not the most important problem.
Here’s an editorial that provides a good summary of some of the main arguments against programs like LW.
Zorach v. Clauson is the Supreme Court case mentioned at the beginning of the article.
To be fair I don’t think these students were forced. Well… maybe by their parents but not by the school.
(I still don’t like it, but it sounded like you were maybe assuming something that I don’t think is accurate.)
I’m curious as to how the schools work around this time. It seems like the way it’s currently structured, you can’t teach the kids not going to these classes stuff that goes towards their grades as a bunch of kids are skipping out for the religious education. Also, is it fair to the students not attending that they have to do more work than the kids who are attending?
The link said it’s during lunch & recess so it sounds like they’re not missing instructional time. That makes it less bad, but still something that’s better placed before or after school.
I’m curious how they’re able to load the kids up, drive to another location, do an hour of instruction, load the kids up, and drive back to the school and only skip lunch and recess. My kids had less than an hour for lunch + recess. And do they feed them? Something doesn’t add up.
I wondered about that too. I have no idea… just repeating what I read.
From the link in post 599:
I mean if they get 45 minutes for lunch and 30 for recess (which is more than Mini Me gets) and they are literally operating across the street from the school… maybe?
Or maybe the hour includes transportation time?
Dunno… this is the first I’ve ever been aware of this being a thing. 
if your public school has more than 60 minutes for combined lunch/recess I’ll be amazed. it could happen but of the schools near me do that