Florida fortifies religious freedom in public schools

Florida public school students will have added protection for expressing their faith on campus during the upcoming school year, thanks to a new law that went into effect July 1. Supporters say the bill just reiterates existing constitutional protections for religious liberty by listing specific practices with which educators cannot interfere. Opponents say the bill goes too far and could unleash a rash of lawsuits.

The Religious Expression in Public Schools Act forbids school districts from discriminating against students, parents, or staff members for their religious views or expression. It specifies students are free to refer to religion in their schoolwork, pray without interference, and wear religious symbols without fear of punishment.

The Florida House passed its version of the bill unanimously, but Republicans in the state Senate insisted on adding a provision that would require schools to allow student-led prayers during the school day and at school-sanctioned events, like sporting events and assemblies. It passed mostly along party lines.

During legislative hearings, advocates offered plenty of evidence that educators don’t always understand or respect religious liberty protections outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

State Rep. Patricia Williams, a freshman Democrat and a former educator, co-sponsored the House version of the bill because of an incident that happened three years ago at a Broward County elementary school, where a teacher told a student he couldn’t read his Bible during free reading time and forced the child to put the book away.

Although the state Education Practices Commission later reprimanded the teacher, Williams said she wanted to make sure something like that never happened again.

“If I never pass another bill … this was why I’m here,” she said. “This was very important, and this was very important for me so that students coming after me are given an opportunity to use their freedom of religious expression.”

Of course, opposition to anything faith-related is not limited to Florida schools. Coaches aren’t allowed to pray on school property, pro-life groups are barred from starting student clubs on campus, and every year at least one graduation speech gets censored for religious content.

Florida-based religious liberty lawyer Mat Staver told the Tampa Bay Times the new law would protect school districts from themselves.

“Having this in the statute will be very beneficial,” he said. “Schools don’t want to be sued. They’ve got better things to do. And people don’t want their religious rights violated.”

No post-graduation plans? No diploma

Public school students in Chicago are among the first in the nation to face a unique graduation requirement: no post-school plan, no diploma. Before students can officially graduate, they must prove they have a job, or are headed into a trade apprenticeship, a gap-year program, the military, or a community or four-year college.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the initiative in April, and the city’s school board approved it in May. It’s designed to encourage students to plan for their futures, but it’s been roundly denounced as a bureaucratic nightmare.

Educators say the rule puts more pressure on already overworked guidance counselors. One high school counselor told The Washington Post he has 400 students to oversee, as well as other duties. Meeting face-to-face with each one just isn’t practical, he said. The cash-strapped district laid off more than 1,000 teachers and staff members in 2016, and those who are left say they can’t take on any more responsibilities.

“Will achieving this require more of us?” Emanuel asked last month during an event at the National Press Club. “Yes, of course. But as a parent I would never leave it to chance that my kids have a plan post–high school, and as mayor I refuse the notion that the future of any child in this city should be treated any differently.”

Students are giving the plan mixed reviews. Some welcome the additional help, especially those who come from families not well-equipped to offer college and career advice. Others don’t think what happens after school should matter. About 73 percent of Chicago’s high school students graduate, with just 18 percent of ninth graders going on to get a college diploma six years after graduating.

The initiative puts the onus on students to come up with a post–high school plan, and that’s a good thing, but it probably won’t be long before the requirement is flipped back on the schools. Students who can’t get a job could demand schools get one for them, expanding the education system into a workforce commission. The nation’s schools are tasked with educating students, something Chicago already struggles to do. Shouldn’t we make sure they get that right before we give them anything else to worry about? —L.J.

No surprise here

The National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest and most influential teachers union, adopted a policy statement last week opposing new charter schools and calling for tighter regulations of existing ones. The statement calls for oversight from local school boards, compliance with public school regulations, and prohibitions against for-profit operations. In other words, they want charter schools to look just like all other public schools, completely defeating the purpose.

“Handing over students’ education to privately managed, unaccountable charters jeopardizes student success, undermines public education, and harms communities,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said. “This policy draws a clear line between charters that serve to improve public education and those that do not.”

The NEA last addressed charters in 2001, and while last week’s statement offers more pointed criticisms, it doesn’t represent a new direction, according to union observer Mike Antonucci. Writing at The 74, Antonucci notes the NEA has long opposed charters as a threat to their monopoly over public education. —L.J.

Turkey takes the wrong approach to evolution

Turkey is cutting references to evolution from its high school science books, a move critics say points to the government’s increasing push for Islamification. The country’s Education Ministry claims students don’t have the “necessary scientific background” to comprehend debates about evolution. Of course, that’s ridiculous and highlights the reason U.S. Christians should not pine for a similar move in our public schools. Pretending something doesn’t exist isn’t the same as presenting reasoned arguments about its implausibility. A free exchange of ideas encourages students to think for themselves and consider all possible explanations for the world they see around them. Darwin’s theory is slowly crumbling under the weight of scientific discoveries that increasingly point to intelligent design. Or as Christians know well, the truth always wins out. —L.J.

Not my 1 percent

From campuses named for Civil War–era figures to mascots linked to Native American tribes, the nation’s public schools are reconsidering ties to the past in light of modern sensibilities. While criticism often comes from outside groups, students from one school in Massachusetts have voluntarily offered to give up their “divisive” nickname. Since the 1950s, Lenox Memorial Middle and High School students have been called Millionaires, a nod to the toney vacationers who have weekend homes in the picturesque town. The students voted 2-1 to drop the name, a change that would require school board approval. “The term Millionaires has become associated with the top 1 percent of our country, which excludes and burdens a very large majority of the population and currently plays a large role in the division of the United States,” student council member Julie Monteleone told the school committee at a recent meeting. —L.J.