Although there’s a lot of activity going on in the Midwest Gulen schools with the FBI raids, Ohio Department of Education, Ohio School Board, and Ohio Auditor’s office investigations, there’s also an interesting development going on with some of the Gulen Harmony Schools out of Texas.
It seems that at least four of the Harmony schools (Beaumont, Houston, Brayan, and El Paso) have signed up to play sports with a “Christian values” sports organization that requires participants to abide by its Christian based constitution.
So how is it possible that federal and state tax funded schools like Harmony and KIPP charter schools can agree to fulfill the edicts of a Christian (or any religious) organization and still accept tax payer funds, while ignoring the separation between church and state?
Over a year ago, Arne Duncan’s Department of Education handed over 30 million bucks to the Texas Harmony Schools (Race to the Top Contest), and yet these very same contest recipients are essentially thumbing their noses to the federal and state government benefactors who are supposed to ensure that religious beliefs not interfere with public education as it is funded by the American taxpayers.
Children should be encouraged to participate in sports – but at the same time not feel pressured to join a religious organization in order to play sports, especially when they are enrolled in public charter schools like Harmony and Kipp.
The Texas Christian Athletic League has a very specific agenda and purpose – it’s a Christian based league that espouses Christian values and expects its member to abide by its credo. That’s perfectly fine for students who attend private schools that are not funded with tax payer funds; but it is not suitable for schools subsidized with federal and state funds to participate in what is clearly a defined religious organization and in violation of the separation between church and state.
Below is a link to the TCAL’s constitution and bylaws:
http://t-cal.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2011/About%20Us%20and%20Forms/TCAL_Manual%20ConstitutionBylawsRev%20June2012.pdf
Below is an excerpt from the T-CAL Constitution:
*Our Vision*
*“We dedicate ourselves to encourage Christian values and expect nothing
less than*
*athletic and academic excellence. We shall endeavor to use all means
including*
*ministry programs to develop character in the students, teachers, and
coaches in*
*our league. In so doing, it is our commitment to foster a spirit of fair
play, TRUE*
*sportsmanship, and wholesome competition for young men and women.”*
*“God’s Standard is…Excellence
To read the entire TCAL membership set of guidelines go to the following website:
http://t-cal.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2013-2014%20TCAL%20Alignments%20w%20Info%20Updated%209-20.pdf
Below is an excerpt from the Firstamendment.org website describing in detail the specific legalities of the 1st Amendment as it relates to the separation of church and state and how publicly funded charter schools like the Harmony and Kipp schools are violating federal and state policies by entering into an agreement with Texas-Christian Athletic League known as T-CAL. http://t-cal.org/ :
“The First Amendment says nothing about ‘separation of church and state’ or a ‘wall of separation between church and state.’ Where did this idea come from? Is it really part of the law?
Although the words ‘separation of church and state’ do not appear in the First Amendment, the establishment clause was intended to separate church from state. When the First Amendment was adopted in 1791, the establishment clause applied only to the federal government, prohibiting the federal government from any involvement in religion. By 1833, all states had disestablished religion from government, providing protections for religious liberty in state constitutions. In the 20th century, the U.S. Supreme Court applied the establishment clause to the states through the 14th Amendment. Today, the establishment clause prohibits all levels of government from either advancing or inhibiting religion.
The establishment clause separates church from state, but not religion from politics or public life. Individual citizens are free to bring their religious convictions into the public arena. But the government is prohibited from favoring one religious view over another or even favoring religion over non-religion.
What general principles should public schools and religious communities follow when entering into a cooperative arrangement?
In these guidelines, a “cooperative arrangement” is defined as a shared participation in specific programs and activities in accordance with a written agreement. Before entering into a cooperative arrangement, public schools and religious communities should understand and accept the following principles:
1. Under the First Amendment, public schools must be neutral concerning religion in all of their activities. School officials must take the necessary steps to ensure that any cooperative activities that take place are wholly secular. Persons invited to address students during the school day shall be advised of this requirement and must agree to abide by it before being allowed access to students.
2. Students have the right to engage in, or decline to engage in, religious activities at their own initiative, so long as they do not interfere with the rights of others. School districts are urged to adopt policies that reflect recent consensus statements on current law concerning religion in public schools. “Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law,” the U.S. Department of Education’s guidelines on “Religious Expression in Public Schools,” and other consensus guidelines are available: Write to the First Amendment Center Online to request copies.
3. Cooperative programs between religious institutions and the public schools are permissible only if:
· Participation in programs is not limited to religious groups. That is, schools must be open to participation by all responsible community groups. Qualifications should not be established which have the practical effect of including only religious groups. Eligibility shall be stated in writing.
· A student’s grades, class ranking or participation in any school program will not be affected by his or her willingness to participate or not participate in a cooperative program with a religious institution.
· Student participation in any cooperative program may not be conditioned on membership in any religious group, acceptance or rejection of any religious belief, or participation (or refusal to participate) in any religious activity. “
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-religious-liberty
It seems that at least four of the Harmony schools (Beaumont, Houston, Brayan, and El Paso) have signed up to play sports with a “Christian values” sports organization that requires participants to abide by its Christian based constitution.
So how is it possible that federal and state tax funded schools like Harmony and KIPP charter schools can agree to fulfill the edicts of a Christian (or any religious) organization and still accept tax payer funds, while ignoring the separation between church and state?
Over a year ago, Arne Duncan’s Department of Education handed over 30 million bucks to the Texas Harmony Schools (Race to the Top Contest), and yet these very same contest recipients are essentially thumbing their noses to the federal and state government benefactors who are supposed to ensure that religious beliefs not interfere with public education as it is funded by the American taxpayers.
Children should be encouraged to participate in sports – but at the same time not feel pressured to join a religious organization in order to play sports, especially when they are enrolled in public charter schools like Harmony and Kipp.
The Texas Christian Athletic League has a very specific agenda and purpose – it’s a Christian based league that espouses Christian values and expects its member to abide by its credo. That’s perfectly fine for students who attend private schools that are not funded with tax payer funds; but it is not suitable for schools subsidized with federal and state funds to participate in what is clearly a defined religious organization and in violation of the separation between church and state.
Below is a link to the TCAL’s constitution and bylaws:
http://t-cal.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2011/About%20Us%20and%20Forms/TCAL_Manual%20ConstitutionBylawsRev%20June2012.pdf
Below is an excerpt from the T-CAL Constitution:
*Our Vision*
*“We dedicate ourselves to encourage Christian values and expect nothing
less than*
*athletic and academic excellence. We shall endeavor to use all means
including*
*ministry programs to develop character in the students, teachers, and
coaches in*
*our league. In so doing, it is our commitment to foster a spirit of fair
play, TRUE*
*sportsmanship, and wholesome competition for young men and women.”*
*“God’s Standard is…Excellence
To read the entire TCAL membership set of guidelines go to the following website:
http://t-cal.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2013-2014%20TCAL%20Alignments%20w%20Info%20Updated%209-20.pdf
Below is an excerpt from the Firstamendment.org website describing in detail the specific legalities of the 1st Amendment as it relates to the separation of church and state and how publicly funded charter schools like the Harmony and Kipp schools are violating federal and state policies by entering into an agreement with Texas-Christian Athletic League known as T-CAL. http://t-cal.org/ :
“The First Amendment says nothing about ‘separation of church and state’ or a ‘wall of separation between church and state.’ Where did this idea come from? Is it really part of the law?
Although the words ‘separation of church and state’ do not appear in the First Amendment, the establishment clause was intended to separate church from state. When the First Amendment was adopted in 1791, the establishment clause applied only to the federal government, prohibiting the federal government from any involvement in religion. By 1833, all states had disestablished religion from government, providing protections for religious liberty in state constitutions. In the 20th century, the U.S. Supreme Court applied the establishment clause to the states through the 14th Amendment. Today, the establishment clause prohibits all levels of government from either advancing or inhibiting religion.
The establishment clause separates church from state, but not religion from politics or public life. Individual citizens are free to bring their religious convictions into the public arena. But the government is prohibited from favoring one religious view over another or even favoring religion over non-religion.
What general principles should public schools and religious communities follow when entering into a cooperative arrangement?
In these guidelines, a “cooperative arrangement” is defined as a shared participation in specific programs and activities in accordance with a written agreement. Before entering into a cooperative arrangement, public schools and religious communities should understand and accept the following principles:
1. Under the First Amendment, public schools must be neutral concerning religion in all of their activities. School officials must take the necessary steps to ensure that any cooperative activities that take place are wholly secular. Persons invited to address students during the school day shall be advised of this requirement and must agree to abide by it before being allowed access to students.
2. Students have the right to engage in, or decline to engage in, religious activities at their own initiative, so long as they do not interfere with the rights of others. School districts are urged to adopt policies that reflect recent consensus statements on current law concerning religion in public schools. “Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law,” the U.S. Department of Education’s guidelines on “Religious Expression in Public Schools,” and other consensus guidelines are available: Write to the First Amendment Center Online to request copies.
3. Cooperative programs between religious institutions and the public schools are permissible only if:
· Participation in programs is not limited to religious groups. That is, schools must be open to participation by all responsible community groups. Qualifications should not be established which have the practical effect of including only religious groups. Eligibility shall be stated in writing.
· A student’s grades, class ranking or participation in any school program will not be affected by his or her willingness to participate or not participate in a cooperative program with a religious institution.
· Student participation in any cooperative program may not be conditioned on membership in any religious group, acceptance or rejection of any religious belief, or participation (or refusal to participate) in any religious activity. “
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-religious-liberty
