With all eyes fixated on the United States Supreme Court this week hearing oral arguments in the Mississippi abortion case, scant attention has been paid to another potentially landmark case before the court next week on taxpayer funding for religious…
Shutting down the manufactured Critical Race Theory ‘debate’
On the home stretch of Virginia’s nail-biter of a governor’s race, Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin has been looking for a way to simultaneously present himself as part of the old corporate wing of the GOP who might have crossover appeal,…
With a school voucher case already teed up at the Supreme Court, Florida adds a twist under the cover of COVID
The political fight over COVID-19 restrictions now has found its way into the debate over taxpayer funded vouchers for private religious schools. ABC News reported Aug. 6 that the Florida State Board of Education will offer private school vouchers to…
From Texas to Tennessee, evangelical parents are trying to take the ‘public’ out of public education
Ever since the forced integration of public schools, white evangelical Christians have led the charge to “protect” their children from social issues they’re not willing to face up to at home. Sadly, they expect that protection to come by means…
That time I went to the school board meeting to speak against banning books
This week, I found someone who has it rougher than pastors in handling dissent generated from right-wing conspiracy theories and fear of the LGBTQ community: Public school administrators. I had no idea how bad this is, and yet I should…
The new secretary of education should listen to our teachers
Much of a pastor’s ministry happens in “behind-the-scenes” moments of pastoral care, and much of that care involves deep listening. Listening carefully and intently is a learned skill for many extroverted pastors like myself. But, especially in this moment of…
A wish list for the common good in a new era
With the presidential inauguration, a new session of Congress and state legislatures gearing up, Americans receive fresh reminders to look toward the future with hope. Of course, we place ultimate trust in God and not government. But we propel our…
Trump executive order diverts federal funds to private school vouchers under cover of COVID-19
What the Trump Administration Department of Education has been unable to do legally through normal means in four years, it has now attempted to do in the last days of the administration through an executive order related to COVID-19. On…
What will happen in public education with a Biden administration?
With the impending change of administrations in Washington, public education advocates across the country have taken to social media to express their joy in the inevitable departure of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. As one of the most consistently…