http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/us/trying-to-keep-religion-out-of-the-charter-school-classroom.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=education&adxnnlx=1382127431-H5nhcskYkkQOU6Dtw45cKw
When we had the board come in to our classroom a couple weeks ago that discussed educational systems in other countries, the man from the United Kingdom had briefly mentioned that some Muslims in London were opening charter schools and they were pushing an Islamic curriculum. I found the above article in the New York Times about religion in charter schools, however this article dealt with Hebrew in a San Antonio, Texas classroom.
There was a school previously where this charter school is that was Jewish and was a private school. Now, the charter school teaches its students entirely in Hebrew. Although Judaism isn't being taught outrightly, the charter school has retained many of the teachers and faculty of the private Jewish school that resided there previously. There are questions being raised by the state about how and which students are accepted into this charter school.
I think that this Hebrew charter school raises a lot of questions. Public schools must be secular and separate from the church. Is it legal for religious schools to become charter schools if they just stop outrightly addressing religion?
I see where you are coming from Angela. This is an interesting topic that you bring up. I see where the charter school is coming from since the school was a private school so they were allowed to teach Judaism. Now though the school is public, charter school or not you aren't suppose to like you said mix church and state. So even while a charter school can do whatever they want and aren't regulated by a state board I think it is wrong to teach one specific religion no matter what the religion is. I understand that the charter school isn't necessary teaching Judaism but if they are teaching in Hebrew aren't they discriminating against some children. It would seem then that only students who spoke Hebrew would be able to attend this school. I think that a private religious school can become a charter school but once it becomes a public school they have to keep separate church and state and welcome all children to their school.
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