Washington Post
Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl said yesterday he is considering plans from three D.C. Catholic schools that want to continue operating as parochial schools instead of being converted to charter schools.
Wuerl said he will delay his final recommendation on the Catholic school conversions, which he had intended to make this week, until he has thoroughly reviewed the proposals. St. Francis de Sales in Northeast Washington and St. Gabriel in Northwest Washington were granted extensions on the Oct. 20 deadline and will meet with archdiocese officials this week to flesh out their plans, archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.
Link to the original article.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Educating Muslims in an East African US charter high school
Letitia Basford, Sarah Hick, & Martha Bigelow
University of Minnesota, USA
Abstract
This article presents a case study of a U.S. charter high school that was created by an East African community seeking a learning environment for immigrant adolescents committed to an Islamic lifestyle. It describes how such schools are a reaction to concerns from Muslim immigrant parents and community leaders that youth are experiencing rapid assimilation at school and are replacing their ethnic and religious identity with an other-imposed racialized identity. Through an analysis of teacher interviews, this article explores how the school accommodates Muslim immigrant youth while tenuously adhering to the Establishment Clause of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting government sponsored religion. It also uncovers some of the challenges presented by having a teaching staff with a range of teaching philosophies, background experiences and cultures. This study reveals the problematic differences between the cultural and educational norms and expectations of the white teachers and the East African leadership.
The full report can be downloaded from the National Center for the Study of the Privatization of Education. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
University of Minnesota, USA
Abstract
This article presents a case study of a U.S. charter high school that was created by an East African community seeking a learning environment for immigrant adolescents committed to an Islamic lifestyle. It describes how such schools are a reaction to concerns from Muslim immigrant parents and community leaders that youth are experiencing rapid assimilation at school and are replacing their ethnic and religious identity with an other-imposed racialized identity. Through an analysis of teacher interviews, this article explores how the school accommodates Muslim immigrant youth while tenuously adhering to the Establishment Clause of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting government sponsored religion. It also uncovers some of the challenges presented by having a teaching staff with a range of teaching philosophies, background experiences and cultures. This study reveals the problematic differences between the cultural and educational norms and expectations of the white teachers and the East African leadership.
The full report can be downloaded from the National Center for the Study of the Privatization of Education. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Religious school may go public
Strapped Escuela de Guadalupe explores conversion to public charter
The Denver Post
Leaders of a small Catholic dual-language school in northwest Denver say that if their finances do not improve quickly, they will seek to become a public charter school.
If Escuela de Guadalupe seeks to become a charter school, Denver will find itself at the vanguard of a national debate over whether faith-based schools can or should become public.
In recent years, dioceses in other cities have discussed converting their schools to charters, ultimately deciding against it.
Link to the original article.
The Denver Post
Leaders of a small Catholic dual-language school in northwest Denver say that if their finances do not improve quickly, they will seek to become a public charter school.
If Escuela de Guadalupe seeks to become a charter school, Denver will find itself at the vanguard of a national debate over whether faith-based schools can or should become public.
In recent years, dioceses in other cities have discussed converting their schools to charters, ultimately deciding against it.
Link to the original article.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
TIME AGAIN FOR SOME NEW BOOKS
Bill Tammeus writes about matters of religion and ethics.
Religious Charter Schools: Legalities and Practicalities, by Lawrence D. Weinberg. Already various disputes about public charter schools with religious themes have broken out in various places in the country. This book will help administrators, teachers, parents and students understand the constitutional limits.
Link to the original article.
Religious Charter Schools: Legalities and Practicalities, by Lawrence D. Weinberg. Already various disputes about public charter schools with religious themes have broken out in various places in the country. This book will help administrators, teachers, parents and students understand the constitutional limits.
Link to the original article.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Board: Charter school can teach Hebrew
USA Today
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A charter school may resume teaching in Hebrew, three weeks after the lessons were halted over concerns the Jewish faith was seeping into public classrooms, the school board voted Tuesday.
Broward County board members said close monitoring of the country's first Hebrew-language charter school is still necessary, but that its administrators had cleared up major concerns.
Link to the original article.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A charter school may resume teaching in Hebrew, three weeks after the lessons were halted over concerns the Jewish faith was seeping into public classrooms, the school board voted Tuesday.
Broward County board members said close monitoring of the country's first Hebrew-language charter school is still necessary, but that its administrators had cleared up major concerns.
Link to the original article.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
8 D.C. Catholic Schools Eyed for Charters
Turning Over Operation to Secular Entity Proposed to Avert Closure
Washington Post
Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl is proposing to convert eight of the District's 28 Catholic schools into secular charter schools, saying the archdiocese can no longer afford to keep them open.
Wuerl said his recommendation to strip the schools of their core religious identity and turn them over to a nonsectarian entity to be run as charter schools is the only way to avoid closing them and would continue the education of thousands of low-income city children without interruption.
Link to the original article.
Washington Post
Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl is proposing to convert eight of the District's 28 Catholic schools into secular charter schools, saying the archdiocese can no longer afford to keep them open.
Wuerl said his recommendation to strip the schools of their core religious identity and turn them over to a nonsectarian entity to be run as charter schools is the only way to avoid closing them and would continue the education of thousands of low-income city children without interruption.
Link to the original article.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Culturally Specific Charter Schools Spark Debate
US Charter Schools
Charter schools focused on Muslim culture and Arabic language, as well as Jewish language and culture, have worked hard to ensure their curricula are free from religious doctrine. But some, particularly those in the Jewish community who have a long history advocating for the separation of church and state, think such schools could face constitutional challenges. These culturally specific schools have company, including a German-culture charter school in Alaska and Hmong, Chinese, and Dakota Native American culture charter schools in Minnesota. While a charter school by law cannot endorse one religion, the courts have granted schools latitude in accommodating religion. "Charter schools offer parents an opportunity to create schools that meet their needs and religious needs are some of the most profound and important needs that people have," says Lawrence Weinberg, author of "Religious Charter Schools."
Source: Wall Street Journal, (09/02/2007)
Link to the original article.
Charter schools focused on Muslim culture and Arabic language, as well as Jewish language and culture, have worked hard to ensure their curricula are free from religious doctrine. But some, particularly those in the Jewish community who have a long history advocating for the separation of church and state, think such schools could face constitutional challenges. These culturally specific schools have company, including a German-culture charter school in Alaska and Hmong, Chinese, and Dakota Native American culture charter schools in Minnesota. While a charter school by law cannot endorse one religion, the courts have granted schools latitude in accommodating religion. "Charter schools offer parents an opportunity to create schools that meet their needs and religious needs are some of the most profound and important needs that people have," says Lawrence Weinberg, author of "Religious Charter Schools."
Source: Wall Street Journal, (09/02/2007)
Link to the original article.
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