As far
as my own professional growth goes, I am always on a quest for
information. If I am not formally in
school, then I am teaching myself, and if I am not teaching myself I am taking
a seminar somewhere on some topic of interest.
Beyond that there is a bounty of professional development activities to
choose from. I think I am pretty much
covered as far as being a lifelong learner.
However,
as far as this course goes the week four lecture was the most interesting and
enlightening. I love the Establishment
Clause, The Free Exercise Clause, and The Equal Access Act along with the Lemon
Test and the Five Pronged Super Test. I
know a lot of people including people in my school who really need to learn
these things along with the Constitution.
Since I will not be returning to that particular school and maybe not
even the district when I do return to work, I am in no position to present them
with this information.
The Establishment
Clause
• “Congress shall
make no law respecting the establishment of religion…”
The Free Exercise
Clause
• “…or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof.” (Hopson, nd, slide 1)
The Equal Access Act
(1984)
• “Schools that
establish a limited open forum cannot discriminate against student groups based
on the religious, political, philosophical or other content of their speech.”
(Hopson, nd, slide 8)
My
school has been in violation of the First Amendment and all of these things
that go along with it for years.
However, now that we have a principal who must be in control of everyone
and everything the school might be in compliance with the law now.
We
have had a Christian Bible study group on campus with a teacher leading the
group for years. It was still active
last year, but as I have said our new principal might have put a stop to
it. Since I have been out on disability,
I am cannot say for certain that it still exists or maybe it has a student
leader now but there is no way that the particular teacher could be a silent
observer.
Our
principal seems to be up on the laws but I am not sure when it comes to the Constitution,
First Amendment, and Religion. The only
laws I hear him talking about are in regard to NCLB, IDEA, RTI and anything
else that has to do with meeting AYP. So
maybe he doesn’t realize it.
Our
entire district really could use some professional development on school law,
especially when it comes to the Constitution, religion and a limited open
forum. I wonder if the Equal Access Act has ever been defied. I know that I worked in the school for five
years and never knew we were breaking the law until now.
A
final note on all of the laws that effect schools; I think it would be in my
best interest to make myself a notebook, a large poster, or something to that
effect that would enable me to have easy access to all of the laws. I would not want to be caught in any
situation where I was unwittingly disobeying the law.
Hopson,
M., (nd). School law: Week four lecture, slides 1and 8.
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