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Minneapolis schools' anti-bullying curriculum targeted by Christian legal group
The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian nonprofit based in Arizona that receives funding from Focus on the Family, sent a legal memo to the Minneapolis Public Schools urging them to drop the “Welcoming Schools” curriculum that they are currently considering for implementation at Hale, a K-5 school, and Jefferson, a K-8 school.
“Welcoming Schools” is an initiative of the Human Rights Campaign, and Minnesota is one of three states serving in a pilot project for the larger program. The curriculum addresses three main topics: family diversity, gender stereotyping and name-calling.
The curriculum is an anti-bullying tool kit for schools to use to confront violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. While the curriculum has been met with suspicion by some parents based on religious objections, school officials have noted that they have likewise had requests from parents to implement the program.
The Alliance Defense Fund letter (PDF) says, “The indoctrination of children with HRC’s anti-religion political agenda will present serious practical and legal problems, especially adults are charged with the safety and security of other people’s children. You are urged to please refrain from allowing your schools to be utilized as a pilot program for HRC.”
While the ADF letter claims that religious freedom is an issue for MPS, their own representatives make it clear that it instead is a reaction to the religious right’s favorite catch-phrase: the “homosexual agenda.”
“The government should promote and encourage strong families,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks in a press statement Monday. “When school officials have to choose between protecting children in those families or furthering the homosexual agenda, the choice is obvious: protecting our children comes first.”
Curiously, the ADF opened the Center for Academic Freedom in Nashville, Tenn. That freedom appears to only work in one direction as ADF’s attempts to quash the “Welcoming Schools” curriculum would restrict rather than expand the breadth of discussion.
Comments
Actually it is the
Actually it is the “Welcoming Schools” curriculum that is restrictive of academic freedom. Students will not be allowed to share a families belief that a relationship should be between a man and a woman only. It only allows the views that are defined by HRC to be seen as acceptable. It also should be noted that when you are dealing with K-5th grades (which are the grades that the curriculum will be used in) there is not as much room for a “breadth of discussion” as there would be with older students. At this young age it is an indoctrination of a specifc agenda. HRC is a political action committee with one goal in mind. Why are we letting PAC’s create curriculum for our kids? Additionally, this curriculum will take away six hours of class time plus teacher training. With the test scores the way they are in MPS this seems like another big waste of time. MPS is good at that though.
Welcoming Schools
It is curious to me that the author of this article is quick to point out that the ALD is a conservative Christian non-profit that has received funding from Focus on the Family but fails to mention that the Human Rights Campaign is the largest GLBT political action group in the United States and not a government organization as some are lead to believe. Why would a school be accepting a curriculum from ANY political action group? I am positive that MPS would not accept a curriculum from the ADL. Let’s be realistic here.
so it's ok to be mean to people I don't like?
I don’t get it. Christianity supposedly teaches us to love others, treat ALL people with kindness, etc. Yet, here, an organization is telling a school district that it should be ok to teach our kids to be mean and/or selectively hate/abuse/torture those who aren’t like them? Anyone who thinks differently, acts differently, dresses differently, has different beliefs than me is an ok target? An organization so actively involved in teaching intolerance toward others must surely have lost its connection to humanity.
your comment about Christians being mean
Hi Lisa my name is Deanne. I am a Christian and a parent of the school that wants to pilot this curriculum of the Welcoming Schools. What this curriculum does not do is teach children anything about anti-bullying at all – which I, along with other parents (Christian and non-Christians) feel is necessary. Instead it indoctrinates children to agree with the GLBT lifestyle which is what I’m opposing along with other concern parents that is contrary to our beliefs. The school has no business siding with a political group to teach an agenda in the schools just like it shouldn’t with a religious organization. Fair is fair. I don’t understand why people call others who disagree and stand up to what they believe intolerant, evil, mean, abusive and torture as you did. These are very strong words and unfair because I have the right as a tax paying parent to what should be allowed in my child’s school and I have that responsibility. Are you saying love means to you not saying anything at all even when it’s against your beliefs? Instead, just shut up and tolerate it so others won’t call you names and not like you. Is that what you do. Is that what you call Christianity. I recommend that you read the Bible yourself – start with the book of John in the New Testament (considered the love chapter) to see what love really means and what it really looks like and doesn’t
Anti-bullying
Wait a second, here.
Teaching kids to get along is RESTRICTIVE of academic freedom??
The reality is such teaching is perfectly in concert with Jesus’ teachings as well as the principles upon which this nation was founded.
As a Christian and candidate for ordination, I am very offended by the so-called “christian” comments opposing kindess and bridge-building.
As a citizen, I am grateful we live in a progressive state (well, OK, some are trying to change that, too) in which school administrators have the will and wherewithal to implement curricula such as this. I pray children will learn well and teach their parents, especially those who are so bigoted as to oppose this program, that (to paraphrase the Declaration of Independence) all people are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness among them….
I certainly was unable to pursue any kind of happiness as a child and as a teen suffering from incessant bullying, including physical abuse, from his peers. The situation affected my whole family of origin and necessitated a move to a different school district.
May this curriculum and more be implemented rapidly and completely throughout the land.
May peace, love and justice prevail
Interesting that Nimocks
Interesting that Nimocks provides absolutely no specifics for how this anti-bullying program “promotes” homosexuality. How does the notion of treating everyone with respect inconsistent with strong families?
HRC Stop Bullying Campaign...definite GLBT agenda
Rather than everyone deduct what they might think, and give opinion to their own persuasion, lets see what this program is really about. Out of Ellen Kahn’s mouth, Director of HRC’s project, she states the purpose is to be more welcoming to the GLBT lifestyle. I’ve pasted the webpage. I think this speaks for itself and it is pretty clear that there is an agenda to teach people to stop picking on kids whose parents are GLBT, stop bullying kids who seem different, and that you…child….can be any sex you want to be. Yep, it is definitely prohomosexual propaganda…why do we always need to bring gender preference into issues that should be issues just because it is the right thing to do? Why do we have to walk on eggshells for “Johnny or Susie” because their parents decided to be gay or lesbian, and then make every poor Johnny or Susie suffer the consequences at school for the parents actions? Who are we really trying to fix? The kids in school or the parents self image? HHHMMM....
I’ve always been taught that every choice has a consequence…some good and some bad. With GLBT choice, parents, don’t expect your kids to have to fight the battle…remember, it was YOUR choice. Stop bullying just because it’s cruel…leave your sexual choice, etc. at home and deal with it there. Keep a moral standard of behavior toward all people just because that’s what we as people should do, be kind to one another. Don’t brainwash my kids into believing that all lifestyles are good and healthy…I guess if the GLBT were good and healthy, they wouldn’t have to try so hard to convince the 96% of the population who isn’t. PLEASE, stay out of the class room with sexual agenda…they are just kids.
http://www.pageoneq.com/news/2008/hrc_adf_051408.html
“In typical style, the ‘conservative right’ is distorting the truth,” Ellen Kahn, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Family Project, told PageOneQ. “The Welcoming Schools Guide is a comprehensive resource designed to transform elementary schools into fully welcoming learning environments for all students and their families. The Guide is meant to reflect the real fabric of our diverse communities — children raised by single parents, grandparents, multicultural families, ‘traditional’ families, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parents.
“Most anti-bullying resources are generic in their approach to teaching respect, and generally leave GLBT families out of the picture. What makes the Welcoming Schools Guide unique is its inclusion of GLBT families and tools for talking about GLBT issues in ways that make sense for younger children.
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