Faith Communities: Serving Schools and Families
There are enormous opportunities for churches, synagogues, parishes, mosques, temples, and other places of worship to contribute to the retooling of public schools. Many religious sector organizations have the capacity to supplement students' in-school time with out-of-school programs that can close the learning and exposure gaps for those not being properly served during regular school hours. The influence and access wielded by clerics and their respective institutions are also strong pillars for engaging large numbers of parents in the academic life of their children. Whether as a liaison between schools and parents or by offering physical space for targeted youth programs, communities of faith are integral partners in many locales where there are limited resources and inadequate access to information. Religious organizations have a mandate to be a witness by translating their faith into deeds that exemplify compassion and service in every sphere of human life, including public schooling. By partnering with area schools and petitioning its own parishioners, houses of worship can do more to change the hearts and minds of young people than any school or teacher could ever do by themselves. Religious sector input in public education does not jeopardize the separation of church and state, instead it is absolutely critical to making the classroom teacher's job more manageable and successful.
Whereas some churches operate their own schools, others house specific programs designed to respond to curricular as well as extracurricular interests of the youth in their churches and neighborhoods. By targeting the blocks of time when students are out of school, church leaders not only maintain a sense of ministerial relevance in the lives of the families which they serve, but also minimize the likelihood that the youth gravitate toward non-productive or negative interests and pressures. Many provide physical space during afterschool hours for students to gather to do homework, snack and socialize in a safe and secure environment, or take part in cultural, artistic, or athletic events. Places of worship are increasingly opening their facilities on weekends to deliver specially designed services and events for students and their friends. Saturdays are also being used to introduce students to adult mentors and other professionals who can offer guidance and information on a range of family, social, and peer topics. Church leaders have become so much more creative and comprehensive in their outreach to the school age population. By working with local schools, they have become more informed about the nature of the challenges classroom teachers and administrators face on a daily basis during regular school hours, and are in a better position to intervene more effectively.
Communities of faith have proven to be vital intermediaries not only for school personnel but for many parents as well. Parents look to churches to help provide moral guidance, enrichment programs, and leisure activities for their children. While parents have been criticized for years for not being involved in their children's education, the reality is that a large number of them are often intimidated or embarrassed about their child's low academic performance or bad behavior in school. Others may be confused about which school personnel to approach or what to say, when a child is not performing well in school. The role of church staff has become important in these types of situations because parents often trust and are more transparent with their places of worship. Church staff can be a resource for parents, host parent information sessions with school leaders, and even accompany parents to schools where necessary. My sense is that we have not fully appreciated the degree of anxiety and fear that many parents and guardians may harbor because of personal insecurities and inadequacies, or their level of discomfort with academics in general. These realities should not be hard to imagine considering how complex and uncertain our world has become since many adults were enrolled in public schools. The religious sector is uniquely equipped to partner with parents and schools to ensure that the academic needs of the youth in their homes, communities, and churches are appropriately addressed.
Whereas some churches operate their own schools, others house specific programs designed to respond to curricular as well as extracurricular interests of the youth in their churches and neighborhoods. By targeting the blocks of time when students are out of school, church leaders not only maintain a sense of ministerial relevance in the lives of the families which they serve, but also minimize the likelihood that the youth gravitate toward non-productive or negative interests and pressures. Many provide physical space during afterschool hours for students to gather to do homework, snack and socialize in a safe and secure environment, or take part in cultural, artistic, or athletic events. Places of worship are increasingly opening their facilities on weekends to deliver specially designed services and events for students and their friends. Saturdays are also being used to introduce students to adult mentors and other professionals who can offer guidance and information on a range of family, social, and peer topics. Church leaders have become so much more creative and comprehensive in their outreach to the school age population. By working with local schools, they have become more informed about the nature of the challenges classroom teachers and administrators face on a daily basis during regular school hours, and are in a better position to intervene more effectively.
Communities of faith have proven to be vital intermediaries not only for school personnel but for many parents as well. Parents look to churches to help provide moral guidance, enrichment programs, and leisure activities for their children. While parents have been criticized for years for not being involved in their children's education, the reality is that a large number of them are often intimidated or embarrassed about their child's low academic performance or bad behavior in school. Others may be confused about which school personnel to approach or what to say, when a child is not performing well in school. The role of church staff has become important in these types of situations because parents often trust and are more transparent with their places of worship. Church staff can be a resource for parents, host parent information sessions with school leaders, and even accompany parents to schools where necessary. My sense is that we have not fully appreciated the degree of anxiety and fear that many parents and guardians may harbor because of personal insecurities and inadequacies, or their level of discomfort with academics in general. These realities should not be hard to imagine considering how complex and uncertain our world has become since many adults were enrolled in public schools. The religious sector is uniquely equipped to partner with parents and schools to ensure that the academic needs of the youth in their homes, communities, and churches are appropriately addressed.
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