SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE AF
CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST CHARTER SCHOOLS
Are you ready to take a plunge into the wacky world of right-wing Christian nationalism and charter schools? Hold on tight, 'cause we're about to go on a wild ride!
First, let's define our terms. Right-wing Christian nationalism is a political and religious ideology that seeks to make the United States a Christian nation governed by biblical law and values. In other words, they want to turn America into a theocracy. Charter schools, on the other hand, are publicly funded but privately operated schools that are granted autonomy from some state and district regulations in exchange for accountability for student outcomes. They're part of the school choice movement, which advocates for giving parents more options for their children's education.
So what do these two things have in common? Well, some right-wing Christian nationalists see charter schools as a way to circumvent the separation of church and state and promote their religious beliefs in the public sphere. They also see charter schools as a way to challenge the progressive curriculum and pedagogy of public schools and instill patriotic and moral values in students. Some charter schools are explicitly or implicitly affiliated with right-wing Christian nationalist organizations, such as Hillsdale College, the American Federation for Children, or the Classical Learning Test.
Now, let's take a closer look at some examples of right-wing Christian nationalist charter schools. First up, we have Hillsdale College's Barney Charter School Initiative. Hillsdale College is a conservative Christian college in Michigan that has been influential in promoting right-wing Christian nationalist ideas and policies. Through its Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI), Hillsdale provides curriculum, training, and funding to charter schools that adopt its classical education model, which emphasizes Western civilization, American history, civic virtue, and moral character. Sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong. BCSI's history textbooks present America as a Christian nation founded on biblical principles, downplay the role of slavery and racism in American history, and glorify American exceptionalism and military prowess. In other words, it's propaganda disguised as education.
Next up, we have American Leadership Academy (ALA), a network of charter schools in Utah founded by Glenn Way, a former Republican lawmaker. ALA's mission is to provide students with "the best educational experience with an emphasis on leadership, patriotism, character development." Again, sounds harmless enough. But ALA's curriculum is based on the Core Knowledge Sequence, which is a back-to-basics approach that emphasizes factual knowledge over critical thinking and cultural diversity. ALA also incorporates religious themes and imagery into its programs, such as patriotic songs, Bible verses, church settings, and references to God. ALA has been criticized for violating the separation of church and state and promoting a Christian nationalist agenda. But hey, at least they're teaching kids how to be good little patriots, right?
Last but not least, we have Great Hearts Academies, a network of classical charter schools in Arizona and Texas that claims to offer "a liberal arts curriculum incorporating advanced math and science, a focus on the arts and foreign language, and a range of extra-curricular activities." Great! Except that Great Hearts has also been accused of fostering a conservative culture that discriminates against students of color, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, and low-income students. Great Hearts has also faced controversy for its curriculum choices, such as using books that contain racist stereotypes, teaching creationism as science, omitting sex education, and excluding diverse perspectives from history and literature. So much for that "liberal arts curriculum."
In conclusion, right-wing Christian nationalism and charter schools are a dangerous combination. They're both part of a larger effort to undermine public education and promote a conservative agenda. But hey, at least they're good for a laugh, right? Just kidding. This is actually really scary stuff. Let's all do our part to fight back against this nonsense and protect our public schools from these ideologues.
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Big Education Ape: NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION (NPE) REPORT: A SHARP TURN RIGHT - HOW FAR-RIGHT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE FUELING THE CULTURE WARS http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/06/network-for-public-education-npe-report.html
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