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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale

Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale Template

Part 1: Case Analysis

1. Brief summary of the case:

A parent expressed interest in introducing a religious studies course at Laurel

Palm Middle School. She worked with a classroom teacher to develop the

curriculum proposal, including the Bible as one of textbook recommendations.

After discussion with the principal, they received her support and that of the

school site committee members. The next step is to present at the school board

meeting. As community members learned of the proposed addition to the

curriculum, a growing negative response culminated in a protest rally at the

school board meeting.

2. Identify the issues to be resolved:

- Legality of a religious studies curriculum

- Legality of the Bible as a textbook

- Opportunity to discuss the proposed curriculum to the school board, open to

the public so all are clear on what exactly the curriculum would include so the

community can make an informed judgement

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale
3. Stakeholders involved in the issues:

- Parent, Ms. Beckel

- Teacher, Ms. Kassidy

- Principal, Ms. Avery

- School board

- Community members – both concerned and supportive

4. One or two existing laws or court rulings that relate to the issues:

The School Superintendents Association cites the United States Department of

Education guidelines regarding religious expression in public schools. They

state, “Teachers and school administrators, when acting in those capacities, are

representatives of the state and are prohibited by the Establishment Clause from

soliciting or encouraging religious activity, and from participating in such activity

with students. Teachers and administrators also are prohibited from discouraging

activity because of its religious content, and from soliciting or encouraging anti-

religious activity.” (May, 2019)

5. District policies that relate to the issues:

Procedure for proposing a new curriculum is to obtain approval first from the

committee at the school site meeting. Next is to present and seek approval from

the school board.

There are no other policies listed in the case study description that relate to this

issue.

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale

6. Possible solutions to the issues:

Communication – The proposed curriculum was never presented to the public for

review, so they do not yet have the full facts of what the program would entail.

Optional – It should be clear that this would be an elective course.

7. The solution you choose to resolve the issues:

Both solutions should be adopted. The curriculum should be fully explained as a

study of religions, not asserting any as truth. It should also be clear that it is an

optional elective course that students can choose to take.

8. Action steps (2-5) for implementing your solution, including a timeline for each step:

Round table discussion with the major stakeholders (Ms. Beckel, Ms. Kassidy,

Ms. Avery, Ms. Wright and 2 other community members that share her concerns)

with the goal of allowing all sides to be more clear on their positions and agreeing

to allow the curriculum to be presented to the school board and open for debate.

9. Potential moral and legal consequences of the solution:

In the absence of more specific details, there does not appear to be any legal

issue with the proposed curriculum or use of the Bible. The protesters could still

bring a lawsuit which would bring about negative attention to the school, though

as long as the curriculum states that they are teaching about religions and not

advocating one over others, the protestors would likely be unsuccessful.

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale
A moral consequence could be the negativity it would bring to the area if a large

enough group of the community remained upset.

Part 2: Rationale

Support the case analysis with a 500-750 word rationale explaining the solution you chose and

how that solution:

 Supports the school’s vision and mission and safeguards the values of democracy, equity,

and diversity.

 Promotes social justice and ensures that individual student needs inform all aspects of

schooling.

 Promotes collaboration, trust, learning, and high expectations.

Cite the case and any other source documents as appropriate.

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale

There are a number of difficult scenarios that an administrator will be faced with.

Navigating the laws and what is best for the school community are some of the most

challenging. Placing myself in the shoes of Ms. Eleanor Avery, principal of Laurel Palm

Middle School, the following is a summary of how I would handle CAT 13 Bible and Ms.

Wright. (Hanson, 2009)

The issue facing our school is one relating to a potential addition to the

curriculum. One of our parents, Ms. Beckel, has proposed the addition of a religious

studies curriculum, similar to what she has seen in other districts. Working with one of

our teachers, Ms. Kassidy, they have put together a proposal to present to the school

board for approval. Other members of the community have heard of this plan and the

intention of including the Bible as one of the required texts for study. This has raised a

red flag for them and they are committed to maintaining the separation of church and

state, wishing to block the addition of the religion curriculum.

I would like to begin with the legal concerns. The School Superintendents

Association cites the United States Department of Education guidelines regarding

religious expression in public schools. They state, “Teachers and school administrators,

when acting in those capacities, are representatives of the state and are prohibited by

the Establishment Clause from soliciting or encouraging religious activity, and from

participating in such activity with students. Teachers and administrators also are

prohibited from discouraging activity because of its religious content, and from soliciting

or encouraging anti-religious activity.” (May, 2019) With this in mind, any courses

regarding religion would need to be based on the history and comparison of a variety of

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale
religions as teachers and administrators are prohibited from encouraging any specific

religious ideologies. If these guidelines are followed and the Bible is used as a piece of

reference literature, there do not appear to be any legal concerns with adding a religious

studies course to the curriculum.

Two of my main goals as principal are to maintain a positive relationship with the

community, and provide our students with varied and worthwhile educational

experiences. With this in mind, we will host a round table discussion with the major

players, including myself, Ms. Beckel Ms. Kassidy, Ms. Wright, and two additional

concerned members of the community. The purpose of this discussion is for both sides

to present their arguments directly to each other. The proposed curriculum can be

presented fully and Ms. Wright and the other community representatives can ask

questions and share their concerns. This would also be an opportunity to collaborate

and tweak the curriculum to ease Ms. Wright’s concerns.

I believe the proposed curriculum is lawful and should be presented to the school

board for their review, however the following points should be taken into consideration.

In addition to expressing the intention of exploring a variety of religions, it should be

clear that the courses are elective. Only those students that are interested should

register. I would also encourage the curriculum to clearly state the other religious texts

that will be used as texts of reference. By solely listing the Bible, it appears as though

Christianity will be the main focus.

Transparency and open dialogue are vital to maintaining the relationship

between the school and the community. We all want the best for our youngest minds

and providing varied educational opportunities is one of the most valuable things the

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale
school can do for them. The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015)

are a guide for me in these types of situations. They remind me of my professional,

ethical, and leadership responsibilities to both our school and our community. This is a

challenging topic, however I believe it is in the best interest of our entire community for

both sides to be heard by the school board.

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Religious Expression Case Analysis and Rationale

References

Hanson, K. L. (2009). A casebook for school leaders: linking the ISLLC standards to

effective practice. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice

Hall.

May, Colby. (2019). Religion’s Legal Place in the Schoolhouse. The School

Superintendents Association.

https://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=7730

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.npbea.org/wp-

content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-

Leaders_2015.pdf

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