Religious Expression Rationale

Jennifer Amato
Grand Canyon University
EAD – 505
Dr. Patrick Tucker
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In the case of The Bible and Ms. Wright, it is important to take into consideration the viewpoints

of both sides. It seems that Ms. Avery values the opinion of the community and her staff and takes that

into consideration when planning curriculum for each school year [ELCC 1.1]. It is also apparent that the

community takes pride in the accomplishments of Laurel Palm Middle School and its administration.

Religion, however, is a heated subject for proponents and opposition. In this instance, it seems that the

school, administration, and curriculum committee took into consideration the importance of a secular

view in a religious study. The case states that the Bible was not the only religious text included but that

other text such as the Koran would be reviewed as well (A Casebook for School Learners: Linking the

ISLLC Standards to Effective Practice). Though I believe Ms. Wright’s reaction was more emotional than

logical, she has the right to express the way she feels about religious content being presented in the

school. To prevent the media circus and protest at the school board meeting, Ms. Beckel should have

alerted Ms. Avery about the strong reaction Ms. Wright had to the idea of a religious study course. Ms.

Avery could have invited Ms. Wright in for a meeting to discuss her concerns and to educate her about

the purpose of the course and the school’s intentions.

As it stands, Ms. Beckel did not tell Ms. Avery about the conversation she had with Ms. Wright.

Unfortunately for the school and Ms. Avery, the media and the protest did occur at the board meeting. I

believe that the administration and board should meet as planned and discuss the proposed curriculum

as objectively as possible. It is important that Ms. Avery maintain her professionalism referring to PSEL

standard 4: Implementing a curriculum that promotes the vision of the school and high expectations as

she decides whether to move on with the religious study course or not [ELCC 3.3, 3.5, 5.2, 5.3] (National

Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015). If the content of the curriculum passes the Lemon

test, it would not be unreasonable to allow the school to proceed with its implementation.
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Prior to implementing a curriculum of religious nature, it would be beneficial to invite the

opposition of the course to review and give feedback on the content [ELCC 1.4, 5.1, 5.5]. Religion being

the hot topic that it is, there might be misconceptions about the way religious texts could be presented

and the purpose of the course. It might also be helpful to involve the community and representatives of

different cultural backgrounds in a review process. Allowing the community to interact with the content

and give their feedback not only shows the school’s transparency but also ensures that the community’s

culture is represented in the content as well. This would also bode well for a school that boasts a high

multi-cultural demographic [ELCC 1.1]. There is no guarantee that everyone will be happy with the

implantation of the curriculum, but the secular purpose and the transparency of the school should deter

any legal repercussions.

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References
A Casebook for School Learners: Linking the ISLLC Standards to Effective Practice. (n.d.). Upper Saddle
River: Pearson.

National Policy Board For Educational Administration. (2011). NPBEA.org. Retrieved from Educational
Leadership Program Standards: https://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ELCC-
Building-Level-Standards-2011.pdf

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional Standards for Educational
Leaders. Retrieved from National Policy Board for Educational Administration:
https://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-
Leaders_2015.pdf