"For the past two years, our elementary school has partnered with a local megachurch to host an end-of-year fair at our school. The church brings in games and face painters and bounce houses and the whole deal, but they also put on a small religious play about Jesus, and host a table to talk to kids and their parents about the church and Jesus."
"The school frames this festival as a schoolwide festival, teachers and administration encourage kids to go, and it is held on the school grounds. I happen to be Jewish, but even if I were Christian, I feel it is wildly inappropriate for this to be happening at a public school. My son only has about a year and a half left at this school before moving on, but I still feel a need to address this so it doesn't continue to spread."
A public elementary school partnered with a local megachurch for an end-of-year fair that included games, bounce houses, face painters, a religious play about Jesus, and a church table for outreach to children and parents. Teachers and administration promoted the event as a schoolwide festival held on school grounds. The partnership raises concerns about separation of church and state and about appropriateness in a public school setting. Parents can consult the ACLU, Anti-Defamation League, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State for guidance and reporting. Parents can calmly raise concerns with administration, document events, seek PTA support, request policy clarification, propose secular alternatives, and escalate to district or legal organizations if necessary.
Read at Slate Magazine
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