Four Questions to Ask of Any Program or Policy

It sounds ridiculous. How can you dare to question a new program or curriculum your school district's experts want to implement when you don't have all the facts you need? The answer is: It's easy - and you won't even look like a fool. To the contrary, you will be helping your school district achieve excellence.

Here are four questions you can ask when any new program is proposed. If school officials can satisfactorily answer them, that's wonderful. You can support the change. If they evade the questions, watch out. If they stumble in their answers, you know there's a problem. You shouldn't ask these questions to sabotage a program. You should ask them to spur the district on to excellence and greater accountability.

1. What will success look like? 

You want the district to give you measurable definitions of how the program will be called successful. Is success defined as increased scores on tests? What measurable increase can be considered successful? Is success defined as increased graduation rates or decreased vandalism? What percentage of increase or decrease is considered successful? Ultimately, how is student performance increased by this change?

2. Where has this program been implemented successfully? 

Get the names and telephone numbers of school districts where the program has been a success. Call up the superintendent's office in each district. Explain that you are a parent at another school district exploring the pros and cons of the program. Then, ask what they like and dislike about the program. What would they do differently?

3. What are the success benchmarks set up by the district? 

How does the district intend to tangibly measure the success or failure of the program over time? What will be the 6-month measure of success? What will be considered success after having implemented the program for one year? Who will measure it? How will they measure it? When will they measure it?

4. If the program doesn't work well, at what point will it be deemed a failure and greatly modified or removed? 

Once the measure of success is established, you'll want to know how long the district will push for success. Most programs take some adjusting once implemented. That's understandable. But at what point will the district stop chasing after success if it is clear that the previously set measures of success are not being met? One year? Two years? Five years?

These four questions will help you and the community hold the district accountable. They'll also help the district be more successful in establishing clear goals.

© 2002, Eric Buehrer

Why "Under God" Must Remain in the Pledge of Allegiance

This article offers five points to remember when explaining to friends why "under God" must remain in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

While many people "feel" that reciting the Pledge is good, we must help them understand why it is a good thing to do. It is up to us to help our friends and neighbors, our children and their teachers, understand the meaning of the Pledge. 

Here are five points I suggest you make as you talk about the Pledge: 

1. Thomas Jefferson explained why being "one Nation under God" is important.

Thomas Jefferson and our other Founding Fathers understood that the government does not give us our freedom. Our freedom comes from God, and the government was established to protect that God-given freedom. That was their justification for the American Revolution as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote: 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government laying its foundation on such principles…" (emphasis added) 

No king or emperor, no president or congress, no court or crowd gives us our rights. They come from God himself and are unalienable. And the Founders built America's "foundation on such principles." 

Our beautiful Pledge Poster comes with a Lesson Plan.

2. Abraham Lincoln explained why being "one Nation under God" is important.

Abraham Lincoln understood that the nation's unity and freedom depended upon being one nation under God. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln used the exact phrase, "nation, under God," echoed in the Pledge of Allegiance. He began his address by referring to the Founding Fathers' foundation in God-given rights: 

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure." 

As Lincoln closes his remarks honoring the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg, he offered this inspiring vision: 

"...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (emphasis added) 

3. Martin Luther King, Jr., understood the importance of being a nation under God.

In his "I have a dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., explained that:

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’”

4. It doesn't matter that the phrase "under God" was added to the Pledge in the 1950s.

Some people argue that "under God" was not in the original Pledge and was inserted over 50 years later. But, that only proves it took over 50 years to get it right! 

5. The phrase "under God" does not make the Pledge a prayer

Some people argue that "under God" is a form of prayer, and thus it is unconstitutional to have schoolchildren recite it. However, a careful reading of the Pledge of Allegiance reveals that we are not pledging allegiance to God. We are, instead, pledging allegiance to a republic. The Pledge then describes the republic as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. In other words, it acknowledges the Founders' declaration that our freedom comes from God, not the state. 

Throughout America's history, as Jefferson (18th century), Lincoln (19th century), and King (20th century) attested, the American people's freedom -- the freedom of your neighbors, your co-workers, your children, and their teachers, are because we are one nation under God. Take that principle away, remove it from our national consciousness, and we will lose the very basis for the freedoms we so easily take for granted. As Jefferson warned:

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?" (Inscribed in stone at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC)

In today's war of ideas, people will not defend what they do not cherish, and they will not cherish what they do not understand. 

Click here to purchase a copy of AMERICA'S STORY The History of the Pledge of Allegiance

Click here to purchase a poster explaining each phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance

Click here for our Pledge Lesson Plan

© Eric Buehrer 2018

Professional Development Seminar

Educator Workshop

While many educators feel comfortable teaching students about various world religions, the same is not necessarily true when it comes to the Bible and Christianity.

To address the problem, churches are hosting a powerful seminar for teachers.

Faith, Freedom & Public Schools is a three-and-one-half hour workshop for public school educators. This is not about “education theory.” You’ll learn practical ways to appropriately and lawfully include teaching about the Bible and Christian history, culture, and values across the curriculum. You’ll also receive the latest updates on federal and state religious liberty issues affecting students and teachers. 

1. Your state academic standards expect students to learn about the Bible and Christianity

2. Courts support teaching students about the Bible and Christianity -- including religious aspects of holidays.

3. The U.S. Department of Education has clarified students’ religious liberties (and you can teach about them!)

4. Practical lesson ideas you can use immediately in your classroom

RESULTS: Based on post-event surveys, public school teachers who attend Gateways’ professional development seminar indicate they will improve their classroom teaching as follows:

• 87% will tell what “one nation under God” means in the Pledge of Allegiance

• 80% will discuss the religious aspects of holidays

• 74% will encourage students to include their faith-based values in their decision making

• 72% will tell students about their freedom of religious expression in class

• 57% will add a Bible to their classroom library

SEMINAR AGENDA

8:30 AM - Registration

9:00 AM - Overview of the following topics: 

• LEGALLY SUPPORTED – A review of relevant court cases

• THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE - How it applies and does not apply to schools 

• ACADEMICALLY EXPECTED – Your state’s standards expect students to learn about the Bible and Judeo-Christian history, culture, and values.

• CULTURALLY ACCURATE – Statistics on America’s religious culture

• MORAL DEVELOPMENT & RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING – What the research reveals

10:30 AM - Break

10:40 AM - Overview of the following topics: 

• INCLUSION STRATEGIES – Practical ways to teach about the Bible and Christianity as they relate to Civics, Language Arts, History, Math, Science, Health, Economics, Decision-making skills

• STUDENTS’ RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES – U.S. Department of Education Guidance on 7 topics

• RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY – What you can do in your school & school district

• HOLIDAYS – Lesson ideas for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Martin Luther King Day, Easter, and Passover

12:15 PM - Q&A

12:30 PM - Dismiss

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Testimonies

Reliable, Refreshing, and Very Practical
“I look forward to the material I receive during the school year from Gateways to Better Education. Its information is reliable, refreshing, and very practical.” -- Tracey Bailey, National Teacher of the Year

Like a Breath of Fresh Air after a Long Winter
“Eric’s presentation was professional and informative. It was like a breath of fresh air after a long winter. This training will equip our teachers with the knowledge they need in order to freely talk about faith without violating the separation between church and state. I highly recommend this program to you without reservation.” -- Dr. Jan Harris, Superintendent, Cullman City Schools, Alabama (after 250 teachers participated in the seminar)

Practical Knowledge that Applies to Our Local Schools
“I am greatly encouraged by the dynamic ministry of Gateways, which we were pleased to host at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills this past year. The Faith, Freedom & Public Schools seminar provided public school educators with practical knowledge that can now be applied in our local public schools.” -- Pastor Jack Hibbs, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, CA

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Additionally, Keeping Their Faith in Public Schools is a 90-minute seminar for parents, grandparents and church leaders available at no additional cost when presented on the same weekend.

For more information on bringing Faith, Freedom & Public Schools to your community, email kim@gtbe.org 

Examples of Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"Coupled with our grateful acknowledgment of the blessings it has been our high privilege to enjoy, we have a deepening sense of solemn responsibility to assure for ourselves and our descendents a future more abundant in faith and security. 

"Let us, therefore, on the day appointed, each in his own way, but together as a whole people, make due expression of our thanksgiving and humbly endeavor to follow in the footsteps of Almighty God." 

President John F. Kennedy, 1963 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"On that day let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God; and let us earnestly and humbly pray that He will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations and of ending misery and suffering wherever they exist." 

President Ronald Reagan, 1985 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"Although the time and date of the first American thanksgiving observance may be uncertain, there is no question but that this treasured custom derives from our Judeo-Christian heritage. 'Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks,' the Psalmist sang, praising God not only for the 'wondrous works' of His creation, but for loving guidance and deliverance from dangers....Let us thank God for our families, friends, and neighbors, and for the joy of this very festival we celebrate in His name." 

President Bill Clinton, 1996 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"Let us now, this Thanksgiving Day, reawaken ourselves and our neighbors and our communities to the genius of our founders in daring to build the world's first constitutional democracy on the foundation of trust and thanks to God. Out of our right and proper rejoicing on Thanksgiving Day, let us give our own thanks to God and reaffirm our love of family, neighbor, and community. Each of us can be an instrument of blessing to those we touch this Thanksgiving Day — and every day of the year." 

President George W. Bush, 2001 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"As we recover from the terrible tragedies of September 11, Americans of every belief and heritage give thanks to God for the many blessings we enjoy as a free, faithful, and fair-minded land. Let us particularly give thanks for the self-less sacrifices of those who responded in service to others after the terrorist attacks, setting aside their own safety as they reached out to help their neighbors. Let us also give thanks for our leaders at every level who have planned and coordinated the myriad of responses needed to address this unprecedented national crisis.  And let us give thanks for the millions of people of faith who have opened their hearts to those in need with love and prayer, bringing us a deeper unity and stronger resolve." 

President Barack Obama, 2014 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"With God's grace, this holiday season we carry forward the legacy of our forebears. In the company of our loved ones, we give thanks for the people we care about and the joy we share, and we remember those who are less fortunate. At shelters and soup kitchens, Americans give meaning to the simple truth that binds us together:  we are our brother's and our sister's keepers.  We remember how a determined people set out for a better world -- how through faith and the charity of others, they forged a new life built on freedom and opportunity."

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For a complete list of Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations, visit https://pilgrimhall.org/thanksgiving_proclamations.htm

Teaching Students About the Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation

A Lesson on Gratitude

Here are some classroom activities for all grades that teach about the yearly Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation. 

Print and share with the students a copy of the President’s Thanksgiving Proclamation (visit www.whitehouse.gov, then do a search on “Thanksgiving” and look for “President’s Thanksgiving Message”. Each year, the President issues a proclamation just a few days before the holiday. Consequently, it is difficult to use the current proclamation unless your lesson is the day before Thanksgiving. 

For a complete list of Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations, visit https://pilgrimhall.org/thanksgiving_proclamations.htm.

Use the ideas below in age- and grade-appropriate ways:

1. Show a picture of The President and talk about what a President does. 

2. Ask students why the President issues a Thanksgiving Proclamation each year.  Suggested answer: It has been a tradition since the founding of our country that Presidents ask Americans to thank God for the blessings we have received as a nation in the previous twelve months. 

3. Vocabulary Race. Have students divide into groups of equal size. Have each group make a list of vocabulary words from the proclamation and exchange the list with another group. The lists of words should be equal to two words per student in the group. At a signal from the teacher, each group works as a team to find and write the appropriate definitions of the words. The first group finished is the winner. The group must read aloud its definitions to prove they are correct. 

4. Read the closing paragraph(s) of the proclamation to the class and ask students to list the things the President asked Americans to do on Thanksgiving Day. 

5. Ask students how they can each do the things the President asked them to do. 

6. In small groups, have students create a “found poem.” Have students read the document and underline phrases (not sentences) they think are most important. Each student then chooses only two phrases as the most important and writes each phrase on a separate strip of paper. The group then arranges the strips of paper to create a free-verse poem. Have a spokesperson for the group read the poem to the class. 

7. We often speak of “owing” someone a debt of gratitude. Have students list things they have for which they are thankful (possessions, experiences, special events, opportunities given) and to whom they can be thankful for providing them. Writing about their faith is perfectly acceptable in this lesson.

8. Teach students the social skill of expressing gratitude. Have the class create a hypothetical situation in which one person gives a thing or an opportunity to another person. As a class, discuss and list three or four steps to showing gratitude. For example: (1) face the person, (2) look the person in the eye, (3) say “Thank you,” (4) continue by saying “I appreciate that you ____________” and explain why you are grateful. 

9. The Roman lawyer Cicero once wrote, “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, it is the parent of all other virtues.” Have students discuss what they think he meant. Have them brainstorm a list of virtues as you write them on the board. Why is gratitude the basis for those virtues? Can they give examples?

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Other Gateways THANKSGIVING RESOURCES

Order the Gateways THANKSGIVING CARD for your children’s teacher