Liberty Counsel represents CEAI. Under the order crafted by the ACLU, school officials are considered to be acting in their “official capacity” during a “school event.” At “school events,” “communication with a deity” is prohibited. “School officials” cannot even show agreement with anyone “communicating with a deity,” such as “bowing the head” or “folding hands.” “School officials” must also prohibit “third-parties” from praying.

Testimony revealed how this order has literally driven Christians to hide in closets to pray in order to avoid contempt charges. During her testimony, Michelle Winkler, a clerical assistant, broke down on the witness stand when she described how a coworker sought comfort from her after losing her two-year-old child. The two hid behind a closet door to pray, for fear they would be seen and held in contempt of the court order.

Denise Gibson, an elementary teacher for 20 years, testified that the order forces her to tell parents she cannot respond if they talk about church or their faith. She may not even respond to an email from a parent if it contains a Scripture verse or “God bless you.” Instead, the District requires her to open a separate email to respond rather than hit “reply,” in order to eliminate any trace of religious language.

Please pray that CEAI is successful in their court battle against the ACLU.

This Wednesday is See You at the Pole. Be sure to check out your local school and join them for prayer at their flag pole before school. Students around the country will be praying for their schools. Educators are permitted to participate as long it is not during the contracted hours. This is a perfect time for churches and communities to join together to lift up our schools in prayer.

See you at the Pole!

Battle for Religious Freedom Continues in Florida Schools

“Another effort of the ACLU to sanitize public schools of religious expression has failed”, says Finn Laursen, Executive Director of Christian Educators Association International.
U. S. Judge Casey Rodgers found Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman not guilty of criminal contempt Thursday , 9/17/09, after evidence failed to prove they willfully violated a temporary injunction that prohibited the promotion of religion in Santa Rosa County schools.
This criminal contempt issue began when the ACLU asked that Lay and Freeman be held in contempt for offering a prayer over a meal at a luncheon where they honored donors to the Athletic Field House Project.
Last month in the same court room Judge Rogers told Santa Rosa County School District employee and CEAI member Michele Winkler she would not be held in civil contempt for asking her husband to pray over a meal at a banquet off school grounds.
But the battle in Santa Rosa is not yet over.
On behalf of CEAI, Liberty Counsel had filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed last school year by the ACLU against the Santa Rosa County School District. The ACLU charged that some teachers and administrators were actively endorsing religion. The school district attempted to settle the suit by joining with the ACLU in a consent decree that essentially bans all employees from engaging in prayer or religious activities, whether before, during, or after school hours.
In an effort to seek relief from the consent decree CEAI was in front of Judge Rogers just two weeks ago. The ACLU and district attorneys tried to block our intervention, but the judge has kept the case alive and we are currently waiting for another court date to argue the unconstitutionality of the consent decree. Liberty Counsel will argue the case to give us a voice in this matter; a voice calling for the freedoms of the First Amendment to be restored!
 

(Finn Laursen is the Executive Director of CEAI, est. 1953.
To interview Finn Laursen contact Doreen at 888-798-1124 or info@ceai.org)

I know first hand how the President’s message stirred controversy in schools and communities; however, I was pleased with the President’s positive message to students about the importance of hard work, overcoming failure, perseverance, believing in themselves, family, and the critical importance to success in school.

As the President came to the podium, the class that I was in erupted into applause. It appeared to me that the students felt special having the President of the United States address them during “Prime Time” for school students.

Whether you are a fan of the President or not, the message that he presented was one that parents all over this great land try to instill in their children that hard work, responsibility, good decision making, and staying in school are critical to success in life. Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of the lesson plans that the White House put out, but I still believe that our students should listen to the President.

I applaud the President for his message to students; we can never have enough positive and hopeful messages to students. Whether it is the President of the United States of America, a soccer coach, a teacher, a police officer, a pastor, or most importantly a mom and dad, we need to join together to send a positive, hopeful, and loving message to our students on the importance of education.

A high school principal and athletic director are facing possible jail time for praying at a luncheon where no students were present. The luncheon recognized adults who sponsored athletic events. The principal asked his athletic director to say Grace before the meal and the ACLU filed a complaint against both parties stating that they violated the Consent Decree by the Santa Rosa County School District and the ACLU stating that prayer was prohibited at all school functions.

Christian Educators has intervened in the court case for the principal and AD and to restore the First Amendment rights of the students, teachers, and parents of Santa Rosa County School District.

Pray for this case which goes to trial sometime this fall. Liberty Counsel is defending the principal and AD

What are your thoughts on this case? Should the principal and AD be charged?

By Liz Garavuso

Some of the most meaningful conversational leadership work I have ever done involved sitting for three days staring at the walls in order to come up with one simple provocation to guide a 2 hour employee discussion.

Weeks ago, I was planning for an annual workshop day that occurs every year on election day. I had clarity on the issue I wanted to tackle – I wanted to increase the effectiveness of the weekly grade level meetings. Those meetings were designed as the result of embracing the concept of professional learning communities. I had manipulated resources, much to my supervisor’s dismay, in order to ensure an opportunity for staff members to talk about their practice and ways to improve it. Unfortunately, the topic of those meetings often digressed into complaining sessions or opportunities to do the “administrivia” work required of the job: complete forms, purchase items, plan field trips, etc.

Last year, I addressed this issue, convincing myself that it was an issue of me not being clear about what I wanted. So, I explicitly detailed my wishes. Needless to say, nothing changed.

I see heroes as people that devote their entire lives to helping other people. I see heroes as people who overcome insurmountable odds to inspire others to do the same. I see heroes as people who are willing to sacrifice their own lives to save another. True heroes are missing in today’s youth culture and schools. Whether you are a teacher, parent, or student, the Dr. Ben Carson story is an inspiring story of how a young man overcame the pressures of gangs and boyhood, to become one of America’s greatest doctors. Take time today to watch this inspiring video with your children and students. Plus, Dr. Carson is a strong man of the faith, and he is a great role model to inspire students to do their best in school. This video is perfectly safe to show in your classroom or to students to motivate them to achieve and succeed.

God can use the story of “Gifted Hands,” the Ben Carson story to change the lives of young people.

God Bless,

Bill

God is the God of our Cities! God is also the God of our Schools! Listen to this song and dream about what God can do in our public schools. Many people think that prayer was taken out of public schools in the 1960’s, prayer is alive and well in our public schools today. Christians are serving as teachers, paraeducators, principals, custodians, volunteers, secretaries, Superintendents, and many othe positions to serve the young people of this great nation.

I hope that you will join me in praying for our public schools and in legally living out your faith in our schools. God calls us to be salt and light; light in a dark world. Christian Educators Association International is equipped to help you to live out your faith in our schools and to encourage you to be the salt and light in your classroom.

God Bless you for what you do! Whether your a mom, dad, educator, or student, God wants to encourage you to live with hope and purpose.

Blessings,

Bill

What child knows that you believe that you believe in them? Or who believed in you as a child? Was it a teacher, mom, dad, or a coach? Whoever it was, send them this powerful video of Dalton Sherman’s speech, do you believe in me?
Dalton Sherman – The funniest movie is here. Find it