- Prayer in School: Prayer in school has been a hot topic of debate for many decades now. Proponents of prayer in school of late have not been satisfied with voluntary prayer, and want to instead go back to the way things used to be with prayer as a classroom institution. Those against this idea refute this as a violation of freedom of religion. Through the media, news sources paint either side in a light that makes it hard to know what is really at stake. Most people, I think, would be okay with voluntary, private prayer in schools, and most I feel would not be okay with forced prayer, especially if it was to a deity or religion that was not favorable for their children, yet the media drives the two sides away from the large amount of common ground these two sides really have.
- Protest in School: Currently, there is a big debate over professional athletes standing for the national anthem. In public schools, that debate has been going on for some time as well, with students refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance that in many schools is a daily routine. In some cases where students do not stand school suspension has been instituted, begging the question, do students give up their first amendment rights to freedom of speech and expression when they walk into the classroom doors?
- Unions in Education: Unions add many benefits to the ever difficult lives of teachers, however, some believe that unions benefit special interest groups more than it really does the teachers. Certain benefits such as tenure and wage bargaining have dark sides to their gleaming face. In many instances, teachers who have committed heinous acts are still on tenure soaking up resources without actually teaching, and wage bargaining on behalf of the teachers can cause stalemates between the state governments and the union resulting in long, arduous strikes that leave children without proper teachers or class sizes.
The first hot spot I mentioned is one that I feel is currently most compelling. Many of my friends and family argue vehemently on both sides of the argument. I feel as though the issue lies in getting past the rhetoric tools that each side uses to veil the reality of the situation.
Image Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Andrew_Classroom_De_La_Salle_University.jpeg/220px-Andrew_Classroom_De_La_Salle_University.jpeg
I know that the first subject has recently been up for debate, and it's hard, I think, for us who 1) are very religious in nature but 2) love religious liberty. Honestly, I think asking students to participate in prayers they don't believe in is harmful. I think candid discussion, allowed celebration of holidays, and demonstration of religion should all be allowed- but perhaps not an expected communal demonstration of belief.
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