Other religions were not tolerated. Today, secular humanism permeates public schools. Nor can public education teach about religion in a neutral way. The solutions offered are either to give parents the funds necessary to pay for the school of their choice or to use a release-time model in which children leave the classroom to receive instruction in the religious and moral beliefs of their parents. Both forms of instruction support freedom of religion and teach tolerance of diversity.
Choices become tough for teachers because they are rooted in core moral values.
Yet such core values, the authors demonstrate, can guide a resolution process. 42-45 Teaching is the art of leading our learners to realize their potential. And when we uplift young people, we uplift ourselves. Believing in someone is a concern of the spirit, and it matters in the classroom. Most of the students with whom educators daily work have little identity beyond home and school.