Louisiana is posting the 10 Commandments in each classroom. Here are 10 very practical ways that we can show love, kindness, and support to students and their families in the public education system that are not posting a list of extra rules on the wall. Bringing the Gospel into education in ways that actually show care to teachers and student.
1) Fund Free School Lunch Programs/ Summer Food Projects
School lunches being free, or free and reduced, healthy, and good would be an enormous help to the education system. Hungry kids do not learn. And we should absolutely not be letting children go hungry.
School breaks often bring food insecurity for students in poverty. If you cannot find a local church that has a summer food program, consider starting one. Food is a basic need that churches can help families with over the summer months.
2) Early Childhood Needs Space
Most states do not have public pre-schools available for all students. And private daycares are not only expensive, they are not all regulated the same. And even more than that, daycares are rarely staffed with trained professionals because they pay so poorly. We don’t all live communally or multi-generationally and need safe, affordable, loving, and professional childcare. The ages of 0-5 are incredibly important for childhood development but they are not treated that way in the United States.
3) Support Your Local Library
Local libraries are full of resources for families and kids. They provide free educational resources, safe learning spaces, and so much more. Supporting you local libraries is supporting local education.
Related Read: 5 Reasons to Get a Library Card This Summer
4) Ban Guns not Books
I cannot wrap my mind around this one. Librarians are highly trained individuals. We are running them off in mass. Our children need books, they need library resources. There should be a huge bipartisan effort here to buy back assault rifles and ban them. A very basic, meet in the middle, approach! I’m so thankful that I didn’t have active shooter drills when I was in school. But as a teacher, the active shooter trainings are terrifying. Here’s another article I wrote about that.
5) Fund Mental Health Resources
Schools need more counselors. Counselors need more curriculum and resources. Practical resources for kids and families. In most places in the US, if a child is suffering a mental health crisis they are referred to the ER or jail. There need to be other REASONABLY PRICED resources for these families, especially as mental health crisis are on the rise. And elementaries need access to social emotional learning supplies, and to not have to give everything a letter grade. What a great way to practically bring the Gospel into education, by providing relief in suffering.
6) Teachers Over Stadiums
We need more teachers in schools. We need to retain good teachers. Respecting the profession of teaching and increasing their salaries are a simple way to start. Pre-K through third grade programs would greatly benefit from having more paraprofessional assistants in the classroom, or hall aides even. Where I live in Texas, we have funded two multi-million dollar football stadiums and we are losing teachers in mass.
This author quote sums it up well…
“For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beautitudes (Matthew 5). But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course, that’s Moses, not Jesus. I haven’t heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. ‘Blessed are the merciful’ in a courtroom? ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ in the Pentagon? Give me a break!” Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country
7) Don’t Let Vouchers Fool You
I have worked in both private and public schools. No private school that I’ve worked in wants the government more involved. And no public school wants their funds depleted even further to go to private schools. The math for vouchers just does not work. It is not actually practical in helping a minority or majority of students. Here’s a Standford Review article about it.
8) Support Fundraisers
One local band program just had a community garage sale to fundraise. You could support something like that by donating or shopping, but also just by sharing and talking about it. You don’t have to donate a dime to support fundraisers. Sharing or interacting with them on social media can be just as helpful. Also, it would be great if the art programs were so well funded by the state that they did not have to fundraise for instruments.
9) Encourage Special Programs
Students need resources and programs for things like art and science. If something, like adding a shop class, comes up- support it. If there is a neighborhood collection for art supplies, share the post. Go the concerts, buy tickets to the theater shows, show your support for these types of programs.
10) Remember that Jesus Loves the Youth
The children’s basic rights are listed here at Amnesty International. We violate those in our own impoverished communities and big cities regularly here in the US. And children’s rights are also being violated abroad. Especially in areas of great political conflict, refugee, and war zones.
Understand that these children experiencing violence, poverty, and insecurity are loved and deserve basic human rights. And then evaluate why you think that being younger makes you deserve more basic human rights than being older does. Because the God that I have grown up with loves everyone.
A Teachers Perspective on the 10 Commandments Being Posted
When I was hungry, you posted religious rules on my wall. You voted away school food programs and physically showed me that God didn’t care.
When I was struggling to read, you posted more big and scary words on the wall.
When we needed more teachers, you gave us more rules that don’t even make sense for school.
When I needed places to study and tutors, you shut down library funding.
When I asked for a Kindergarten teaching assistant, you gave me more students.
When I asked for a new alphabet chart, you gave me the 10 Commandments instead.
Matthew 25 NIV 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Not only does posting the 10 Commandments not show children the love of God. It shows them even more that the Evangelical church and their God cares about controlling them and not helping them in any tangible way.
I am an ex evangelical and a teacher. It saddened me this morning to see that Louisiana is going to post the ten commandments in every classroom. Especially because Louisiana education consistently ranks in the lowest ten states for educational scores. Their teachers need practical support and for the lawmakers to actually help and consider them.
The United States is a country that is supposed to have religious freedom. What would the headlines have been if Louisiana had posted another religions rules on every single classroom wall?!