"that the problem with the programs is that taking students out of the classroom — even for only an hour — can have a significantly deleterious effect on their progress relative to their classmates."

Agree - totally dumbing down of America through religious indoctrination, which surely goes against the Constitution and separation of Church and State.

This program does not pass the smell test

left class to do so regularly. They called it 'religious release'.

I went to elementary school in the San Fernando Valley. There were options for Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish kids. It was offered as an extracurricular activity and signed parental consent was required.

For those who are now freaking out about forced religion, please let me point out that we did not do prayer of any kind inside the classroom, just the Pledge of Allegiance which originally did not reference God.

What an exercise in stupidity. School is for learning. Religion is for...whatever religion is for.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

and she asks-

"daddy, what is that place"

I say-

"It's where old people go to hang out with other old people"

too long ago and I was too young to remember any more details than that.

They go back a long way. Such a program existed in my own schools, way back in the 1950s. Those of us, like me, who did not participate got extra instruction from our regular teachers. My 6th grade teacher, for example, took that time to teach the kids who did not participate Spanish.

The kids who went to the religious release programs got left out of that. Tough luck for them.

nt

though. Religious release is still pretty common around the country, and it has been tested in the courts. I think it's wrong-headed, though, and never participated in it when I was a kid.

A friend of mine in Virginia was the first student in her school to opt out, back in the 80s. She sat in the library and read while everyone else left the school. Another friend's father, as new superintendent of schools in a county near a guy named Barry Walfell, received death threats from local loving Christians when he tried to stop the practice.

when i was in elementary school in the 60's in the OC, it was called released time christian education. we were let out of class into a trailer for bible study. i wasn't even raised with religion, but what kid didn't want to get out of class, so i went. mine was protestant, but catholics had their own trailer.

but it wasn't daily...maybe once a month.

The kids still must meet school standards,

As long as transportation and costs are borne by the parents of the participants or the institution providing the religious training, I'm of the opinion that it's a freedom I can tolerate.

I don't have to believe it. I don't have to endorse directly or indirectly what is taught.

I can tolerate it enough to give it a chance. I understand that parents have authority to make choices and contribute to decision making about about educational exposure for their children.

If the school can demonstrate that these parental choices significantly harm the students 'progress' relative to their classmates this decision can be revisited.

some opted out completely. Of those who opted in - some went to a Protestant class while others went to a Catholic class and a few to a Jehovah Witness class. Those kids whose parents opted them out stayed behind and played.