The South Side Journal wrote a very interesting article about how religious groups are helping public schools. The strict-constructionist views of our establishment clause and Missouri’s Blaine amendments have sought, over the years, to create an impermeable wall between religion and state, and I find a great deal of the effect of that to be harmful. In looking up some of the case law about Missouri’s Blaine amendment, so many of them revolved around a church or religious group that was trying to help their community—not in an effort to proselytize but simply because they felt it was the right thing to do. The spirit that Shawn Clubb writes about in this article is something that should be encouraged, not stuffed behind a wall. I believe our Framers never meant that wall to prohibit the good effects a church can have on its community, but rather to allow anyone to practice their religion freely without being thwarted by the state. Needless to say, this article shows some enlightenment on that front:
Jason Julian regularly visits five city high schools with other staff from K-Life Ministries looking to make a difference in children's lives.
K-Life and 80 other faith-based groups have started going into the public schools in the city. Ministers, deacons, rabbis, imams and lay people from churches, synagogues and temples have teamed with schools throughout the city.
They come to teach, not to preach. They serve as tutors, mentors and role models for students who otherwise might not get the level of attention they need to succeed."We're not even trying to proselytize to kids," Julian said.
Instead, K-Life volunteers mentor students, read to them, tutor them and conduct a Play it Smart character-building program for high school athletes at Vashon, Beaumont, Roosevelt, Sumner and Clyde C. Miller Career Academy.
The Rev. Douglas Parham, pastor of Community of God Church in Blackjack and president of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition, said many children in the schools also attend area churches with their families.
"We have a vested interest in the quality of education in our schools," he said.
The coalition has had a dialogue with the public schools since Cleveland Hammonds was superintendent, Parham said. Apart from that relationship many congregations had started tutoring and education support programs in their churches.
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw said she set a goal for the district to bolster schools with corporate, community and faith-based partnerships.
"There's a church on every corner and we had some churches already doing things in our schools. We decided to help them," she said.
Some churches were uncertain about whether they could have a relationship with public schools, Bourisaw said. They were aware of the barrier between church and state.
"That means they can't proselytize. It doesn't mean they can't care," she said. "If a family needs help and the school doesn't know where to turn, they can turn to the church partner."
The partnership quickly went from a handful to more than 80 faith-base groups wanting to help out. Many clergy kicked off their congregation's involvement during a recent Clergy Reading Day in which 29 clergy members read to students in city elementary schools.
Sally Bloom, principal of Wyman Elementary School, 1547 S. Theresa Ave., looks forward to her school being paired with St. Luke's Memorial Baptist Church, 3623 Finney Ave. The Rev. Jimmy Brown from the church took part in the reading day and plans to have further involvement with the school.
"It's helpful to have partnership throughout the community - not just with the churches - but the churches are a strong part of St. Louis," Bloom said. "We're looking for mentoring assistance with the children. I think in some cases we have a number of them that just need somebody to be there for them on a regular basis.
"We're not treating it as a church necessarily, but a group that wants to give support."
Carey Cunningham, principal of Simmons Elementary School, 4318 St. Louis Ave., has been working for a month with Prince of Peace Missionary Church, 2741 Dayton St., and its pastor Rev. William Kilpatrick.
Before anyone else from the church can come in to mentor they must go through the district's screening process, Cunningham said. After they have been screened, they will be able to play an active role in the after-school literacy program.
"Our students can fall into many negative traps growing up. They can be here as a support to help students stay on the right track," he said. "At Prince of Peace, they understand some children lag behind academically. They have a goal to create in the church their own educational center for further academic and social assistance."
Cunningham said he's encouraged that the district has tried to unite school and church, which students tend to see as being separate.
"The school and church can work together in harmonious ways," he said. "The religious sector and education sector can work hand in hand."
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