School Reform, the First Amendment, and Civility in the 1990s: The Construction of A Statement of Principles for Religion and Public Education

Abstract

Americans have long struggled over the role that religion should play in their systems of public schooling. For more than a century, social tension over issues such as doctrine, science, prayer, and morality has found a public stage in the dialogue and debates of religious lead ers and professional educators.1 Recognizing the role schools play in shaping a child's social, spiritual, and moral identity, religious leaders have historically challenged educational policies or curricula that ap pear to compromise the principles of their respective faiths. Similarly, many educational leaders, as products of a professional subculture that maintains strong moral convictions about the purposes of schooling, have long resisted political pressures that challenge their philosophical commitments and expertise. The fact that both of these groups have located legitimacy for their political actions in these foundational belief systems, partially explains why issues of religion, values, morals, and character formation in public schools are embedded in a legacy of conflict.