Posted on 12/09/2005 11:50:33 AM PST by Jean S
Chavez Elementary School canceled a third-grade field trip to raise money for the Salvation Army after a parent objected to having public school students help the religious-based charitable organization.
The district received a phone call from a parent who was "concerned about promoting religious organizations through the Salvation kettle point collection," district spokesman Ken Syke said.
School officials said the trip, in which the students were to serve as bell-ringers at the Salvation Army's red kettle collection points, was an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state and told teachers to stop sending permission slips to students' families.
Assistant Superintendent Sue Abplanalp said Chavez staff chose the organization due to its charity work with the poor and homeless rather than for its Christian basis.
Two third-grade teachers said students participated in an identical field trip with the Salvation Army last year.
One of the teachers who organized the field trip last year, Amy Carran, said parents could opt their child out of both the 2004 and 2005 trips.
"My kids were very disappointed," Carran said. "A lot of them said, 'It's not fair; it's not fair. Why can't that parent just keep their child home that day? It's not fair that the rest of us can't go.'"
Another Salvation Army employee, Donald Haar, who answers the Salvation Army's bell- ringer hot line, said he didn't agree with the district's decision, pointing out his staff has previously had atheists and agnostics collect money for the poor.
"What really bothers me is what canceling the field trip does to the kids," he said. "It says that having a religion is a bad thing, that believing is a bad thing, and that is not the message our country should be sending right now. It should instead be encouraging our kids to volunteer."
Chavez principal Howard Fried said there are other ways to instill a charitable spirit in students.
"My feeling is that we can certainly accomplish the same goals by having a service project within an organization that doesn't have a religious affiliation, and I'm hoping that sometime in the future they'll come up with an alternative," Fried said.
The Salvation Army's mission is to "preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination," according to the organization's Web site.
I no longer will buy any cheese from Wisconsin, that's fer sure.
ONE parent's objection results in cancellation for the entire class. I wonder if he realizes the shame that he is setting up his kid to endure the rest of the year?
Found it.
hfried@madison.k12.wi.us - Principal
akreft@madison.k12.wi.us - Assistant Principal
I believe the Madison School Board cancelled the event, not the principal.
The Republicans need to shout to the mountaintops until EVERYBODY understands that this is what voting for liberals and Democrats gets you.
bump
I guarantee, that parent is more concerned about hatred for Bush and the Republicans than love for the child.
way too sad.
The help The Salavation Army gives knows no politics nor religion.
What's to prevent an activist fruit in the School district from "inventing" an irate "parent"?
They call the school principal " Old BB Nuts"
I've noticed too many Liberal victories in WI lately...I'm with you.
"Chavez principal Howard Fried said there are other ways to instill a charitable spirit in students."
Yeah! There are PLENTY of Madison junkies that the kids can give clean needles to this season! /sarcasm
Hi, Thunder! Thanks for the ping. I'll rally the troops.
On another matter, I found http://www.thefire.org today, which I think you'll be interested in. It's a site that deals with First Amendment issues as related to college life.
Oh, and I'm signed up to ring for the Salvation Army on the 19th by the East Towne Mall Food Court if anyone wants to stop by for a Candy Cane! :)
PC Run A-Muck Christmas Charity Ping!
Now, now. Don't lump us all in with these PC Anti-Christian Freaks, 'cuz that's not how the majority of us that live here feel!
Want to be on my Wisconsin Conservative Politics Ping List? I can show you that 90% of Wisconsinites are rational, thoughtful, Christian, caring human beings. The leftists just get all the press in the Madison & Milwaukee areas.
Honest! :)
Listen. You two obviously have the LUXURY of living in states that don't have to fight socialism every d@mn day.
Instead of d@mning us, why not help to support us? The reason we post these articles is to point out the injustices and stupidity we have to suffer here each and every day.
You know, I put my blood, sweat, time and equity into EVERY Republican campaign around here from Dog Catcher on up.
A little support would be appreciated! I wouldn't be so flippant if it were you...I'd offer to help in any way I could to stomp out these Marxists before they invade YOUR states next. And don't think it won't happen to you. We were a solidly RED state up until three and a half years ago. We still have a Republican House & Senate, but the socialist Governor and his henchwoman AG veto each and every change we try to make for the betterment of our state.
Walk a mile in our snowboots and see how they pinch. ;)
The Salvation Army also has one of the lowest percentage overhead compared to other charitable organizations. On about the same percentage as Catholic Charities and Chabad (that's right, religious, or faith-based if you prefer, organizations).
It was my home state, but it has been taken over by the enemy.
I wonder what the parent's name is?
Full-blown Christophobia.
I agree.
Wisconsin and Michigan are in much the same boat, a few big city sewers control the politics of the entire state, when in reality most of the acreage of both states are as red as it gets.
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