What people are saying:

• Secular Education Association: Tagging for greater visibility
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• Secular Education Association: SEA has the records. We have the history. And we have been warning for years that these programs do not just affect the children who attend.

  They also affect the children left behind.

  Public school children are not leftovers.

• Facebook User: Lifewise should not operate inside of public schools, and never during school hours. If parents are interested in it being offered after hours, then make it happen, I don’t know, at your church🤷‍♀️
• Facebook User: When I was in grade school, (late fifties) we had women who came in once a week for ‘religious education.’ This was voluntary, but almost all students did participate. I clearly remember one girl who didn’t, who was treated like dirt by our principal at the time. Religious education belongs at home and in the church, NOT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User thank you for sharing this. Would you be comfortable allowing us to publish this without your identifying information?
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association Yes.
  • Facebook User: I was required to memorize prayers and recite them in class in the late 50s/early 60s.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User we’re so sorry this was your experience. It shouldn’t have been.
• Facebook User: This has happened for decades. I went to a school in southern Indiana and the rest of the class went to religion across the street while I stayed back and read. I was the only one all three years from 3rd to 5th grade, would have been 90s.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User thank you for sharing this. Stories like yours really matter. The fact that this has been happening for decades is exactly the point. It’s long past time we take a closer look at how this impacts all students.

    Would you be comfortable with SEA sharing your experience, either with your name attached or anonymously?

  • Facebook User: Go for it! ❤️
• Facebook User: Wow
• Facebook User: It’s really sad when churches are so unequal to the task of teaching their beliefs to their children that they require the assistance of the secular state…🙄
• Facebook User: Its listed as a special?! And those kids are supposed to do work while the others do what exactly? Infuriating
• Facebook User: I’m fairly sure that a public school district is not allowed to list lifewise as a “special.” Presenting the program as an integrated part of the school is not allowed. Assigning academic work to only students who don’t attend is also not allowed.

  I’m sure the school board has been contacted about this, but has anyone filed a complaint with ODEW?

  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User We have documented several instances of this exact thing happening. All over the state.

    And yes, concerns like this should be taken seriously by the agencies responsible for protecting students.

    Unfortunately, families often find that accountability systems are slow, limited, or unwilling to address the real harm. We speak from experience.

    That is why documentation matters. Public school children are not leftovers.

  • Facebook User: Oh I absolutely agree with that. I think lifewise is a horrible program, and the powers that be aren’t exactly on top of things.

    But even if they don’t respond, having a documented report in the system can’t hurt!

  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User we agree!
  • Facebook User: Facebook UserLifeWise takes children off-campus during lunch for their programs. It’s yet another Evangelical grift.
  • Facebook User: Is is beyond ridiculous.