Deseret News | Why religious schools shine

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Why religious schools shine

Nan B. W. | 5:55 p.m. Oct. 2, 2009

Carden Memorial School in Salt Lake City was worth every dime we paid to have our four children (now all well functioning adults) attend it. After our children had been there a few years, I joined them as a teacher and had a wonderful 19 years of being a teacher, and a student, in a spiritual and patriotic environment.

Jnuts | 10:09 p.m. Oct. 2, 2009

I graduated from a private Christian Academy california and the teachers were great the classes were small and now I am sending my daughter there not because its a "spiritual and patriotic" environment but because I want to isolate her from the outside world public school is too crazy anymore .

Mc | 10:31 p.m. Oct. 2, 2009

"While there is little research comparing religious schools to public schools, scholars in Texas determined a few years ago that the majority of parents who send their children to religion-based schools are highly religious themselves."

Duh...you don't have to be a scholar in Texas to figure that one out!

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 2:21 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I am very pleased with the education my sons have received and afre receiving in the Utah public schools in Davis County. I am glad people are enjoying their expeience but public schols work great when parents are actively involved in the experience and also know when to pull back and allow them to fail (gasp!)

Timj | 4:51 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Back when I was an educator and looking for teaching jobs, I thought about applying to some of these places. I have a degree in Biology from BYU, but was bothered by the expectations at some of these schools. At Liahona Academy, for example, teachers say "the only way to teach science is through a religious lens." (In other words, ignore valid science if it disagrees with your worldview). I couldn't imagine myself doing that, and then answering "yes" when my Bishop asks if I'm honest.
One of the great things about public schools (and good private schools) is that they open children's minds to viewpoints they might not get from church or home. Children can see that other people who have different opinions on things are still good people. It's a big world out there. We do children no favors when we hide them from it.
If public schools aren't working, enroll your kids in the honors classes, ALPS, etc. If that doesn't work, there are quality private and charter schools in Utah that do a fantastic job. But (unlike BYU) some of these religious schools hide their students from reality.

Timj | 5:14 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

In my last comment, I didn't intend to say that the teachers who teach at these religious schools(especially those who teach science) aren't honest. I'm sure most of them are good people, and truly believe what they are teaching.
I'm just glad the schools actually owned by the church (BYU and BYU-I) teach science like it is (complete with courses in evolution, etc.)

Right wing schools | 5:16 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

The quasi-Mormon schools are nothing more than right-wing rouses teaching students to become Glenn Beck robots and bash Obama. I've seen them first hand and am disappointed in the hate they teach.

Anonymous | 7:13 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

The Liahona school is a joke. When they discuss immigration they talk about the Lehite colony coming to America or with the founding fathers they make they out to be god-fearing, bible thumping christians. Little wonder why most of these kids are not prepared for the rigors of university life when they leave these schools.

Anonymous | 7:34 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Public schools get $7700 per student and Charter schools get $5500 per student. I wish I could take my $7700 and send my child to a Private Christian School. I don't want my children to learn history from the secular schools which take God out of history.

Really, now | 7:43 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

These schools provide a great means for preventing one's children from playing with children of other beliefs or being exposed to outside ideas. They have always been valuable to controlling children and have historically been valuable for that purpose.

Cheech | 7:51 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

"We are able to bring God into everything we do here," said Principal Judy Julian. "And I think for one thing, that helps them make better decisions. They fall back on what they believe and know to be right and wrong."

Yeah, perish the thought that you teach kids how to think for themselves and not worry what an absentee Sky Daddy has to say.

Taxes and benefits | 8:06 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I'm childless and paying taxes, so I don't benefit from any schools of any kind. Oh wait, perhaps I do benefit by having an educated population, otherwise the U.S. would be like a third world country.

Dichotomy | 8:13 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

It is okay to blend religion into curriculum but religion can often obscure the truth in order to merge the two more seamlessly. Christoper Columbus is a good example. Mormon teachings say that Columbus was inspired and perhaps he was, but LDS religious schools often ignore the bad things Columbus did after discovering American while he was governor. I've had parents approach me and say that Columbus didn't do anything wrong because he was working for God and that the immoral treatment of the Indian population by Columbus was a work of fiction. I am a product of public and religious private schools and if I compare the two experiences I would say that the religious schools made me feel warm and fuzzy while the public schools opened my mind. Just food for thought.

Chris is Texas | 8:19 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I was a counselor and a coach for a year at a small private school in Utah that weaved faith and morals into its curriculum. I saw firsthand how this approach played a vital role in the complete turn-around of the at-risk youth that attended there. I wish the students, families, and faculties of the schools this article speaks of much success. God bless you in your efforts.

Shaun McC | 8:29 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

There is also another alternative to add enrichment to the education of home-schooled children. It is called the Commonwealth Schools. They only meet once a week and the cost is much lower than private schools while providing many of the benefits. The teaching is mentor based and founded on the type of education received by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and the other founding fathers. There goal is to help kids learn to think like a philosopher, write like an author, compute like a mathematician and speak like an orator. It's amazing. www.thelemi.com

Anonymous | 8:31 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

But so many parents of ALL religions think that if they send their kids to a religious school, then the kid will stay in the "faith of the fathers." Then they freak out if the kids don't and think they wasted all their money on the school – even if the kid grows up to hold a lot of the same values with some different doctrines.

Oh, not again | 9:45 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Re anonymous 7:34 a.m.: you probably don't even pay $7700 in taxes that goes towards education. I don't mind if you take the money you pay towards education and take your kids to a religious school, but I don't want you take my tax money to do it.

xscribe | 9:59 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Sounds like some quality brain-washing going on to me, at least as it concerns religion. Hopefully the academics are good. It also sounds like it caters to a group (I'd be willing to bet mostly white) of people who have the money necessary to take their kids away from a diverse public school, and "isolate them from the outside world," because apparently public schools are "too crazy anymore." Wonder what that isolation will lead to in the future. That's what scares me.

To Really, now | 10:00 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Thank you for making the point of many of those who put their children into private schools of any kind. Ours have gone to private secular schools and to Catholic schools (and we are very active LDS). The public schools exclude children from the positive role that God and Faith play in the history and lives of the people of the earth. They exclude these "outside" ideas by law. They do engage in government-sponsored social engineering. You don't tend to see it, though, if it happens to coincide with the world view you were indoctrinated into. If you don't think the government schools are not in the business of "controlling" children you are very naive. I am continually amazed at the writers in these comments that, while presenting the most narrow view possible, offer themselves as more open-minded and enlightened than everyone else.

irony | 10:18 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

At least the article makes the point that vouchers were never necessary for religious schools to flourish. But as the picture with the article shows, if you want to pay a little more, you can have your kids go to school where they'll only have to interact with others of the same race and with the True gospel.

Anonymous | 11:43 a.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Public schools must try to educate all, it's meant with hostility and they can't tell parents to pick up their kid permanently.

When you cut a check mouthy, you expect results.

This article failed to mention that many kids who attended religious schools have a problem getting in a real university. Learning Dino and Adam were neighbors 5000 years ago just gets you mocked in most science departments.

A Soldier in Iraq | 12:06 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

You ALL need a dose of reality don't you? It's called freedom folks. I have three children who I am responsible to educate the best I can, be it public, private or religious. But, it is my decision, based on my understanding of the world. I teach them to be good kids, to treat others with respect and to learn all they can about the world they live in. Some of it's religious, some of it's secular, some of it's academic. Most of you are talking about extremes. Most of us are not extremists. We are normal people doing our best to give our kids the best opportunities we can. In the end, they will all figure it out - just like most of us do. Move on with your lives, and find what brings us together. There are nations at war and people dying over these types of petty arguments, and for what? Bragging rights to say you won the debate. Go back to your living rooms and spend some time with your kids. I wish I could.

Bible Thumpers | 12:18 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Re: "When they discuss...the founding fathers they make they out to be god-fearing, bible thumping christians."

A great illustration of an argument against public schools, including the syntax of your sentence.

A large majority of our founding fathers were bible-thumping Christians. And many of the underlying principles of our constitution came directly from Judeo-Christian philosophy and thought. Yet the secular humanist doctrine infecting our public school systems not only ignores, but denies the world-changing role of religious thought, and particularly Christian religious thought, in the founding of the greatest nation in our world's history.

Instead, our kids are taught that America is evil and those who believe in, trust in, and try to live by the principles of the bible should be mocked. Presenting alternative viewpoints of an issue to a high school kid can be healthy when presented without political or religious prejudice. Cramming secular humanist dogma down a 3rd-grade child is simply wrong and parents are simply sick of it. Religious schools are simply an effort to counterbalance the tide of ant-religion sweeping the country.

Narrow Mindedness... | 1:12 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

One of the things I'm not hearing is, what is the real source of truth and knowledge? Those who don't believe in God will be close-minded to this. Why take out God, the source of true enlightement, out of the education process?

Luckily, this was not the case in the public school I went to, but the rules are slowly changing. There are some very active parents and activists who are laboring unknowingly to the detriment of our children. They think by taking God out of the education process they will be more "open-minded". Unfortunately the opposite is true.

Why deny the fact that there is so much more to this life than what we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell? Why do we put so much faith and trust in man's feeble attempt in explaining science, math, philosophy, psychology, etc.? Why not tap into the Source?

I'm a true believer that if we put our faith and trust in God's influence to help us understand the mysteries of this universe, we will receive the light and knowledge we desire AFTER intense academic study. Humility is a prerequisite however...

Abe Lincoln | 1:36 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

to: Anonymous | 7:13 a.m.

looks like bibl thumpers beat me to it, but he is right. i really don't know where you went to school, but your teachers either knew nothing of history or you just couldn't grasp what they were trying to teach you. when we say this is a nation under god, it doesn't mean everyone in it beleives in God, it just means we are aknowledging that it was under that beleif that this nation was founded on. to better illustrate, it is not illegal to live in america and beleive in tyranny, monarchy, slavery and oppression. however, when you go around saying that that is what this nation and the constitution was founded on, then you are lying, and that is wrong. believe in what you want, but don't try to change history to go along with your beliefs. how would you like it if people went around saying george washington was LDS? wouldn't you be screaming your head off shouting "liar"?well, that's the same as saying the founders were not religous and based this country on it.

Anonymous | 2:13 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

What this article doesn't expand on is that students in *ALL* Private institutions do really well... it has nothing to do with Religion... but everything to do with parent involvement, (you’re not going to fork over 50,000 some odd dollars, then not make sure you’re getting your money worth), and money available to teach, (Schools who get 50,000 some odd dollars for every child is going to be able to afford to educate students properly).

As a public school teacher I am only given a certain amount of paper. If I exceed the amount I have to pay out of pocket... and I have to call parents at least five times, e-mail, send a note home, before I even get a response.

Timj | 2:36 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

The founding fathers weren't all Bible-thumpers; in fact, they were a pretty diverse group. A variety of religious beliefs. A variety of political beliefs. A variety of moral standards.
The political and religious diversity of the founders, and the legacy of that, is one of the things that makes America great.

fed up | 2:49 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

The religion of the founders was not the modern style hard line right wing "liberals are the devil" pitchfork and brimstone my-way-or-the-highway screaming revile-the-poor Christianity of today. Modern Christianity is more closely aligned to satanic practices in its self-absorption and sanctifying of consumption, waste and mocking the plights of our fellow men. I don't have a problem with religion in public school- I do have a problem with the specific fiery nasty brand of faux Christianity that is so popular today being given control of public resources.

Re Bible Thumpers: | 4:08 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

You are wrong when you say that our founding fathers were bible thumping Christians. Christian, yes, but bible thumping, no! Most of our founding fathers were deists--a belief in a higher power but a disbelief in organized religion. Many were also Masonic.

Most Americans probably don't even know that our early U.S. government didn't even observe the sabbath and conducted government business on the lord's day. I'm in complete awe of the ignorance in people in the 21st century. They have no concept of history and make ignorant attempts to blend 21st century religious utopian ideals with 18th century political figures--namely our founding fathers. If this is what goes on in our religious private schools here in Utah, I want nothing to do with it.

to anonymous 2:13 | 4:19 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Show me any religious school that gets $50,000 plus per student. I know of none that get anywhere near that. Most of them do what they do for far less than the public schools do.

xscribe | 4:38 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

@Abe Lincoln: The words "under God," as in "one nation under God," were not put in place until World War II. The original Pledge did not contain the words "under God." The same goes for money: "In God We Trust" was not put on money until World War II. This country was not founded upon religion. Now you're the one trying to change history!

ken | 4:50 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

my son attened for only 3 years to a catholic school it was the best thing, he did great and well disaplined. I did not like that they had to pray and chant there prairs though. I wish the LDS would sponsor a few schools. I think it would be the top rated. I now enrolled him back into regular school. I can't afford private schools. We have found some in Richmond VA for $20,000. They want to shuffle the kids around in Richmond to much in order to make the schools with the getto kids higher rate, but they hate school and don't want to try it bring the others down and the teachers then slow up. Remember NO FATHERS no good kids. I see it every where, not in evrey single case but 99%.

Timj | 5:12 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I think a Catholic school is going to do a much better job than a pseudo-LDS school. I imagine if the LDS had private church-run schools in the US, those would also be significantly better than the pseudo-LDS schools.

xscribe | 5:45 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I correct myself: The words "under God" and "In God We Trust" were not added to the Pledge and put on money until the 1950s, even after World War II.

Anonymous | 6:00 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

xscribe | 5:45 p.m It's a blaspheme to put god's name on money in many religious traditions. The Torah omitted the word for god.

I know Mormons won't understand. In some religious traditions things brake down in to two realms: the spiritual and the material.

There are people, believe or not, who believe no amount of money can buy god's blessings. You can't purchase the spiritual like buying an avocado.

By putting the most sacred name known to man on what symbolizes materialism is like having Jesus on Toilet paper.

Bryce | 7:07 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

I attended a religious based school, Liahona Academy, for six years. All of my graduating class of about twenty-five students scored higher on the ACT than the Utah average, and we were all accepted to the universities we applied to. More importantly, as I have been in touch over the years with members of my graduating class, every single one of them felt that Liahona prepared them better for college than their peers were in the schools they attended.
Possibly the most important thing we were taught at Liahona was to think for ourselves, and heaven forbid, to challenge conventional wisdom from time to time. None of us has ever expressed the feeling that the blending of religion and academics that we experienced at Liahona was a detriment in any way even when we attended universities that did not take that approach to teaching.
As for the comment above that we when we discussed immigration the 'Lehite colony' coming to America was included, not in six years did I ever hear that in the classroom. Did my Liahona instructors ignore 'valid science' apparently not, I am working on my masters in Microbiology and doing quite well thank you.

Public school teacher | 11:01 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Attended and graduated from Liahona Academy in Utah. Scored a thirty-one on my ACT for which I received a scholarship which paid one-half of all my college expenses. Graduated with a degree in Secondary Education and now teach science in a wonderful Texas public high school.
During my four years at Liahona I was never taught to "ignore valid science". I was however taught to question and think, not blindly accept. That is exactly how I continue to teach my students today.
Would I ever teach science at an LDS based high school? If they were able to strike the same blend of academics and religion as Liahona, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Oh, and by the way, I helped pay for part of my college expenses by tutoring students who had graduated from high schools that had not "prepared them for the rigors of university life" as well as Liahona did for me.

the truth | 11:09 p.m. Oct. 3, 2009

Contrary to the extreme left and liberals NOTIONS and OPIONIONS of the founding fathers,

the founding fathers were a religious and moral people,

and they were also not perfect but human,

but they willing to risk their lifes and everything they had for freedom.

And what day is the "lord's day"????

the bible doesn't say, just every seventh say you should observe a sabbath

MOST IMPORTANTLY, the founding gather CLEARLY did NOT intend the federal government to control schools.

but was left to the local communities.

it is the progressives and lib NEOLIBS that have encourage the govenent take over education, all for for indoctrinating children to the liberal and progressive views and politics.

and just has to see the obama lovefest songs and teachers bullying and moving children to tears if they don't share the right views, and special interests (like gays) forcing changes to curriculum,

to see that.

thank God for private schools.

Timj | 5:50 a.m. Oct. 4, 2009

Sorry, but any school that uses a science textbook about "Divine Design," and fails to use any science textbook that talks at all about evolution in a scientific way (like Liahona), is ignoring science.
BYU understands that evolution is the fabric that holds biology together. They teach evolution as part of many of their biology classes, and many students are required to take classes that focus solely on evolution.
I can also promise you that the honors/AP students at local high schools get better ACT scores, better scholarships, and have better futures than graduates from many private schools. They also are more tolerant of people who have different beliefs. (See "the truth" for an example of how private school-educated children turn out...)

Liberty | 10:02 a.m. Oct. 4, 2009

I'm sorry, I've taught history for over 15 years in several Utah school districts and visited some of the private schools in this state and collaborated with private school teachers. The idea that public schools somehow indoctrinate students with secularism is ridiculous. Secularism and materialism are problems in modern life, and I see that happening most in the media that permeates their lives. And the MOST secular and worldly students I ever associated with were from private religious schools. The most open-minded, caring and "spiritual" students were those from Davis county.

And have you ever taken a look at any public high school faculty? They are a very diverse and eclectic group. Students are generally exposed to wide variety of philosophies and ideas. If your children were raised to be confident and happy with their own religious views, no teacher can sway them. In fact, the students usually find the alternate views edifying.

public school teacher | 7:03 p.m. Oct. 4, 2009

It looks like somebody has an axe to grind. Here are the publishers of the textbooks during my four years at Liahona: Glencoe, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill, and again, Glencoe. I never saw or heard of a text called "Divine Design". Every one of the textbooks I studied from during my years at Liahona are published by the same publishers I teach from now.

As I said before, I love teaching in the public high school that I am in now. With few exceptions the vast majority of teachers I have encountered in public schools would not think of indoctrinating their students. And as I look back at my years at Liahona, I can say the same for the teachers there.

Maybe it's time we all accepted the fact that families and students have different needs that are met by a variety of schools, public, charter and private. Maybe it's time those with an axe to grind step back and let the families and schools decide which system fits them best.
I have experienced both systems, and they are both outstanding.

RE: Timj | 8:05 p.m. Oct. 4, 2009

Sorry to break it to you

evolution is not scientific,

and in fact is very unsound scientifically, and well really... just a lame theory.

It is so full of assumption and requirement to just believe certain things, that it is really more dogma.

And understqanding the basics of science that is taught in k though 12,

needs no faulty theories taught to understand them.

bubble | 12:37 p.m. Oct. 5, 2009

I guess some think raising children in a bubble is best for them. However, many can't make decisions for themselves because all were made for them.

Timj | 5:23 p.m. Oct. 5, 2009

I went to the school's website to find the book "Divine Design" listed as a science textbook. Pseudo-science at its worst. Apparently they use that and a biology book.
And the biology textbook is a plant and animal book--certainly not the standard biology book in Utah high schools since it skips all sorts of other, more basic, more essential stuff.
I taught high school biology in Utah. Evolution is 15-20% of the required curriculum. It's an essential part of understanding genetics and ecology, and those three subjects together make up most of what biology students study in a year.

Joe | 12:22 p.m. Oct. 6, 2009

I went to BYU and the U. I was very disappointed with the U at first. My tax dollars were being spent on promoting hatred and misinformation about my wonderful people and students are fed on propaganda. But, I must admit that, in some ways, by researching on my own, I learned more there than anywhere else. I was given false information about Mormon Mental Health, beleifs, pregnancy rates, education,hypocrisy, etc. In classes such as Fred Hagen’s (philosophy) I questioned and gained a healthy mistrust for the intellectual establishment. Being forced to stand and rebut false ideas I found that God has given answers to our serious questions, and that the only possible solutions to questions posed by philosophers for thousands of years are those given through Joseph Smith, the uneducated farm boy. I didn't learn that at BYU, while my education there was of better quality and also invaluable. I think it’s sad that public school systems are so one sided and censored (if Fred were to spend the Semester proving there was a God, rather than failing at the opposite, the ACLU would bring handcuffs and a gag), but public schools serve a purpose.

RE:TIMJ | 1:07 a.m. Oct. 9, 2009

Do your research, they sell "Divine Design" but do not use it as a textbook. And their Biology text, published by Glencoe, is the same one used by many Utah public schools.

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