wfn.org | Church-Public School Partnership Urged

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252
Internet: news@ncccusa.org

NCC11/11/98                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILADELPHIA SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS CALLS FOR
NCC TO PROVIDE MORAL LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Describes Public Education Funding as "The
Next Great Civil Rights Battleground of the Nation"

 CHICAGO, Nov. 11, 1998 ---- Calling for the 35 communions of the National
Council of Churches (NCC) to use their "moral vision and political power"
to support the rights of all public school children to a quality education,
the Philadelphia Superintendent of Schools brought the delegates at the
NCC's annual General Assembly to their feet with his cry for action.

 "I come to you because no important social change has ever taken place in
this land without the leadership of the church," said Dr. David Hornbeck,
the superintendent of the Philadelphia School District.  Dr. Hornbeck has a
successful track record of reform and is one of the parties, with the mayor
and the School Board, to file an historic civil rights lawsuit to press for 
fair funding for Philadelphia's students.  "I come to you today to make the
case for the next great Civil Rights battleground of the nation - public
education."

 "Public education and the disadvantaged children of this nation are at a
crossroads," he said.  "Poor and black and brown kids across the nation
need faith communities to find their moral voice."   He encouraged faith
communities to tell elected officials "that whatever experiments they may
want to try," like vouchers, "they must first level the academic playing 
field for the many, many children who have been historically left out."

 Dr. Hornbeck's comments came in the context of a proposed policy statement
on "The Churches and The Public Schools at the Close of the Twentieth
Century," which received a first reading at this year's meeting.  Comments
made by delegates during today's debate and during a hearing to be held
Nov. 13 will be considered by the originating committee, the statement will
be revised and it will be brought to next year's General Assembly for final
approval.

 The policy statement asserts that "public schools have been a cornerstone
of our democracy," points to the disparities in funding of public schools
and "affirm(s) once again that public moneys should be used only for public
schools."

 The statement also encourages partnership programs between churches and
public schools "to provide after-school and vacation help, enrichment and
adopt-a-school programs, and literacy and reading emphases."  Dr. Hornbeck
called on the NCC to encourage just such partnerships, saying, "It is my
understanding that the NCC communions represent 231,000 parishes, with an 
estimated 43 million Christians in attendance each week.  Since there are
only 87,000 public schools in the United States, there are almost three
parishes and 500 active Christians for every school.  We have the people.
We need only respond, each of us, `Here I am, Lord.  Send me!'"

 Dr. Hornbeck outlined the disparity of educational opportunity available
to children of different races, income levels and native languages.
"Philadelphia has more than $1,500 less per child per year than is spent on 
average in the surrounding 61 school districts.  The highest spending
districts in our region spend about $7,000 more per student."

Dr. Hornbeck, who holds both seminary and law school degrees, repeatedly
cited moral and religious reasons for remedying this imbalance.  He drew on
sources of scripture, including an opening quote from Rabbi Abraham 
Heschel, "To speak about God and not protest gross unfairness to our
children is blasphemous."

 The policy statement also spelled out the NCC's theological basis for its
position.  "As Christians, we are mindful of both Jesus' extraordinary care
and concern for children, and of his admonition that those who put 
stumbling blocks in the path of children would be better off if they were
thrown into the sea with a millstone tied about their necks (Mark
9:36-42)," it reads.  "In our society, to fail to provide a child with the
best kind of education available is to put an almost insurmountable
stumbling block in the path of that child."

 NCC delegates were overwhelmingly supportive of Hornbeck's comments and of
the policy statement, although some felt the policy statement does not go
far enough.

 "This resolution says nothing about increasing funding to public
education," said Dr. Hazel Steward, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) delegation who is also a regional Superintendent 
of Schools in Chicago.  "In Illinois, the percentage of money given to
education has decreased from 49 percent to 32 percent.  I would hope this
statement would ask for state legislatures and the national Congress to
increase education funding."

 "This dances around the real issue," said Ms. Bettie Durrah of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who lives in Atlanta.  "We have talked a good
talk.  In order to walk the walk, we need to ask congregants to place their
children in public schools."

 "We need a stronger directive than just encouraging," concurred Clydia
Nahwooksy of the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.  "I don't know how
many of you watched that old TV show `Bonanza,' but Hoss Cartwright, who
was my hero, said in one show, `Them that gots, gets.'  From my experience
in the Native American community, so many people don't get because they
don't know how to work the system."

 "We need to find new ways of partnership, including mixing students from
the suburbs (with urban children)," commented Dr. Constance Tarasar of the
Orthodox Church in America.

 The Rev. Conley Hughes of the Progressive National Baptist Convention,
Inc. said even though his denomination supports a network of private
schools, "I believe in the separation of church and state.  This policy
statement is a well balanced approach to a very complicated problem."

 Bishop Jon Enslin of the ELCA was critical of the tone of the document.
"I am not sure that new ways are always malicious," he said.  "The issues
are more complex than is communicated here."  He also said that the
conviction that public funds should only be used for public purposes might
disturb some "wonderful connections between churches and government" that
exist today.

 Delegates largely agreed with Dr. Hornbeck that any NCC policy will need
to lead to pragmatic action plans.  "You are the tacticians," he told the
delegates.

"From our experience in Philadelphia, I know that the barriers we face in
public education are not educational ones," Dr. Hornbeck stressed.  "The
barriers are ones of will, resolve and politics, both inside the system and
outside.  They arise from what a piece in the New York Times Magazine
recently characterized as government of, by and for the comfortable.  The
moral leadership of the `Servant Church' is needed in public education."

-end-