Educators, faith leaders host summit
In an effort to bring education and faith leaders together
to share concerns and create strategies to improve community
support for children in public schools, Missouri NEA and faith
leaders across the state are sponsoring the first Missouri
Faith Leaders and Educators Summit Feb. 19-20 at in St. Louis.
“We’re hoping that this is just a beginning for
those teams attending, that they’ll be able to continue
the discussions in their neighborhoods and communities,”
says Chris Guinther, Missouri NEA president. We’ve got
to model for our children the kinds of behaviors that we talk
to them about having-- the ability to listen and learn from
each other and engage in honest and open dialogue about our
differences in order to understand each other. If the Summit
is successful, we’re hoping that it can be replicated
in other parts of the state and nation.”
The summit will begin with a dinner at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 19
and end at noon the following day. Guest speakers for the
event include First Amendment Center Religious Freedom and
Education Consultant Marcia Beauchamp and Tennessee Education
Association President Earl Wiman, who participated in NEA’s
2007 regional Faith Summit and will be sharing outcomes of
that experience.
At the summit, participants will focus on how faith leaders,
community members and public school employees can work together
to support children and overcome obstacles to support the
work of both faith groups and public schools.
“There is no question in my mind but that the strength
of our country rests on the shoulders of our public education
system,” says Dr. Rudy Pulido, senior pastor at Southwest
Baptist Church in St. Louis. “Public educators need
to be commended for the remarkable work they are doing in
educating almost 90 percent of our country’s children
and youth. Regrettably, there are voices coming from religious
communities that are promoting the abandonment of our nation’s
public education system. These voices need to be countered
by the majority of religious communities who remain staunch
supporters of public education.
“It is my hope that the summit will send a strong
message to school districts that they have the support of
the religious community and to the religious community that
they have the ear of our educators.”
Other partners in the event include AFT-Missouri, Jobs with
Justice, National Council of Jewish Women - St. Louis Section,
National Education Association and People for Public Schools.
The 34,000-member MNEA represents teachers, education
support professionals, college faculty, retired teachers and
students studying to be teachers in school districts and on
college campuses throughout the state. It is the Missouri
affiliate of the 3.2 million-member NEA.
For further information:
Debra Angstead
(573) 634-3202
Feb. 15, 2008
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