Radical Reality School "Assembly" Help!

[phyz]

I teach in a public high school and at today's faculty meeting, an administrator proposed that we allow a group called "Radical Reality" come in and give us a show. Radical Reality is a kinetic, high energy show wherein performers blow up and pop hot water bottles, tear phone books apart, chop through stacks of concrete blocks, etc. while loud music pumps up the crowd. The "Power Team" performers encourage students to "don't do drugs," etc. They close the show with an invitation for the kids to attend another performance they're going to have in town real soon. No charge! Over at the Capital Christian Center or some such place. Leaflets are distributed as students exit the full-throttle show.

Well, you can guess what happens at the second performance there at the church. It starts with a "W" and ends in "itnessing."

Here's a link about the group and its founder
http://www.tvbn.com/index.html?http://www.tvbn.com/DonnieMoore/DonnieMoore20000220a.html

I showed this to the administrator and she said she would go ahead and cancel the assembly. But now she's backsliding. "Well, other. neighboring schools are doing it..."

How do I effectively communicate to a school administrator that this kind of activity is not welcome to my school and that she should be trying to talk the neighboring schools to cancel their shows, too. One problem is that this scam has an endorsement from the Governor's Office.

Please help!
Dean

[slingblade]

Originally posted by phyz

I showed this to the administrator and she said she would go ahead and cancel the assembly. But now she's backsliding. "Well, other neighboring schools are doing it..."

How do I effectively communicate to a school administrator that this kind of activity is not welcome to my school and that she should be trying to talk the neighboring schools to cancel their shows, too. One problem is that this scam has an endorsement from the Governor's Office.



Remind her that when she tried to say something similar to her own mother, her mom's answer was likely along the lines of "and if all the other kids were jumping off a bridge, I suppose you..."

It just figures, to me, that Ahhnold would endorse a program that has to do with body-building. <--- my bias showing through like bad tread on steel-belted radials. Perhaps I'd call the governor's office (along with a good hundred or so of my friends) and ask if the governor is really advocating religious teaching in public schools?

I have no real, logical solutions for this problem. You're dealing with an admin, and you already know you have an uphill battle.
Me, I'd probably tell her that I know of a wonderful drum circle who would also be happy to come to the school and perform dances and sweat lodges; or else a good Wiccan program that would teach students about self-actualization through nature worship. IOW, I'd try to show that no one's religion has a place in our taxpayer-funded schools.

I'd show her the rapt faces of the pictured students on the site to which you link, and ask her if proselytizing is something which your school seriously endorses. This sort of program is a serious lead-in, a draw, to religiosity, and should not be supported or endorsed by a public school or school district.

I might even go so far as to speak to the media, anonymously, perhaps. Call the ACLU? Shoot, I really don't know what I'd do. But, like you, I'd feel the need to do something.

I'm sorry I can't be of any real help, but if you do find a solution, and it works, please post it here. I've a feeling I'll need it myself, one day soon.

[Kiless]

What is the profile of your students?

Point out that many of the students, from a variety of religious and even atheist backgrounds, may have parents who complain about a group coming in and attempting to brainwash them into following a religious group.

Find some better anti-drug programs out there, such as those supported by government groups that don't use stupid flash-bang theatrics to get their message across. Get the police to do a visit with their equipment, that's always good and actually lets kids see the human side of the force and what they do. I loved it when we had 'forensic field days' and the officers came in with equipment and the kids had a brilliant time, really interacting and asking questions about what justice and safety and what the law involved in terms of their city, streets and community.

Honestly, however, from my experience with something kind of similar? We had a radical christian group come to our school when I was a teen, they played some rock music and then tried to do the 'we used to be a band and then we found jesus...' spiel and the united groan of disgust and derision we all made about these baggy-trousered try-hards was so loud the teachers yelled at us. :) So even if you don't win, don't think the kids are that easily swayed by a bunch of flashes and bangs. :)

Certainly, feel free to raise it with some of your student council as a concern - make the news heard what the 'second meeting' involves so they aren't uninformed about what it really means. Then the students can discuss it amongst themselves and see if they want to support it, since it's meant to be FOR them. Sure, be made to watch flash-bangs but don't let them find out unwittingly what they're in for if they think they'll get more at the next meeting. I know how I'd react as a parent if my bewildered kid came home with stories about this 'second meeting' and what they were told after they thought it was all fun the first time... &*^@#&^% furious that I wasn't informed of this nonsense!!

Tell the administrator that a note should be sent home to the parents for permission because you may be infringing on the rights of the parents to chose what educational and religious experiences they are exposed to? And get the student newspaper to do an interview with them and put in the publication what they actually are supporting and what it involves, so the school community (and indirectly, the wider community) knows?

And as for 'high energy' - peh, my science department shows more high energy and educational material in their informal demonstrations - I'd say get a group in (we have CSIRO and Scitech travelling groups who do science displays with students, do you have something similar?) to counterbalance their propaganda... which it appears to be, from your description.

[phyz]

Hey, slingblade; I DID use the "if they all jumped off a cliff" line on my administrator. I'm not sure she appreciated it entirely. I'll return with something slightly less cliché: that knowing what she knows now about Radical Reality, she has an obligation to get the other high schools in the area to cancel their shows as well.

Kiless, my school's population is easily 10% Jewish. But as you know, that's not the point. Proselytizing in a public school is verboten. Period.

I contacted the Sacramento Chapter of American United for the Separation of Church and State via a simple email plea. They got back to me--on a Saturday--within hours. Here's what they said:

"Thanks for this information. I will consult the national office of
Americans United on Monday and we will be in touch with you after that.
I am aware of this kind of programming at other schools, but I had not
been aware of it in the San Juan district. We very much appreciate
hearing about this from you. I will let you know what I learn from my
national office, and then we will proceed."

I hope they can help. Either way, I'm continuing on the local front. I've printed the True Vine Broadcasting Network webpage and will post it above the school's copy machine so that the whole faculty can be aware of just how Radical this particular Reality is. That ploy is sure to have some level of backfire, of course, as some teachers may conclude that we need a little more God in the schools.

I checked the ACLU website but couldn't find a way to email them with a concern. There is a Northern California Chapter, but it looked like the best I could do was to call during business hours. If AU can't help, I'll give them a shout. My gut feeling is that this is redder meat to AU than it is to the ACLU.

And yes, Kiless, I won't hesitate to get parents involved if it comes to that. I'm keeping that possibility as a nuclear option while I pursue the high-minded ideal that the school staff can handle this kind of problem on its own. With the timetable as tight as it is, though, my high-mindedness may not last long.

[Kiless]

Originally posted by phyz
And yes, Kiless, I won't hesitate to get parents involved if it comes to that. I'm keeping that possibility as a nuclear option while I pursue the high-minded ideal that the school staff can handle this kind of problem on its own. With the timetable as tight as it is, though, my high-mindedness may not last long.

Do you have a P&C group (Parents and Community) at your school? Those who fundraise for the school and act as an official body for the parents and community for the welfare of school and students, who report to the council (or whatever you have that functions as a council or board)? Get in touch with their president. Perhaps our school systems are different but I know that parent/community groups need to know about this too.

[phyz]

The Radical Reality Assembly has been CANCELLED.

An email was sent from the school administration to the faculty and staff this afternoon indicating the scheduled Radical Reality assembly has been cancelled.

Yesterday I posted a print from a religous broadcasting webpage that described the good works of this "under-the-radar" ministry. I explained their modus operandi to a Jewish colleague. When he saw a highly-involved Jewish parent volunteering on campus, he alerted her to the situation. She immediately assailed the principal on the issue and he hastened to assure her that the assembly had been cancelled due to concerns over the group's religious affiliations.

So my school appears to be safe from this menace. But other schools in the district may still go forward with it. Fortunately, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is drafting a letter to be sent to the school district's General Counsel delineating the church/state issues involved. I know our General Counsel sees lawsuits around every corner, and our district doesn't have two nickels to rub together at the moment, so I hope it all works out.

Whew!