Tag: Education

Book Review: The Liberal Arts A Student’s Guide

~ Evan Lenow

Gene C. Fant, Jr., The Liberal Arts: A Student’s Guide (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 121 pages; $11.99.

In his new book, Gene Fant makes the case that a liberal arts education can play a significant part in shaping the Christian community for both the marketplace and the mission field. In an age when many people are moving away from liberal arts to specialization in education, Fant seeks to recover the importance of the liberal arts. He states:

An emphasis on liberal learning is of critical importance to our era, as we seek to engage our culture with the great Christian intellectual tradition that continues to provide a fertile culture for thought and action.

Perhaps the most significant contribution of the book comes when Fant demonstrates the connection between faith and several of the core disciplines of a liberal arts education. He connects mathematics, science, literature, and aesthetics to their theological foundations and demonstrates how each provide a link to God through general revelation.

Fant also makes some predictions regarding the nature of education in the future particularly as it relates to the traditional church-related vocational enterprises. He predicts:

Fewer “career” missionaries with theological degrees from seminaries will be commissioned by denominational agencies; rather engineers and chemists will take positions with corporations that will position them in regions where there is little gospel platform. Full-time church employees who supervise inner-city ministries will become rarer; instead, teachers and social workers will target urban areas as places to build careers so that they may serve populations with particular challenges that may be remediated by the gospel. Business leaders and entrepreneurs will find ways to generate profits in ways that reflect their Christian principles and will fund philanthropic activities through these funds. Church planters will target unreached areas, armed with both theological education and practical platforms, where they will run coffee shops, manage arts agencies, and coach athletics while building relationships that may lead to spiritual transformations in the context of local church fellowships. A liberal arts education will be critical to developing skill sets necessary for success in these kinds of ventures.

Crucial to the success of these “new ventures” will be the integration of theology into the various disciplines of the liberal arts curriculum.

Fant’s ideas and conclusions are worth your time to read. He offers plenty of material to think about related to the current state and future of the liberal arts education. Take some time, pick up the book, and read what he has to say.

New Book from Gene Fant: The Liberal Arts A Student’s Guide

~ Evan Lenow

I just got a new book in the mail today, and I am looking forward to reading it. The Liberal Arts: A Student’s Guide by Gene C. Fant Jr. just came out from Crossway. Gene Fant was my British Literature professor at Mississippi College and has continued to have a huge influence on my life as a friend and mentor. He currently teaches literature and serves as VP for Academic Administration at Union University in Jackson, TN. I hope to give some thoughts on the book when I have an opportunity to read it. The book is available on Amazon and other retailers.

Suspension Rescinded for Fort Worth Student for Comments Opposing Homosexuality

~ Evan Lenow

When you hear some stories, you immediately think, “I know where that happened.” So when such things happen in places outside the norm, we tend to get a little shocked. This week a high school freshman was suspended for making a comment that he was a Christian and he believed being homosexual was wrong. I immediately assumed that the situation occurred in California or New York, but much to my surprise it happened right here in Cowtown—Fort Worth, Texas.

According to news reports, the student at Western Hills High School on the west side of Fort Worth was in German class when the discussion of religion and homosexuality in Germany arose. He turned to a friend in the class and said, “I’m a Christian and I believe being gay is wrong.” The teacher heard his comment, wrote an infraction, and sent him to the assistant principal’s office where he received a three-day suspension.

The next day, his mother arrived with an attorney to discuss the matter with the principal. Thankfully, the principal rescinded the suspension and removed it from the student’s record, allowing him back into class with no further repercussions.

Even in a world of political correctness where teachers are all but required to be non-religious, this situation still seems a little strange. Reports suggest that the teacher has regularly introduced the topics of religion and homosexuality in the classroom:

[Attorney Matt] Krause called the incident “mind blowing” and said the teacher had frequently brought homosexuality into ninth grade classroom discussions. “There has been a history with this teacher in the class regarding homosexual topics,” Krause said. “The teacher had posted a picture of two men kissing on a wall that offended some of the students.” Krause said the picture was posted on the teacher’s “world wall.” “He told the students this is happening all over the world and you need to accept the fact that homosexuality is just part of our culture now,” Krause said.

These actions raise a very interesting question for public schools. Should a student’s cultural views—influenced by his religious beliefs—be stifled while a teacher is allowed to promote his beliefs about a controversial subject? The school system will face a very difficult decision about whether or not to become completely non-religious, non-controversial, non-cultural or to allow for some expression of differing viewpoints without the threat of punishment.

The implications of the latter—which seem to be in line with the spirit of the First Amendment—could be a two-edged sword. On one hand, we would applaud the ability of the student to express his belief in a sincere and respectful way. On the other hand, it would also seem to allow for the teacher at least to express his support of homosexuality. Now I certainly do not believe that the teacher should be allowed to push a homosexual agenda in class (especially a German class), but I do believe that students should be allowed to articulate alternatives to his view without fear of punishment or retaliation.

I can see some limited application of this discussion in a German class. Having studied four languages other than English, I recognize that there are some cultural aspects of learning a language. Most language teachers want their students to have an understanding of the culture behind the language, so I can see where discussion of religion could find its way into a German classroom. Let’s face it, one of the most central figures of Protestantism was German—Martin Luther. His translation of the Bible to German is still influential today. A balanced discussion of historical and contemporary religious issues in Germany could be fruitful for students learning the language. The problem with this teacher’s presentation is that it was not balanced. He pushed an agenda and punished a student who disagreed.

Of course there are limits to such discussions in the classroom, and an understanding of the maturity level of the students is necessary for having such discussions. It would never be appropriate for a public school teacher to have such a discussion with a third grade class; however, high school may be a different story. You may protest and say, “I don’t want my ninth grader exposed to such conversations in class!” I would counter with the realization that such conversations are already taking place in the hallways and locker rooms, so the controlled environment of the classroom may be better. In addition, as parents we need to prepare our children to articulate their positions effectively even when it is in opposition to a teacher’s position. At least while they are in high school, we have the opportunity to help them formulate their positions and support them in such discussions in class. When they move away to go to college and these same conversations arise, it may be too late.

So what do we take away from this? Let’s answer a couple of questions. Was the teacher wrong in punishing the student? Yes. He punished a student for disagreeing with his personal position. The student’s belief does not prevent him from learning German. The teacher was simply wrong. Outrage over the suspension is indeed appropriate, and the teacher should probably face disciplinary action for the way he handled the situation.

Should these discussions take place in school? To a certain degree, I say yes. Within a controlled environment where the students and teachers are mature enough to handle the discussion, it could be useful. To prevent such conversations would also prevent discussion of creation and intelligent design that many believers are fighting to get back into the classroom. Since those positions are often labeled “religious,” I am not willing to block all “religious” discussions in the classroom.

Should these conversations be taking place somewhere else? This is the most important question. Yes, they should happen in the home and church. We should not shy away from such topics at the dinner table. We need to tell our children what the Bible says about these things and prepare them to express their beliefs in a hostile environment. Don’t wait for the topic to come up in school—prepare for them in advance.

In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter instructs his readers, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Let’s be prepared to give a defense for what we believe and direct them back to the hope we have in Christ.

_________________________

Lari Barager, “Student Suspended for Saying Gay Is Wrong,” Fox 4 News, September 21, 2011.

Todd Starnes, “Texas School Punishes Boy for Opposing Homosexuality,” FoxNews.com, September 22, 2011.

Eva-Marie Ayala, “Western Hills student suspended for denouncing homosexuality has punishment reversed,” Star-Telegram, September 22, 2011.

For audio from a recent conference where I addressed some of the issues related to homosexuality, see Southwestern’s Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Conference audio.

When Teachers Cheat

~ Evan Lenow ~ 1 Comment

The Christian Science Monitor published a story today about a scandal in the Atlanta public school system involving teachers who changed test responses for students. According to the article, the governor’s office released an 800-page report describing how 178 teachers and principals altered standardized tests in order to boost test scores. Why would the teachers cheat? They would receive financial bonuses for improved test scores.

The article reports some dreadful behavior on the part of teachers and administrators. The article states:

Among many shocking revelations, the report details “changing parties” where teachers used razor blades to cut security plastic around tests and used lighters to fuse the plastic seams back together after changing scores. It also documented intimidation of teachers by administrators, including one case where a teacher was told to get under a table at a meeting after raising questions.

In the current culture of public education, standardized test scores rule the day. The Atlanta system has the test authorized by the state of Georgia. In my state of Texas, the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) looms over every student each spring. I know teachers who fight the temptation to “teach toward the test,” but everything rides on the results. It’s hard not to gear lesson plans toward what will be asked on the test rather than what the student should learn in fifth grade math. Why waste your time teaching life skills that are applicable from the English classroom when you know they will not appear on the test.

For the teachers and principals in Atlanta, they may learn a harder lesson. Some of their crimes—altering government documents and lying to investigators—may land them in prison for up to 10 years. The school district will likely face serious fallout as well because their inflated scores had brought significant donations from wealthy benefactors and foundations. Now they may have to return some of the money or at least face the fact that such donations are likely never to happen again.

There are two questions we need to ask about this scandal.  First, what does this say about our current educational system? I am a professor. I develop the content of my classes. I decide what my students are required to read. I decide what I will discuss in class. And I decide what will appear on my exams. However, most public school teachers have no such luxury. Instead, they are told to make sure their students perform well on a standardized test developed by administrators in the state capital. These tests become the law of the land. Property values rise and fall based on the recognition of the local schools. Careers are made and lost based on the scores of 6- to 18-year-olds.

I think we all desire a good education for our children. The public school systems scattered across our country are the mechanism by which many families provide that education. However, it appears that some of these school systems are broken. They are entangled in politics and bureaucracy that care less about education and more about government grants. Certainly not all school systems are like this, but many major cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, and Memphis often find themselves embroiled in controversy and political wrangling.

Second, what are we teaching our children when our teachers cheat? The virtue of integrity seems lost on children today. They look around them and see that you do what it takes to win. Adults lie, cheat, and steal to make it to the top. We hold out hope that somewhere along the way they learn to be virtuous. Many people hope that such lessons come in school. Now we see that 178 “honorable teachers” in Atlanta were not that honorable after all. And Atlanta is not the only city where this is a problem. The teachers who claimed to be teaching the “truth” were living a lie. Success through deception is not success. Our communities suffer when such scandals hit the airwaves. But more importantly, our children suffer because they never learn the value of honesty, hard work, and education.

Reading about this and other scandals reminds me that the world simply acts like the world. We should not be surprised when sinners sin. The cheating scandal in Atlanta is not the problem. Living according to the flesh is the problem. Money, power, and influence can be dangerous temptations. We need to guard our steps .In Proverbs 10:9, we read, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” These teachers and administrators have found this proverb to be true the hard way. However, we need not sit on the sidelines and point fingers at them lest we find ourselves “perverting our ways” rather than “walking in integrity.”

As believers in Christ, we need to watch our own lives and guard against these temptations through the power of the Holy Spirit. In addition, we need to walk in integrity in all our ways. Have we cheated someone in our business? Have we changed reports to make us look better? I pray that we not be found guilty of the same.