Baltimore school holds prayer service for good state test scores.

[DearAbby]

Tench Tilghman School Holds Pre-Test Prayer Service (VIDEO)


One Baltimore public school has pulled out all the stops when it comes to shooting for good test scores: It's turned to divine intervention.

Dozens of students and parents met Saturday inside Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School to pray for students to do well on state tests, reports local CBS station WJZ.

As directed by principal Jael Yon, students received a flier with Bible verses and images of hands clasped in prayer.

David Rocah, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, says the school violated the separation of church and state.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/15/tench-tilghman-school-prayers_n_836154.html

[Agent William]

When your funding has been slashed, prayer is the only thing one has left...

I can't help but get that feeling that we are taking enormous steps back and ignoring all the things that made the western world great.

[Rambis]

5. Do they have free and reduced prayer?

maybe the kids could eat that?:grr:

[Agent William]

8. I think my post was a bit ambiguous...

I meant education is what made the western world great, not prayer.

[Rambis]

13. No worries- god will provide as long as your non union white straight male property owner

:hi:

[hobbit709]

1. Are they saying they need divine intervention to get good scores.

Maybe they should have taught and studied better.

Good Grief!

[Autumn]

2. Wow .God can change the wrong answers.

Maybe while he does that he can give us a less out dated version of his laws according to the bible.

[WatsonT]

3. For a control half the students should not have said the prayer

they could select the control/prayer groups carefully taking in to account past performance, religious views, opinions on prayer, etc.

Then they could look at the results and see if prayer made any statistically significant difference.

That would have been a somewhat worthwhile venture because at least they'd learn something.

[Starry Messenger]

4. It's sad that test scores have become so much a pressure

you have to intercede with the big guy to hope your school doesn't fail. :( Too much stress from standardized tests.

[DearAbby]

6. What is really sad

teaching to take a test. They can regurgitate test answers like little robots, question can they think critically?

[WatsonT]

14. Going by test scores

they can't regurgitate test answers like robots.

[truebrit71]

7. Wow. Unreal. Here's an idea, how about have the kids STUDY instead of pray...

..and what message are we sending here, fuck studying just show up for the test and pray that the lord gives you the right answer???

Just how fucking stupid is that??

Want to pray? Go to church.

[WolverineDG]

9. Are kids required to go to school on Saturday?

Does the school have a limited open forum, allowing non-curricular groups to meet on campus?

ok, saw the clip. What was on the flyer? How were they handed out? Who sponsored & organized the meeting? Were kids required to attend? What does "at the direction of" mean--does it mean the principal created the flyers & ran the meeting or did she just okay it? (which btw she is required to do if the school has an open forum)

dg

[Curmudgeoness]

10. Hope that someone will report about whether this worked.

My bet---the scores are exactly the same as they would have been without the praying. But I really want to know if they surpass all test scores they have ever had before this. Maybe I would become a believer.

[Hannah Bell]

11. christ wept.

[ReggieVeggie]

12. This is prayer is so they can get enough credit to get more funding

It's just as effective here as anywhere else, but the school district is probably desperate for sufficient means.