Latest news with #LifeWiseAcademy
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bible education program comes at a cost, group says
May 16—LIMA — A popular offsite Bible class for public school students is restricting class time for students who don't participate, say the founders of the Secular Education Association. LifeWise Academy, the rapidly expanding Christian group that teaches children about the Bible through public school released-time for religious instruction waivers, is "using the public schools as a mission field," Molly Gaines said during a visit to Lima on Thursday. She and co-founder Zachary Parrish met with Allen County Democrats Thursday to discuss the evangelical mission behind LifeWise Academy and the influence they say the offsite Bible classes are having on students who don't participate. Other parents' choices 'affecting my child' Supporters defend LifeWise as an option for parents who want to incorporate religious instruction into their child's school day without having to enroll in a private school. Parents like Parrish argue the classes are still harmful because students who don't participate must repeat a class or stay behind in study hall while their peers are gone, so LifeWise students won't miss instructional time. Parrish started Parents Against LifeWise on Facebook, now known as the Secular Education Association, after learning his young daughter was sitting in study hall while her classmates were at LifeWise. The girl was in second grade. "When your choices start affecting my child's education, that's a problem," Parrish said. When Parrish shared his story online, he heard from other parents whose children experienced the same. "There's a lot of bullying, a lot of ostracizing" of students who don't go to LifeWise, he said. 'During school hours' Van Wert native Joel Penton founded LifeWise Academy after observing the success of Cross Over the Hill, an offsite Bible class for Van Wert schools. Penton streamlined the model by providing churches and volunteers with ready-made petitions, curriculum, fundraising support and instructions for how to lobby a school board to bring a LifeWise Academy to their local public schools. He relied on a little-known U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permits public school students to receive offsite religious instruction during the school day, so long as a parent consents and no public funds are used, to teach the Bible "during school hours." The program is spreading rapidly throughout the country, with LifeWise Academies available to all public schoolchildren in Allen County except Lima. Rapid expansion in Allen County Elida became the first district in Allen County to approve the release of students for LifeWise Academy, with the help of Christian broadcast network WTLW in 2020. The station purchased a bus and a home near the elementary school, which was converted into classrooms for LifeWise use. The network formed a subsidiary, ACTS Character Academy, to raise money for expenses. It now oversees academies in Allen East, Bath, Columbus Grove, Perry and Spencerville, providing staff and volunteers for each program. LifeWise programs in Shawnee and Delphos are operated independently of WTLW through the national LifeWise organization. The group inspired similar released-time programs like Kingdom Harvest Ministries, based in Celina, which is now available to children in Auglaize and Mercer counties. A moral education Structure varies from school to school. Students are typically excused during an elective or non-core classes like library, but schools may also use built-in free periods to release students for LifeWise. Attendance rates here average at 60% for grades 1-6, said Kevin Bowers, president of ACTS Ministries. Each Bible lesson is tied to a character trait like trustworthiness or honesty, with curriculum provided by the national LifeWise organization based on the Gospel Project. Bowers said most children do not attend church, but a majority of parents believe their children should receive character education, and most of those parents say the Bible should be the basis for that education, he said. "We don't apologize for the fact that the Bible is the basis for our program," Bowers said. "Some might call it indoctrination. We call it teaching. "Children are going to learn morals and ethics from somewhere, and it might as well be the Bible, in our view, because that's not only the foundation of Christian faith, but we believe in the foundation of our Western civilization." Children ask, 'Why won't you let me do this?' While the program is voluntary, parents like Parrish and Gaines say children are pressured by their peers to join LifeWise, which they say is contrary to how released-time programs functioned in the past. Now, children see LifeWise as a "party," Gaines said. "We have children coming home saying, 'Why won't you let me do this,'" Gaines said. "These are Jewish kids in second grade. They don't understand why they can't go to LifeWise." The academies brand themselves as inter-denominational Christian character education, but Gaines said the classes are designed to "indoctrinate" and "proselytize to every child" using a "narrow, hateful" interpretation of Christianity. "It's biblical literalism," she said. "It's evangelical in nature. (Children) are encouraged to proselytize not only to their friends, but to their family." "To say it's hateful almost doesn't deserve a response," Bowers said. He added, "It's been a blessing. It's actually helping schools accomplish what they want to accomplish, and that's to build well-rounded individuals that are going to participate in society and make good life decisions." Featured Local Savings
Axios
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Ohio parents' rights law for schools takes effect
Ohio's "Parents' Bill of Rights" law takes effect Wednesday, another controversial and sweeping education overhaul, this time at the K-12 level. Why it matters: House Bill 8 shows Republicans' progress in gaining control over public education, particularly in areas tied to the culture wars, including transgender students' rights. What's inside: Districts must now notify parents of "substantial changes" to their child's health and well-being, including "any request by a student to identify as a gender that does not align with the student's biological sex." Separately, districts must also notify parents of instructional materials containing "sexuality content" and provide an opt-out option. Plus: All students must be allowed to leave for private religious instruction during the school day — a practice that has drawn scrutiny amid Hilliard-based nonprofit LifeWise Academy's growing presence. Zoom in: Local districts have made recent moves to comply with the religious teaching mandate, which requires a policy in place by today. That includes Westerville, which previously banned such absences. Columbus' school board revised its policy last month to prohibit religious organizations from sending students back to class with souvenirs like candy and trinkets. The board also reviewed a "Parents' Bill of Rights" policy last week but hasn't voted yet. Between the lines: Underlying the "parental rights" debate are concerns that minors could receive gender-affirming care through school without their parents' knowledge. The big picture: Twenty-four states currently have similar laws, per Ballotpedia, which proponents say are necessary to promote transparency and parents' involvement. "They're the first teachers, they're the best teachers, and that's very, very important," Gov. Mike DeWine said of parents when signing the bill into law. The other side: Critics say such laws are a tactic to instill distrust and fear. School counselors who testified against the bill shared concerns that students with unsupportive families will be deterred from seeking care, and LGBTQ+ activists noted educators may now be forced to out children.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate bill would okay students attending off-campus Bible classes during school hours
LifeWise Academy is a Hilliard, Ohio-based religious instruction program that started in 2019 and now enrolls thousands of students across 30 states. (Photo: Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal.) Republicans in the North Carolina Senate recently introduced a bill that would allow public school students to attend religious instruction during school hours. Senate Bill 92, the 'Released Time Education Act,' would permit local school boards to adopt policies that allow students to attend off-campus courses one to five hours per week for 'religious moral instruction' provided by third party organizations. The legislation comes as LifeWise Academy, a national organization that offers Bible education to public school students during school hours, has been preparing to expand into North Carolina, registering to operate in the state last year and seeking a state director. The bill requires parental consent, prohibits using public funds for the programs, and allows up to two elective credits for completed courses. Organizations offering the program would be required to maintain attendance records and provide course syllabi to school boards upon request. They would also be responsible for student supervision and liability during released time courses. LifeWise, citing a little known 1952 Supreme Court decision in the case of Zorach v. Clauson, operates under the premise that released time religious instruction is constitutional if it occurs off school property, is privately funded, and with parental permission. The organization, which launched in 2019, has rapidly expanded, now operating in over 300 schools across 30 states, providing weekly Bible lessons to as many as 50,000 public school students. The organization typically schedules its lessons to coincide with lunch periods or non-core classes such as library or gym class. In January, the Columbus Dispatch reported that LifeWise netted a 'profit' of over $17.2 million in its most recent IRS filing, up from $4.3 million the year before. The organization frames the initiative as reclaiming 'the greatest missed opportunity' for churches to reach the next generation. Critics argue the program excludes other students, detracts from academics, and allows proselytization in public schools. In Ohio, where Gov. Mike Dewine recently signed legislation establishing a released time policy, the Ohio Capital Journal reported that some parents have complained that their children have been bullied and ostracized for not attending LifeWise programs and been relegated to independent study time during the time in which other students were at the off-campus program. If enacted into law, the bill, sponsored by Senators Bobby Hanig, Ted Alexander, and Carl Ford, would take effect in the 2025–2026 school year. NC Newsline reporter Ahmed Jallow (ajallow@ would like to hear from people with information about released time efforts and programs already underway in their community. Read the bill here: Senate-Bill-92-2025
The Guardian
12-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Rightwing Christians plot to increase US religious education during school hours
A group of rightwing Christian organizations is pushing a model bill to require public school districts to allow students to receive religious education during school hours, according to footage from a December meeting of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers. During the meeting, a group of state lawmakers voted to create a model bill that would allow students to leave school grounds to receive religious education for one to five hours a week, a practice referred to as religious release time. Fourteen states require school districts to have 'release time' policies on the books and similar bills have been introduced in Arkansas and Mississippi. In Ohio, a new law that was passed this year requiring school districts to adopt release time policies will go into effect in April. Driving the push for the model legislation is a rapidly growing organization called LifeWise, which offers Christian classes during public school hours. LifeWise has received legal support from rightwing groups including America First Legal and has allied with groups on the far right including Moms for Liberty. At the December NACL meeting, supporters of the religious release time bill said the legislation had been drafted by Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-LGBTQ+ legal organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a hate group. 'America is a Christian nation,' said Matthew Faraci, a conservative activist who spoke at the event in favor of the bill. He said the bill is 'guidelines to say, 'OK, we already know it's legal, but here's how you do it in the right way so that you won't get sued''. Founded in 2018 in Ohio by Joel Penton, LifeWise Academy offers Christian instruction off-campus to public school students with parental approval, typically during recess or classes such as art and library. The group has grown dramatically in the last five years, reporting relationships with nearly 600 schools in 29 states as of August 2024. LifeWise's revenue has exploded, too, growing from $2m in 2021 to $35.3m in 2024 according to the group's IRS reports. 'It's our hope that students all across America would have access to Bible education through release time during school hours, and so we want to work toward that end,' said Penton. 'We would be hoping, praying, working toward more than 1000 schools by the next school year.' LifeWise has anticipated some of the questions parents are likely to raise when the group partners with their child's public school, and enumerates them in an expansive FAQ section on its website. Among these concerns are: is teaching the Bible during the school day really legal? Is LifeWise Academy a political movement? And, how is this legal? Release time is regulated under two supreme court cases dating back to the 1940s, which limit religious education in schools but allow for students to leave campus to take religious classes. In 1948, the court ruled that a public school in Illinois had violated the law in holding religious courses during school hours. The ruling found the district had 'enable[d] sectarian groups to give religious instruction to public school pupils in public school buildings' and thus violated the first amendment. A subsequent supreme court ruling, in 1952, held that New York City schools were legally allowed to 'release' students for religious education and devotion outside of the school with parental permission. LifeWise is not the only group to offer Christian education during school hours, but it is the first to turn such programming into a national, coordinated effort. For parents like Jessica Cappuzzello, an Ohio mom who raised her children going to church, the opportunity to add Christian education during the school day was exciting. 'My boys are learning about things like compassion, perseverance, generosity, gratitude,' said Cappuzzello, who emphasized that she supported the idea of such programming for non-Christian students as well. LifeWise advertises fully inclusive Christian education, claiming that all students, including those of non-Christian religious backgrounds, 'can benefit from a greater understanding of such an influential book.' The program also functions explicitly as a tool to evangelize young people into the Church. According to an internal training module reviewed by the Guardian, LifeWise's 'target audience' can be found in 'unchurched students who are not already hearing the gospel.' Public schools, according to LifeWise's public-facing 'Vision Statement and Philosophy' are an ideal 'mission field' for the program to operate within. And while LifeWise advertises an apolitical curriculum and promises not to proactively wade into topics like gender and sexuality, if students ask questions, instructors take a 'traditional' approach, Penton told the Guardian. An internal LifeWise document for instructors titled 'Difficult Questions from Students,' which was published online by the progressive group Honesty for Ohio Education, recommends LifeWise instructors tell students that divorce, LGBTQ+ identities and non-married couples living together are sinful. The document states that 'transgenderism does not exist' and 'LGBTQ individuals are living in sin and angering God.' While LifeWise – and the laws enabling its expansion – has grown, so has opposition to it. In 2021, Zachary Parrish, the father of a first grader at Defiance elementary school in north-west Ohio noticed a reference to LifeWise on his daughter's classroom schedule, tucked between library and gym class. The reference could have been inconspicuous, but to Parrish, it was a glaring red flag. His daughter's teacher had explained to parents – in what Parrish described as a 'pitch' – that the Christian organization would be offered to kids enrolled at the public elementary school off-site during school hours. Uninterested in the religious instruction on offer at LifeWise, Parrish asked for alternative programming for his daughter. 'They shoved her in a study hall in the gym class,' said Parrish. 'That's what she was sent to do, because she didn't go to LifeWise. They put her on the iPad.' He is not the only parent who opposes the program. According to Sammi Lawrence, a staff attorney with the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the group received more than 40 complaints from parents and school district employees about LifeWise in 2024. Many reported 'schools permitting LifeWise representatives to come into the school and try to recruit kids to go, letting representatives come in during classes or come in during lunch, and pass out flyers'. Public schools cannot legally promote LifeWise, and Lawrence told the Guardian FFRF has successfully intervened to stop such practices. Frustrated at what he viewed as an effort to sneak religious education into public schools, Parrish posted on Reddit and connected with other parents who shared concerns about the close relationship the LifeWise religious educational program had developed with schools in Ohio. What began as a small group of parents developed into a grassroots organization of parents across the country who oppose the way the Christian curriculum has been implemented during public school hours. Parents Against LifeWise, a private Facebook group where parents who oppose the program share information about LifeWise, has grown to 7,500 members. Parents have reported that the program creates in-group and out-groups within the student body, leaving non-Christian students feeling left out or even bullied. The draw to escape school for a popular off-campus activity could contribute to LifeWise's success, and it bothers parents such as Parrish. 'Of course they want to leave school,' said Parrish. 'What kid doesn't want to get out of school?'
