Click here for the Interview which was aired on WSVA (550AM and 92.1 FM) with George Bowers and Frank Wilk on March 31, 2022. |
Interview with Pastor George Bowers
Conducted by Dennis Barlow
Q1: Does WRE teach religion or does it teach Christianity? Could it, or should it try to relate to all major religions?
Answer: The goal of WRE is to teach the Bible as God’s Word, with life lessons and the morality it presents. It is a Christian perspective. We do not oppose the truths and insights of other religions, indeed we share universal values (natural law) which most major religions affirm. I’m pretty sure other religions would not be happy with me representing their viewpoints; released time is an option for any group to share religious teachings as long as it meets legal and school board requirements.
Q2: Do you attempt to align teachings with Catholic doctrine, Lutheran doctrine, Evangelical, Muslim or other doctrine?
Answer: We do not align with any denominational distinctive; we present basic Biblical teachings and stories via a curriculum developed originally by the Virginia Council of Churches without regard to various denominational interpretations.
Q3: Is this program likely to increase to peer-pressure? Being questioned or challenged by those having different personal beliefs and practices may lead to additional peer-pressure and bullying. Does WRE foster peer-pressure, or bullying or increased prejudices based on the fact that our culture is diverse, containing Hindus, Muslims, Jews, atheists, etc.?
Answer: WRE is the best antidote to bullying for the most basic of reasons: one of the key tenets of Christianity is its tolerance of others with an emphasis on support and help to those in need. Jesus challenges us to examine ourselves rather than to judge others and to treat others as we want to be treated.Additionally, WRE helps participating students stand up to peer pressure with courage with stories about Daniel, Esther, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, as well as Jesus Himself.
Q4: While their peers and friends are getting to leave the building and participate in other activities – do those ‘left behind” become the “other” group?
Answer: Since the students remaining in class continue in their routine and location, they are not in much danger as being labeled, “the other.” However, there are many reasons why students are from time to time excused from class: music performances, athletics, art shows, medical appointments, etc. Such activities rarely engender an “other” mentality; and if they do, perhaps it should be raised as a teaching point; that not everyone does all activities together; there are some things that some individuals are involved in that others are not.
Q5: Are you concerned about the skills and education that the WRE students will miss while engaged in the WRE program? If the WRE classes are held during regular instructional time, how are students expected to make up the lost classroom time? will teachers need to provide additional instruction to these students when they are not in attendance?
Answer: I am keenly aware of the need for, and emphasis on academic excellence in our schools; it’s one of the great payoffs of WRE! WRE supplements and enhances subjects such as reading, geography, literature, ethics, and history; it even supports SOL-related topics. We do not expect that the teachers deviate from their planned lessons at all. However, we believe that WRE presents an opportunity for the astute teacher to use part of the time in classes impacted by WRE, to provide focused attention on students who remain in class who may need special help or who are ready for more advanced guidance from the teacher. Generally, if new material were covered while students were released, teachers would be expected to allow released students to make up their work and not be placed at a significant academic disadvantage; that WRE students would be afforded the same opportunities to make up work as those impacted by illness, athletics, vacation or other excused activities.
Q6: Does the “release time” become more critical as higher grades might be added to the WRE program?
Answer: The program is focused on elementary age children. In Virginia, the program has never included any grades higher than 5th grade.
Q7: Often in other counties, while WRE classes are being held off campus, those students are missing Art, Music, physical education or other related arts (RA). The school day is often the only opportunity that some students have to participate in these activities. How are RA teachers to handle giving a grade to students that are in WRE classes and not in attendance?
Answer: First of all, we encourage school administrators to rotate schedules for WRE so as not to miss the same class routinely. Secondly, because of the rich variety of subjects in the Bible, we often are able to integrate art, music, literature, mythology, and other RA into our lessons and discussions.
Q8: What statistic supports the premise that “many” SCPS students are being raised by grandparents? What statistic supports the idea that grandparents are failing in their abilities to adequately rear these children?
Answer: We are not just concerned that children being raised by grandparents, we are concerned with “rounding out” life choices and emotional challenges for all students. Yet there is indeed an urgent need to be especially focused on “at-risk” students. Various studies produced by groups like the CDC and PRIDE indicate significant moral deterioration among youth, usually evidenced by a dramatic rise in “risky” behaviors. They could be in homes where drug addiction is a problem, where parents are incarcerated or in some way dysfunctional, where poverty is rife, etc. We believe that the extant statistics on all of these categories shows a significant rise in the past several years. WRE benefits all participating students but especially those who are at-risk, whether with parents or grandparents.
Q9: What statistics or evidence supports the idea that the children or any child is currently lacking in a moral foundation?
Answer: There is hardly any refutation to the many studies which show that behaviors indicative of moral decline and emotional distress: drug use (to include overdosing), bullying, suicides, severe depression, social isolation, etc. are rising dramatically.
Q10: Why shouldn’t WRE be conducted during afterschool time? The school system in the past has been able to provide activities such as Terrific Tuesday or Wonderful Wednesday teaching and club programs. Might WRE not also try and do the same? Has any thought been given to providing WRE opportunities during these after-school activities to eliminate bus transportation issues and still provide supervision and instruction?
ANSWER: The main answer is that for students most in need of WRE, transportation and extra time are two resources that they lack the most. At-risk students are the ones most likely to be needed at home to take care of siblings, help with chores, or be part of a family which itself is dysfunctional. Secondly, these students are the very ones for whom private transportation to and from another venue would be totally impossible to arrange.
Also, I should mention that the issue of analyzing the rights and prerogatives of these students has already been adjudicated; the Supreme Court has held that such procedures as we have developed are fully protected by the U.S. Constitution. Why would anyone object to students receiving their full Constitutional rights?
Q11: What provisions are being made for students that choose to participate but have medical conditions that may place them in jeopardy during this off-campus activity? Will there be individuals or nursing staff available that can address the needs of, for example, a diabetic student, a student that is wheelchair bound, or a student with fragile medical needs? Will the facilities that are being used for WRE be ADA compliant.
Answer: The WRE program is not new; we have developed both medical and legal protocols across the state which assure the most stringent adherence to medial needs and good health.
Q12: Individuals currently working with SCPS students undergo stringent background checks and requirements. Will the instructors, bus drivers and other WRE individuals be carefully screened and scrutinized? Where will liability issues land?
Answer: Yes, as I said in answer to the previous question, the WRE programs throughout the state have established standards and procedures for all medical requirements, but also for background checks, safety standards, and required skill sets. We do not have to create these standards out of whole cloth, there are standards which we can and will easily apply from similar programs. We will be covered by a reputable and comprehensive insurance liability policy.
Answer: The goal of WRE is to teach the Bible as God’s Word, with life lessons and the morality it presents. It is a Christian perspective. We do not oppose the truths and insights of other religions, indeed we share universal values (natural law) which most major religions affirm. I’m pretty sure other religions would not be happy with me representing their viewpoints; released time is an option for any group to share religious teachings as long as it meets legal and school board requirements.
Q2: Do you attempt to align teachings with Catholic doctrine, Lutheran doctrine, Evangelical, Muslim or other doctrine?
Answer: We do not align with any denominational distinctive; we present basic Biblical teachings and stories via a curriculum developed originally by the Virginia Council of Churches without regard to various denominational interpretations.
Q3: Is this program likely to increase to peer-pressure? Being questioned or challenged by those having different personal beliefs and practices may lead to additional peer-pressure and bullying. Does WRE foster peer-pressure, or bullying or increased prejudices based on the fact that our culture is diverse, containing Hindus, Muslims, Jews, atheists, etc.?
Answer: WRE is the best antidote to bullying for the most basic of reasons: one of the key tenets of Christianity is its tolerance of others with an emphasis on support and help to those in need. Jesus challenges us to examine ourselves rather than to judge others and to treat others as we want to be treated.Additionally, WRE helps participating students stand up to peer pressure with courage with stories about Daniel, Esther, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, as well as Jesus Himself.
Q4: While their peers and friends are getting to leave the building and participate in other activities – do those ‘left behind” become the “other” group?
Answer: Since the students remaining in class continue in their routine and location, they are not in much danger as being labeled, “the other.” However, there are many reasons why students are from time to time excused from class: music performances, athletics, art shows, medical appointments, etc. Such activities rarely engender an “other” mentality; and if they do, perhaps it should be raised as a teaching point; that not everyone does all activities together; there are some things that some individuals are involved in that others are not.
Q5: Are you concerned about the skills and education that the WRE students will miss while engaged in the WRE program? If the WRE classes are held during regular instructional time, how are students expected to make up the lost classroom time? will teachers need to provide additional instruction to these students when they are not in attendance?
Answer: I am keenly aware of the need for, and emphasis on academic excellence in our schools; it’s one of the great payoffs of WRE! WRE supplements and enhances subjects such as reading, geography, literature, ethics, and history; it even supports SOL-related topics. We do not expect that the teachers deviate from their planned lessons at all. However, we believe that WRE presents an opportunity for the astute teacher to use part of the time in classes impacted by WRE, to provide focused attention on students who remain in class who may need special help or who are ready for more advanced guidance from the teacher. Generally, if new material were covered while students were released, teachers would be expected to allow released students to make up their work and not be placed at a significant academic disadvantage; that WRE students would be afforded the same opportunities to make up work as those impacted by illness, athletics, vacation or other excused activities.
Q6: Does the “release time” become more critical as higher grades might be added to the WRE program?
Answer: The program is focused on elementary age children. In Virginia, the program has never included any grades higher than 5th grade.
Q7: Often in other counties, while WRE classes are being held off campus, those students are missing Art, Music, physical education or other related arts (RA). The school day is often the only opportunity that some students have to participate in these activities. How are RA teachers to handle giving a grade to students that are in WRE classes and not in attendance?
Answer: First of all, we encourage school administrators to rotate schedules for WRE so as not to miss the same class routinely. Secondly, because of the rich variety of subjects in the Bible, we often are able to integrate art, music, literature, mythology, and other RA into our lessons and discussions.
Q8: What statistic supports the premise that “many” SCPS students are being raised by grandparents? What statistic supports the idea that grandparents are failing in their abilities to adequately rear these children?
Answer: We are not just concerned that children being raised by grandparents, we are concerned with “rounding out” life choices and emotional challenges for all students. Yet there is indeed an urgent need to be especially focused on “at-risk” students. Various studies produced by groups like the CDC and PRIDE indicate significant moral deterioration among youth, usually evidenced by a dramatic rise in “risky” behaviors. They could be in homes where drug addiction is a problem, where parents are incarcerated or in some way dysfunctional, where poverty is rife, etc. We believe that the extant statistics on all of these categories shows a significant rise in the past several years. WRE benefits all participating students but especially those who are at-risk, whether with parents or grandparents.
Q9: What statistics or evidence supports the idea that the children or any child is currently lacking in a moral foundation?
Answer: There is hardly any refutation to the many studies which show that behaviors indicative of moral decline and emotional distress: drug use (to include overdosing), bullying, suicides, severe depression, social isolation, etc. are rising dramatically.
Q10: Why shouldn’t WRE be conducted during afterschool time? The school system in the past has been able to provide activities such as Terrific Tuesday or Wonderful Wednesday teaching and club programs. Might WRE not also try and do the same? Has any thought been given to providing WRE opportunities during these after-school activities to eliminate bus transportation issues and still provide supervision and instruction?
ANSWER: The main answer is that for students most in need of WRE, transportation and extra time are two resources that they lack the most. At-risk students are the ones most likely to be needed at home to take care of siblings, help with chores, or be part of a family which itself is dysfunctional. Secondly, these students are the very ones for whom private transportation to and from another venue would be totally impossible to arrange.
Also, I should mention that the issue of analyzing the rights and prerogatives of these students has already been adjudicated; the Supreme Court has held that such procedures as we have developed are fully protected by the U.S. Constitution. Why would anyone object to students receiving their full Constitutional rights?
Q11: What provisions are being made for students that choose to participate but have medical conditions that may place them in jeopardy during this off-campus activity? Will there be individuals or nursing staff available that can address the needs of, for example, a diabetic student, a student that is wheelchair bound, or a student with fragile medical needs? Will the facilities that are being used for WRE be ADA compliant.
Answer: The WRE program is not new; we have developed both medical and legal protocols across the state which assure the most stringent adherence to medial needs and good health.
Q12: Individuals currently working with SCPS students undergo stringent background checks and requirements. Will the instructors, bus drivers and other WRE individuals be carefully screened and scrutinized? Where will liability issues land?
Answer: Yes, as I said in answer to the previous question, the WRE programs throughout the state have established standards and procedures for all medical requirements, but also for background checks, safety standards, and required skill sets. We do not have to create these standards out of whole cloth, there are standards which we can and will easily apply from similar programs. We will be covered by a reputable and comprehensive insurance liability policy.