'Patriot Pastor' Televangelist’s Voucher-Funded School Employs Uncertified Teachers

[ck4829]

Although Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) has said he wants to eliminate the state’s troubled private-school voucher program, the Republican-controlled state House yesterday passed a budget maintaining the program, and the state Senate is apparently poised to do the same. The Columbus Dispatch reports on one parochial school that fails to meet the lowered requirements for private schools to receive state money: Harvest Preparatory Academy, operated by televangelist Rod Parsley’s World Harvest megachurch.

About 500 students attend Harvest Preparatory Academy. Thirty-six teachers and two aides educate them.

But only eight are licensed, the Ohio Department of Education says. And more than one-third of staff members hadn't had a background check more than midway through the school year.

Parsley is a major player in Ohio Republican politics. Along with Russell Johnson, another area megachurch pastor, he organized a political machine of so-called “patriot pastors” that in effect functioned as a church-based campaign arm for Kenneth Blackwell’s 2006 bid to defeat Strickland for governor. Blackwell, who once proposed eliminating all state funding of public schools, made expanding the voucher program a signature of his campaign, which lost by a wide margin.

“Harvest Prep has a problem, and we knew about it,” said a state department of education spokesman, although apparently only now is the department conducting rudimentary inspections of voucher-funded private schools, and beginning to uncover basic certification problems.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/05/patriot_pastor_9.html

[MeDeMax]

1. the prez bears some responsibility for this ...

public schools have their share of problems and some, but this is utterly disgraceful.

Congress got carried away and passed laws that required public schools to educate children
with special needs alongside regular education students.

Oh ! by the way, congress also forgot to fully fund this mandate, the district has to
pony up the cash.

So public schools have to accept and educate everybody, they also have to perform
miracles and educate kids with special needs using methods that are less than optimal.

No wonder public schools are such a convenient whipping post.

Now add in a teacher's union that leans dem and right wing parochial preachers with
their hand in the school voucher cookie jar, it makes for bad situation worse.

[Kolesar]

2. If you want to stop charter schools, call your representatives NOW!

This is making big headlines on Ohio Public Radio. I wrote an email of support to Strickland for his plan to cut charter schools. You need to write to your legislators and the Gov.

Find them at www.ohio.gov Click on the government link and drill down to your zip code.

[MeDeMax]

3. thanks !

I am not philosophically opposed to the existence of charter schools, I am opposed
to unregulated charter schools that only exist to line the pockets of their owners
at the expense of our future generations.

I will pass on your info.

[BillORightsMan]

4. The Bigger Picture

We've known about Blackwell's ties to Rod Parsley and the regressive religious right. But the bigger picture is the Dominionist agenda that these religio-fascist are after. (Who can forget Blackwell's “Character and Civic Renewal” that used to be right on the SoS website, paid for with YOUR tax dollars?)


Wednesday night I was streaming the http://www.peterbcollins.com/">Peter B. Collins Show on AM 540 KRXA and his guest was Chris Hedges, promoting his new book American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America. Hedges was on for the whole second hour discussing the Dominionist movement and how they co-opted the GOP to push what I call the Puritan agenda.

(mp3 at The White Rose Society Archive LISTEN PBC Show Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 - leave a tip if you can)

So, I decided to call in and ask Hedges to comment on Ken Blackwell and the "patriot pastors". Hedges actually went to one of their "revivals" and I was STUNNED!
:wow:

Click the link above and listen to the whole Hour Two - I'm "Bill from Cleveland" toward the last ten minutes or so.

Blackwell and his gang of Dominionists prey on the poor and those without hope and, given the terrible economic situation Ohio is in, there's easy pickins here. We have to continue to expose these Dominionists for what they are: American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America.

Vouchers are just one of their projects. What's REALLY SCARY is that Blackwell got nearly 40% of the vote in 2006!

Check out Jesus Camp to see how they are indoctrinating children (KIDS fercryinoutload!) into this militant fascist "theology". It's NOT your father's Old Time Gospel.

imbillorightsmanandiapprovethismessage
:patriot:
www.BillORightsMan.com