Texas Chaplains Urge Districts To Reject New School Chaplain Plan

From Forbes. com. Greg Abbott thought he had a great way to get religion into schools. Actual chaplains disagree.

In May, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 763, declaring that “a school district or open-enrollment charter school may employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students.” Governor Greg Abbott signed it into law in June.

Now over 100 Texas chaplains have signed a letter to school board members across the state, asking them to reject this option.

While many Texans have argued against this attempt to inject religion into schools, the letter from the chaplains, representing a wide range of denominations and faiths, is a clear rebuke of the law and an explanation of all the ways in which it fails.

Because of our training and experience, we know that chaplains are not a replacement for school counselors or safety measures in our public schools, and we urge you to reject this flawed policy option: It is harmful to our public schools and the students and families they serve.

They point out that professional chaplains have “specific education and expertise,” including, typically a graduate theological degree and support from an organization connected to their religious tradition. Professional chaplains may also acquire two years of religious leadership experience, and those that work in health care get even more training.

The new law allows a school district to give any employee or volunteer the title of “chaplain,” as long as they can pass a background check.

Read the full piece here.